BARON LARREY. 203 



augurated rather secretly, but its objective point was 

 the capture of Moscow. On February 12th, 1812, 

 orders were issued for the several divisions of the 

 grand army to move eastward. In cavalry, infantry, 

 and the different branches of military service, there 

 were four hundred thousand men. Larrey con- 

 jectured that a descent on England was contemplated, 

 and that the eastward march was a ruse to deceive the 

 enemy. But after the troops had moved into Russian 

 Poland, it became plain that the Army of Alexander, 

 of Russia, was to receive special attention. On the 

 10th of May the city of Posen was occupied, and the 

 army was pushing for the banks of the Vistula. At 

 this time about half the entire army was mounted, 

 horses along the line of the march being appropriated 

 and utilized for that purpose, and forage being de- 

 rived from the agricultural products of the adjacent 

 country. Not one half the army was French, but 

 there were volunteers and conscripts from several 

 countries. There was even a cavalry regiment of 

 Mamelukes from Egypt soldiers of fortune, ever 

 ready to engage in any warlike expedition. There 

 were Italians, Spaniards, Bavarians, Saxons, a corps 

 from Austria, Wirtemberg and Westphalia. The pecu- 

 liar make-up of the grand army is the reason the com- 

 bination so rapidly dissolved in the disastrous retreat 

 of the expedition after the conflagration at Moscow. 

 The French naturally kept together, for they were 

 anxious to get home ; but the troops of other nation- 

 alities as naturally straggled, taking the shortest routes 

 to their own country. 



The grand army reached Wilna on the 24th of 

 June, and thus far had met with little resistance. But 

 from this point onward the Russians interposed every 



