On the next day, my regiment being for duty, I took my place at the head of the advanced guard, and, followed by the whole army corps, crossed the ford of the Drissa. The heat was most oppressive; in the dusty wheat on each side of the road could be seen two broad bands where the crushed and flattened straw, looking as if a roller had gone over it, marked the passage of large columns of infantry. Suddenly, close to the post station of Kliastitsi, these tracks disappeared from the edge of the high road, and appeared again to the left on a broad cross-road ending at Jakobowo. It was evident that the enemy had at this point turned away from the direction of Sebesh to throw himself on our left flank. Matters seemed to me serious. I halted the troops and sent a message to my brigadier. But the marshal, who usually marched within sight of the advanced guard, noticing the halt, galloped up, and, in spite of all that Generals Castex and Laurencez could say, ordered me to keep on along the high road. I had hardly gone a league when I saw a kibitka, or Russian carriage, coming towards us, drawn by two post-horses. I stopped it, and found a Russian officer who had fallen asleep in the heat, and was lying at full length at the bottom of the carriage. He was a young man, son of the landowner to whom the station of Kliastitsi belonged, and aide-de-camp to General Wittgenstein, and was returning from St. Petersburg with an answer to despatches sent by his general to the Government. His astonishment when he awoke with a start to find himself in the presence of our chasseurs with their forbidding countenances, and saw close by a French army, cannot be described. He could not understand how he had failed to meet the army of Wittgenstein, or at any rate some of his scouts, between Sebesh and the point where we were, which only confirmed General Castex and me in our belief that Wittgenstein had been setting a trap for Oudinot by quitting abruptly the road to St. Petersburg in order to throw himself on the rear and left flank of our army, and in fact we soon heard the sound of cannon, and shortly after that of musketry. Marshal Oudinot, although surprised at so unforeseen an attack, got out of the fix pretty well. Ordering the various portions of his column to left-face, he got them into line, and so vigorously repulsed Wittgenstein's first attack, that the Russian thought it best not to try again that day, and retired behind Jakobowo. His cavalry, however, had a fair measure of success, for it captured in our rear a thousand men and part of the baggage, including our field forges. This was a serious loss, of which the cavalry of the 2nd corps was painfully conscious throughout the campaign. After this engagement Oudinot's troops took up their position, while Castex's brigade has ordered to march back as far as Kliastitsi and guard the point where the roads divided, General Maison's infantry presently joining us. The Russian officer, a prisoner in his own father's house, did the honours of it very gracefully.

Meanwhile, preparations were being made by the commanders on both sides for a serious engagement on the morrow, and at daybreak the Russians marched on the post-house of Kliastitsi, on which the French right rested. Although in such circumstances the whole brigade was employed, the regiment for duty formed the first line, and today it was the turn of the 24th. To avoid all delay, General Castex put himself at the head of the regiment, and led them at the Russian battalions, breaking them and taking 400 prisoners with very small loss. He was the first to enter the enemy's ranks. His horse was killed by a bayonet, and the general in his fall sprained his foot. It was several days before he could lead the brigade again, and Colonel A— took the command. The Russian battalions which the 24th had cut up were at once replaced by others which debouched from Jakobowo, and advanced rapidly upon us. The marshal sent orders to M. A— to attack them, and he gave the word for the second line to pass to the front, which I duly executed. As soon as the 23rd were re-formed in line we marched upon the Russian infantry, which halted and steadily awaited us; it was the Tamboff regiment. When we were within striking distance I gave the word to charge. This was carried out all the more efficiently for the stimulus which the fact that their comrades of the 24th were watching them gave to my troopers. The enemy committed the serious blunder, as I think it, of spending all his fire at once, by giving us a volley, which badly aimed as it was emptied but few saddles. A file fire would have been far more destructive. Before the Russians could reload we were upon them at the full speed of our excellent horses, and the shock was so violent that they were overthrown in heaps. Many rose again and tried to defend themselves with the bayonet against the troopers' points; but after losing heavily they fell back, and at last broke, many being killed or captured as they fled towards a cavalry regiment which was coming up to their aid. It was the Grodno Hussars. Now I have observed that when one regiment has beaten another it always retains the superiority, and here I had a fresh proof of it, for the 23rd dashed at the Grodno Hussars, whom they had beaten so soundly in the night engagement at Druia, as at an easy prey; while the hussars, recognising their conquerors' fled in all haste. Throughout the rest of the campaign this regiment was always meeting the 23rd, which steadily preserved the upper hand.

