RUSSIA IN EUROPE. 144 



10,000. Bonaparte lost no time in pursuing; and the rear of the Rus- 

 sian army under general Korff was intercepted by a French corps un- 

 der Ney, Davoust, Marat and Junot. After a severe engagement, 

 the French were obliged to retreat, and Korff joined the main army. 

 About midnight on the 23d, Barclay de Tolly, having united with 

 prince Bagraiion, arrived at Dorogobouche. On the 29ih of August 

 prince Koutousoff arrived at head quarters from St. Petersburg, and 

 took the command of the Russian army. He continued the retreat, 

 and on the 1st of September the army halted in the vicinity of Boro- 

 dino. Still as they proceeded they continued to destroy all kinds of 

 provisions which could not be removed. The villages were burnt, 

 the roads obstructed, and the bridges cut away. It was now neces- 

 sary to dispute the passage of the enemy or to give up without a 

 struggle the ancient capital of the empire. A battle was determined 

 upon, and dispositions were made. About noon on the 5th the enemy 

 appeared in great force, and commenced the battle by attacking the 

 right wing of the army under Bagration. The position was lost and 

 retaken four times, and at night remained in possession of the French. 

 The 6th was spent by both armies in preparing for a general engage- 

 ment. By six o'clock on the morning of the 7th the French renewed 

 the attack. The battle soon became general. Upwards of 200,000 

 men, with two thousand pieces of cannon, were engaged in this san- 

 guinary conflict. About nine the divisions of prince Bagration gave 

 way, but upon being reinforced, again advanced, regained their po- 

 sition, and obliged the French to retreat in their turn. Night termi- 

 nated the engagement. The killed amounted to near 80,000 men, 

 besides 25,000 horses. The Russians lost several generals, among 

 whom were Bagration and Touchkoff. Bonaparte lost generals Ca- 

 lincourt and Montbrun. The victory was claimed by both parties, 

 but the Russians maintained their position, and the French retreated 

 from the field. The plan of retiring was still, however, continued, 

 and Koutousoff, understanding the French had received considerable 

 reinforcements, proceeded towards Moscow ; and on the 14th of Sep- 

 tember the two opposing armies were encamped in the neighbour- 

 hood of that city. Koutousoff, not having been joined by his rein- 

 forcements, found himself too weak to risk an engagement, and he 

 therefore determined to sacrifice the capital for the safety of the em- 

 pire. On the 1 5th the French armies entered Moscow. Previous to 

 abandoning the city, the Russians removed every thing that was va- 

 luable, and the French were astonished on entering it to find it enve- 

 loped in smoke and flame. 



Bonaparte soon discovered that winter quarters for his troops were 

 not to be found in Moscow. That city was surrounded by Russians, 

 who destroyed everything within his reach, and intercepted his sup- 

 plies. After several ineffectual attempts at negociation he therefore 

 determined to seek winter quarters in the southern provinces. The 

 little that remained of Moscow was again committed to the fiame-j, 

 and on the 1 1th of October it was evacuated by the main army. Or- 

 ders were given to blow up the Kremlin, but before they could be ex- 

 ecuted, that fortress was attacked and carried by a Russian force. 

 After several previous successes, of minor importance, general Vig- 

 tenstein defeated St. Cyr at Polotzk on the 19th of October. On the 

 18th Murat was attacked by a division of the Russian army under 

 general Benningsen, near Maloyarraslavitz, and driven from the field 

 with considerable loss. Koutousoff' was now no longer obliged to act 



