But it was too late.  Amid these preparations, and at the moment when Napoleon was reviewing Ney’s divisions in the first court of the Kremlin, a report was all at once circulated around him, that the report of cannon was heard towards Vinkowo.  It was some time before any one durst apprise him of the circumstance; some from incredulity or uncertainty, and dreading the first movement of his impatience; others from love of ease, hesitating to provoke a terrible signal, or apprehensive of being sent to verify this assertion, and of exposing themselves to a fatiguing excursion.

Duroc, at length, took courage.  The Emperor was at first agitated, but quickly recovering himself, he continued the review.  An aide-de-camp, young Beranger, arrived shortly after with the intelligence that Murat’s first line had been surprised and overthrown, his left turned by favour of the woods, his flank attacked, his retreat cut off; that twelve pieces of cannon, twenty ammunition waggons, and thirty waggons belonging to the train were taken, two generals killed, three or four thousand men lost and the baggage; and lastly, that the King was wounded.  He had not been able to rescue the relics of his advanced guard from the enemy, but by repeatedly charging their numerous troops which already occupied the high road in his rear, his only retreat.

Our honour however was saved.  The attack in front, directed by Kutusoff, was feeble; Poniatowski, at some leagues distance on the right, made a glorious resistance; Murat and his carbineers, by supernatural exertions, checked Bagawout, who was ready to penetrate our left flank, and restored the fortune of the day.  Claparede and Latour-Maubourg cleared the defile of Spaskaplia, two leagues in the rear of our line, which was already occupied by Platof.  Two Russian generals were killed, and others wounded:  the loss of the enemy was considerable, but the advantage of the attack, our cannon, our position, the victory in short, were theirs.

As for Murat, he no longer had an advanced guard.  The armistice had destroyed half the remnant of his cavalry.  This engagement finished it; the survivors, emaciated with hunger, were so few as scarcely to furnish a charge.  Thus had the war recommenced.  It was now the 18th of October.

At these tidings Napoleon recovered the fire of his early years.  A thousand orders general and particular, all differing, yet all in unison and all necessary, burst at once from his impetuous genius.  Night had not yet arrived, and the whole army was already in motion for Woronowo; Broussier was sent in the direction of Fominskoe, and Poniatowski toward Medyn.  The Emperor himself quitted Moscow before daylight on the 19th of October.  “Let us march upon Kalouga,” said he, “and woe be to those whom I meet with by the way!”

BOOK IX.

CHAP.  I.