PICTURE GALLERY "RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN OF 1812"

Page 40

Crossing the river Berezina (The picture by Hess) On this picture you can see the Berezina crossing. The situation shown on this picture goes to the moment when on November,16 the Russian troops of General Czaplic attacked the French on the right bank of the Berezina and the troops of General Wittgenstein attacked them on the left bank. It was just a babel on the river bank. 12 Russian artillery guns placed on the hills opened fire at the crossing that caused a terrible panic on the bridges. The difference in ranks and grades disappeared, nobody heard the voices of commanders, everyone rushed to reach the opposite bank of the river pushing others into the water and stepping over dead bodies. Many people were crushed by wheels and horse hooves; many ammunition wagons were blown up by Russian grenades, many horses rushed about everywhere with wild neigh and fell into the water together with people. The cries of people were drowned by the thunder of Russian cannon-balls and rifle firing from both sides. It was such a horror that is hard to imagine... This tragedy finished next day, the French lost about 25 thousand armed men, but it is just impossible to say exactly how many civilian people were killed during that terrible day...