An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 743 words)
ennigsen’s note and the Cossack’s information that the left flank
of the French was unguarded were merely final indications that it was
necessary to order an attack, and it was fixed for the fifth of October.
On the morning of the fourth of October Kutúzov signed the dispositions.
Toll read them to Ermólov, asking him to attend to the further
arrangements.
“All right—all right. I haven’t time just now,” replied Ermólov, and
left the hut.
The dispositions drawn up by Toll were very good. As in the Austerlitz
dispositions, it was written—though not in German this time:
“The First Column will march here and here,” “the Second Column will
march there and there,” and so on; and on paper, all these columns
arrived at their places at the appointed time and destroyed the enemy.
Everything had been admirably thought out as is usual in dispositions,
and as is always the case, not a single column reached its place at the
appointed time.
When the necessary number of copies of the dispositions had been
prepared, an officer was summoned and sent to deliver them to Ermólov
to deal with. A young officer of the Horse Guards, Kutúzov’s orderly,
pleased at the importance of the mission entrusted to him, went to
Ermólov’s quarters.
“Gone away,” said Ermólov’s orderly.
The officer of the Horse Guards went to a general with whom Ermólov was
often to be found.
“No, and the general’s out too.”
The officer, mounting his horse, rode off to someone else.
“No, he’s gone out.”
“If only they don’t make me responsible for this delay! What a nuisance
it is!” thought the officer, and he rode round the whole camp. One man
said he had seen Ermólov ride past with some other generals, others said
he must have returned home. The officer searched till six o’clock in the
evening without even stopping to eat. Ermólov was nowhere to be found
and no one knew where he was. The officer snatched a little food at
a comrade’s, and rode again to the vanguard to find Milorádovich.
Milorádovich too was away, but here he was told that he had gone to a
ball at General Kíkin’s and that Ermólov was probably there too.
“But where is it?”
“Why, there, over at Échkino,” said a Cossack officer, pointing to a
country house in the far distance.
“What, outside our line?”
“They’ve put two regiments as outposts, and they’re having such a spree
there, it’s awful! Two bands and three sets of singers!”
The officer rode out beyond our lines to Échkino. While still at a
distance he heard as he rode the merry sounds of a soldier’s dance song
proceeding from the house.
“In the meadows... in the meadows!” he heard, accompanied by whistling
and the sound of a torban, drowned every now and then by shouts. These
sounds made his spirits rise, but at the same time he was afraid that
he would be blamed for not having executed sooner the important order
entrusted to him. It was already past eight o’clock. He dismounted
and went up into the porch of a large country house which had remained
intact between the Russian and French forces. In the refreshment room
and the hall, footmen were bustling about with wine and viands. Groups
of singers stood outside the windows. The officer was admitted and
immediately saw all the chief generals of the army together, and among
them Ermólov’s big imposing figure. They all had their coats unbuttoned
and were standing in a semicircle with flushed and animated faces,
laughing loudly. In the middle of the room a short handsome general with
a red face was dancing the trepák with much spirit and agility.
“Ha, ha, ha! Bravo, Nicholas Iványch! Ha, ha, ha!”
The officer felt that by arriving with important orders at such a moment
he was doubly to blame, and he would have preferred to wait; but one of
the generals espied him and, hearing what he had come about, informed
Ermólov.
Ermólov came forward with a frown on his face and, hearing what the
officer had to say, took the papers from him without a word.
“You think he went off just by chance?” said a comrade, who was on the
staff that evening, to the officer of the Horse Guards, referring to
Ermólov. “It was a trick. It was done on purpose to get Konovnítsyn into
trouble. You’ll see what a mess there’ll be tomorrow.”
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Let's Analyse the Pattern
The practice of making oneself unavailable at critical moments to avoid accountability for difficult decisions or outcomes.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when someone's unavailability is calculated self-preservation rather than genuine circumstance.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when people become unreachable during high-stakes moments—document everything and always have backup plans ready.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"All right—all right. I haven't time just now"
Context: When asked to handle the distribution of battle orders
This casual dismissal reveals Ermólov's irresponsible attitude toward a critical task. His 'I haven't time' excuse becomes ironic when he's later found partying.
In Today's Words:
Yeah, yeah, whatever - I'm too busy right now
"Gone away"
Context: When the messenger arrives to deliver the crucial battle orders
These two simple words capture the frustration of trying to reach someone who's made themselves unavailable at the worst possible moment. The orderly's matter-of-fact tone suggests this happens often.
In Today's Words:
He's not here and I have no idea when he'll be back
"Not a single column reached its place at the appointed time"
Context: Describing how battle plans always fail in reality
Tolstoy's observation about the gap between planning and execution. Perfect plans mean nothing if the people responsible for implementing them don't do their jobs.
In Today's Words:
Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
Ermólov uses his position to avoid responsibility while maintaining authority—he can disappear without consequences but others must search for him
Development
Continues exploring how power creates different rules for different people
In Your Life:
You might notice how certain people at work become unreachable exactly when you need approval or answers most
Class
In This Chapter
Officers party while soldiers prepare to die—the disconnect between those who decide and those who suffer consequences
Development
Reinforces the theme that privilege insulates people from the results of their choices
In Your Life:
You see this when administrators make policy changes that affect frontline workers but never experience the chaos themselves
Responsibility
In This Chapter
Critical military orders are treated as an inconvenience rather than a life-or-death matter requiring urgency
Development
Shows how individual irresponsibility cascades through entire systems
In Your Life:
You experience this when one person's negligence creates crisis situations for everyone else down the line
Politics
In This Chapter
Ermólov's absence may be deliberate sabotage of a rival rather than mere negligence
Development
Introduces how personal vendettas can masquerade as incompetence
In Your Life:
You might recognize when someone's 'mistakes' are actually calculated moves to undermine colleagues or projects
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What was Ermólov supposed to do, and why couldn't anyone find him when it mattered most?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do you think Ermólov made himself so hard to find right when the battle orders needed to be delivered?
analysis • medium - 3
Can you think of a time when someone important in your life became mysteriously unavailable right when you needed them most?
application • medium - 4
If you were the young officer searching for Ermólov, what would you have done differently to protect yourself and get the job done?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about how power protects itself when things go wrong?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Own Missing Person Pattern
Think about the important people in your life—bosses, landlords, family members, service providers. Make a list of who tends to disappear when you need them most. For each person, write down what they're usually avoiding and what you could do differently next time to protect yourself from their vanishing act.
Consider:
- •Look for patterns in timing—do they disappear before deadlines, during conflicts, or when money is involved?
- •Consider whether their absence is truly accidental or strategically convenient for them
- •Think about what backup plans you could create so their disappearance doesn't become your crisis
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone's convenient absence left you holding the bag. How did it affect you, and what would you do differently if faced with the same situation today?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 284: When Leaders Lose Control
The battle plans have finally been delivered, but will the delayed orders and behind-the-scenes scheming affect the upcoming attack? The morning of October 5th arrives with all its consequences.
