The Russians embraced that moment to place between them and us that barrier which was expected to prove fatal to them.  Their column profited by it to rally and gain ground.  At length some French cannon came up, and they alone were capable of making a breach in this living fortress.

Newerowskoi hastened to reach a defile, where Grouchy was ordered to anticipate him; but Murat, deceived by a false report, had diverted the greatest part of that general’s cavalry in the direction of Elnia; Grouchy had only 600 horse remaining.  He made the 8th chasseurs dash forward to the defile, but it found itself too weak to stand against so strong a column.  The vigorous and repeated charges made by that regiment, by the 6th hussars, and the 6th lancers, on the left flank of that dense mass, which was protected by the double row of birch-trees that lined the road on each side, were wholly insufficient, and Grouchy’s applications for assistance were not attended to; either because the general who followed him was kept back by the difficulties of the ground, or that he was not sufficiently sensible of the importance of the combat.  It was nevertheless great, since there was between Smolensk and Murat but this one Russian corps, and had that been defeated, Smolensk might have been surprised without defenders, taken without a battle, and the enemy’s army cut off from his capital.  But this Russian division at length gained a woody ground where its flanks were covered.

Newerowskoi retreated like a lion; still he left on the field of battle 1200 killed, 1000 prisoners, and eight pieces of cannon.  The French cavalry had the honour of that day.  The attack was as furious as the defence was obstinate; it had the more merit, having only the sword to employ against both sword and fire:  the enlightened courage of the French soldier being besides of a more exalted nature than that of the Russian troops, mere docile slaves, who expose a less happy life, and bodies in which cold has extinguished sensibility.

As chance would have it, the day of this success was the emperor’s birth-day.  The army had no idea of celebrating it.  In the disposition of the men and of the place, there was nothing that harmonized with such a celebration; empty acclamations would have been lost amid those vast deserts.  In our situation, there was no other festival than the day of a complete victory.

Murat and Ney, however, in reporting their success to the emperor, paid homage to that anniversary.  They caused a salute of 100 guns to be fired.  The emperor remarked, with displeasure, that in Russia it was necessary to be more sparing of French powder; the answer was, that it was Russian powder which had been taken the preceding day.  The idea of having his birth-day celebrated at the expense of the enemy drew a smile from Napoleon.  It was admitted that this very rare species of flattery became such men.