War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy [655]
In respect of trade, the proclamation to the labor-loving artisans and all the peasants received no response. There were no labor-loving artisans, and the peasants caught the commissaries, who ventured too far afield with this proclamation, and killed them.
In respect of the entertainment of the people and the army with theaters, the business failed in exactly the same way. The theaters set up in the Kremlin and in Poznyakov’s house closed at once, because the actresses and actors were robbed.
Even philanthropy did not yield the desired results. Counterfeit and non-counterfeit banknotes filled Moscow and had no value. For the French, who were collecting booty, there was need only for gold. Not only did the counterfeit notes that Napoleon so graciously distributed have no value, but silver was exchanged at below value for gold.
But the most striking manifestation of the ineffectiveness of orders from above at that time came from Napoleon’s attempts to put an end to looting and restore discipline.
Here is what the army officers reported:
“Looting in the city continues, despite instructions to put an end to it. Order has not yet been restored, and there is not a single merchant who carries on trade in a legal way. Only the sutlers allow themselves to sell, and stolen goods at that.”
“La partie de mon arrondissement continue à être en proie au pillage des soldats du 3e corps, qui, non contents d’arracher aux malheureux réfugiés dans des souterrains le peu qui leur reste, ont même la férocité de les blesser à coups de sabre, comme j’en ai vu plusieurs exemples.”*694
“Rien de nouveau outre que les soldats se permettent de voler et de piller. Le 9 octobre.”†695
“Le vol et le pillage continuent. Il y a une bande de voleurs dans notre district qu’il faudra faire arrêter par de fortes gardes. Le 11 octobre.”‡696
“The emperor is extremely displeased that, despite strict orders to put an end to looting, all we see is detachments of marauding guards coming back to the Kremlin. Disorder and looting were renewed worse than ever among the old guard yesterday, last night, and today. The emperor regrets to see that the picked soldiers appointed to protect his person, and supposed to give an example of subordination, push their disobedience to such a degree that they break into the cellars and storerooms reserved for the army. Others have lowered themselves so far as to disobey sentries and guards officers, abusing and beating them.”
“Le grand maréchal du palais se plaint vivement,” wrote the governor, “que malgré les défenses réiterées, les soldats continuent à faire leurs besoins dans toutes les cours et même jusque sous les fenêtres de l’Empereur.”§697
This army, like a herd let loose, trampling underfoot the fodder that might save it from starvation, was falling apart and perishing with every extra day it spent in Moscow.
Yet it did not budge.
It began to flee only when it was suddenly seized by panic fear, caused by the interception of its supply trains on the Smolensk road and by the battle of Tarutino. This same news of the battle of Tarutino, which Napoleon received unexpectedly during a review, aroused in him a desire to punish the Russians, as Thiers says, and he gave orders for departure, which was what the whole army was demanding.
Fleeing from Moscow, the men of this army took along everything they had looted. Napoleon also carted his own personal trésor with him. Seeing the baggage train that encumbered the army, Napoleon was horrified (as Thiers