Captain F.Dumonceau, the 2nd 'Red' Lancers of I.G.: "Troops always leave behind something by which one can ascertain their nationality. As soon as a column has passed, one notices a smell that's peculiar to each army, and which the veterans instantly recognize. ...One evening my Dutchmen pass through just such an abandoned Russian encampment. Behind it was a hollow where the men had gone to meet calls of nature. I noticed a considerable volume of heaps of excrement covering the ground and from it concluded that the enemy army must have any amount of food to eat, ...and indicated a good state of health, whereas behind ours we found the most obvious possible signs that the entire army, men and horses alike, must be suffering from diarrhea."
After Murat, the 42-year-old Montbrun is the most prestigious and popular of all the Grand Army's cavalry commanders, and is certainly not a man to sleep on the job.
GB Dedem Van Gelder: "A fine warrior, brilliant with glory, an officer of talent, but too ardent." Afraid that Barclay will give him the slip, Napoleon sends order to Gen. Montbrun, commander of II Cav.Corps that are only 15 miles from Vilna now, to get into the city with all speed. Above all he must save the immense grain stores assembled there by the Russian commissariat.
Staff-captain Hubert Biot, Montbrun's AdC: "...Montbrun now becomes the victim of muddle. Seize Vilna? That's an exploit Murat wants to reserve for himself! Finding II Cav.Corps mounted at an earlier hour than he'd ordered, he asks him why. "I have the Emperor's direct orders," - Montbrun replies.
"What orders?" - "To get into Vilna before the Russians can leave it." - "No need, I'll deal with that myself!" - "But I've the Emperor's personal orders." - "What the hell does that matter, providing the thing's done?" - says Murat in his husky Gascony voice, and orders Montbrun to follow on behind Nansouty's I Cav.Corps. Whereupon the whole cumbersome cavalry mass, with Bruyere's light brigade scouting ahead, moves on - evidently at no great speed - toward Vilna. At that moment Napoleon himself appears on the scene. Seeing Montbrun riding at the head of his corps but in the tail of the operation, he gallops furiously up to him and, livid with rage, threatens to exile him to the rear for such incompetence. Montbrun tries to excuse himself. "Shut up!" - shouts Napoleon. "But, Sire." - "Will you be quiet?" Napoleon threats and reprimands become more and more angry. Montbrun appeals with a glance to Murat. But seeing him tongue-tied, loses his temper. Draws his sword and - grasping it by its point - flings it over his shoulder. With a shout of "GO TO HELL, THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU!" he puts spurs to his horse, leaving the weapon quivering in the soggy ground more than forty paces away. Napoleon, pale with fury and surprise, stands stock-still. Then he too, without any word, plies spurs to his horse, leaving the spectators dumbfounded. Surely Montbrun will be court-martialled, sent to a fortress, or at very least dismissed the army? Nothing of the sort. That evening Murat receives a cold inquiry: "His Majesty wishes to know why General Montbrun didn't reach Vilna until midday?" No doubt Murat plucks up enough courage to explain. For nothing more is heard of that matter, either. On the other hand no small conciliatory gesture follows, of the kind Napoleon is in the habit of making towards objects of his wrath, deserved or undeserved. Montbrun is left in command but will remain under a cloud."
NWC
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