While these events were taking place on our right, the infantry of the centre and left had attacked the Russians, who, beaten all along the line, left the field of battle, and took up their position at nightfall a league away. Our army retained its ground between Jakobowo and the division of the roads at Kliastitsi. Great was the joy at our victory in the bivouacs of the brigade that evening.

My regiment had taken the colour of the Tamboff regiment, and the 24th that of the Russian regiment which it had broken; but its satisfaction was dashed by the fact that both its majors were wounded. The senior, M. Monginot, was in all respects an officer of the highest merit; the other was the colonel's brother, and, though he had not his abilities, was a most valiant officer. They both soon got well, and served throughout the campaign.

When a force tries to turn its enemy's flank it is liable itself to be turned. That was what happened to Wittgenstein, for having, on the 29th, left the St. Petersburg road to fling himself on the left and rear of the French army, he had endangered his own line of communications; and if Oudinot had followed up his victory of the 30th with vigour, it might have been completely cut. The Russian general's position seemed still more hazardous when he learnt that Marshal Macdonald, having crossed the Dwina and taken Dunaborg, was advancing on his rear. To get out of this fix, Wittgenstein had cleverly employed the whole night after the battle in making a detour across-country' bringing his army by Jakobowo back to the St. Petersburg road, beyond the post station of Kliastitsi. Fearing however, lest the French right, near which he must pass, should charge his troops during their flank march, he resolved to stop it by himself attacking our right wing with a superior force, while the rest of his army was executing the movement which was to reopen his communications with Sebesh. Next morning, as my regiment was going on duty at daybreak, a portion of the enemy's army, which we had beaten on the previous day, was seen to have turned our extreme right, in full retreat to Sebesh, while the remainder was coming to attack us at Kliastitsi. In an instant all Marshal Oudinot's troops stood to their arms; but while the generals were making their arrangements a column of Russian grenadiers attacked and routed the Portuguese legion, and was marching on the large and solid post-house. It was on the point of capturing this important position, when the marshal, always foremost under fire, hurried up to my regiment, which by this time was at the outposts, and ordered me to try to stop the enemy, or at least delay him till our infantry could come up. I took my regiment along at a gallop and ordered them to charge, taking the enemy's line obliquely from its right, which always hampers infantry fire considerably. That of the grenadiers was, therefore, ineffective, and they would soon have felt our sabres. They were wavering already, when, whether instinctively or by order from their commander, they faced about and ran for a deep ditch which lay behind them, jumping into it, and, covered up to the chin they opened a well-sustained file fire. In a moment I had six or seven men killed and a score wounded, and received myself a bullet in the left shoulder. My troopers were wild; but our rage was powerless against men whom we were physically unable to reach. At this critical moment General Maison came up with his brigade of infantry, and ordered me to retire behind his battalions; then he attacked the ditch from both flanks, killing or capturing all its defenders. As for me, I was taken severely wounded to the post-house and helped to dismount with difficulty. Dr. Parot, our regimental surgeon-major, came to dress me; but the operation had hardly begun when it had to be interrupted. The Russian infantry was renewing its attack, and bullets were dropping like hail about us; so that we had to move out of range. The doctor found my wound serious: it would have been mortal had not the thick twisted fringe of my epaulette turned the bullet and greatly deadened the force of the blow. This, however, was hard enough to throw me violently back till my body touched the croup of my horse; the officers and men who were behind me thought I was killed, and I should have fallen if my orderlies had not held me up. The dressing was very painful, as the bullet had stuck in the bones just where the humerus is joined to the clavicle. To extract it the wound had to be enlarged, and the great scar is still to be seen. I confess that if I had been colonel I should have accompanied the troops of wounded who were being sent to Polotsk, crossed the Dwina, and gone to some town in Lithuania where I could get attended to. But I was only major; the Emperor might come posting in a day from Witebsk to review the regiments, and he never did anything except for soldiers present under arms. This rule, which at first sight seems cruel, was really in the interest of the service. It kept up the zeal of those who had been wounded, and made them eager to rejoin their regiments as soon as they could, instead of dawdling in hospital, and the army gained much in efficient strength. Besides, I had every inducement to stay: success against the enemy, attachment to the regiment, the fact that I had been wounded when fighting with it. So I stayed, though suffering intolerable pain, and, putting my arm as well as I could into a sling, and getting hoisted on to my horse, went back to the regiment.

