Mass Grave of Napoleon's Troops
Found In Lithuania
Napoleonic Newsdesk
From John Walsh
via VOA News (18 Mar 2002)
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A mass grave containing the remains of at least 1,000 French soldiers who fought for Napoleon Bonaparte during the campaign against Russia in 1812 and 1813 has been discovered in a suburb of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. Lithuanian officials say construction workers discovered the remains at a building site. Archaeologists then identified the soldier's buttons and other bits of clothing as those of the Napoleonic era. French authorities say a group of French experts will visit the mass grave to examine the remains with their Lithuanian colleagues. The find is the largest Napoleonic-era gravesite ever found in Lithuania. French emperor Napoleon and his troops crossed Lithuania in 1812 as they marched to Moscow. They later made a wintertime retreat through the country after they were defeated by the Russians. More Napoleonic News Desk
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