478

LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

time to evacuate the hospitals, and save as much as possibleof their artillery and stores. At night the Russians set fireto all their magazines and to the city in fifty places at once,and in all haste continued their retreat. The French couldonly succeed in saving from the flames a very small portionof the abandoned city. We have now got to the 18th ofAugust, but I have abstained from giving the particulars ofthe daily exploits of Murat ever since the 22nd of June,because these were all mere repetitions of Russian retreatand desperate efforts of Murat, in constant contact withtheir rear guard, to bring them to a general engagement.In these operations, however, he took five thousand prisonersand forty-seven pieces of cannon.

On the 27th of July, the Russian General Phalen, havingcome to the aid of the rear guard of General Ostermannand taking up a strong position, supported by twenty-threeguns, the French cavalry for a moment hesitated to charge,Murat drew his sword, exclaiming, “ let the brave followme,” — rushed into the midst of the enemy who werecompletely routed. On four different occasions he chargedthe Russian artillery under the hottest fire, and capturedevery gun! In the battle of Smolensko , my friend theMarquess Giuliano, aid-de-camp to the king, received amusket ball in the lower part of the abdomen which fellinto such a situation as to be very easily extracted by amere puncture of the skin.

Being now at Smolensko , the half of August alreadygone by, another month at least of march and good fortune ,would be required in order to reach either Moscow orPetersburg; and it was evident that the Russians wouldcontinue their barbarous mode of defence, impossible in apopulous and civilized country, of always retreating anddestroying everything around them. However little it mayappear to coincide with the impetuous character of Murat,