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This map from the West Point atlas shows the
situation on 1 July as Tormassov is assembling troops south of the Pripet marsh
and Prince Bagration is retreating quickly to avoid encirclement in
Byelorussia. Marshal Davout is turning south in an attempt at that
encirclement, while Napoleon is trying to push his main forces forward faster
to catch Barclay de Tolly. During this initial period the weather was very hot
at first and then there ewas a 5-day rain storm that turned the roads into mud.
Napoleon's caution was made alll the worse due to the impossibility to move
rapidly. The vast extent and primitive conditions of Lithuania are already
exerting their influence on Napoleon. He had not expected the Russians to have
such a large force as Tormassov was assembling and had ordered Schwarsenberg to
advance north of Brest. This move had to be reversed shortly after. We see that
Bagration is moving east by south, further south than Napoleon had expected and
not toward Minsk. Docutrov has just escaped from Davout. Barclay is pulling
back also rather than entering the prepared camp at Drissa.
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