Since I had received my wound the aspect of affairs was much changed; our men had beaten Wittgenstein and taken many prisoners. However, the Russians had succeeded in reaching the St. Petersburg road and effecting their retreat towards Sebesh. In order to reach this town from Kliastitsi it is necessary to cross the vast swamp of Khodanui through which the great road is carried on an embankment formed of huge fir-stems laid side by side. A ditch, or rather a broad and deep canal, runs along each side of the embankment, and there is no other means of passing without going a long way in the direction of Sebesh. This passage is more than a league in length, but the wooden road is of considerable width. As, therefore, it was impossible to place skirmishers in the marsh, the Russians retired in dense columns along this artificial road, beyond which our maps marked a plain. Marshal Oudinot, wishing to complete his victory, decided to pursue them, and to this end he had already sent Verdier's infantry division by the road through the marsh, to be followed first by Castex's cavalry brigade and then by the whole army corps. My regiment had not yet taken its place in the column when I rejoined It. On seeing me resume my place at their head in spite of my wound, officers and men received me with a general cheer, which, as showing the esteem and regard which the good fellows had conceived for me, touched me deeply. I felt especially grateful for the satisfaction which my colleague Major Fontaine expressed on seeing me again. This officer, though a brave and highly capable man, had so little ambition that he remained captain for eighteen years, thrice declined a majority, and only accepted it at the Emperor's express order.

I resumed then the command of the 23rd, and we made our way through the marsh after Verdier's division; the near sections of the enemy's column contenting themselves with firing a few long shots while we were on the causeway. As soon, however, as our infantry debouched into the plain they saw the Russian army deployed and were received by heavy fire of artillery. In spite of their losses the French battalions marched forward, and soon were on the open ground. Then it was the turn of my regiment to show itself on the plain at the head of the brigade. Colonel A— was provisionally in command, not being there to give us orders, I thought to get my regiment as soon as possible away from the dangerous place, and gave the word to gallop as soon as the infantry made room for me. Even so I had seven or eight men killed and many more wounded, while the 24th also suffered heavily. It was the same with General Legrand's infantry division; but as soon as this had formed in the plain Marshal Oudinot attacked the enemy, and their artillery had to distribute its fire upon several points, so that the issue from the causeway would have become less dangerous for the other troops, had not Wittgenstein at that moment attacked the troops which we had in the open ground with his entire force. Being outnumbered, we had to give way till the rest of our army came up, and were compelled to retreat towards the causeway. Fortunately the way was very broad, which made it easy for us to march in sections. Directly we left the plain the cavalry became more a hindrance than a help, so the marshal withdrew that first. It was followed by Verdier's infantry division, the general himself having been very severely wounded. Legrand's division formed the rear-guard, and his rear brigade, under General Albert, had to maintain a brisk fight just as its last battalions were on the point of entering the marsh. Once they were in column, however, General Albert placed eight guns to bring up the rear, and these as they retired fired upon the enemy's advanced guard, causing it considerable loss. His own guns, indeed, were only able to fire at rare intervals, because after every round they had to face about once to continue the pursuit, and once again to fire, and these movements take time and cause a good deal of trouble in a narrow space. Thus the Russian artillery did us very little damage in passing the marsh. Night was drawing on when the French troops issued from the causeway, passed Kliastitsi, and found themselves on the banks of the Drissa, at the form of Sivoshina, which they had crossed in the morning in pursuit of the Russians, after beating them at Kliastitsi. 1They had now taken their revenge, for, after having killed and wounded 700 or 800 of our men on the other side of the marsh, they were in their turn driving us at the sword's point. In order to put an end to the fighting and give our army a little repose, Marshal Oudinot made it cross the ford and encamp at Bieloe.

