▁the ▁French ▁position ing ▁and ▁fl ank ing . ▁Although ▁the ▁woods ▁surrounding ▁the ▁French ▁had ▁provided ▁a ▁per imeter ▁of ▁cam ou fl age , ▁the ▁shr ub ber y ▁did ▁not ▁extend ▁to ▁the ▁bar ren ▁field ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁castle . ▁It ▁was ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁forest ▁density , ▁however , ▁that ▁dod ging ▁the ▁Russian ▁art illery ▁and ▁inf antry ▁fire ▁was ▁difficult ▁to ▁man eu ver ▁around . ▁ ▁Middle / end ▁of ▁the ▁battle ▁In ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁war , ▁French ▁caval ry ▁leaders ▁Mur at , ▁Sou lt , ▁and ▁L annes ▁had ▁seg reg ated ▁their ▁troops ▁from ▁the ▁greater ▁unit , ▁which ▁would ▁soon ▁result ▁in ▁utter ▁failure . ▁ ▁After ▁such ▁separation , ▁the ▁smaller ▁units ▁within ▁the ▁res erves ▁had ▁refused ▁orders ▁to ▁fl ank ▁and ▁attack ▁stronger ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁arm ies . ▁This ▁was ▁partly ▁because ▁orders ▁being ▁issued ▁by ▁res erves ▁of ▁the ▁secondary ▁inf antry , ▁rather ▁than ▁Marsh alls ▁and ▁Major ▁Gener als , ▁were ▁not ▁given ▁enough ▁of ▁credit ▁of ▁leadership ▁in ▁their ▁absence . ▁Despite ▁both ▁sides ▁losing ▁a ▁significant ▁number ▁of ▁men , ▁each ▁refused ▁to ▁withdraw al ▁their ▁arm ies . ▁The ▁real ization ▁of ▁the ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁French ▁soldiers ▁who ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁a ▁victim ▁of ▁death , ▁and ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁defense ▁gave ▁B enn ig sen ▁and ▁Napoleon ▁little ▁choice ▁but ▁to ▁call ▁an ▁und ocument ed ▁tr uce ▁to ▁end ▁host ilities . ▁