Interlude: In Smolensk

Introduction

After the Grande Armee captures Smolensk after a difficult fight with the Russians which damaged much of the city, there is a brief pause for the troops involved in the assault before pursuit of the Russian Army resumes.

Background

“In the streets the only living beings were French and Allied soldiers, straying about in search of something the flames hadn't devoured. The fire, which by now had been put out, had consumed both itself and half the buildings, the market, the houses and most of the dwellings. And it was in the midst of these heaps of cinders and corpses we made ready to spend the night.”

(Austin 2000 p.199)

Description

After the battle outside the city walls, Dumont and his men have a brief time to spend inside the city. Dumont collects 10 sacks of supplies from the Corps commissariat, and the pause in the city allows all stragglers to rejoin the ranks. Dumont must now decide how to make best of the company's time inside the walls before the pursuit of the Russian army resumes.

Dumont

Glory: seek the attention of the Emperor on a parade in Smolensk.
Resources: search the city for additional supplies.
Wealth: plunder Smolensk Cathedral in search of loot.
Men: help Madam Cholet with the wounded.

Choices

Dice Roll	Glory	Resources	Wealth	Men
1	Rushing to meet the emperor, Dumont and his bedraggled men stumble onto the parade ground in the middle of the march past causing chaos. The emperor looks with displeasure at the ill-disciplined voltigeur company and personally berates Dumont. -3 victory points.	Raking through the ashes of the burning town the company can find nothing but corpses. Getting back to where they stashed the company's gear they find that a company of the Imperial Guard has requisitioned 5 of the company's sacks of supplies.	Dumont and his men break into the Smolensk cathedral but before they can get hold of anything the gendarmes turn up and the company make off as pistol shots ring out. 1 additional man wounded.	Dumont settles his men down into a house in the city for the night, but before they can settle fire sweeps over the street. In the rush to get out, some of the wounded don't make it out. 3 wounded men die.
2-3	Dumont and his company arrive at the parade and stand to attention as the emperor passes. He pauses and asks the commanding officer whether this is the company that failed to capture the cemetery outside the walls. -1 victory point.	Dumont and his men scour the burnt out houses of Smolensk but there's nothing to be found. +0 sacks of supplies.	Breaking into the cathedral, it's clear that someone has already been through the building. Still, there's some gold plate hidden behind the altar. +1 item of loot.	Dumont tries to find a space in the city for the wounded to bed down for the night, but everything's on fire or being looted. Joseph doesn't make it through the night. 1 wounded man dies.
4-7	Dumont and his men line up proudly in front of the emperor. As Napoleon passes he looks at Dumont and his men, salutes him, and moves on. The colonel notices the attention Napoleon pays to his battered voltigeur company. +1 victory point.	Much of Smolensk is in flames, but Dumont and his men find one house intact and rifle the cellar. +3 sacks of supplies.	Whoever broke through the door of the cathedral was obviously interrupted, most of the cathedral plate is still on the altar. +3 items of loot.	Dumont sees one house that hasn't been touched by the flames and looks like it will fit most of the wounded. They have a restful night there. 2 wounded men return to the ranks.
8-9	Dumont and his men stand proudly as the emperor inspects the troops. Napoleon pauses to gently cuff Dumont around the ear before moving on. +2 victory points.	Searching around Bertrand calls the rest of the company over to a bakery. Inside there's bread, flour, and enough to keep the company going for a while. +10 sacks of supplies.	The men break into the cathedral to find there are gold vestments and plate everywhere. Interrupted by the gendarmes they have to give up some of the loot to buy them off. +4 items of loot.	Bertrand finds a large house untouched by the fires raging around where there are warm blankets where the wounded pass a restful night. 3 wounded men return to the ranks.
10	Spruced up thanks to some quick needlework by Madam Cholet the company present well on parade. Napoleon stops, tweaks Dumont's ear and praises the company for their brave work in front of the walls of Smolensk, putting the Wurttemberg contingent to shame. +3 victory points and the opportunity to increase Dumont's reputation.	Bertrand breaks into a bakery that both the fire and the other marauders have missed. There's flour and bread for everyone, enough to stock up for a while. +20 sacks of supplies.	Nobody else seems to have made it to the cathedral yet. Breaking in there is gold everywhere and the company make off with it all. +10 items of loot.	Checking doors, Dumont finds one large house still occupied. The family inside are scared, but offer to look after the company in return for protection. After some soup and a restful night looked after by the servants, the wounded look much better. 8 wounded men return to the ranks.

References

Austin (2000) page 199.

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