It was early in the night when our outposts on the Drissa sent word that the enemy was crossing the stream. Marshal Oudinot betook himself promptly to the spot, and observed that eight Russian battalions, with fourteen guns on their front, had just taken their quarters on the left bank. The bulk of their army was on the other side, no doubt making ready to cross and attack us on the next day. The advanced guard was commanded by General Kulnieff, a man of much enterprise, but having, like most of the Russian officers of that time, the bad habit of drinking too much brandy. He must have taken an extra quantity that evening, for otherwise it would be impossible to explain the huge blunder which he made in coming, with only eight battalions, to encamp close to an army of 40,000 men, and that under conditions most unfavourable to himself. He had, in fact, 200 paces in rear of his line the Drissa, which except at the ford could not be forced—not, indeed, on account of its depth, but because its vertical banks were fifteen to twenty feet high. Kulnieff therefore had no way of retreat but by the ford, and could he expect in case he were defeated that his eight battalions and fourteen guns could get away with sufficient rapidity by this one passage in face of the whole French army, which at any moment could come down upon them from its position close by? But General Kulnieff must have been in no condition to make these reflections when he fixed his camp on the left bank of the stream. It was certainly surprising that Wittgenstein should have relied on Kulnieff, whose intemperate habits he must have known, to settle the position of his advanced guard.

While the head of the Russian column was being arrogantly brought to so short a distance from us, great confusion prevailed, not among the French troops but among their leaders. Marshal Oudinot, one of the bravest of men, was wanting in decision, and passed in a moment from planning an attack to making arrangements for retreat. The loss which he had suffered on the further side of the great marsh had thrown him into much perplexity, and he did not know how he was to carry out the Emperor's orders, according to which he was to drive Wittgenstein back on the St. Petersburg road at least as far as Sebesh and Newel. It was therefore with much joy that he received during the night a despatch announcing the immediate arrival of a Bavarian corps commanded by General Saint-Cyr, whom the Emperor placed under his orders. But instead of awaiting this reinforcement in a good position, Oudinot wanted, following the advice of General Dulauloy of the artillery, to go and meet the Bavarians by withdrawing his whole army as far as Polotsk. This extraordinary idea met with a lively opposition from the council of generals whom the marshal had called together. General Legrand explained that though our success of the morning had been counterbalanced by the losses of the evening the army was perfectly well disposed to march against the enemy; that to make it beat a retreat on Polotsk would have the effect of lowering its tone and displaying it to the Bavarians as a vanquished force coming to seek shelter with them; in short, that the mere idea would be degrading to every French heart. Legrand's warm address carried the votes of all the generals, and the marshal declared that he renounced his plan of retreat. One important question remained to be settled: what should be done when daylight appeared? General Legrand, with the authority of long and distinguished service and great experience in war, proposed that we should take advantage of Kulnieff's mistake, attack the Russian advance guard which had been placed so imprudently without support on our bank, and drive it into the Drissa. The marshal and all the council accepted this plan, and its execution was entrusted to General Legrand.

