On our side, most of the generals of the second corps were wounded; for the less troops they had, the more they were obliged to expose their persons.  Many officers on this occasion took the muskets and the places of their wounded men.  Among the losses of the day, that of young Noailles, Berthier’s aide-de-camp, was remarkable.  He was struck dead by a ball.  He was one of those meritorious but too ardent officers, who are incessantly exposing themselves, and are considered sufficiently rewarded by being employed.

During this combat, Napoleon, at the head of his guard, remained in reserve at Brilowa, covering the outlet of the bridges, between the two armies, but nearer to that of Victor.  That marshal, although attacked in a very dangerous position, and by a force quadruple his own, lost very little ground.  The right of his corps d’armee, mutilated by the capture of Partouneaux’s division, was protected by the river, and supported by a battery which the Emperor had erected on the opposite bank.  His front was defended by a ravine, but his left was in the air, without support, and in a manner lost, in the elevated plain of Studzianka.

Wittgenstein’s first attack was not made until ten o’clock in the morning of the 28th, across the road of Borizof, and along the Berezina, which he endeavoured to ascend as far as the passage, but the French right wing stopped him, and kept him back for a considerable time, out of reach of the bridges.  He then deployed, and extended the engagement with the whole front of Victor, but without effect.  One of his attacking columns attempted to cross the ravine, but it was attacked and destroyed.

At last, about the middle of the day, the Russian discovered the point where his superiority lay:  he overwhelmed the French left wing.  Every thing would then have been lost had it not been for an effort of Fournier, and the devotion of Latour-Maubourg.  That general was passing the bridges with his cavalry; he perceived the danger, retraced his steps, and the enemy was again stopped by a most sanguinary charge.  Night came on before Wittgenstein’s forty thousand men had made any impression on the six thousand of the Duke of Belluno.  That marshal remained in possession of the heights of Studzianka, and still preserved the bridges from the attacks of the Russian infantry, but he was unable to conceal them from the artillery of their left wing.

CHAP.  IX.

During the whole of that day, the situation of the ninth corps was so much more critical, as a weak and narrow bridge was its only means of retreat; in addition to which its avenues were obstructed by the baggage and the stragglers.  By degrees, as the action got warmer, the terror of these poor wretches increased their disorder.  First of all they were alarmed by the rumours of a serious engagement, then by seeing the wounded returning from it, and last of all by the batteries of the Russian left wing, some bullets from which began to fall among their confused mass.