Narrative Of Events During The Invasion Of Russia By Napoleon Bonaparte And The Retreat Of The French Army 1812 PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1860 edition. Excerpt: ... The whole surface was broken, billowy, and uneven. The Russian army consisted of ninety thousand effective regulars, ten thousand militia of Moscow and of Smolensk, which had joined a day or two previously, and seven thousand Cossacks. Bagrathion commanded the left, Beningsen the centre, Barclay the right. On the 5th of September Murat appeared in front of the position by the road of G-olowino, and immediately deployed his cavalry and the division Campans, by which it was supported. The Viceroy took the direction of Borodino, and Poniatowski moved through Jelnia along the old Smolensk road. At two o'clock in the afternoon, Napoleon, who had come forward to reconnoitre, ordered an attack to be made on the Russian light troops in the villages of Aleksinki, Fomkino, andDoronino, and on the redoubt of Chewardino. At four o'clock the enemy passed the Kolocza, dislodging the Russians from the three before-named villages, and establishing themselves behind an elevation in front of the redoubt which was armed with twelve field pieces, and from which elevation they kept up a galling fire on the Russian cannoneers. As soon as Campans had planted his guns on an eminence that favoured the operation, he opened his fire on the redoubt. Murat then attempted to charge between the redoubt and a wood on the left, but was driven back. Prince Gorchakow, who was entrusted with the defence of this redoubt, had supported it with two regiments of infantry, supported agaiu on their right by two regiments of dragoons and four pieces of flying artillery, and on the left by a division of cuirassiers and eight pieces of flying artillery; two regiments of dragoons had also been employed in covering the chasseurs on their retreat from the villages. After a heavy...