Book 3 Part 1 Chapter 14 (Chapter 178 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: Sunrise after the storm. Feelings before an engagement. Battle of Ostrovno. The charge. Count Ostermann-Tolstoi.
Maude: Courage. Rostov goes into action at Ostrovna
Briggs: Nikolay controls his fear as he goes into action at Ostrovna.
Pevear and Volokhonsky (chapters 14-15): In action at Ostrovna. Nikolai leads a charge, takes a prisoner. Praised by his commander. His feeling of shame.

Translation:

XIV.

At the 3rd hour still no one was asleep, so appeared the master sentinel with an order to address the town of Ostrovne.

All with that same speaking and with laughter, the officers hastily began to collect; again putting on a samovar in dirty water. Yet Rostov, not waiting for tea, went to the squadron. It was now dawn; the rain ceased, the clouds diverged. It was damp and cold, especially in not dry dress. Exiting from the taverns, Rostov and Ilyin both at the twilight of dawn dropped in the glossy from the rain, leather doctoral wagon, from under the apron was the sticking out legs of the doctor and in the middle was seen the pillow cap of the doctor and was heard sleeping breaths.

— Right, she is an extreme sweetheart! — said Rostov to Ilyin, who came out with him.

— What a beautiful woman! — with sixteen-year-old seriousness was the response of Ilyin.

In half an hour lined up the squadron standing in the road. Was heard in the squad: "sit down!" — the soldiers crossed themselves and began to sit down. Rostov, leaving forward, ordered: "march!" and, stretched out into four men, by the hussars was heard the slapping hooves by the wet road strumming sabers and quiet speaking, set off by the big cased by birches road, following behind the walking ahead infantry and battery.

Torn blue and purple clouds, blushing in the sunrise, were fast chased by the wind. It became all lighter and lighter. Clearly could be seen the curly grass which always is sitting by country roads, still wet from yesterday’s rain; the hanging branches of birch trees, also wet, rocked from the wind and dropped to the side from the bright drops themselves. Clearer and clearer showed the faces of the soldiers. Rostov rode with Ilyin, not lagging behind him, around the road, between the double nearby birch trees.

Rostov on campaigns allowed himself the liberty to ride not on frontline horses, but on a Cossack’s. A connoisseur and hunter, he recently took out for himself a dashing Don, a large and kind playful horse, in which nothing jumped him. Going on this horse was for Rostov an enjoyment. He thought about horses, about the morning, about the doctor, and not once thought about the lying ahead dangers.

Before Rostov, going on business, was afraid; now he did not feel the slightest sense of fear. Not because he was not afraid, that he was used to fire (to dangers it cannot be to get used to), but because of how he learned to manage his soul before danger. He used to, going on business, think about all, excluding what would seem to be more interesting only to another — about the lying ahead dangers. How much he tried, or reproached himself in cowardice for the first time of his service, he could not reach this; but with the years now this was made by himself. He rode now nearby with Ilyin between the birches, occasionally ripped off leaves from branches that hit under his arm, sometimes touching his foot to the groin of the horse, sometimes giving back and not turning the smoked pipe to the traveling back hussar, with such a calm and carefree look, as if he rode to roll. His pity was the look in the agitated face of Ilyin, who spoke much and anxiously; he by experience knew that excruciating state of expectations of fear and of death, in which was found the cornet, and knew that nothing besides time would help him.

Only how the sun appeared in a clean strip from under the clouds, as the wind sank, as if it did not dare to spoil this lovely thunderstorm of the summer morning; the drops still fell, but now sheer, — and all fell silent. The sun exited really, appeared on the horizon and disappeared in a narrow and long cloud standing above it. In a few minutes the sun still lighter appeared on the top edge of the clouds, breaking its edges. All lit up and began to shine. And together with this light, as if answering it, was heard ahead the shots of the cannons.

To Rostov, not having time to still think out and determine how far away were these shots, as from Vitebsk, jumped up the adjutant Count Osterman-Tolstoy with the order to go on trotting by the road.

The squadron travelled infantry and battery, also in a hurry to go soon, coming down under the mountain and, having passed through some empty and without inhabitants village, again rose on the mountain. The horses became in a lather, the people flushed.

— Stop, align! — was heard ahead the squad divisional.

— Left shoulder forward, step march! — commanded ahead.

