The weather hitherto had been "as fine as that at Fontainebleau in September," and he purposed retiring by a more southerly route which had not been exhausted by war.

Full of confidence, then, he set out on the 19th, with 115,000 men, persuaded that he would easily reach friendly Lithuania and his winter quarters "before severe cold set in." The veil was rudely torn from his eyes when, south of Malo-Jaroslavitz, his Marshals found the Russians so strongly posted that any further attack seemed to be an act of folly.
Eugene's corps had suffered cruelly in an obstinate fight in and around that town, and the advice of Berthier, Murat, and Bessieres was against its renewal.

For an hour or more the Emperor sat silently gazing at a map.

The only prudent course now left was to retreat north and then west by way of Borodino, _over his devastated line of advance_.[273] Back, then, towards Borodino the army mournfully trudged (October 26th): "Everywhere (says Labaume) we saw wagons abandoned for want of horses to draw them.

Those who bore along with them the spoils of Moscow trembled for their riches; but we were disquieted most of all at seeing the deplorable state of our cavalry.