FromthetimehereceivedthisnewstotheendofthecampaignallKutuzov'sactivitywasdirectedtowardrestraininghistroops, byauthority, byguile, andbyentreaty, fromuselessattacks, maneuvers, -Yaroslavets, butKutuzovlingeredwiththemainarmyandgaveordersfortheevacuationofKaluga—aretreatbeyondwhichtownseemedtohimquitepossible.
EverywhereKutuzovretreated, buttheenemywithoutwaitingforhisretreatfledintheoppositedirection.
Napoleon'shistoriansdescribetoushisskilledmaneuversatTarutinoandMalo-Yaroslavets, andmakeconjecturesastowhatwouldhavehappenedhadNapoleonbeenintimetopenetrateintotherichsouthernprovinces.
Butnottospeakofthefactthatnothingpreventedhimfromadvancingintothosesouthernprovinces (fortheRussianarmydidnotbarhisway), thehistoriansforgetthatnothingcouldhavesavedhisarmy, —whichhadfoundabundantsuppliesinMoscowandhadtrampledthemunderfootinsteadofkeepingthem, andonarrivingatSmolenskhadlootedprovisionsinsteadofstoringthem—howcouldthatarmyrecuperateinKalugaprovince, whichwasinhabitedbyRussianssuchasthosewholivedinMoscow, andwherefirehadthesamepropertyofconsumingwhatwassetablaze?
, asitwere, thechemicalelementsofdissolution.
Themembersofwhathadoncebeenanarmy—Napoleonhimselfandallhissoldiersfled—withoutknowingwhither, eachconcernedonlytomakehisescapeasquicklyaspossiblefromthisposition, ofthehopelessnessofwhichtheywereallmoreorlessvaguelyconscious.
SoitcameaboutthatatthecouncilatMalo-Yaroslavets, whenthegeneralspretendingtoconfertogetherexpressedvariousopinions, allmouthswereclosedbytheopinionutteredbythesimple-mindedsoldierMoutonwho, speakinglast, saidwhattheyallfelt: thattheonethingneedfulwastogetawayasquicklyaspossible; andnoone, notevenNapoleon, couldsayanythingagainstthattruthwhichtheyallrecognized.
Butthoughtheyallrealizedthatitwasnecessarytogetaway, , "lehourradel'Empereur."
ThedayafterthecouncilatMalo-YaroslavetsNapoleonrodeoutearlyinthemorningamidthelinesofhisarmywithhissuiteofmarshalsandanescort, , whatsavedhimwastheverythingthatwasdestroyingtheFrencharmy, , .
WhenlesenfantsduDonmightsoeasilyhavetakentheEmperorhimselfinthemidstofhisarmy, itwasclearthattherewasnothingforitbuttoflyasfastaspossiblealongthenearest, -year-oldstomachunderstoodthathint, notfeelinghisformeragilityandboldness, andundertheinfluenceofthefrighttheCossackshadgivenhimheatonceagreedwithMoutonandissuedorders—asthehistorianstellus—toretreatbytheSmolenskroad.
ThatNapoleonagreedwithMouton, andthatthearmyretreated, doesnotprovethatNapoleoncausedittoretreat, butthattheforceswhichinfluencedthewholearmyanddirecteditalongtheMozhaysk (thatis, theSmolensk) roadactedsimultaneouslyonhimalso.
