"The Emperor planned to fight a big battle and drive back the enemy so that he should be able to rest his army and organize the country for winter-quarters... He desired to reorganize everything so as to be in a position to march on the capitals when the spring campaign opened...(p. 73)"

The Russians had other ideas...

"It is impossible to give any idea of the general disappointment --especially the Emperor's disappointment-- when at daybreak [ July 28 ] the certainty was borne upon us that the Russian army had vanished and abandoned Vitebsk. Not a soul was to be found, not even a peasant...no prisoners to be taken, not a single straggler to be picked up. There were no spies. We were in the heart of inhabited Russia and yet...we were like a vessel without a compass in the midst of a vast ocean, knowing nothing of what was happening around us. At last it was learned from two peasants [ that ] the Russian army was far ahead of us, and that it had been on the move for four days (p. 61-62)."