Oudinot's army was encamped in a forest of large fir-trees standing well apart. Beyond it was a large clearing. The edge of the wood formed an arc, of which the river was the chord. The Russian battalions were bivouacking very close to the river opposite the ford, with fourteen guns in battery along its front. Wishing to surprise the enemy, General Legrand ordered General Albert to place a regiment of infantry in the wood at each extremity of the arc, and, as soon as he heard the sound of cavalry in march, to advance upon both flanks of the enemy's camp, while the cavalry issuing from the wood at the middle of the arc was to charge at full speed upon the Russian battalions and drive them into the ravine. The duty assigned to the cavalry was clearly one of great peril; for not only had it to deliver a front attack upon the enemy's line, but before reaching it to receive the fire of fourteen guns. It is true that by surprising the Russians we had a good hope of catching them asleep and meeting with little resistance.

My regiment, having, as you have seen, been on duty the whole of July 31, was as usual to be relieved by the 24th at 1 A.M. on August 1. That regiment was therefore ordered to attack, and mine to act in reserve, for the vacant space between the wood and the stream would only hold one regiment of cavalry. Colonel A— went to Oudinot and remarked that there was reason to fear that while we were making ready to fight the troops in front of us Wittgenstein would have sent a small column off to our right to cross the Drissa at a ford which probably existed three leagues higher than the point where we were, work round to our rear, and carry off our wounded and our baggage, and that it would therefore be as well to send a cavalry regiment to watch the ford in question. The marshal fell in with this idea, and Colonel A—, whose regiment had just gone on duty ordered it to mount at once, and, taking it off on the proposed expedition, left the risk of the anticipated combat to the 23rd. My brave regiment, however, received the announcement of the dangerous task which it had to perform very calmly, and was delighted to see the marshal and Generate Legrand pass along the front of the line to superintend to preparations for the attack.

At that period all the French regiments except the cuirassiers had a picked or grenadier company or troop which was always placed on the right of the line. That of the 23rd was in its place accordingly, when General Legrand remarked to the marshal that as the enemy's artillery was in front of his centre, and this would consequent be the point of greatest danger, it would be best, in order to avoid all possible hesitation, that the attack at that point should be made by the picked troops, consisting of the most seasoned men and the best horses. It was of no use to assure the marshal that the regiment, being almost entirely composed of veteran soldiers, was in all respects, moral and physical, just as strong in one part as another; he ordered me to place the picked troop in the centre. I obeyed, and, calling together my officers, I explained to them in a low voice what we had to do, and gave them notice that, in order to surprise the enemy better, I should confine myself to giving the word 'Charge,' without any preliminary command, as soon as our line was in short striking distance of the enemy's guns. Everything being settled, the regiment came out of its bivouac in dead silence with the first streak of dawn, and passed through the wood easily enough. Then we entered the level clearing, at the further end of which was the Russian encampment. Alone of the whole regiment, I had no sword in my hand, for my right, the only one which I could use, was occupied in holding the reins—a painful position, as you can understand, for a cavalry offlcer who was just about to lead a charge. But I was determined to march with my regiment, and so took my place in front of the picked troop, having close to me its brave captain, M. Courteau, one of the best officers in the regiment, and the one to whom I was most attached.

All was perfectly quiet in the Russian camp as we advanced noiselessly at a walk, and my hope of surprising it rose when I saw that General Kulnieff had brought no cavalry across the ford, and we could distinguish by the faint light of the fires only a few infantry sentries, and those so near the camp that between the time they gave notice and our sudden appearance it was probable that the Russians would not be able to prepare for the defence. But suddenly, two ugly Cossacks, prowling and suspicious beings, appeared on horseback thirty paces from my line, looked at it for a moment, and sped away towards the camp, where, it was clear, they would announce our coming. This was a most disagreeable mishap, since but for it we should certainly have fallen upon the Russians without losing a single man. However, as we were discovered, and were, besides, approaching the point at which I had settled to quicken the pace, I put my horse into a gallop. The whole regiment did the same, and very soon I let them have the word to charge. There upon all my valiant troops dashed with me towards the camp, and we fell upon it like a thunderbolt. But the Cossacks had given the alarm; the gunners, who were lying close to their pieces, snatched up their linstocks, and the guns at once belched grape at my regiment. Thirty-seven men, of whom nineteen belonged to the picked troop, fell dead on the spot, including Captain Courteau and Lieutenant Lauouette. Before the Russian gunners could reload they were cut down by our men. We had few wounded, nearly every hit having been mortal; some forty of our horses had been killed; mine was lamed by a grape-shot, but was able to carry me into the camp, where the Russian infantry, suddenly aroused, were already hurrying to their arms. The chasseurs by my orders had placed themselves between them and the piled arms, so that very few were able to get at their muskets and open fire on us. At the sound of the cannon General Albert's two regiments of infantry had issued from the wood and hastened at the double to the two ends of the camp, where they were bayoneting all who tried to defend themselves. The Russians, in their confusion, could not resist this triple attack, and great part of them, who, having come across at night, had not been able to see the height of the banks, tried to escape in that direction, and fell fifteen or twenty feet on to the rocks. In this way many perished.

