September,14 (September,2), 1812
(From P.A.Zhilin "The Patriotic War Of 1812", Moscow,1988;
Beskrovny L.G. "Russian Military Art Of XIX Century", Moscow,1974;
Lubchenkov Y.N. "Famous Russian Generals", Moscow,1999)
Barcaly de Tolly came to Moscow on September,13, he examined the position at the city chosen by Bennigsen and considered it unfit for battle and reported this to Kutuzov.
It was a critical time. On September 15th, a council of war by the Russian Headquarters was held in the small village of Phili, near Moscow. By 5 pm, generals and commanders of regiments and other large units all gathered in the small hut where Kutuzov was staying.
Kutuzov's hut in Phili.
the picture by A.K.Savrasov
To fight for Moscow or to leave without fighting?" That was the only matter discussed. Kutuzov sat in the corner, dozing, as always, letting the generals argue. He did not want to be the first to speak of abandoning Moscow, though he knew it must be done. Barclay had to arouse the fury of the other generals Against himself again. And such generals as Osterman-Tolstoy, Raevsky, Tol and Ermolov supported Barclay, others insisted on battle.
Kutuzov had heard them all out, then standing, he spoke:
"Russia will not be lost after leaving Moscow. The main object is to save the army and join the troops coming to reinforce us. But if our army has been defeated, Moscow and whole Russia will be destroyed too. By our leaving Moscow we will prepare inescapable death for the enemy. My order is to retreat". (1)Kutuzov said nothing about the direction of the army retreat, he kept it a secret. In general, Kutuzov did not like to share his thoughts with his people, even his closest associates. Perhaps he followed the rule: "The pillow a general sleeps on must not know his thoughts."
The War Council in Phili.
the picture by A.D. Kivshenko
The frightened, confused and silent Moscow inhabitants who were still in Moscow crowded along the edges of the streets and squares, watching the leaving troops. The soldiers were silently and gloomy, looking at the ground. The witnesses said some of them were weeping. They passed through the second Russian capital in a continuous stream.
Almost all the people of Moscow left Moscow with the Army. In the city with a population of 200 thousand, only 10 to 15 thousand stayed. Also there were several thousand wounded who could not be carried from the city.
By evening the Russian main forces were 15 kilometers from Moscow, and stopped for the night near Panky village.
Barclay had taken active part in the Russian army passing through Moscow. Because of this, it was carried out in perfect order. He crossed the Ruyazan road and overtook Kutuzov at Panky village on the 14th.
The independent decision of Kutuzov to leave Moscow provoked anger in the Tsar's government. In his report to the Emperor Alexander after leaving Moscow, Kutuzov explained that many initial causes of this event were directly connected with the leaving of Smolensk and the condition of the Army he found after his appointment as Commander-in-Chief. It was not the last stone Kutuzov was to throw at his predecessor, Barclay de Tolly.
It was in these days that Barlcay got to know about the 30 thousand men from his 1st army who were transferred to the rear-guard of Miloradovich without his knowledge. Kutuzov blamed Konovnitsyn for it - that he had forgotten to inform Barclay, but Barclay did not believe the Field-Marshal.
All this seriously strained the relationship between Barclay and Kutuzov, and the commander of the 1st army submitted an application of resignation to Tarutino village. The next day Barclay left the army.
And now let us make a little digression to explain to our readers why Barclay left the army and later returned, commanding the Russian army and the Allied Forces in the campaigns of 1813 -1814 until the Russian Army entered Paris.
It was a difficult path. Barclay was hard pressed; he understood that many in Russian society considered him "a traitor". When he passed the town of Kaluga, a crowd ran after his coach, throwing stones at it.
He lived in Vladimir until the beginning of November and then went to his estate in Beckhof. It was there he received a letter from Alexander The Emperor wrote that he had as profound respect for the general as before, and expressed confidence Barclay would do more distinguished service for the Motherland, and he did not accept his resignation. On December 24th. Barclay got another letter from Alexander, trying to convince him to return to the army.
On February 12,1813, Barclay received notification from Kutuzov that the Emperor had appointed General of Infantry Barclay de Tolly, the commander of the 3rd Army in place of fallen ill Admiral Chichagov.
But this was all in 1813, so let us now come back to 1812 when the French troops approached the walls of Moscow.
When the first detachments of the retreating Russian army were crossing the bridge over the Yauza river, leaving the city, commander of the Russian rear-guard, General Miloradovich, got a report that the French Cavalry was entering Moscow though the Dorogomilov gates.
General Kaptsevich, commanding the back regiment of the Russian rear-guard, fought off the French troops of Murat with great difficulty. He sent one report after another to Miloradovich; that the enemy was trying to cut the rear-guard from the city. In another words, 2 Russian Cavalry Corps, ten Cossack regiments and 12 guns of horse artillery were in danger of being captured.
Miloradovich notified Murat that if the French did not let the Russian army leave Moscow peacefully, all the inhabitants still in the city would fight furiously along with the Russian army for every street and house. Miloradovich convinced Murat to delay the coming of the French forces into Moscow for 4 hours, and withdrew the last of the Russian units from the city along the Ryazan road.
It was midday when Napoleon and his main forces came to the Poklonnaya Hill, and a splendid view of Moscow. He studied the Russian capital for a long time and finally gave the signal to march into the city.
At the College Bank, Napoleon stopped again and waited for a deputation with the keys of the city. It was there he found out that Moscow was almost empty. He was astonished.
On the morning of September 15th Napoleon with his Guards entered the Moscow Kremlin to the sounds of The Marseillaise. He climbed the bell tower of Ivan the Great and was able to see all of Moscow: the Kremlin with Kitay-gorod (one of the Central Moscow districts) and Gostiny Dvor (rows of shops where there were many treasures), Beliy Gorod (White City) surrounded with a stone wall and Zemlyanoy Val (Earthern Bank).
- Mickhailovsky-Danilevsky A.I. "The Description of The Patriotic War of 1812", St.Peterburg, 1840, Part 2, p. 286,290
