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6. CAPTURE OF THE CITY OF VILNO BY FRENCH TROOPS June, 28 (16) (From E.V.Tarle, Complete Works, Volume VII., Moscow 1959) |
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Napoleon entered the city of Vilno with his vanguard only one hour after the Russian troops had departed. The bridge set afire by the retreating Russians was still burning. Napoleon sat on a folding chair and began questioning the inhabitants. He decided to stay in the palace Alexander had left but a short time before and continued making inquires. "Why did the Russians not give battle? and where would they stop?" Napoleon stayed in Vilno from June,28 to July,16 as he had many matters to handle before he could attend to urgent military affairs and move against the Russians. In addition there was the Polish nobles' constant interupting efforts to entertain him. He was busy - He had to keep an eye on the situation in Spain which was becoming more aggravated every day, and there was the reorganization of Lithuania's civil government involving the regular extorting of corn, bread, hay, oats and recruits (giving nothing in return as payment). In addition to all these problems was the anxiety that struck Napoleon in Vilno and appeared to burden him for the duration of the war: the understanding that the hard northern climate and lack of roads in Russia would cause serious difficulties. From the first days of the campaign disease was decimating the ranks of the Great Army. When finally leaving Vilno, Napoleon had to leave behind 3 thousand wounded and diseased soldiers. Near the end of July he learned they didn't even have hay to lay on, and were in desperate condition, Further, there were no reserves in the depots.(1) But the worst danger, even worse than the pathogenic heat was the unexpected and serious difficulty in supplying his people and horses with food. Although Napoleon had stocked colossal depots, and had a huge transport system, the supply wagons were unable to keep pace with the fast moving army. There were the beginnings of starvation and marauding even before entering the Russian territory. Soldiers, lacking enough food, were stealing from the inhabitants. When Napoleon was in Vilno, he had two operations to command at the same time: against Bagration, who retreated to Nesvizh with the 2nd Russian Army (45 thousand men), and against Barclay, who left Vilno on June,26 with the 1st Russian Army (about 100 thousand men), and now fortified in the Drissa camp on the Dvina river.
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