Butitremainedanarmyonlyuntilitssoldiershaddispersedintotheirdifferentlodgings。Assoonasthemenofthevariousregimentsbegantodisperseamongthewealthyanddesertedhouses，thearmywaslostforeverandtherecameintobeingsomethingnondescript，neithercitizensnorsoldiersbutwhatareknownasmarauders。WhenfiveweekslaterthesesamemenleftMoscow，theynolongerformedanarmy。Theywereamobofmarauders，eachcarryingaquantityofarticleswhichseemedtohimvaluableoruseful。TheaimofeachmanwhenheleftMoscowwasnolonger，asithadbeen，toconquer，butmerelytokeepwhathehadacquired。Likeamonkeywhichputsitspawintothenarrowneckofajug，andhavingseizedahandfulofnutswillnotopenitsfistforfearoflosingwhatitholds，andthereforeperishes，theFrenchwhentheyleftMoscowhadinevitablytoperishbecausetheycarriedtheirlootwiththem，yettoabandonwhattheyhadstolenwasasimpossibleforthemasitisforthemonkeytoopenitspawandletgoofitsnuts。TenminutesaftereachregimenthadenteredaMoscowdistrict，notasoldierorofficerwasleft。
MeninmilitaryuniformsandHessianbootscouldbeseenthroughthewindows，laughingandwalkingthroughtherooms。Incellarsandstoreroomssimilarmenwerebusyamongtheprovisions，andintheyardsunlockingorbreakingopencoachhouseandstabledoors，lightingfiresinkitchensandkneadingandbakingbreadwithrolled—upsleeves，andcooking；orfrightening，amusing，orcaressingwomenandchildren。Thereweremanysuchmenbothintheshopsandhouses—buttherewasnoarmy。
OrderafterorderwasissuedbytheFrenchcommandersthatdayforbiddingthementodisperseaboutthetown，sternlyforbiddinganyviolencetotheinhabitantsoranylooting，andannouncingarollcallforthatveryevening。Butdespiteallthesemeasuresthemen，whohadtillthenconstitutedanarmy，flowedalloverthewealthy，desertedcitywithitscomfortsandplentifulsupplies。Asahungryherdofcattlekeepswelltogetherwhencrossingabarrenfield，butgetsoutofhandandatoncedispersesuncontrollablyassoonasitreachesrichpastures，sodidthearmydispersealloverthewealthycity。
NoresidentswereleftinMoscow，andthesoldiers—likewaterpercolatingthroughsand—spreadirresistiblythroughthecityinalldirectionsfromtheKremlinintowhichtheyhadfirstmarched。Thecavalry，onenteringamerchant’shousethathadbeenabandonedandfindingtherestablingmorethansufficientfortheirhorses，wenton，allthesame，tothenexthousewhichseemedtothembetter。Manyofthemappropriatedseveralhouses，chalkedtheirnamesonthem，andquarreledandevenfoughtwithothercompaniesforthem。Beforetheyhadhadtimetosecurequartersthesoldiersranoutintothestreetstoseethecityand，hearingthateverythinghadbeenabandoned，rushedtoplaceswherevaluablesweretobehadforthetaking。Theofficersfollowedtocheckthesoldiersandwereinvoluntarilydrawnintodoingthesame。InCarriageRowcarriageshadbeenleftintheshops，andgeneralsflockedtheretoselectcalechesandcoachesforthemselves。Thefewinhabitantswhohadremainedinvitedcommandingofficerstotheirhouses，hopingtherebytosecurethemselvesfrombeingplundered。Thereweremassesofwealthandthereseemednoendtoit。AllaroundthequartersoccupiedbytheFrenchwereotherregionsstillunexploredandunoccupiedwhere，theythought，yetgreaterrichesmightbefound。AndMoscowengulfedthearmyeverdeeperanddeeper。Whenwaterisspilledondrygroundboththedrygroundandthewaterdisappearandmudresults；andinthesamewaytheentryofthefamishedarmyintotherichanddesertedcityresultedinfiresandlootingandthedestructionofboththearmyandthewealthycity。
TheFrenchattributedtheFireofMoscowaupatriotismeferocedeRostopchine，*theRussianstothebarbarityoftheFrench。Inreality，however，itwasnot，andcouldnotbe，possibletoexplaintheburningofMoscowbymakinganyindividual，oranygroupofpeople，responsibleforit。Moscowwasburnedbecauseitfounditselfinapositioninwhichanytownbuiltofwoodwasboundtoburn，quiteapartfromwhetherithad，orhadnot，ahundredandthirtyinferiorfireengines。DesertedMoscowhadtoburnasinevitablyasaheapofshavingshastoburnonwhichsparkscontinuallyfallforseveraldays。Atownbuiltofwood，wherescarcelyadaypasseswithoutconflagrationswhenthehouseownersareinresidenceandapoliceforceispresent，cannothelpburningwhenitsinhabitantshaveleftitanditisoccupiedbysoldierswhosmokepipes，makecampfiresoftheSenatechairsintheSenateSquare，andcookthemselvesmealstwiceaday。Inpeacetimeitisonlynecessarytobillettroopsinthevillagesofanydistrictandthenumberoffiresinthatdistrictimmediatelyincreases。Howmuchthenmusttheprobabilityoffirebeincreasedinanabandoned，woodentownwhereforeigntroopsarequartered。\"LepatriotismeferocedeRostopchine\"andthebarbarityoftheFrenchwerenottoblameinthematter。Moscowwassetonfirebythesoldiers’pipes，kitchens，andcampfires，andbythecarelessnessofenemysoldiersoccupyinghousestheydidnotown。Eveniftherewasanyarsonwhichisverydoubtful，fornoonehadanyreasontoburnthehouses—inanycaseatroublesomeanddangerousthingtodo，arsoncannotberegardedasthecause，forthesamethingwouldhavehappenedwithoutanyincendiarism。