bandon this position, or he might have reached Moscow without driving him from it. But the great object of the French emperor seemed now within his reach: the Russians no longer declined a general battle, and he hoped to render it so decisively favourable to him, as would compel Alexander to sue for peace, or at least put him in the undisturbed possession of Moscow. The force on each side was nearly equal, amounting to about 120,000 men: the position of the Russians, tho' strong, was much contracted their left had been weakened by the loss of a position which was carried by the king of Naples two days previous to the grand battle: but he was still backed by a large wood, supported by a fine height, and crowned by a redoubt planted with 25 pieces of cannon. Their line was protected by two other heights, crowned with redoubts at 100 paces from one another the ridge of the heights was covered with artillery and infantry, for the purpose of supporting their centre. Their right extended behind the Kalouga, in the rear of the village of Borodino, and was supported by two heights crowned with redoubts and fortified with batteries. At two o'clock in the morning, on the 7th of September, Bonaparte was surrounded by his marshals, and soon afterwards issued the order of the day, in which he informed his Soldiers, that the field of battle, which they had so long desired, was before them victory now depended on their exertions it was necessary for them: it would give them plenty, good quarters for the winter, and a speedy return to their native country. He then invoked them by their exploits at Austerlitz, Friedland, Witepsk, and Smolensk, to behave in a manner worthy of them, that the latest posterity G

might think of their conduct that day with pride, and say of each individual, "He was at that great battle under the walls of Moscow!" In the mean time Kutusoff was not idle: his Soldiers burnt with impatience for the combat: he could with difficulty restrain them from abandoning their positions and going out to attack the French. On their courage and success of this day depended the fate of Moscow; of the city of their forefathers; of the holy city of the Russian empire: perhaps of the empire itself. That enemy which had invaded their country unprovoked, which had carried desolation in his march, and threatened destruction to all who opposed him, was now drawn up before them the eyes of their sovereign and of their countrymen were upon them; the saints who protected Russia espoused their cause, and were pleading on high in their behalf. With numbers. so nearly equal, with the French army actuated by the desire of resting from their fatigues in Moscow, and there reaping an abundant harvest of plunder; with the Russian army drawn up to defend their capital, and animated by a strong desire of revenge, the combat could not but be long, obstinate, and sanguinary.

At six o'clock, in the morning of the 7th, Bonaparte attempted to carry the Russian line by main force; in this, however, he was foiled, though his troops were favoured in their attack on the left of the Russians by a thick fog: while the enemy was making this attempt 30,000 Cossacks cut their way into the centre of the French camp, carrying confusion and dismay along with them.

The

French after this made another attempt on the Russian batteries on the heights, and after a most sanguinary contest, they gained possession of part of them. The unshaken bravery of the Russians

was manifest on this occasion; undismayed by the loss, they determined to attempt the recovery of their batteries, and for this purpose they advanced exposed to the fire of their own cannon. In this part of the engagement the loss of the Russians must have been very great. As it was of great consequence to the French that they should obtain possession of the village of Borodino, the viceroy of Italy directed his efforts against it, and carried it. The centre of the Russian army in the mean while was attacked by the Duke of Elchingen with 60 pieces of cannon. The Russians received the attack with coolness and bravery, and preserved their position. The Russian centre, now in its turn became the assailants, and attacked the division of the French army which had directed their effort against its left, and drove them back with considerable loss. The battle continued with varying success till night; and though the French were undoubtedly masters of one part of the field of battle, yet in other parts they were so much beaten that Bonaparte judged it prudent to draw off his forces, and actually retreated upwards of 13 wersts: his retreat was covered by the Wurtemburg infantry and a large corps of cavalry. The loss in this most sanguinary battle was immense, greater perhaps than in any previous battle which Bonaparte had fought: it is supposed that at least 60,000 men fell on both sides. On the side of the Russians Prince Bragration, who had eminently distinguished himself in the engagement, received a wound, of which sometime afterwards he died. The news of the battle of Borodino was received with great joy at Petersburgh; by it it was supposed that Moscow was rendered perfectly secure, and that the enemy would be compelled to retreat out of Russia.

Alexander, in acknowledgment of the distinguished services of Kutusoff, appointed him Marshal General, and bestowed on him 100,000 roubles; he also gave five roubles to each soldier who had fought in this memorable battle. The French, on their part, also claimed the victory; they represented their success as decisive, and the defeat of the Russians as general and complete. The truth seems to be, as we have stated it, that the Russians remained masters of the field of battle, and Bonaparte, on the evening of the 7th, retreated; but he retreated only for the purpose of meeting a strong reinforcement which was advancing under Victor, and of proceeding by the Kalouga road towards Moscow. His taking this road, however, was a clear and unwilling proof that he had been foiled in his attack on the Russians at Borodino; for, in his Bulletin of that battle, he expressly says "that it was easy to manoeuvre and evacuate their position, but that would have been renouncing our object, and the position was not judged sufficiently strong to render it necessary to avoid fighting." It may also be remarked that his advance towards Moscow, after the battle of Borodino, was extremely slow and cautious: they did not move from their head quarters at Mojaisk till the 12th of September. As soon as Kutusoff was informed that Bonaparte had been reinforced by Victor's corps, and that he was manoeuvering to get to Moscow by turning the Russians, he resolved to abandon that capital to its fate: indeed, unless he had fought the enemy in its very streets, there was no position between it and Borodino where he could have engaged with any prospect of success. Bonaparte, therefore, advanced to Moscow unmolested; but, on his entrance into that city on the 14th of September, he found its governor and in

habitants animated by the true Russian spirit. In some of the Emperor Alexander's proclamations the determination to destroy Moscow, if the enemy were likely to gain possession of it, had been announced; as a preparatory step every thing was carried away that possibly could be removed, and persons were appointed to set fire to the city in different quarters, and, that the fire might not be extinguished, all the fire engines had been removed or destroyed. But before the governor of Moscow had recourse to this dreadful measure, he was resolved, as far as in him lay, to oppose the entrance of the French: a great part of the effective population was armed, and as soon as the advanced guard of the enemy appeared they attacked them in the streets and from the houses, impeding their progress and causing great destruction. When it was no longer practicable to prevent the entrance of the enemy, the city was set on fire as it was built principally of wood, the fire spread rapidly in all directions; and before the French could stop the progress of the flames, only about a tenth part of it remained unconsumed. It is impossible to describe, or even imagine, the disappointment, mortification, and wrath of Bonaparte when he beheld Moscow in flames: he had promised his soldiers rest from their fatigues, refreshment, provisions in abundance, and comfortable winter quarters in it. These were now all vanished; amidst the ruins of Moscow his army would in vain seek for shelter from the inclemencies of the approaching winter, or for a supply of provisions: his indignation soon broke out, as it generally does, in conduct at once tyrannical, cruel, and mean he seized on the men who had set fire to the city, tried, condemned, and executed them. That these men were unjustly put