In October, 1805, the Russian army occupied several large villages and cities under the jurisdiction of the Grand Duke of Austria, and some new regiments came from Russia and stationed near the Braunau fortress, thus increasing the burden on the population. .The headquarters of Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov was also located in Braunau. On October 11, 1805, the infantry regiment, which had just arrived in Braunau, camped half a mile from the city, awaiting the review of the troops by the commander-in-chief.Although the terrain and surroundings (orchards, stone walls, tile-roofed houses, mountains visible in the distance) are very different from Russia, and although the non-Russian people watched the soldiers with curiosity, the appearance of this regiment was different. Exactly the same as any Russian soldier preparing for parade anywhere in central Russia.

That evening, on the way to the latest march, an order was received for the commander-in-chief to review the marching regiments.Although the regimental commander did not quite understand the wording of the order, the question arose as to how it should be understood: were the soldiers on parade in marching uniform?At the battalion commander's meeting, in accordance with the principle of treating each other with courtesy, it was decided that the soldiers of the Corps would wear military parade uniforms for inspection.So after a march of thirty versts, the soldiers, blindfolded, mended clothes and washed the filth all night; the adjutant and the company commander ordered the soldiers to count and remove some of them.In the early morning of the next day, this regiment was no longer the sloppy mob it was on the eve of the latest march, but a neatly arranged army with 2,000 people, each of whom knew his position and mission well, and every button and button of each person Every strap is in place and sparkling clean.And not only is the uniform worn on the outside not in tatters, but if the commander-in-chief were to look inside, he would see that everyone was wearing the same clean shirt, and he would also find that each knapsack contained a certain amount of Objects, as the soldiers say, "awl, soap, everything." Everyone agreed that there was only one thing that bothered them, and that was the problem of shoes.Most of the soldiers' leather boots were worn out.But this shortcoming cannot be blamed on the head of the regiment.Despite repeated requests, the Austrian authorities did not distribute supplies to the regiment commander, and the regiment traveled a thousand versts.

The commander of the regiment was an excitable, graying, aging general with a solid build, the width between the chest and back was greater than the width between the left and right shoulders.He wore a freshly made military uniform with a series of creases and thick gilt shoulder straps which seemed to swell rather than weigh down his fat shoulders.The head of the regiment looked like someone who was successfully completing the most solemn career in his life.He walked slowly in front of the queue, a little stooped, trembling slightly as he walked, and it seemed that the regimental commander admired his regiment very much, was happy because he was at the head of a regiment, and put all his energy into it. This regiment is gone.Nevertheless, his slightly trembling gait seemed to indicate that, in addition to his military interest, an interest in the way of life of high society and women also occupied a considerable place in the depths of his soul.

"Hey, old man, Mihailo Mitrich," he said, turning to one of the battalion commanders (who smiled and moved a step forward, and it looked like they were all lucky), "we all suffered at night. Blame it. But, it seems all right, our regiment is not inferior... Ah, isn't it?" The battalion commander understood the delightful sarcasm and laughed. "Even if the military parade is held on the Tsaritsyn grassland, no one will drive us out." "What?" said the captain. At this moment, on the avenue leading directly to the city, where signalmen were scattered, two men on horseback appeared, one was an adjutant, and the other was a Cossack following behind.

The adjutant was sent by General Headquarters to explain to the regimental commander the vague wording of yesterday's order, that is, to clarify that the commander-in-chief intended to see a regiment in full marching condition - in greatcoats, overcoats, No inspection preparations are made. The day before, a senator from the Austrian Military Senate came to Kutuzov from Vienna and suggested and demanded that the Russian army join forces with Archduke Ferdinand and Mark as soon as possible. Therefore, while presenting evidence for his point of view, he also tried to invite the Austrian general to witness the miserable situation of the troops from Russia.It was for this purpose that he was willing to come and meet the soldiers of the regiment; and the worse the situation of the regiment became, the happier the commander-in-chief was.Although the adjutant was not familiar with the details, he had conveyed to the regimental commander the imperative request of the Commander-in-Chief, that soldiers must wear overcoats and overcoats, otherwise the Commander-in-Chief would express his dissatisfaction.

