Narrative of Events during the Invasion of Russia by Napoleon Bonaparte

7 September 1812 (26 August Old Style)

Battle of Borodino

WBB8TS.

baffled by the Prussians) ; the whole of the contending forces were moreover not only entirely within view of each other, but scarcely at half cannon shot distance. Borodino was a battle of points, on ground much diversified by eminences and ravines, which gave the army a broken appearance : therefore Eylau, as Ben- ingsen described it, was " une bataille rangee, and Borodino une bataille d^rangce." At Eylau the ground was a surface of frozen snow, which greatly aggravated the misery of the wounded, though the night after the battle of Borodino was also cold ; and in both cases no supplies for man or beast could be obtained.*

WBB8TS.

This division had joined the army the day after the battle of Borodino, and was considered therefore a maiden corps which had to establish a fellowship of reputation. This it most deservedly acquired; but the Russian grenadiers, notwithstanding its impetuous elTorts and the flames raging around them (for the town was on fire in all parts), tenaciously maintained their position: and the Viceroy was compelled to send across the river all his corps, except the cavalry, to preserve his tetes dtf^ont.

KUSSIAN FLANK ARMIES.

On the 23rd a Polish prisoner communicated to the Admiral the intelligence of the "battle of Borodino and the destruction of Moscow."

LETTERS AND DESPATCHES.

The inability of Buonaparte to ruin the Russian army and force a peace was evident to him before the battle of Borodino ; but he still calculated that the occupation of Moscow would terrify the Emperor or enable him to revolutionise the country. He erred in every calculation.