Napoleon begins his westward advance by crossing the Nieman river.
Summary:
This chapter describes the scene as Napoleon begins his westward advance and crosses the Niemen river. Early in the morning of the twelfth of June, Napoleon looked through a spyglass at the streams of his troops pouring out of the Vilkavisski forest and flowing over the three bridges thrown across the river. The troops, knowing of the Emperor’s presence, threw up their caps and shouted: Vive l’Empereur! and one after another poured in a ceaseless stream out of the vast forest that had concealed them and, separating, flowed on and on by the three bridges to the other side. A group of Polish soldiers, wishing to demonstrate their zeal, attempt to swim across on their horses even though there is a suitable ford not far off. Some of these horses and men drown needlessly, but Napoleon seems unconcerned.
quote from the chapter:
It was cold and uncanny in the rapid current in the middle of the stream, and the Uhlans caught hold of one another as they fell off their horses. Some of the horses were drowned and some of the men; the others tried to swim on, some in the saddle and some clinging to their horses’ manes. They tried to make their way forward to the opposite bank and, though there was a ford one third of a mile away, were proud that they were swimming and drowning in this river under the eyes of the man who sat on the log and was not even looking at what they were doing. When the aide-de-camp, having returned and choosing an opportune moment, ventured to draw the Emperor’s attention to the devotion of the Poles to his person, the little man in the gray overcoat got up and, having summoned Berthier, began pacing up and down the bank with him, giving him instructions and occasionally glancing disapprovingly at the drowning Uhlans who distracted his attention.
Book 9, Chapter 2
Napoleon begins his westward advance by crossing the Nieman river.
Summary:
This chapter describes the scene as Napoleon begins his westward advance and crosses the Niemen river. Early in the morning of the twelfth of June, Napoleon looked through a spyglass at the streams of his troops pouring out of the Vilkavisski forest and flowing over the three bridges thrown across the river. The troops, knowing of the Emperor’s presence, threw up their caps and shouted: Vive l’Empereur! and one after another poured in a ceaseless stream out of the vast forest that had concealed them and, separating, flowed on and on by the three bridges to the other side. A group of Polish soldiers, wishing to demonstrate their zeal, attempt to swim across on their horses even though there is a suitable ford not far off. Some of these horses and men drown needlessly, but Napoleon seems unconcerned.
quote from the chapter:
It was cold and uncanny in the rapid current in the middle of the stream, and the Uhlans caught hold of one another as they fell off their horses. Some of the horses were drowned and some of the men; the others tried to swim on, some in the saddle and some clinging to their horses’ manes. They tried to make their way forward to the opposite bank and, though there was a ford one third of a mile away, were proud that they were swimming and drowning in this river under the eyes of the man who sat on the log and was not even looking at what they were doing. When the aide-de-camp, having returned and choosing an opportune moment, ventured to draw the Emperor’s attention to the devotion of the Poles to his person, the little man in the gray overcoat got up and, having summoned Berthier, began pacing up and down the bank with him, giving him instructions and occasionally glancing disapprovingly at the drowning Uhlans who distracted his attention.
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