This same night we had with us a young Parisian belonging to a very wealthy family, who had endeavored to obtain employment in the Emperor’s household.  He was very young, and had been received among the boys of the apartments, and the poor child was taking his first journey.  He was seized with the fever as we left Moscow, and was so ill this evening that we could not remove him from the wagon belonging to the wardrobe service in which he had been made as comfortable as possible.  He died there in the night, much to be regretted by all who knew him.  Poor Lapouriel was a youth of charming character, fine education, the hope of his family, and an only son.  The ground was so hard that we could not dig a grave, and experienced the chagrin of leaving his remains unburied.

I set out next day armed with an order from the Prince de Neuchatel that all on the road should furnish me horses in preference to all others.  At the first post after leaving Smorghoni, whence the Emperor had set out with the Duke of Vicenza, this order was of invaluable aid to me, for there were horses for only one carriage.  I found myself a rival to M. the Count Daru, who arrived at the same time.  It is useless to say that without the Emperor’s orders to rejoin him as quickly as possible I would not have exercised my right to take precedence over the intendant general of the army; but impelled by my duty I showed the order of the Prince de Neuchatel to M. the Count Daru, and the latter, after examining it, said to me, “You are right, M. Constant; take the horses, but I beg you send them back as quickly as possible.”  How crowded with disasters was this retreat.

After much suffering and privation we arrived at Wilna, where it was necessary to pass a long, narrow bridge before entering the town.  The artillery and wagons occupied the whole bridge so entirely that no other carriage could pass; and it was useless to say “His Majesty’s service,” as we received only maledictions.  Seeing the impossibility of advancing, I alighted from my carriage, and found there the Prince of Aremberg, ordnance officer of the Emperor, in a pitiable condition, his face, nose, ears, and feet having been frozen.  He was seated behind my carriage.  I was cut to the heart, and said to the prince that if he had informed me of his condition I would have given him my place.  He could hardly answer me.  I helped him for some time; but seeing how necessary it was that we should both advance, I undertook to carry him.  He was delicate, slender, and about medium height.  I took him in my arms; and with this burden, elbowing, pushing, hurting some, being hurt by others, I at last reached the headquarters of the King of Naples, and deposited the prince there, recommending that he should receive every attention which his condition required.  After this I resumed my carriage.

Everything had failed us.  Long before reaching Wilna, the horses being dead, we had received orders to burn our carriages with all the contents.  I lost heavily in this journey, as I had purchased several valuable articles which were burned with my baggage of which I always had a large quantity on our journeys.  A large part of the Emperor’s baggage was lost in the same manner.