The unsuspecting Russians walk right into a column of advancing French troops. The men panic and run. Andrew is shot trying to lead a counterattack.
The unsuspecting Russians walk right into a column of advancing French troops. The men panic and run. Andrew is shot trying to lead a counterattack.
Book 3, Chapter 16
The unsuspecting Russians walk right into a column of advancing French troops. The men panic and run. Andrew is shot trying to lead a counterattack.
Summary:
The Russians are continuing to advance under Kutúzov’s lead. They believe the French are about a mile and a half off, and actually can see some French troops at that distance through their spyglass. Then, suddenly, they see the approaching French troops right in front of them. The Russian troops panic and begin to run off, pursued by the firing French troops. Confused and ever-increasing crowds of men are running back to where five minutes before the troops had passed the Emperors. All is in great confusion. Kutozov is shot. Men are running everywhere. Andrew, showing courage, picks up the Russian standard and begins to lead a countercharge. Some Russian troops follow Andrew. But Prince Andrew is struck in the head and falls wounded to the ground. No longer able to observe the fighting, his mind slips into a detached, other-worldly contemplation of the blue sky above.
quote from the chapter:
Look, look! said this adjutant, looking not at the troops in the distance, but down the hill before him. It’s the French! The two generals and the adjutant took hold of the field glass, trying to snatch it from one another. The expression on all their faces suddenly changed to one of horror. The French were supposed to be a mile and a half away, but had suddenly and unexpectedly appeared just in front of us. It’s the enemy?… No!… Yes, see it is!… for certain…. But how is that? said different voices. With the naked eye Prince Andrew saw below them to the right, not more than five hundred paces from where Kutúzov was standing, a dense French column coming up to meet the Ápsherons. Here it is! The decisive moment has arrived. My turn has come, thought Prince Andrew, and striking his horse he rode up to Kutúzov. The Ápsherons must be stopped, your excellency, cried he. But at that very instant a cloud of smoke spread all round, firing was heard quite close at hand, and a voice of naïve terror barely two steps from Prince Andrew shouted, Brothers! All’s lost! And at this as if at a command, everyone began to run.
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