. Battles of the nineteenth century . -seven crosses toGudins regiments, and presented an eagle to the127th with his own hands; but the misery ofthe troops outweighed the glory they had gained:they had seen seven hundred wounded Russiansleft untended for three days at Witepsk, and theFrench surgeons tearing up their own shirts foi-bandages; at Smolensk, fifteen large brickbuildings saved frcm the fire were then fullof groaning men, Lariboissieres gun-waddingand the parchments in the city archives beingused to dress their wounds. There, also, ahospital containing a hundred sick was over-looked
. Battles of the nineteenth century . -seven crosses toGudins regiments, and presented an eagle to the127th with his own hands; but the misery ofthe troops outweighed the glory they had gained:they had seen seven hundred wounded Russiansleft untended for three days at Witepsk, and theFrench surgeons tearing up their own shirts foi-bandages; at Smolensk, fifteen large brickbuildings saved frcm the fire were then fullof groaning men, Lariboissieres gun-waddingand the parchments in the city archives beingused to dress their wounds. There, also, ahospital containing a hundred sick was over-looked for three days, until Rapp discovered it ^i; BATTLES OF THE NINETEENTH by thou-sand Bavarianshad beenmarched todeath withoutfiring a shot, and discipHne was so lax that atSlawkowo the Guard burnt forfirewood the onlv bridge by whichthe Emperor could continue hisroute next day. Many Cuirassiers rode on nativeponies, regiments straggled alongand pillaged without check, Da-vouts corps alone preserving anything like itsusual order : the popular impression that theFrench disasters began with the winters snowis utterlv false ; the Army of the Centre alone,under Napoleon in person, having lost 105,500in fifty-two davs, and advancing on Moscowwith only 182,000, after deducting 13,500 leftat Smolensk. Ever3-thing pointed to a decisive battle torestore the morale of the Grande Armee^ andNapoleon seemed for the moment to pull himselftogether, if we mav be permitted a homelyphrase. Countless orders were despatched, every carriage was to be destroyed that was likely toretard the advance, and meeting with that of hisaide-de-camp Narbonne, he had it burne
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