HISTORY OF EUROPE. 005 
not afterwards dislodge it. A bridge, 
similar to those thrown over the 
Vistula, was immed:ately constructed 
and fortified with works; and when 
this was finished, the whole French 
army began at once to move forward, 
in order to bring the united Russian 
and Prussian armies to a gencral 
engagement. 
The French emperor having left 
Berlin on the 25th of November, 
and remained at Posen till the 16th 
of the following month, receiving 
addresses and congratulations from 
the Poles, arrived at Warsaw on 
the 18th; and on the 23d, put him- 
self at the head of his army and 
crossed the Narew. The French 
army was distributed in the following 
manner. The right, consisting of 
the divisions cf Lannes, Davoust, 
and the grand duke of Berg, and 
commanded by Bonaparte in person, 
having crossed the Narew at the 
above-mentioned bridge, was op- 
pused to the left flank of the Rus- 
sians, who were so injudiciouly 
drawn up by their generals as to be 
exposed to its attacks in this un- 
favourable position. ‘To the left of 
this great division of the army was 
the corps of Augereau at Zakroczym 
on the Vistula, and at a still greater 
distance in the same direction was 
the corps of Soult, which had crossed 
that river at Polock. The French 
left, consisting of the divisions of 
Ney, Bessieres, and the prince of 
Ponte Corvo, after having advanced 
from Thorn to Golub, and from 
thence to Sierpsk, was directed to 
attack the Prussians under general 
Lestocq, and, by a rapid movement, 
to cut off their communication with 
the Russians. These orders were 
executed by Ney and Bessieres with 
_ their accustomed promptitude and 
success, ‘The chief actions were at 
Biczun and Soldau, in both of which 
the Prussians were defeated with 
considerable loss of men and artil. 
lery, and thereby prevented from 
forming a junction with the Russians. 
‘These actions took place on the 23d 
and 26th of December. The opera- 
tions of the French right began on 
the night of the 23d, by an attack 
on the yillage of Czarnowo, on the 
Narew, where the Russians were in 
great force, and had erected bat. 
terics ; but, after an obstinate re- 
sistance their batteries were carried, 
and their troops dislodged by the 
French. Next day, thearmy under 
Kamenskoy was driven frem its 
entrenchments at- Nasiclsk, and 
compelled to fall back several 
leagues; and the same day Augerean 
passed the Wkra.at Kurscomb and 
defeated a body of 15,000 men, 
who disputed with him the passage 
of that river, On the 25th, there 
was no action of consequence. The 
Russian columns, broken and dis. 
persed, retired before the French 
in disorder, and nothing saved them 
from being entirely cut off, but the 
shortness of the days, which was 
favourable to their escape, and the 
badness of the roads, which pre- 
vented the advance of the French 
artillery. At this critical moment 
Kamenskoy, the Russian commander 
in chief, left his army and retired to 
Ostrolenka. The cause of his de- 
parture has been variously explained. 
His enemies gave out, that the late 
reverses of the army had disordered 
his mind, and rendered him incapa- 
ble of the command, But there are 
some who pretend, that he was the 
only one of the Russian gencrals 
who was aware of their danger, and 
and that he left the army in disgust 
and despair, when he found his 
authority insufficient to curb the 
inconsiderate 
