BEREZINA, byer-ye-ze-na', a river in the Russian province of Minsk, a tributary of the Dnieper, with a course of some 335 miles. A canal system connects with the Dwina. It was rendered famous by the passage of the French army under Napoleon, 26-27 Nov. 1812. Ad miral Tchitchakoff, with the Moldavian army, forced his way from the south to join the main army, which, after Borizoff had been re taken, was to assist the army led by Wittgen stein from the Dwina and in this manner cut off Napoleon from the Vistula. Napoleon in face of armies three times as strong as his own and.surrounding him on all sides, was obliged to make the greatest efforts to reach Minsk, or at least the Berezina, and to pass it earlier than the Russians. After the advanced guard of the Moldavian army had been repelled to Borizoff by Oudinot and the bridge there been burned by them, early in the morning of 26 November, two bridges were built near Sem bin, about two miles above Borizoff, an under taking the more difficult because both banks of the river were bordered by extensive morasses, covered, like the river itself, with ice not sufficiently strong to afford passage to the army, while other passes were already threatened by the Russians. Scarcely had a
few corps effected their passage, when the greater part of the army, unarmed and in con fusion, rushed in crowds upon the bridges. Those who could not hope to escape over the bridges sought their safety on the floating ice of the Berezina, where most of them perished, while many others were crowded into the river by their comrades. Besides the multitudes who were obliged to remain beyond the Berezina, the division of Bartouneaux, which fortned the rear-guard, was also lost. It was intrusted with the charge of burning the bridges in its rear, but it fell into the hands of the enemy. The French lost half their total strength, which stood at 25,000 men. The genius of Napoleon saved the remnant, a broken and dispirited force.