Marechal Victor, when he started, about nine at night, from the heights of Studzianka, which he had defended, as the rear-guard of the retreating army, during the whole day of November 28th, 1812, left a thousand men behind him, with orders to protect to the last possible moment whichever of the two bridges across the Beresina might still exist.
Before crossing the bridge which led to Zembin, he confided the fate of his own rear-guard now left in Studzianka to Eble, the savior of all those who survived the calamities of the Beresina.
"It is the retreat of the rear-guard!" cried the major.
In vain did Monsieur de Sucy endeavor to find the swathe cut by the rear-guard through the mass of human beings; it was already obliterated, like the wake of a vessel through the sea.
A train of twenty wagons, drawn by oxen, or by four mules or horses each, and laden with merchandise, ammunition, and provisions, were disposed in two columns in the center of the party, which was equally divided into a van and a
rear-guard. As sub-leaders or lieutenants in his expedition, Captain Bonneville had made choice of Mr.
Whether it was to consider if they should attack us or not, we knew not; but when we had passed at some distance by them, we made a
rear-guard of forty men, and stood ready for them, letting the caravan pass half a mile or thereabouts before us.
Crooks suddenly broke up his feigned trading establishment, embarked his men and effects, and, after giving the astonished
rear-guard of savages a galling and indignant message to take to their countrymen, pushed down the river with all speed, sparing neither oar nor paddle, day nor night, until fairly beyond the swoop of these river hawks.
We must have been well in the path of the trans-Pacific steamships when the typhoon moderated, and here, to the surprise of the hunters, we found ourselves in the midst of seals--a second herd, or sort of
rear-guard, they declared, and a most unusual thing.
So here begins the roll-call--by the by, old man, what between bee-hunting and buffaloe humps, and certain other matters, I have been too busy to ask your name; for I intend to begin with my
rear-guard, well knowing that my man in front is too busy to answer."
He was brilliantly partnered by Leicestershire loanee Mike, who claimed his maiden half century, in a 120-run partnership, as they frustrated Hampshire before skipper Patel led another long partnership with fellow tailender Henry Brookes completed the incredible
rear-guard performance.
Leopards were headed for a 2-1 triumph in the match but a lapse in concentration in the
rear-guard allowed Amos Kigadi to restore parity for the home side, leaving Mbungo in sour with his defence.
But Al Shamal came up with a fine
rear-guard action, scoring a whopping 17 points in the final five minutes to clinch victory.