When the conquerors are dying of famine, what becomes of the conquered?  These poor Russians, exhausted by marches and famine, nearly all perished this night.  In the morning they were found huddled pell-mell against each other, striving thus to obtain a little warmth.  The weakest had succumbed; and their stiffened bodies were propped the whole night against the living without their even being aware of it.  Some in their hunger ate their dead companions.  The hardihood with which the Russians endure pain has often been remarked.  I can cite one instance which surpasses belief.  One of these fellows, after being separated from his corps, had been struck by a cannonball which had cut off both his legs and killed his horse.  A French officer on a reconnoitering tour on the bank of the river where this Russian had fallen, perceived at some distance an object which appeared to be a dead horse, and yet he could see that it moved.

He approached, and saw the bust of a man whose extremities were concealed in the stomach of the horse.

This poor creature had been there four days, inclosing himself in his horse as a shelter against the cold, and feeding upon infected morsels torn from this horrible retreat.

On the 3d of December we arrived at Malodeczno.  During the whole day the Emperor appeared thoughtful and anxious.  He had frequent confidential conversations with the grand equerry, M. de Caulaincourt, and I suspected some extraordinary measure.  I was not deceived in my conjectures.  At two leagues from Smorghoni, the Duke of Vicenza summoned me, and told me to go on in front and give orders to have the six best horses harnessed to my carriage, which was the lightest of all, and keep them in constant readiness.  I reached Smorghoni before the Emperor, who did not arrive till the following night.  The cold was excessive; and the Emperor alighted in a poor house on a square, where he established his headquarters.  He took a light repast, wrote with his own hand the twenty-ninth bulletin of the army, and ordered all the marshals to be summoned.

Nothing had yet transpired as to the Emperor’s plans, but in great and desperate measures there is always something unusual which does not escape the most clear-sighted.  The Emperor was never so amiable nor so communicative, and one felt that he was endeavoring to prepare his most devoted friends for some overwhelming news.  He talked for some time on indifferent subjects, then spoke of the great deeds performed during the campaign, referring with pleasure to the retreat of General Ney whom they had at last found.