The bridge burning at the Enns river is botched, resulting in two Russians wounded.
Summary:
The last of the Russian troops and wagons squeeze over the Enns bridge. Only Denísov’s squadron of hussars remains on the far side. Suddenly they see French artillery and troops on the horizon. Now only an empty space of seven hundred yards separates Denísov’s squadron from the oncoming French army. The French artillery begins aiming for Denísov’s squadron. Colonel Bogdánich rides up. Seeing the Colonel, Nicholas’ attention fixes on their earlier conflict, as if it matters now. The Colonel asks why haven’t they already set fire to the bridge and retreated out of range of the French. There’s a brief and pointless argument about who was supposed to fire the bridge. By now, the French are close enough to fire grapeshot. Finally, the Russians manage to set the bridge afire and retreat, but not before two Russian hussars are fatally wounded. After this botched retreat, the Colonel is unjustifiably proud of himself. Medals will be awarded. And Nicholas is unnecessarily ashamed that he got scared.
quote from the chapter:
An empty space of some seven hundred yards was all that separated them. The enemy ceased firing, and that stern, threatening, inaccessible, and intangible line which separates two hostile armies was all the more clearly felt.
One step beyond that boundary line which resembles the line dividing the living from the dead lies uncertainty, suffering, and death. And what is there? Who is there?-there beyond that field, that tree, that roof lit up by the sun? No one knows, but one wants to know. You fear and yet long to cross that line, and know that sooner or later it must be crossed and you will have to find out what is there, just as you will inevitably have to learn what lies the other side of death. But you are strong, healthy, cheerful, and excited, and are surrounded by other such excitedly animated and healthy men. So thinks, or at any rate feels, anyone who comes in sight of the enemy, and that feeling gives a particular glamour and glad keenness of impression to everything that takes place at such moments.
Book 2, Chapter 8
The bridge burning at the Enns river is botched, resulting in two Russians wounded.
Summary:
The last of the Russian troops and wagons squeeze over the Enns bridge. Only Denísov’s squadron of hussars remains on the far side. Suddenly they see French artillery and troops on the horizon. Now only an empty space of seven hundred yards separates Denísov’s squadron from the oncoming French army. The French artillery begins aiming for Denísov’s squadron. Colonel Bogdánich rides up. Seeing the Colonel, Nicholas’ attention fixes on their earlier conflict, as if it matters now. The Colonel asks why haven’t they already set fire to the bridge and retreated out of range of the French. There’s a brief and pointless argument about who was supposed to fire the bridge. By now, the French are close enough to fire grapeshot. Finally, the Russians manage to set the bridge afire and retreat, but not before two Russian hussars are fatally wounded. After this botched retreat, the Colonel is unjustifiably proud of himself. Medals will be awarded. And Nicholas is unnecessarily ashamed that he got scared.
quote from the chapter:
An empty space of some seven hundred yards was all that separated them. The enemy ceased firing, and that stern, threatening, inaccessible, and intangible line which separates two hostile armies was all the more clearly felt.
One step beyond that boundary line which resembles the line dividing the living from the dead lies uncertainty, suffering, and death. And what is there? Who is there?-there beyond that field, that tree, that roof lit up by the sun? No one knows, but one wants to know. You fear and yet long to cross that line, and know that sooner or later it must be crossed and you will have to find out what is there, just as you will inevitably have to learn what lies the other side of death. But you are strong, healthy, cheerful, and excited, and are surrounded by other such excitedly animated and healthy men. So thinks, or at any rate feels, anyone who comes in sight of the enemy, and that feeling gives a particular glamour and glad keenness of impression to everything that takes place at such moments.
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Two hussars were killed actually.
Thank you very much for the clarification!
I replaced “two Russian hussars are needlessly wounded”
with
“two Russian hussars are fatally wounded”