And the hussars by the lines troops passed on the left flank position and became behind our lancers, standing on the first lines. On the right stood our infantry in a thick column, — these were the reserves; higher on the mountain were visible in the clean, clean air, in the morning’s lumpy and bright lighting, on the very horizon, were our guns. Ahead behind the hollow were visible the enemy columns and guns. In the hollow audible was our chain, now marching in the  business and funnily flipping with the enemy.

Rostov, as from the noises of the most fun music, had become funny in his soul from these noises, a long time now unheard. Trap-ta-ta-tap! That clapping suddenly, that fast one behind the other, a few shots. Again all fell silent, and again as if crackers cracked, by which went something.

The hussars stood about an hour in the same location. Began the cannonade. Count Osterman with his suite drove through the back squadron, stopped and talked with the commander of the regiment and drove off to the cannons on the mountain.

Following behind the departure of Osterman, in the lancer squad was heard:

— In the column, build to attack! — the infantry ahead of them doubled platoons, so that to let pass the cavalry. The lancers set off, hesitating at the opportunity of the peak, and in trotting went below the mountain to the French cavalry, which appeared below the mountain to the left.

Only as the lancers got off below the mountain, the hussars were ordered to move to the mountain, to cover the battery. At that time as the hussars became in the place of the lancers, from the rows flew by, squealing and whistling, distant, not hitting bullets.

This long time unheard sound was more joyfully and more excitingly acting on Rostov, than the former sounds of shooting. He, straightening up, stared at the field of battle, opening up from the mountains, and all of his soul participated in the movement of the lancers. The lancers closely swooped down on the French dragoons, something was confused there in the smoke, and through five minutes the lancers carried backwards not to that place where they were standing, but to the left. Between the ranked lancers on ginger horses and behind them, more bunched, were visible the blue French dragoons on gray horses.

Time: three o'clock, half an hour later, a few minutes later

Locations: Ostrovna, the tavern
Mentioned: French

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: The soldiers are now having to move. Rostov has a Cossack horse and “He thought about the horse, about the morning, about the doctor’s wife, and never once thought about the impending danger...He was not afraid, not because he was used to gunfire (one cannot get used to danger), but because he had learned to control his soul in the face of danger.”

They hear the shots of the cannons and eventually, the whiz of bullets. All of this makes Rostov feel joyful and nostalgic. The uhlans charge and then come back, with the French dragoons becoming visible.

Characters (characters who do not appear, but are mentioned are placed in italics. First appearances are in Bold. First mentions are underlined. Final appearance denoted by *):

Rostof (and his Cossack horse.)

Ilyin (also “young cornet”.)

The doctor

Marie Heinrichovna (just doktorsha and “doctor’s wife” and just heard sleeping and then discussed.)

Count Ostermann-Tolstoi (and his adjutant, and then his suite. Later called just “Count Ostermann”.)

(“The quartermaster” opens the chapter, but it is certainly doesn’t seem to be Telyanin and there is no evidence it is any other of the named characters. also the officers, hussars, and uhlans. Also the “the division leader” and
“commander of the regiment”. As well as the French cavalry, dragoons, and horses that appear late in the chapter.)

Abridged Versions: No break in Bell.
Gibian: Chapter 14

Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.

Komroff: The doctor’s wife is removed, per last chapter. The information about Rostov’s horse is also gone. The battle sequence Nikolai watches also seems slightly shortened. End of chapter followed by a line break.

Kropotkin: The discussion of the doctor and the doctor’s wife is removed. Some of the description and the Count Osterman-Tolstoy reference is removed. End of chapter 8.

Bromfield: Chapter pretty much the same, no break.
Simmons: Chapter 14: a lot of the early part of the chapter where Ilyin and Rostov discuss Marie is removed. Some of the description of the weather is also removed.

Additional Notes:

Ostrovna is in modern day Belarus, on the west side of Viciebsk (Vitebsk) and a little over 160 kilometers from Smolensk. It is still considered a village.

Don Cossack horses got their size due to breeding with Arab and Karabakh horses, which are also mentioned in War and Peace and Tolstoy's writings.

The Raid (translated by Garnett): Page 3: “it seems to me that in every danger there is a choice, and the choice made, for instance, under the influence of a sense of duty is bravery, while the choice made under the influence of a low feeling is cowardice, because the man who risks his life from vanity, or curiosity, or greed of gain, can’t be called brave; while, on the other hand, a man who refuses to face danger from an honourable feeling of duty to his family, or simply on conscientious grounds, can’t be called a coward.”