Pevear and Volokhonsky (chapters 4-7): Preparations for the battle of Tarutino. The ball at General Kikin's. Kutuzov's anger. Orlov-Denisov's Cossacks surprise the French. The battle. Assessment of the results.
Briggs: Battle dispositions are made, but Yermolov is slow to follow them up.
Translation:
IV.
The note, submitted by Bennigsen about the need of the offensive and the intelligence of the Cossacks about the unclosed left flank of the French were only the last signs needed to give an order about an offensive, and the offensive was appointed to the 5th of October.
On the 4th of October in the morning Kutuzov signed a disposition. Toll read it to Ermolov, offering him to make future orders.
— Okay, okay, I am now alone, — said Ermolov and got out of the huts. The disposition, formed by Toll, was very nice. So the same as at Austerlitz the disposition was written, although not in German:
"The first column is going940 there that and there that, the second column is going941 there that and there that," and etc. And all these columns on paper came in the appointed time to their place and destroyed the enemy. All was, as in all dispositions, perfectly invented, and, as by all dispositions, not one column came in their time to their place.
When the disposition was ready in due quantity of copies, was called up the officer and he was sent to Ermolov, so that to deliver his paperwork for execution. The young cavalry guard officer, an orderly of Kutuzov, satisfied by the importance of his errands, was sent to the apartment of Ermolov.
— He left, — was the response of the valet of Ermolov. The cavalry guard officer went to the general, at whom often was Ermolov.
— No, and no general.
The cavalry guard officer, sitting down on horseback, went to another.
— No, he left.
"How I would not respond for delay! Here is an annoyance!" thought the officer. He travelled all the camp. Who spoke what he saw, as Ermolov drove through with other generals somewhere, who spoke that he rightly again was at home. The officer, not lunching, sought until six hours in the evening. Nowhere was Ermolov, and no one knew where he was. The officer hastily had a snack at a friends and went again to the vanguard to Miloradovich. Miloradovich was also not at home, but here it was said that Miloradovich was at a ball at General Kikin’s, that he must be and Ermolov was there.
— And where again is this?
— But out, in Echkin, — said the Cossack officer, pointing at a far away, landlord house.
— And how again there, behind the chain?
— Deported two regiments of our chain. There now such revelry is going, trouble! Two musicians, three chorus singers.
The officer went behind the chain to Echkin. From afar still, driving home, he heard the friendly, funny sounds of the dancing soldier’s songs.
—"In the meadow... In the meadow!.." with a whistle and with a torban was heard, occasionally drowned out by screaming voices. The officer had become funny in his soul from these noises, but together with that fearful for that how he was to blame, so long not delivering the important, entrusted to him, orders. It was already the ninth hour. He tore from his horse and entered onto the very porch, preserved and intact by the home’s landlord, located between the Russians and the French. At the buffet and at the front fussed lackeys with wines and food. Under windows were standing singers. The officer was introduced at the door, and he saw suddenly all together important generals of the army, including the big, noticeable figure of Ermolov. All the generals were in unbuttoned frock coats, with red, busy faces and loudly laughed, standing in a semicircle. In the middle of the halls, a nice, not tall general with a red face smartly and cleverly made trepaka.
— Ha, ha, ha! Oh yes Nikolay Ivanovich! Ha, ha, ha!..
The officer felt that, entering in this moment with an important order, he was made doubly to blame, and he wanted to wait; but one of the generals saw him and, upon learning what for he was, told Ermolov. Ermolov with a frowning face got out to the officer and, listening, taking from him the paper, said nothing to him.
— You think, this is accidentally left? — was said on this night by the staff fellow cavalry officer about Ermolov. — These things, this all has purpose. Konovnitsyn rolls up. Look, how tomorrow will be porridge!
940 Die erste Colonne marschirt
941 die zweite Colonne marschirt
Mentioned: October 5th (also to-morrow)
Locations: see previous chapter, Echkino (Jechkine in Bell. Yetchkino in Dole. Yechkino in Briggs, Dunnigan, and Pevear and Volokhonsky.)
Mentioned: French, Austerlitz, Russian
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Toll draws up a disposition that is considered "very good" and compared to the one written and read before Austerlitz. "as with all dispositions, not a single column arrived where it was supposed to at the appointed time." A Cossack has to go into a large party going on to find Ermolov, who is laughing with other generals.
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 *):
Benigsen
Kutuzof (also a young calvarly officer who is Kutuzof's orderly who the chapter revolves around and his comrade.)
Toll
Yermolof (also his servant)
Miloradovitch
General Kikin
Konovnitsuin
Abridged Versions: Line break instead of chapter break at the end in Bell.
Gibian: line break after "from him without a word." Line break instead of chapter break.
Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.
Komroff: Entire chapter is cut.
Kropotkin: We skip the short episode with Yermolof, picking up with Toll's plan being very admirable. However, we cut out the main episode of the chapter, the attempted delivery of the message. No break.
Simmons: Entire chapter is cut.
Additional Notes:
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