of his beloved country, now grown so desperate. Every Cossack military colony had long since been swept of recruits at the first call to arms. Only the old men and children too young to bear arms had been left to help the women in tilling the field. It was among these veterans of Catherine's wars and their younger grandchildren that Platov determined to find material for his new regiments. Weapons were improvised from the ancient trophies of former Cossack campaigns, taken from the walls and made over to suit more modern munitions. From the Monument of Victory erected after the Turkish wars before the new church in Novotcherkask six ancient bronze cannon were recovered and made serviceable by mounting them on cart wheels. In an incredibly short space of time this heroic "forlorn" was ready for the road. Between grey-headed heroes who had served with Potemkin and Souvarov were placed children of twelve and fourteen glowing with pleasure at this imexpected privilege of playing a soldier's part. None but a Cossack population could have produced such a levy. At their head marched the septuagenarian hetman, now once more serving as the simple colonel of a Cossack polk.
The arrival of these recruits in the Russian headquarters camp at Tarantino was the occasion of a spirited ovation. Without regard to the presence of Koutousov, the Cossack sires, in high spirits, showered good-natured abuse upon the regular regiments drawn up at parade. "We have come to rescue you with all our poor little grandchildren," they cried.
Already they had proven their worth. A sotnia from one of these veteran regiments (the regiment of Isvolaski) had averaged sixty versts a day in their march from the Don to Tarantino, a record scarcely equalled in Russian military annals. Even the stem Koutousov was moved at the sight of these glorious recruits reporting for duty long before the time set for their arrival. AVhen among the greybeards in their ranks he recognized comrades-at-arms who had served with him in former campaigns, he called Platov from the head of his regiment and fell into his outstretched arms. WTiile the two veterans mingled their tears of joy and reconcihation, fathers, sons and grandchildren toasted each other with boisterous Cossack cheer around the same bivouacs.*
The delayed retreat of Napoleon's Grand Army which began soon after the events described now gave the Cossacks their terrible opportunity. During the long stay in Moscow, the French troops had lost all discipline. Against their disordered fleeing host, concerned only with reaching the Russian frontier, the Cossacks were able to drive home their continual, untiring attacks. To assist them in gathering the terrible harvest peasant bands sprang up ever\nvhere. Even these undisciplined parti-
* A. E. Tarasov, "The Hetman Platov."
sans and such feeble troops as the veteran levies of the Don could now venture to measure their strength against the most famous regiments of Napoleon's guard. The English "Cossack" Wilson in his memoirs recounts a ghastly saying current in the Cossack ranks, "It is a shame to leave such skinny ghosts wandering about without their graves."
Platov, restored once more to service with his old division, had singled out the corps commanded by the Viceroy of Italy as his special prey, troops which still courageously kept up a semblance of discipline. All day, through the driving snow, the fugitives saw far across the terrifying expanse of white plain about them, a long dark line following their march. Just out of musket shot, bands of Cossacks prowled awaiting nightfall. Around every bivouac their fitful sleep was haunted by a nightmare of Cossack pikes. To fall but a few paces behind the column meant a terrible death at the hands of outraged peasantry and their Cossack protectors.
On October 28, near Rabouga, an attack in force was made by a Cossack flying column, and the long straggling line of fugitives, dragging itself like a wounded snake across the steppes, was cut in two. The rear half, thus hopelessly cut off, tried to save itself by breaking up into little bands. Sixty-four cannon fell into the hands of the Cossacks. The greater part of these troops perished from cold on the steppes or were killed by the Cossacks. When the unfortunate Viceroy had taken refuge at Smolensk (without cavalry or transport and with only twelve cannon), Platov, gathering fifteen regiments and all the Don artillery, next engaged Ney and the heroic rearguard, taking from the "Lion," as even his enemies called the famous marshal, 1300 prisoners and four cannon.