General Kulnieff, scarcely awake, made his way towards a group of 2,000 men, of whom a third at most had muskets and, following mechanically this disordered crowd, appeared at the ford. But on entering the camp I had caused this important point to be held by 500 or 600 cavalry, including the picked troop. These men, enraged at the loss of their captain, dashed furiously at the Russians, and a great slaughter ensued. General Kulnieff, already swaying on his horse with intoxication, attacked Sergeant Legendre, who ran him through the throat, stretching him dead at his feet. In his account of the campaign of 1812, M. de Ségur makes Kulnieff, when dying, deliver an oration, like a hero in Homer. I was a few paces from Sergeant Legendre when he plunged his sabre into Kulnieff's throat, and I can certify that the Russian general fell dead without uttering a word. 2The victory of General Albert's infantry and the 23rd was complete. The enemy lost at least 2,000 killed and wounded and we took nearly 4,000 prisoners; the rest perished in the fall on to the sharp rocks. A few of the more nimble succeeded in rejoining Wittgenstein, who, on learning the sanguinary defeat of his advanced guard, retreated on Sebesh.

Emboldened by this brilliant success, Marshal Oudinot resolved to pursue the Russians, and again passed the army to the right bank of the Drissa; but in order to allow Albert's brigade and the 23rd time to recover from the fatigues of the action, he left them posted in observation on the field of battle. I took advantage of this rest to perform a ceremony seldom enough attended to in time of war, namely, to pay the last duties to those of our brave comrades who had fallen. A good-sized trench received them all, laid according to their ranks, with Captain Courteau and his lieutenant at the head of the line. Then the fourteen Russian guns, which the 23rd had so valiantly captured, were placed in front of the soldiers' grave.

This pious duty completed, I thought I would have my wound dressed, as it was causing me intense pain, and sat down for that purpose a little way off, under a huge pine here I saw a young major, who, with his back against the trunk of the tree, and supported by two grenadiers, was painfully fastening a small packet the address of which was traced with blood; the blood was his own. He belonged to Albert's brigade, and had received in the attack on the Russian camp a fearful bayonet wound which had laid his body open. The wound had been dressed, but the blood continued to flow, and the stroke had been a deadly one. The poor man, who was aware of this, had wished before he succumbed to send his adieux to a lady to whom he was attached, but after he had written it he did not know to whom to entrust the precious missive. Just then chance brought me in his way. We knew each other only by sight; still, feeling that death was close at hand, he begged me in a scarcely audible voice to do him two services, and after having sent the grenadiers a little way off, he gave me the packet, saying, with tears in his eyes, 'There is a portrait in it.' He made me promise to place it with secrecy in the proper hands if I was ever fortunate enough to return to Paris; ' besides,' he added, 'there is no hurry, for it will be better that it should not be received till long after I am no more.' I promised to discharge this sad commission, but it was two years before I was able to do so. As for the second entreaty that the young major addressed to me, it was complied with two hours afterwards. It was painful to him to think of his body being torn to pieces by the wolves, with which the country swarms, and he begged that I would place him beside the captain and troopers of the 23rd, whose burial he had seen. I undertook to do so, and the poor officer having died soon after our interview, I carried out his last wishes.