This unfortunate general was still struggling with the heavens, with men, and with his own despair, when he felt even the earth give way under his feet.  In fact, being deceived by the snow, he had fallen into a lake, which was not frozen sufficiently hard to bear him, and in which he would have been drowned.  Then only he yielded and gave up his arms.

While this catastrophe was accomplishing, his other three brigades, being more and more hemmed in upon the road, lost all power of movement.  They delayed their surrender till the next morning, first by fighting, and then by parleying; they then all fell in their turn; a common misfortune again united them with their general.

Of the whole division, a single battalion only escaped:  it had been left the last in Borizof.  It quitted it in the midst of the Russians of Platof and of Tchitchakof, who were effecting in that town, and at that very moment, the junction of the armies of Moscow and of Moldavia.  This battalion, being alone and separated from its division, might have been expected to be the first to fall, but that very circumstance saved it.  Several long trains of equipages and disbanded soldiers were flying towards Studzianka in different directions; drawn aside by one of these crowds, mistaking his road, and leaving on his right that which had been taken by the army, the leader of this battalion glided to the borders of the river, followed all its windings and turnings, and protected by the combat of his less fortunate comrades, by the darkness, and the very difficulties of the ground, moved off in silence, escaped from the enemy, and brought to Victor the confirmation of Partouneaux’s surrender.

When Napoleon heard the news, he was struck with grief, and exclaimed, “How unfortunate it was, that when all appeared to be saved, as if miraculously, this defection had happened, to spoil all!” The expression was improper, but grief extorted it from him, either because he anticipated that Victor, being thus weakened, would be unable to hold out long enough next day; or because he had made it a point of honour to have left nothing during the whole of his retreat in the hands of the enemy, but stragglers, and no armed and organised corps.  In fact, this division was the first and the only one which laid down its arms.

CHAP.  VIII.

This success encouraged Wittgenstein.  At the same time, after two days feeling his way, the report of a prisoner, and the recapture of Borizof by Platof had opened Tchitchakof’s eyes.  From that moment the three Russian armies of the north, east, and south, felt themselves united; their commanders had mutual communications.  Wittgenstein and Tchitchakof were jealous of each other, but they detested us still more; hatred, and not friendship, was their bond of union.  These generals were therefore prepared to attack in conjunction the bridges of Studzianka, on both sides of the river.