War & Peace Podnotes, A Study Guide

This second and final part of the first Sevastopol Sketch takes you from the Assembly Hall to the artillery fortifications/bastions.After taking in the majestic sky, you are brought back to earth, to the vulgarity of war.  A funeral procession marches by. The music and banners cover up the beastliness you observed in the Hall.  You reach the lively city center and pass inns, shops and street merchants. You notice the variety of officers, many finding relief in alcohol. You overhear the musings of soldiers covering the latest battles, logistics, leadership, and field conditions. Causalities are relayed with the ease of giving weather updates. The tales of these men will be told for generations. You hear reports from the infamous 4th bastion, which is spoken of with transcendent reverence. Those in the most critical positions find themselves best able to focus on the task at hand, much like the fictional Captain Tushin at the Battle of Shongräben.You drift towards the bastions amidst a frozen mist on an avenue