BARCLAY DE TOLLY, Michael, Prince, distinguished Russian general: b. Livonia 1761; d. Insterburg, 14 May 1818. He entered the army at an early age, and his long service as a subordinate in campaigns against the Turks, Swedes and Poles laid the basis of a valuable experience, and served to develop his great natural capacity for command. In 1810 he was made Minister of War. He occupied this position in 1812, when Napoleon invaded Russia, but was soon appointed to the chief command of the army. He adopted a plan of retreat, which was soon seen to be a strict necessity, as the Russian army, officially estimated at more than 500,000, did not greatly exceed 100,000 men. In this difficult campaign Barclay proved no un worthy opponent of Napoleon himself. Not withstanding, the Russians became impatient of a policy which seemed to show no active re sults, while jealousy of the Scottish extraction of Barclay and other causes completed his over throw, and after the capture of Smolensk by the French he was superseded by Kutusoff. Serving under his successor, he commanded the right wing of the Russian army at the battle of Moscow, maintained his position, and cov ered the retreat of the rest of the army. • After
the battle of Bautzen, in 1813, at which he again distinguished himself, he was reappointed to the. chief command, which he had soon after to resign to Prince Schwarzenberg. He forced the surrender of General Vandatnme, who had been detached by Napoleon for some special opera tions, after the battle of Dresden, and took part in the decisive battle of Leipzig. On cross ing the Rhine at the 'head of the Russian troops he issued a strict proclamation, forbidding all license on the part of his soldiers, and by the maintenance of an exact discipline he concili ated the French as much as possible to the in vaders. He was made a field-marshal in Paris. In 1815 he commanded a mixed corps of con tinental troops. In this year he received from the Emperor the title of prince, and from Louis XVIII the badge of the Order of Mili tary Merit. The Emperor Alexander caused a statue to be erected to him in one of the prin cipal places of Saint Petersburg.