. A history of all nations from the earliest times; being a universal historical library . in Napoleons view the lessening of the qnan-tity of baggage was regarded as a chief improvement in (arrving onwar; Init all measures adopted had been baffled by the enormous dimen-sions of the exjiedition, by the embezzlements of officers, militarv andcivil, and of Iontractors. On the Xiemen the emperor had re(piiredthe kings, princes, marshals and generals to take Care that their corpsshould have with them provisions for twenty days, but in the rapidilvof the advance the su]i])ly-eolumns, with their hea
. A history of all nations from the earliest times; being a universal historical library . in Napoleons view the lessening of the qnan-tity of baggage was regarded as a chief improvement in (arrving onwar; Init all measures adopted had been baffled by the enormous dimen-sions of the exjiedition, by the embezzlements of officers, militarv andcivil, and of Iontractors. On the Xiemen the emperor had re(piiredthe kings, princes, marshals and generals to take Care that their corpsshould have with them provisions for twenty days, but in the rapidilvof the advance the su]i])ly-eolumns, with their heavy teams of oxen sink-ing in the loose sand, found it impossii)le to keep Tip, so tliev parted fromthe troops to which they were attaclieil and the latter never succeeded inseeing them again. It was strictly ordered that every soldier should pro-vide himself with food for fourteen days, but the burden was too great forthe troops, and as soon as possible they freed themselves from it. if theyiln-w provisions at times, it was not bread or biscuit, but mouldy meal. XAPOLEON AT VfLXA. 179. 180 TBE FALL OF NAPOLEON. Soon no one conccrnod liiniself further with regard to subsistence. Thusmen were from the l)eginiiing of the war thrown upon themselves. Butit was little that was aflonled by this desolate country, pathless and cov-ered for a great distance with dreary forests of pine. To this was addedthe oppressive heat of the long days of a northern summer, which, afterbeing suspended for five days by heavy showers, increased at the i)egin-ning of July niitil it was intolerable, so that the soldiers, especially thosebelonging to the last levies, who were too young and weak, «ank downby liundreds from exhaustion. Hospital wagons were not in readi-ness, or they were not in sufficient numbers, so that a sick man wastherefore a dead man. Amid such hardships the bands of discij)linc wereloosened in the most perilous manner. Regiments were obliged to sendout large detachments to forage, wh
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