Appendix Viii.]

Napoleon at St. Helena said to Montholon that, had 6,000 British troops pushed rapidly up the banks of the Scheldt on the day that the expedition reached Flushing, they could easily have taken Antwerp, which was then very weakly held. See, too, other opinions quoted by Alison, ch. lx.]

The following French official report, a copy of which I have found in our F.O. Records (Russia, No. 84), shows how frightful were the losses after Smolensk. But it should be noted that the rank and file in this case numbered only 300 at Smolensk, and had therefore lost more than half their numbers--and this in a regiment of the Guard.

GARDE IMPÉRIALE: 6ème RÉGIMENT DE TIRAILLEURS. l^ère Division. Situation à l'époque du 19 Décembre, 1812.

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Perte depuis le départ de Smolensk | | |------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------|--------| |Présents sous|Restés sur |Blessés qui|Morts de |Restés en |Total des|Reste | |les armes au |le champ |n'ont pu |froid ou de|en arrière |Pertes |présents| |départ de |de bataille |suivre, |misère |gelés, ou | |sous les| |Smolensk | |restés au | |pour cause | |armes | | | |pouvoir de | |de maladie | | | | | |l'ennemi | |au pouvoir | | | | | | | |de l'ennemi| | | |-----|-------|------------|------|--- |------|----|------|----|-----|---|----|---| | Off.|Tr. | Off. |Tr. | Off. |Tr. | Off. |Tr. | Off. |Tr. | Off.|Tr.|Off.|Tr.| | 31 |300 | -- |13 | 4 | 52 | -- | 24 | 13 |201 | 17 |290| 14 |10 | |-----|-------|------|-----|------|----|------|----|------|----|-----|---|----|---| Signé le Colonel Major Commandant le dit Regiment. CARRÉ.

Les autres régiments sont plus ou moins dans le même état.]