After the destruction of Moscow, Napoleon entrusted to Marshal Ney the removal of the war treasure. The gold was transported in barrels, and placed on carriages drawn by picked horses.
However, not far from Vilna the waggons stuck in a defile, and no efforts could move them. Rather than see the treasure fall into the Russians' hands, Ney made the mistake of ordering it to be distributed among the soldiers. The men eagerly took the gold, throwing away their belongings in order to fill their knapsacks with the yellow coins. Only a few of those who thus foolishly encumbered themselves managed to return to France. Most perished in the attempt to carry their treasure, which after all fell into the Russians' hands.
拿破崙摧毀莫斯科之後,命內伊元帥把戰爭所得財寶運走。黃金用木桶盛着,放在多輛馬車上運送,馬匹都經過精挑細選。
可是,在維爾納不遠處一條隘道上,馬車卻卡着了,無論多麼使勁前拖,都動彈不得。為免財寶落入俄國人手上,內伊犯了個錯誤,下令財寶分給各將士。將士都十分踴躍,把背包裏的東西丟掉,改盛金幣。這當然十分不智,使他們負重難行,結果很少能回到法國,多數都因所攜財寶而死亡,而那些財寶最後還是落在俄國人手上。