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America, Russia, Hemp,and Napoleoncountry torn by war. It was October, and winter was near.Barlow wasfifty-eightyears old. O n Tuesday, 27 October1812, he and his nephew, Thomas Barlow, climbed into acarriage and began the ride to Russia.As they neared Russia, evidence of the war would be seen.Joel Barlow wrote from Koenigsburg of meeting on the road"those moving monuments of the wisdom of war—thehundreds of wagonloads of invalid soldiers returning fromRussia, covered with glory, rags and mud." 4 6O n 18 November, the Barlows arrived in Wilno. It was astrange town, the streets full of soldiers and camp followers, thebetter quarters full of diplomats and high officials wining,dining, and dancing as if completely oblivious to the fact thatthe Grand Army was dying a few hundred miles to the east.A week or so after the Barlows arrived, the Russians caughtNapoleon's frozen, starved army at the Beresina River, aboutone hundred and fifty miles to the east of Wilno, smashed itinto bloody fragments, and drove the fragments into wildflight.O n 4 December, a courier reached Wilno with the dreadfulnews. The Barlows and every other foreigner in the city whocould beg a carriage, ride, or even walk, rushed to pack a fewnecessities andfleethe impending onslaught of the Russians.The next day, 5 December, the Barlows joined the wild rushwest.The second night out from Wilno, the temperature droppedto thirteen or fourteen degrees below zero. In the nights thatfollowed, the Americans learned that that temperature was tobe normal. The y traveled almost constantly, living on frozenbread and wine.268