142 RUSSIA IN EUROPE. 



on the defensive ; he had l'eceived large reinforcements, while the 

 numbers of the enemy were greatly diminished. The French army 

 was in full retreat, and suffered excessively from cold and hunger. 

 On the 2d of November they were in considerable force at Wiagma, 

 from whence they were driven with great slaughter by general Milo- 

 radovitch. The frost commenced with unusual intensity, and the 

 French troops were many of them destitute of cloathing. Their re- 

 treat became a disorderly flight, the severity of the weather destroy- 

 ing more than the swords of their pursuers. On the 9th of Novem- 

 ber Bonaparte arrived at Smolensk. Between that place and Mos- 

 cow he had lost 40,000 men. On the 13th he departed for Krasnoy ; 

 and on the 15th his rear evacuated Smolensk after reducing it to a 

 heap of ruins. On the 17th a division of upwards of 15,000 men un- 

 der Davoust, was destroyed near Krasnoy by Miloradovitch. Bona- 

 parte fled to Laicly. On the 17th Ney's division was cut to pieces by 

 the same forces. Immediately after, the rear of the French army, 

 11,000 strong, surrendered prisoners of war. When Bonaparte ar- 

 rived at Orcha, with his army reduced to 40,000 men, he was in- 

 formed that Victor had been defeated by Vigtenstein, and that Minsk 

 was in the possession of admiral Tchitchagoff". On the 20th he left' 

 Orcha, and took the road to Borrisoff. On the 26th he was attacked 

 on the shores of the Berezina by Vigtenstein. Five thousand of 

 his men were killed, as many drowned, and 13,000 taken pi'isoners. 

 Napoleon effected his escape by destroying the bridge after he had 

 passed. On the 7th of December he passed through Wilna, and on 

 the evening of the 10th arrived in disguise at Warsaw. On the 11th 

 the Russians entered Wilna. The Russian territories were now 

 completely freed from their invaders. Of the 400,000 men which 

 crossed the Niemen, not more than 25,000 returned. 



The emperor Alexander pursued the career of victory. Sweden 

 and Prussia joined in the common cause ; nor was Austria the last to 

 desert the standard of Napoleon. Most of the German states follow- 

 ed her example ; and this formidable coalition, with Alexander at 

 its head, supported by the treasures of Great Britain, was finally 

 the means of hurling Bonaparte from his usurped throne, and placing 

 the crown of France on the head of her legitimate sovereign. 



Alexander, the present emperor of all the Russias, was born De- 

 cember 23, 1777; married to the princess Louisa of Baden (born 

 January 24, 1779) October 9, 1793. 



Brothers and sisters to the emperor : 



Constantine, born May 8, 1779 ; married to the princess of Saxe 

 Cobourg, February 14, 1796. 



Helena, born December 24, 1784. 



Maria, born February 15, 1786. 



Catharine, born May 21, 1788. 



Anne, born January 18, 1795. 



Nicholas Paulovitsch, born June 2, 1796. 



Michael Paulovitsch, born February 8, 1798. 



Empress dowager, Maria Feodorowna (Sophia Dorothea Augusta) 

 daughter of duke Frederick Eugenius of Wurtemberg, born Octo- 

 ber 25, 1759. 