After hearing these words, the head of the regiment bowed his head, shrugged his shoulders silently, and spread his hands excitedly. "Nonsense!" he said. "Didn't I tell you, Mihailo Mitrich, that on the march you have to wear an overcoat," he accused the battalion commander. "Oh, my God!" he added, very Go forward firmly. "Gentlemen, Captains!" he called in his commanding voice. "Sergeant!...Is he coming soon?" He said to the adjutant who came forward with a respectful expression.It seemed that it was because of the person he mentioned that he had this expression on his face.

"I think it will be an hour." "Is there still time to change clothes?" "General, I don't know..." The head of the regiment personally walked to the front of the queue and ordered the soldiers to put on their military coats again.The company commanders rushed back to the company headquarters, and the sergeants began to get busy (a part of the overcoat was not mended, so it was not complete), at this moment, the neat and quiet quadrangular formations began to squirm, loosen, and make a lot of noise .Soldiers ran back and forth in all directions, one by one shrugged their shoulders forward, went around their heads to take off their marching knapsacks, took off their military coats, and raised their hands into their sleeves.

After half an hour, everything returned to the original order, only the quadrangular formation had changed from black to gray.The head of the regiment walked up to the front of the regiment with that slightly trembling gait, and glanced at it from a distance. "What kind of trick is this? What kind of trick is this?" he shouted when he stopped, "the commander of the third company! . . . " "Paging the commander of the third company to see the general, calling the commander of the third company to see the general, calling the commander of the third company to see the regimental commander!..." The voice of the paging was heard in every column, and an adjutant ran to look for the dawdling officer.

These laborious paging voices became more and more wrong, and when they reached the eardrums of those who were passed, the original words had become "the general was passed to the third company".The rumored officer rushed out from behind the company headquarters. Although he was a middle-aged man who was not used to running, he still staggered and staggered to the general.The Captain had the perplexed look of someone calling a question to a student who hadn't learned his lessons.His cheeks, obviously flushed from excessive drinking, were blotchy, and his mouth was parted.He walked to the head's side and slowed down his pace. When he walked up to the head panting, the head looked him over from head to toe.

"You're going to change the soldiers into robes soon! What's the trick?" shouted the regimental commander, pointing with his chin to a member of the 3rd Company's team, who was wearing a woolen coat that was completely different from the others' army coats. The soldier in the army coat, "Where did you stay just now? The commander-in-chief is expected to arrive, and you left your post without permission, ah, didn't you? ... I want to teach you a lesson, why did you let the soldiers wear Kasa gold Go for inspection! ... Ah, isn't it? The company commander looked at the commander eagerly, and he pressed two fingers on the brim of his hat, pressing it tighter and tighter, as if he thought that the only way to be saved was by saluting the brim of the hat at this moment.

"Hey, why don't you speak up? Who is this Hungarian disguised here?" The regimental leader joked with a serious look. "grown ups……" "Hey, what's your lord? Your lord! Your lord! But who doesn't know what a lord is." "My lord, he is Dolokhov who was demoted..." the captain said softly. "What? He's been made a marshal, isn't he? Or a soldier? Soldiers are supposed to wear uniforms like everyone else." "Your Excellency, you yourself give him permission to wear such clothes on marches." "Did I allow it? Did I allow it? You young people are always like this," the head of the group said calmly. "Am I allowed? Say something to you and you just... what?" he said angrily. "Please let the soldiers dress decently..." The regimental commander turned his head to look at the adjutant, and then walked towards the regiment's ranks with that slightly trembling gait.It can be seen that he likes to lose his temper very much. After walking in the ranks of this corps for a while, he wanted to find another excuse to lose his temper.He threatened one officer because he was wearing a medal that had not been polished, and another officer because his ranks were out of order, and then he went on to the third company. "How do you stand? Where are your feet? Where are your feet?" There were about five people away from Dolokhov in a light blue army coat, and the head of the regiment said with pain voice shouted. Dolokhov slowly straightened his bent legs, and cast a blazing, impertinent glance at the general's face. "Why is he wearing a blue overcoat? Take it off! ... Sergeant! Change him ... bad guy ..." Dolokhov hastily said before the regimental commander could finish his sentence: "General, I must carry out the order. But, I should not suffer..." "Don't gossip in the team! . . . don't gossip, don't gossip! . . . " "I should not suffer humiliation," finished Dolokhov in that sonorous voice. The eyes of the general and the soldier met.The general tugged down the tightly fastened belt angrily, and fell silent. "Please change your clothes, I beg you," he said as he went away.