“The night was drawing to a close; it was four o’clock, and all were already asleep in Delzons’s bivouacs, excepting a few sentinels, when Doctorof’s Russians suddenly rushed in the dark out of the wood with tremendous shouts.  Our sentinels were driven back on their posts, the posts on their battalions, the battalions on the division:  and yet it was not a coup-de-main, for the Russians had brought up cannon.  At the very commencement of the attack, the firing had conveyed the tidings of a serious affair to the viceroy, who was three leagues distant.”

The report added, that “the Prince had immediately hastened up with some officers, and that his divisions and his guard had precipitately followed him.  As he approached, a vast amphitheatre, where all was bustle, opened before him; the Louja marked the foot of it, and a multitude of Russian riflemen already disputed its banks.”

Behind them from the summit of the declivities on which the town was situated, their advanced guard poured their fire on Delzons:  beyond that, on the elevated plain, the whole army of Kutusoff was hastening up in two long black columns, by the two roads from Lectazowo.  They were seen stretching and entrenching themselves on this bare slope, upon a line of about half a league, where they commanded and embraced every thing by their number and position:  they were already placing themselves across the old road to Kalouga, which was open the preceding day, which we might have occupied and travelled if we had pleased, but which Kutusoff would henceforward have it in his power to defend inch by inch.

The enemy’s artillery had at the same time taken advantage of the heights which bordered the river on their side; their fire traversed the low ground in the bend of the river, in which were Delzons and his troops.  The position was untenable, and hesitation would have been fatal.  It was necessary to get out of it either by a prompt retreat, or by an impetuous attack; but it was before us that our retreat lay, and the viceroy gave orders for the attack.

After crossing the Louja by a narrow bridge, the high road from Kalouga runs along the bottom of a ravine which ascends to the town, and then enters Malo-Yaroslawetz.  The Russians, in mass occupied this hollow way:  Delzons and his Frenchmen rushed upon them head foremost; the Russians were broken and overthrown; they gave way and presently our bayonets glistened on the heights.

Delzons, conceiving himself sure of the victory, announced it as won.  He had nothing but a pile of buildings to storm, his soldiers hesitated.  He himself advanced and was encouraging them by his words, gestures and example, when a ball struck him on the forehead, and extended him on the ground.  His brother threw himself upon him, covered him with his body, clasped him in his arms, and would have borne him off out of the fire and the fray, but a second ball hit him also, and both expired together.