“My task was not at all to write another history of the Russian campaign. My book is my personal diary, a true story about what I witnessed - both those events in which I myself was a participant, and my notes on the movements and operations of the Great Army. What I saw with my own eyes is too remarkable not to attract the interest and attention of readers who may not have even been alive at that time. However, these pages were originally intended for the eyes of only my family and my friends. The flattering reception they received subsequently prompted me to publish them.” This is how Colonel of the 4th Regiment of the 3rd Corps, Raymond-Emery-Philippe-Joseph de Montesquieu-Fezensac, a brilliant officer, nobleman and descendant of the famous, praised Dumas, begins his work. 'Artagnan. For the first half of the war - until Moscow - he served on Napoleon's general staff, but then, when the 3rd Corps became the rearguard and was led by Marshal Ney, the real adventures began. A brave warrior, patriot and caring commander, de Fezensac passed all the tests with honor. Descriptions of the horrors of war, meetings with the Cossacks, and especially his stories about the magnificent Marshal Ney, make the diary dynamic, exciting and so interesting for the modern reader.