The army, therefore, provisioned itself on its match.  The country being fertile, waggons, cattle, and provisions of all kinds, were swept off; every thing was taken, even to such of the inhabitants as were necessary to conduct these convoys.  Some days after, at the Niemen, the embarrassment of the passage, and the celerity of the first hostile marches, caused all the fruits of these requisitions to be abandoned with an indifference only equalled by the violence with which they had been seized.

The importance of the object, however, was such as might excuse the irregularity of these proceedings.  That object was to surprise the Russian army, either collected or dispersed; in short, to make a coup-de-main with 400,000 men.  War, the worst of all scourges, would thus have been shortened in its duration.  Our long and heavy baggage-waggons would have encumbered our march.  It was much more convenient to live on the supplies of the country, as we should be able to indemnify the loss afterwards.  But superfluous wrong was committed as well as necessary wrong, for who can stop midway in the commission of evil?  What chief could be responsible for the crowd of officers and soldiers who were scattered through the country in order to collect its resources?  To whom were complaints to be addressed?  Who was to punish?  All was done in the course of a rapid march; there was neither time to try, nor even to find out the guilty.  Between the affair of the day before, and that of the following day, how many others had sprung up! for at that time the business of a month was crowded into a single day.

Moreover, some of the leaders set the example; there was a positive emulation in evil.  In that respect, many of our allies surpassed the French.  We were their teachers in every thing; but in copying our qualities, they caricatured our defects.  Their gross and brutal plunder was perfectly revolting.

But the emperor was desirous to have order kept in the middle of disorder.  Pressed by the accusing reproaches of two allied nations, two names were more especially distinguished by his indignation.  In his letters are found these words; “I have suspended generals ——­ and ——.  I have suppressed the brigade ——­; I have cashiered it in the face of the army, that is to say, of Europe.—­I have written to ——­, informing him that he ran great risks of being broke, if he did not take care.”  Some days after he met this ——­, at the head of his troops, and still indignant, he called to him, “You disgrace yourself; you set the example of plunder.  Be silent, or go back to your father; I do not want your services any further.”

From Thorn, Napoleon descended the Vistula.  Graudentz belonged to Prussia; he avoided passing it; but as that fortress was important to the safety of the army, an officer of artillery and some fireworkers were sent thither, with the ostensible motive of making cartridges; the real motive remained a secret; the Prussian garrison, however, was numerous, and stood on its guard, and the emperor, who had proceeded onward, thought no more of it.