Chapter 27 Chapter Twenty Seven

The entire day of August 25, as his historians say, Napoleon spent on horseback: he observed the terrain, studied the plans presented by the marshals, and personally issued orders to the generals. The original Russian front along the Kolocha River was broken through, and part of the front—the left flank of the Russians—was withdrawn due to the fall of the Shevardino fortress on the 24th. This new part of the front was undefended. Fortifications, there is no river to guard, it faces a vast plane.It was clear to both soldiers and non-soldiers that the French should attack this part of the front.It seems that there is no need for much thought on this issue, nor the need for the emperor and his generals to worry and rush, and especially for special abilities-that is, the so-called genius that people like to add to Napoleon; but the historiography that later described this event The scientists, those who were around Napoleon at the time, and Napoleon himself, thought otherwise.

Napoleon rode his horse around the battlefield, observing the terrain with a thoughtful expression. He nodded or shook his head to express agreement or doubt. He just conveyed the final conclusion in the form of orders to the generals who followed him. What foresight and foresight guided his decisions, but he didn't tell them.Napoleon, having listened to the suggestion of Davous, known as the Duke of Ecmere, about rounding the left flank of the Russian army, said that it was not necessary to do so, but did not explain why it was not necessary.General Campan (who was in charge of attacking Fort d'Or) was to lead his division through the woods, and Napoleon agreed to the proposal.Although Ney, the so-called Duke of Elchingen, ventured to point out that it is dangerous to move in the woods and may disrupt the formation of the entire division.

-------- ① Daou Louis (1770-1823), Marshal of France, made meritorious service in the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 and the Battle of Auerstedt in 1806. ② Ney, Michel (1769~1815), Marshal of France, one of Napoleon I's closest comrades-in-arms.When the French army retreated from Russia in 1812, he was in charge of the command of the French rearguard. After Napoleon observed the terrain opposite the Shevarginoldo Fortress, he thought for a while, and pointed out where to set up two artillery positions before dawn tomorrow, so as to attack the Russian fortifications, and pointed out that the positions parallel to the artillery positions should be placed for field battles. gun.

After giving these orders and other designations, he returned to base camp and wrote down the disposition of the battle according to his daily instructions. The disposition of battle, which has been recounted triumphantly by the French historian, and with respect by others, is as follows: The two artillery positions newly built at night on the plain guarded by the Duke of Eckmere will open fire at the two enemy artillery positions on the opposite side at dawn. At the same time, General Perneti, Commander of the 1st Regiment, with thirty of Campan's guns and all the howitzers of the Desai and Frian divisions, advanced, fired, and overwhelmed the enemy's artillery positions with grenades. Have:

Guns of the Twenty-Four Guards Battery Thirty Cannons of Master Campang Eight guns of the divisions of Frion and Desai A total of sixty-two cannons. General Fouché, commander of the Artillery of the Third Corps, will place sixteen howitzers of the Third and Eighth Corps on both sides of the artillery position responsible for bombarding the enemy's left fortifications. There are a total of forty guns here. General Sorbier should be ready to bombard any of the enemy's fortifications with all the howitzers of the Guards as soon as he is ordered to do so. In the middle of the bombardment, Prince Poniatowski headed straight for the village, rounding the enemy's position through the woods.

General Campan took the first fort through the woods. After entering the battle in this way, orders will be issued at any time depending on the enemy's actions. As soon as the artillery on the right wing was heard, the left wing immediately began shelling. The snipers of Moran's Division and the Governor's Division ① saw the right wing attacking and immediately opened fire. The viceroy was to occupy the village, then cross three bridges, and go straight to the heights with the two divisions of Morans and Gérard. The governor led these two divisions to attack the Doujiaobao, and entered into battle with the other troops.

All this must be done in an orderly manner (letoutseferaavecordreetmethode ②), with reserves as far as possible. The Imperial Camp near Mozhaisk, September 6, 1812③. -------- ①The governor refers to the deputy marshal Murat, who Napoleon has made king of Naples. ②French: Everything must be carried out in order and according to the plan. ③The date here is the Gregorian calendar, which is equivalent to August 25th of the Russian lunar calendar. If we look at these orders without religious awe for Napoleon's genius, then the battle arrangement is extremely vague and confusing, and it includes four points, that is, four namings.None of these four orders could be fulfilled, nor did they.

The first item of this disposition says: The artillery on the point chosen by Napoleon, with the cannon of Pernetti and Fouche adjoining it, amounted to one hundred and two, against the Russian forts and forts. The fort opened fire and fired grenades.This was impossible, since at the point Napoleon had appointed, the shells could not reach the Russian fortifications, and unless the nearest commander moved them forward against Napoleon's order, the hundred and two cannons would have to be fired. The second order was: Poniatowski marched towards the village through the woods, turning around to the left flank of the Russian army.This was impossible, and in fact it was not done, since Poniatowski's advance to the village, where he was blocked by Tuchkov, could not and did not turn back to the Russian positions.

Third order: General Campan takes the first fort through the woods.Camponer's division did not take the first fort, for as soon as it came out of the woods the division had to organize its ranks under unexpected shotgun fire from Napoleon. Item 4: The Governor is to occupy the village (Borodino), then cross three bridges and go straight to the high ground with the two divisions of Morans and Gérard (the direction and time of their actions were not given instructions), the Governor led Two divisions attacked Fort Multihorn and entered battle with other troops. It can only be understood—either because of the ambiguity of this complicated sentence, or because the governor, in carrying out the order he received, had other intentions—that he attacked the Fortress from the left through Borodino, while Moran and François The two divisions of Lyon attacked frontally at the same time.

All of this, and other points in the deployment, have not been and cannot be executed.The governor crossed Borodino, was driven back at Kolocha, and could not advance further, the fort was not taken by the divisions of Morand and Frion, but was taken by cavalry only at the end of the battle (probably unexpected to Napoleon also not heard).In this way, none of the commands in the deployment is executed, and it is impossible to be executed.It was also stated in the disposition that, when the battle had begun in this way, orders would be given at any time in accordance with the actions of the enemy, so that it seemed that in the middle of the battle Napoleon would give all the necessary orders; At that time Napoleon was far away from the battlefield, and he could not have known during the battle (this was learned later) that none of his orders were practicable in battle.