484

LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

attack which had opened the way to victory. But bothmen and horses were exhausted with fatigue. Murat, Neyand Davoust were compelled to make a halt, and while re-ordering and trimming their lines, Murat sent to the Em-peror imploring reinforcements, which he refused, on the pleathat the moment was not yet come for employing his guard.

KutasofF seized upon this moment of suspension which hedid not expect, to call up the reserve of his left, even to theRussian guards. Bagratian, thus reinforced, resumed theoffensive. The French were buried in fire and steel. Cavalry ,infantry, artillery, all made a desperate effort. It becamemore a question of preserving the conquered positions, thanof advancing to complete victory. Such was the slaughter,that a colonel of French infantry took upon himself to disposehis regiment to retreat. Murat galloped up to him, andasked him what he was about ? “You see,” said the Colonel,“ that it is impossible to remain here under such a fire.”“ Then you may go,” replied the King of Naples, “ 1 willtake your place.” On this the Colonel resumed his post.

Fortunately, at this moment, the French artillery ofreserve advanced, and, taking position on the contestedheights, the Russians were mowed down by eighty morepieces of cannon. The Russian cavalry advanced againstthese guns in compact masses, in which vast openings werecontinually being made by the tremendous discharges ofgrape and shells. Undaunted, the Russians continued toadvance, but at length were compelled to desist from theattack. However, retreat they would not, and probably itmust have been for want of orders, because, for two wholehours, did this mass of cavalry stand inactive, exposed tothis most dreadful and concentrated fire. At length, Murat,Ney, and Davoust, impatient at the slow effect of the artil-lery upon such apparently inanimate masses, resolved upona simultaneous charge with all their forces;—it was made,