XIII.—­Napoleon’s arrival at Smorgony—­his parting interview with his marshals 335

BOOK XII.

Chap.  I.—­Napoleon’s journey from Smorgony to Paris—­Impression produced in the army by his departure—­Dreadful effects of the increased cold 339

II.—­Picture of the sufferings of the army from the cold and the climate
          
                                                     346

III.—­Arrival at Wilna—­Consternation of the inhabitants—­Fatal effects of not distributing the provisions collected among the troops—­State of the wounded in the hospitals—­Arrival of the Russians—­Flight of Murat—­Evacuation of Wilna—­Immense losses which that occasioned—­Disaster at Ponari 353

IV.—­Details of Ney’s mode of retreat—­Losses occasioned to the Russians by the severity of the winter—­Arrival at Kowno—­Ney’s defence and evacuation of that place 364

V.—­First symptoms of Murat’s defection—­Arrival at Koenigsberg 372

VI.  VII.  VIII.  IX.—­Marshal Macdonald’s retreat from Riga—­Details of the defection of the Prussian Army under Yorck 377

X.—­Conduct of Schwartzenberg and defection of the Austrians—­Atrocities committed on the French prisoners at Wilna and Koenigsberg 396

XI.—­Defection of Murat 401

XII.—­Conclusion 403

DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE PLATES.

I. Portrait of Napoleon to face Title, Vol.  I.

II.  Map of the countries between Paris and Moscow page 1

III.  Passage of the Niemen 124

IV.  Portrait of Murat, King of Naples 311

V. Portrait of the Emperor Alexander to face Title, Vol.  II.

VI.  Conflagration of Moscow 48

VII.  Portrait of Marshal Ney 268

VIII.  Passage of the Berezina 315

[Illustration:  Map of the countries between Paris and Moscow]

HISTORY

OF

NAPOLEON’S EXPEDITION

TO

Russia.

BOOK I.

CHAP.  I.

Ever since 1807, when the space between the Rhine and the Niemen had been overrun, the two great empires of which these rivers were the boundaries had become rivals.  By his concessions at Tilsit, at the expense of Prussia, Sweden, and Turkey, Napoleon had only satisfied Alexander.  That treaty was the result of the defeat of Russia, and the date of her submission to the continental system.  Among the Russians, it was regarded by some as attacking their honour; and by all it was felt to be ruinous to their interests.