The Cossack horsemen and the Russian cavalry had cleaned out Champaubert.

There were no inhabitants left to welcome the Russian division, except dead ones, who could offer no hospitality.
The division was weary and travel-stained, covered with mud, horses dead beat; the cannon, huge, formless masses of clay, were dragged slowly and painfully forward.

It was evident that the commander of the division had doubled his teams, but the heavy guns could scarcely be moved, even by twice the number of horses attached.

The poor brutes had no rest, for, as fast as one gun arrived, both teams were unhitched and sent over the road to bring up another.

A halt was made on the plateau.