Berezina

On November 25. Napoleon gave orders to begin the crossing. At that point he had only 19.000 armed men at his disposal. The crossing took place during an exchange of fire with the Russians, and lasted throughout the 26th and 27th. On the afternoon and night on the 27th enormous hords of unarmed or half-armed men, laggards, sick, many with fingers or even entire limbs frozen, began to reach the bank, wich had not yet been entirely evacuated by the regular French troops. With them came the baggage trains.They were all impatient to cross, but since the cossacks were trailing them closely, they were not allowed. Napoleon had given orders for the armed men to pass first, and only later, if enough time remained, the unarmed, the wounded, the women and children etc. If it should proove too late, he gave orders to burn the bridges.