account of the loss of any one leader. Her national unity is capable of being extended safely from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and the Powers of western Europe will not be able to arrest even her southward march by underrating her strength and resources, nor by sneers at her barbarism, her fanaticism, or her despotism. Her barbarism is found strangely connected with the very highest military science, her fanaticism appears very much like an enthusiasm for religion and country, and her despotism has not driven the people from an ardent support of the throne.

CHAPTER XXII.

CHARACTER OF THE RUSSIAN SOLDIER.

It will not, perhaps, be uninteresting to the American reader to look at a few short passages of history, in which the character of the Russian soldier may be studied on the field, and as it was almost half a century ago. It is probable that no portion of Russian history presents in a clearer manner the real character of the people, and the qualities which distinguish her army, whether soldiers or officers, than the record of the French expedition to Moscow. A study of that attack, its progress and results, will enable us to form an opinion as to the issue of any future assault by the Powers of western Europe, while, at the same time, the capabilities of Russia, and her national characteristics, will appear. Whether one regards the unrivalled qualities of the commander of that expedition, or of the army under his command, it will not be considered probable that the Northern Empire will again be compelled to meet upon her own soil so formidable a foe, while, at the same time, its power of resistance has been immensely increased since the invasion of Napoleon.

A glance at a few of the chief points in that memorable attempt at the subjugation of Russia, can not be without interest in the present crisis. In the first place, it is

necessary, in order to understand what the Russians really accomplished, to consider the relative strength of the opposing Powers, at the commencement of the campaign. The total effective force with which Bonaparte entered the Russian territory, as quoted by Alison from the imperial muster rolls, was as follows:

Total effective force which entered the Russian territory: Men,
Horses,

Total number of cannon,

647,158

187,111

1,372

To this force the Russians had opposed as follows:

The immense disparity of the forces at the commencement of the campaign should be allowed to have its full weight with those who are accustomed to think of the Russians as being driven before the French onward to Moscow. The whole French army was 647,158, matched against a Russian force of 265,467-less than one-half the number of Napoleon's troops. The French cavalry amounted to 96,579, while this part of the Russian regular force was only 38,138, and, including the Cossacks, amounted to but 56,138. Such was the relative force of the combatants when the grand army entered the Russian territory, to which must be added the matchless ability and reputation of Napoleon himself. The state of the Russian people, in view of this overwhelming assault upon their country, is thus stated by Alison, on the authority of Boutourlieu: "The "intelligence of the invasion," and the addresses of the Emperor, "excited the utmost enthusiasm in the people "and the army. It was not mere military ardor, or the "passion for conquest, like that which animated the French

"army, but a deep-rooted resolution of resistance, founded "on the feelings of patriotism and the spirit of devotion. "Less buoyant at first, it was more powerful at last; founded on the contempt for life it remained unshaken by disaster, unsubdued by defeat. As the French army advanced, and the dangers of Russia increased, it augmented in strength; and while the ardor of the invaders was quenched by the difficulty of their enterprise, the spirit of the Russians rose with the sacrifices which their situation required." This may be regarded as describing a permanent characteristic of the Russian nation; from the earliest period of their history to the siege of Sebastopol, this long endurance and gradual but sure accumulation of strength to surmount an obstacle, has been conspicuous.

In the two first inconsiderable actions of this war of invasion, the French were defeated. In the attempt which followed to separate two divisions of the Russian army, Napoleon was out-maneuvered by the Russian generals, and failed to accomplish his purpose-he, however, charging the blame upon his brother Jerome. The first considerable battle was at Mohilow, a strong position held by the French Marshal Davoust with thirty thousand men, the difficult defiles of the forest being filled with artillery. This strong post was attacked by an inferior force of twenty thousand Russians, who fought for hours at the entrance of the defiles in a perfect storm of grape-shot and musketballs, and then retreated in good order, and with "little molestation," the loss on both sides being nearly equalabout three thousand for either army. The object of Napoleon at this point was was to cut off Prince Bagration's forces from the other divisions of the Russian army, and, although he employed for this purpose two armies each of which was as powerful as the Russian division, he was foiled in the attempt The Russian general, Barclay, having assembled eighty-two thousand men at Witeysk, had resolved to wait the attack of Napoleon at the head of one hundred and eighty thousand, and Bonaparte felt himself sure of his foe. As he retired on the night of the expected

battle, he said to Murat, "To-morrow, at five, the sun of Austerlitz." The two armies lay facing each other, their watch-fires shining on each other's camps. During the night the Russian general received intelligence that decided him to alter his plan, and retreat upon Smolensko.

The manner of effecting this retreat exhibited not only consummate skill, but the highest state of discipline in the Russian army. To break up a regular encampment of eighty thousand men is not a small matter under any circumstances, but to do it in the night, almost under the very eyes of a watchful enemy, and to do it so silently, and in such perfect order as not to awaken even a suspicion of what was being done, to accomplish the object so perfectly that at day-break when Murat went forward to reconnoiter, not a man, not a baggage-wagon, not a weapon, not a solitary straggler out of eighty thousand men, could be found; this evinced a skill and a military science which filled the French officers both with astonishment and mortification. There was in such movements thus executed no promise of easy victories. The advanced guard of the French army sent in pursuit were unable at the separation of the roads of St. Petersburg and Moscow to determine which an army of eighty thousand men had taken. At length, when the Russian rear-guard was discovered marching in perfect order across the plain toward Smolensko, it was attacked, but the assailing party was utterly destroyed.

The influence of the religious sentiment upon the Russian people is well exhibited by the reliance which was placed upon it by the Emperor, in rousing the nation for defense. The language of his address was, "The national religion, "the throne, the State, can only be preserved by the greatest "sacrifices." He added also to this an appeal to the love of race: "Holy clergy, by your prayers you have always "invoked the Divine blessing on the arms of Russia; "people, worthy descendants of the brave Sclavonians, often "have you broken the jaws of the lions which were opened "to devour you. Unite, then, with the cross in your hearts, "and the sword in your hands, and no human power shall