Chapter 27

           

           Onthetwenty-fifthofAugust,sohishistorianstellus,Napoleonspentthewholedayonhorsebackinspectingthelocality,consideringplanssubmittedtohimbyhismarshals,andpersonallygivingcommandstohisgenerals.

           TheoriginallineoftheRussianforcesalongtheriverKolocháhadbeendislocatedbythecaptureoftheShevárdinoRedoubtonthetwenty-fourth,andpartoftheline—theleftflank—hadbeendrawnback.Thatpartofthelinewasnotentrenchedandinfrontofitthegroundwasmoreopenandlevelthanelsewhere.Itwasevidenttoanyone,militaryornot,thatitwasheretheFrenchshouldattack.Itwouldseemthatnotmuchconsiderationwasneededtoreachthisconclusion,noranyparticularcareortroubleonthepartoftheEmperorandhismarshals,norwasthereanyneedofthatspecialandsupremequalitycalledgeniusthatpeoplearesoapttoascribetoNapoleon;yetthehistorianswhodescribedtheeventlaterandthemenwhothensurroundedNapoleon,andhehimself,thoughtotherwise.

           Napoleonrodeovertheplainandsurveyedthelocalitywithaprofoundairandinsilence,noddedwithapprovalorshookhisheaddubiously,andwithoutcommunicatingtothegeneralsaroundhimtheprofoundcourseofideaswhichguidedhisdecisionsmerelygavethemhisfinalconclusionsintheformofcommands.HavinglistenedtoasuggestionfromDavout,whowasnowcalledPrinced’Eckmühl,toturntheRussianleftwing,Napoleonsaiditshouldnotbedone,withoutexplainingwhynot.

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