27 July 1812
This morning we defiled through the dwellings of Tschudowka. Sabinov in front of us, cossacks come and goes with dispatches from him. We got a steady march in the perfect weather. Even the warm wind blowed gently at our backs making the day more like a picnic than a gruesome wartrail march. War can´t be better than this! Only the distant sound of guns firing could have set me in a better mood. Deep into the forest under an great oak by a gentle stream we took rest for war-council. Cossack scouts with reports from Rudjna and beyond was coming back to our improvised camp, Rudjna is still in our hands, but "french cavalry in big shiny hats" was on the other side of the river. Probably cuirassiers or lancers. But scouting with heavy cavalry would be madness. Could their cavalry suffered that hard already? Probably as the french are the worst horse-handlers in europe. The grief when they took the Saxon cavalrys mounts! But, now as my contrymen are rallied against me, it would be the best if the french kept the fine saxon mounts! The poor cossack Vlastov has not returned but sure will, but adjutant Ilvaiski was back - telling gruesome tales of the french, they are numerous and ravaging the land in a most savage manner. As they done over all europe. Damned antediluvians. Acordning to Ilvaiski the wetlands were silent - they have eaten all the frogs and toads. I can´t tell if it was a russian joke or the truth. The war-council proceeded. Visitski first used all his native russian charms and then put up a sudden rage on the question of the monastery in the east. Shouting of securing icons, priests and nuns he got several of the russian officers on his side. As the council went on I decided to let Visitski of to the monastery with his command. We must not let the church´s vast riches fall into the hands of the french. As the situation is I need to split my forces to carry out my orders, we will unite later on and take on the french. With the garrison of Rudnja and the sappers already sent of to destroy the bridge, Sabinov will be able to hold the french at Rudnja long enough, then unite with me and Visitski. We have now split the force and trudged through the forests with the village of Aleskhi as our goal for the night. We have heard guns calling out in the north, the french are upon Rudnja! I pray the sappers got there in time. These woods seems without ending, we have not been able to reach Aleskhi but made bivouac in the middle of nowhere. The cannonade has silenced and I have no words from Sabinov or Visitski. After burning Aleshki we need to get back to the road to not be cut of if the french has crossed the river at Rudnja.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorShirty is a wargamer currently very into Napoleonics! His further plans in that era is Ottomans, Spanish, Persians, French, Saxons, Swedes and probably some Confederation of the Rhine troops. He also likes left wing politics, the sun and friends. Shirty dislikes right wing politics, dichotomies (some may sense a sort of self-critisim here!) and superhero movies. Archives
March 2020
Categories |