the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

was only forty-seven years old. The funeral was held in the local church on 29
September. 138 According to Bagration’s will, all his serfs were manumitted and given
substantial money. 139
inscription for his grave. 140
Alexander I ordered Bagration buried at Simy with a special
The news of Bagration’s death spread in the wake of information about Moscow’s
surrender and shocked entire nation. Davidov recalled that the partisans avenged
Bagration’s death by capturing 335 French and then holding a wake for him. 141
Numerous songs and poems were written in his memory. Russian poet Peter Vyazemsky
called Bagration “Achilles” of his times while Vasilii Zhukovsky lamented,
“And he closed his eyes forever,
A victor of the mighty foes!
He flew off to the heavens
To you, Our Father Suvorov! 142
There has been a good deal of historical speculation on the Bagration’s medical
treatment. He was known for having good health and the wound he sustained should not
have caused his death. 143 Many agreed that the general was misdiagnosed during the first
days after being wounded. The surgery, that could have prevented the gangrene, was not
performed for fourteen days. The injury was not thoroughly examined so germs were left
in the wound, developing into gangrene and blood poisoning. Although the most
prominent Russian doctors, Wylie, Gildebrandt, Govorov and Ganhardt treated
138 Saint Priest to Alexander, 26 September 1812, Correspondence of Bagration, 244
139 Correspondence of Bagration, 247.
140 One of Bagration’s acquaintances noted, “Prince Peter Bagration, while staying at his
friend’s, Prince Boris Golitsyn’s estate at Simy in June 1812, had received the imperial decree on
appointment as commander-in-chief of the 2 nd Western Army. He left Simy, and having been
wounded at Borodino, returned to it again, only to embrace the death.” Russkii Invalid ili Voennii
Vedomosti, (St. Petersburg, 1838), No.202-203, 808.
141 Davidov, “1812,” in Writings, 334-35.
142 “A on – na veki vzor smezhil – Reshitel brannikh sporov! - On v oblast slavnikh vosparil,
- K tebe, otets Suvorov!”
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