The conscript, an historical novel

26–27 August 1813

Battle of Dresden

CHAPTER XVI.

One evening the rumor spread that we had gained a great victory at Dresden. There was a general consternation in the place, and the people would not come out of their houses. I went to read the gazette in the Grapes inn, in Tilly-street. The French journals were all lying on the table ; no one would read them but me.

CHAPTER XVII.

Unhappily, at the end of the armistice, every one had turned against us. The people held us in detestation. They cut the bridges in our rear ; they gave intelligence to the Prussians, the Rus- sians, and the rest concerning our slightest move- ments ; and every time we were in a difficulty, in- stead of helping us, they tried to thrust us deeper into the mire. The great rains had put the crown on our disasters. On the day of the battle of Dresden, it fell in such torrents, that the Emper- or's hat hung down upon his shoulders. But when you gain the victory, you laugh at such a

CHAPTER XVII.

Zebede told me all these things in detail. He told me that after the victory at Dresden, General Vandamme, who was to cut off^ the Austrians' re- treat, had penetrated in the direction of Kulm, and through his extraordinary ardor had got caught in a kind of funnel, and that those whom we had beaten the day before had fallen upon him in front and rear, right and left ; that he and several other generals had been taken prisoners, and his corps cTarmie had been destroyed. Two days before, on the 26th of August, a similar thing had happened to our division, and to the 5th, 6th, and nth Corps, on the heights of Lowenberg. We were to crush the Prussians on that side ; but through a false movement of Marshal Macdonald, the enemy had surprised us in the midst of a ravine, with our cannons in the mud, our cavalry in disorder, and our infantry unable to fire on account of the beating rain ; we