Andrew meets the army at Krems, where the Russian army is chaotically preparing to withdraw.
Summary:
The army is tired and poorly equipped, so Kutúzov sends Prince Bagratión’s vanguard of four thousand men to stall the French and sends the rest on a 24-hour march to meet other troops at Znaim. Andrew wants to join Bagratión’s men, but Kutúzov insists that he stay with the retreating army. Andrew makes his way back to the army. Things are in chaos on the roads, as the army and civilians flee the oncoming Napoleon. Andrew has to threaten violence to help a doctor’s wife to get through. Andrew looks for the Commander-in-Chief, finds Nesvitski and another adjutant in a little village. They ask Andrew for any news, and inform Andrew the about the confused situation. Andrew goes to the house where Kozlovski is. Bagratión is also present. Bagratión departs from Kozlovski. Kozlovski expects Bagratión’s rear guard to be utterly destroyed as it fights only to delay Napoleon’s advance.
quote from the chapter:
Your excellency, I should like to be of use here. Allow me to remain with Prince Bagratión’s detachment.
Get in, said Kutúzov, and noticing that Bolkónski still delayed, he added: I need good officers myself, need them myself!
They got into the carriage and drove for a few minutes in silence.
There is still much, much before us, he said, as if with an old man’s penetration he understood all that was passing in Bolkónski’s mind. If a tenth part of his detachment returns I shall thank God, he added as if speaking to himself.
Prince Andrew glanced at Kutúzov’s face only a foot distant from him and involuntarily noticed the carefully washed seams of the scar near his temple, where an Ismail bullet had pierced his skull, and the empty eye socket. Yes, he has a right to speak so calmly of those men’s death, thought Bolkónski.
Book 2, Chapter 13
Andrew meets the army at Krems, where the Russian army is chaotically preparing to withdraw.
Summary:
The army is tired and poorly equipped, so Kutúzov sends Prince Bagratión’s vanguard of four thousand men to stall the French and sends the rest on a 24-hour march to meet other troops at Znaim. Andrew wants to join Bagratión’s men, but Kutúzov insists that he stay with the retreating army. Andrew makes his way back to the army. Things are in chaos on the roads, as the army and civilians flee the oncoming Napoleon. Andrew has to threaten violence to help a doctor’s wife to get through. Andrew looks for the Commander-in-Chief, finds Nesvitski and another adjutant in a little village. They ask Andrew for any news, and inform Andrew the about the confused situation. Andrew goes to the house where Kozlovski is. Bagratión is also present. Bagratión departs from Kozlovski. Kozlovski expects Bagratión’s rear guard to be utterly destroyed as it fights only to delay Napoleon’s advance.
quote from the chapter:
Your excellency, I should like to be of use here. Allow me to remain with Prince Bagratión’s detachment.
Get in, said Kutúzov, and noticing that Bolkónski still delayed, he added: I need good officers myself, need them myself!
They got into the carriage and drove for a few minutes in silence.
There is still much, much before us, he said, as if with an old man’s penetration he understood all that was passing in Bolkónski’s mind. If a tenth part of his detachment returns I shall thank God, he added as if speaking to himself.
Prince Andrew glanced at Kutúzov’s face only a foot distant from him and involuntarily noticed the carefully washed seams of the scar near his temple, where an Ismail bullet had pierced his skull, and the empty eye socket. Yes, he has a right to speak so calmly of those men’s death, thought Bolkónski.
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