ily get in the rear of the camp, and surround it. The news of this engagement soon reached the army of Wittgenstein, where it excited the greatest joy, while it carried dismay into the French camp. Their position became dreadfully critical. Let any one figure to himself these brave fellows, hemmed in, against a wooden town, by a force of treble their number, with a great river behind them, and no other means of retreat but a bridge, the passage from which was threatened by another army.
“It was in vain that St. Cyr then weakened his force by three regiments, which he despatched to the other side to meet Steingell, and whose march he contrived to conceal from Wittgenstein’s observation. Every moment the noise of the former’s artillery was approaching nearer and nearer to Polotzk. The batteries, which from the left side protected the French camp, were now turned round ready to fire upon this new enemy. At sight of this, loud shouts of joy burst out from the whole of Wittgenstein’s line; but that officer still remained immoveable. To make him begin” (to act in concert) “it was not merely necessary that he should hear Steingell; he seemed absolutely determined to see him make his appearance.
“Meanwhile, all Saint Cyr’s generals, in consternation, were surrounding him, and urging him to order a retreat, which would soon become impossible. St. Cyr refused: convinced that the 50,000 Russians before him, under arms, only waited for his first retrograde movement to pounce upon him, he remained immoveable, availing himself of their unaccountable inaction, and still flattering himself that night would come on before Steingell could make his appearance.
“He has since confessed, that never in his life was his mind in such a state of agitation. A thousand times, in the course of these three hours of suspense, he was seen looking at his watch, and at the sun, as if he could hasten his setting.
“At last, when Steingell was within half an hour’s march of Polotzk, when he had only to make a few efforts to appear in the plain, to reach the bridge of the town, and shut out Saint Cyr from the only outlet by which he could escape from Wittgenstein, he halted. Soon after, a thick fog, which the French looked upon as an interposition from heaven, preceded the approach of night, and shut out the three armies from the sight of each other.
“Saint Cyr only waited for that moment. His numerous artillery had already silently crossed the river; his divisions were about to follow it and conceal their retreat, when Legrand, either from custom, or regret at abandoning his camp untouched to the enemy, set fire to it: the other two divisions, fancying that this was a signal agreed upon, followed his example, and in an instant the whole line was in a blaze.
“This fire disclosed their movement; the whole of Wittgenstein’s batteries immediately began their fire; his columns rushed forward, his