And The Capture Of Kovno
June 24th (12).
(From E.V.Tarle, Complete Works, Volume VII., Moscow 1959)
On June 23rd, 1812, Napoleon with his retinue rode for a long time along the bank of the Niemen river. Three new bridges were built, the third finished at 12 p.m. A fourth bridge, near Kovno, could also be used for crossings.
Drawing by participant of the campaign French Artillery Colonel Faber du Faur
During the night of June 24th, Napoleon ordered the first crossing. The die was cast.
At 1 a.m., across the river, the constant uproar was heard by the towns- people. They could hear the beat of drums and some rifle-shots somewhere beyond Kovno. They guessed there must be a large army marching. About 6 a.m. the vanguard of the French and Polish troops entered Kovno and formed on the parade-ground" (1) - thus the town knew of Napoleon's invasion.
All the night of June 25th, and on through June 26th and 27th, four continuous streams of Napoleon's Army were crossing the Niemen by the four bridges near Kovno, Olitt, Merech and Jurburg - regiment after regiment. Battery after battery, forming on the Russian side of the river.
The Napoleonic army crossing the river Niemen
by unknown artist
Barclay de Tolly wrote, "Daybreak, June 24th (12) was the beginning of the heavy storm: Napoleon, who thought himself invincible, had decided it was the time to take off the mask of simulation and broke off all talks that had only one goal - to gain time. He brought sixteen nations under his sceptre to the field of battle with Russia" (2)
Napoleon stood at one of the bridges greeting the endless line of regiments. Then crossing the river with the Old Guards, he rode to the neighboring forest alone, without his retinue. He saw deserted fields; sand; and forests stretching to the horizon. There was dead silence; not one living soul; no trace of human habitation. Only the huge endless expanse of forests - These were his first impressions of the Russian territory.
Click the picture to make it bigger
- State Public Library (SPL), the department of manuscripts, the archive of K.A.Voensky,I,N295, the file "Kovno in 1812", the manuscript "The Diary Of The Events In the Kovno Distict Military School" (without signature), the record of June,24 (12),1812, a copy
- SPL, the department of manuscripts, Schilder's archive, K-9, N 11. "Memoirs and notes of contemporaries about 1812. The short review of the famous campaign of the Russian troops under Barclay de Tolly against the French in 1812", a copy.
