Napoleon's Letters To Josephine Part 61

_June 16th._--Lord Liverpool Prime Minister of England.

_June 18th._--United States declares war against England concerning rights of neutrals.

_June 19th._--The captive Pope (Pius VII.) brought to Fontainebleau.

No. 2.

TO THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE, AT MALMAISON.

_Gumbinnen, June 20th, 1812._

I have your letter of June 10th. I see no obstacle to your going to Milan, to be near the Vice-Reine. You will do well to go _incognito_.

You will find it very hot.

My health is very good. Eugene is well, and is doing good work. Never doubt the interest I have in you, and my friends.h.i.+p.

NAPOLEON.

_June 22nd.--Napoleon from his headquarters, Wilkowyszki, declares war against Russia. His army comprised 550,000 men and 1200 cannon, and he held sway at this epoch over 85,000,000 souls--half the then population of Europe._

_June 24th._--French cross the Niemen, over 450,000 strong.[40] Of these 20,000 are Italians, 80,000 from Confederation of the Rhine, 30,000 Poles, 30,000 Austrians, and 20,000 Prussians. The Russian army numbers 360,000.

_June 28th._--French enter Wilna, the old capital of Lithuania.

_Napoleon remains here till July 16th, establis.h.i.+ng a provisional government, and leaving his Foreign Minister, Maret, there._

_July 12th._--Americans invade Canada.

_July 18th._--Treaty of peace between England and Sweden; and between Russia and the Spanish Regency at Cadiz.

_July 22nd._--_Battle of Salamanca_ (Arapiles). Marmont defeated by Wellington, and badly wounded. French lose nearly 8000 men and 5000 prisoners; English loss, 5200. The Spanish Regency had decided to submit to Joseph Bonaparte, but this battle deters them. French retire behind the Douro.

_July 23rd._--Combat of Mohilow, on the Dneiper. Davoust defeats Bagration.

_July 28th._--French enter Witepsk.

_August 1st._--Treaty of alliance between Great Britain and Russia. English fleet henceforward guards the Gulf of Riga. Combat of Obaiarzma, on the bank of the Drissa. Marshal Oudinot defeats Wittgenstein. Russians lose 5000 men and 14 guns.

_August 9th._--Battle of Brownstown (near Toronto). Americans defeated; surrender August 16th with 2500 men and 33 guns to General Brock.

_August 12th._--Wellington enters Madrid.

_August 17th-18th.--Battle and capture of Smolensk. Napoleon defeats Barclay de Tolly; Russians lose 12,000, French less than half._

_August 18th._--Battle of Polotsk, fifty miles from Witepsk, down the Dwina. St. Cyr defeats Wittgenstein's much larger army, and takes 20 guns. (St. Cyr made marshal for this battle, August 27th.)

_August 19th._--Combat of Volontino-Cova, beyond Smolensk. Ney defeats Russians.

_August 27th._--Norway guaranteed Sweden in lieu of Finland by Russia.

_August 28th._--Interview at Abo, in Finland, between Alexander, Bernadotte, and Lord Cathcart (English amba.s.sador). Decided that Sweden shall join the crusade against France, and that Moreau be imported from U.S.A. to command another army.

_August 29th._--Viazma, burnt by Russians, entered by the French.

_September 7th._--Battle of Borodino (_La Moskowa_). Nearly all the Russian generals are present: Barclay de Tolly, Beningsen, Bagration (who is killed), all under Kutusoff. Russians lose 30,000 men, French 20,000, including many generals who had survived all the campaigns of the Revolution. The French, hungry and soaked in rain, have no energy to pursue.

_September 14th._--Occupation of Moscow; fired by emissaries of Rostopchin, its late governor. Of 4000 stone houses only 200 remain, of 8000 wooden ones 500. Over 20,000 sick and wounded burnt in their beds. Fire lasts till September 20th.

_September 18th._--Russian Army of the Danube under Admiral Tschitchagow joins the Army of Reserve.

_September 26th._--Russian troops from Finland disembark at Riga.

_September 30th.--Napoleon finds a copy of Treaty of Bucharest at Moscow._

_October 11th._--Admiral Tschitchagow with 36,000 men reaches Bresc, on the Bug, threatening the French communications with Warsaw.

_October 17th-19th._--Second combat of Polotsk. Wittgenstein again defeated by St. Cyr, who is wounded.

_October 18th._--Combat of Winkowo; Kutusoff defeats Murat.

Americans defeated at Queenston Heights, on the Niagara, and lose 900 men.

_October 19th._--Commencement of the Retreat from Moscow.

_October 22nd._--Burgos captured by Wellington.

_October 23rd._--Conspiracy of Malet at Paris; Cambaceres to the rescue. Evacuation of Moscow by Mortier after forty days'

occupation. The French army now retreating has only half its original strength, and the best cavalry regiments boast only 100 horses.

_October 24th.--Battle of Malo-Jaroslavitz. Eugene with 17,000_ _men defeats Kutusoff with 60,000; but Napoleon finds the enemy too strong and too tenacious to risk the fertile Kaluga route._

_November 3rd._--Battle of Wiazma. Rearguard action, in which Ney and Eugene are distinguished.

_November 9th.--Napoleon reaches Smolensk and hears of Malet conspiracy._

_November 14th._--Evacuation of Smolensk.

_November 16th._--Russian Army (of the Danube) takes Minsk, and cuts off the French from the Niemen.

_November 16th-19th._--Combat of Krasnoi, twenty-five miles west of Smolensk. Kutusoff with 30,000 horse and 70,000 foot tries to stop the French, who have only 25,000 effective combatants.

Magnificent fighting by Ney with his rearguard of 6000.

_November 21st._--Russians seize at Borizow the bridges over the Beresina, which are

_November 23rd._--Retaken by Oudinot.