The National Register. — London, England, 1813-04-25 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL RE • • Cur Constitution, ann Eatus. PUBLISH&T) AT NO. 11, NEWCASTLE-STRVET, STkANIR. PR ICW •ga• Nn. 2'4. U N APRIL 25, !813. THE COSSACK'S LETTER TO A BROTHER WARRIOR ON THE B-kNKS OF THE DON. When I left yon, YEVANOVITCH. to obey the call of my . sovereign, and drive. the robbers from his land, I only thought I should have to send yon` accounts of sanguinary battles, protracted toilS, and dearly purchased victories. I judged of the future by the past, and 'ancied a soldier's life, .1 his scene of action excepted, was pretty generally the same. To fight or to fly, to bleed or to kill, to fall or to conquer, formed the usual vicissitudes of war, and for these.alone I was prepared. I rejoiced, some sort, that the foot Of an Invader had polluted our soil, since it caused my Sovereigp to remember my loyalty, my zeal, and my courage, and made m once more useful to my country. I rejoiced too that the foe came preceded by the renown of the brave, for there is' no glory to interchange wounds with the coward. . To fall under the blows, and mix our bl,pd with thfs blood" of the valiant, is a consolation, even in defeat: But viCtory, plucked front timidity and fear, brings with it no satisfaction to the heart. How shall I depict the great events which I have witnessed ? the wonders by which I am surrounded ? Would that the pen were as easily wielded aithe spear ! Fifty battMs have taught tue the use of the latter. I have but but. preceptor to Instruct. the how to write, hu-ghat ii Vriend ship, that forgives the f.;;lures ibe occasions,. and prizes the Intention, not the imperfect deed. I went to light, YEVANOVITCH, with the reputed invin eibleS of the earth Their . legions darkened the land: the pomp of their march was terrible. A thousand ensigns, • each'recording a triumph. proudly waved over their host. A thousand engines, each loaded with destruction, xollydl in their train. A flame seemed to move before them, and to consume hamlets and cities ere they pa'sed them, whilst behind a howling waste remained,.strewed with onbutied corpses, and red with human Rom. I saw them without fear, but also without hope. I prepared for battle and for death.. I thought it too late to cave. but infamous to survive, my country. 0, YEVANOVITCII! had you been with me, when the red conflagration of the holy city ascended the sky, - as though to kindle the lingering bolts of heavenly vengeance! Had you heard the thttnderinglall of palaces and temples amidst the shouts. of a perishing; people, the. yells of an-exulting srddiery ! Had you•marehed under a!ta ' nopy of sin:die round the 'burning sacrifice, as thOugh to augment the pomp of the horrid riles wexould rvit disturb*, you would have known what it is to encounter at once the assaults of the fiercest passions : to struggle with despair and revenge ! to sec the dearest object of a pats lot's affections swallowed up unresisting and unprotected! to long to rush and shed all our. blood in its defence, and yet to obey that Vol. VI. No ccLxxviir. tyrant called Discipline, which bids you rein your fury, and let destruction rage unchecked ! • The avenging hour seemed _at last arrive 3. The foe re tired, and we rushed in pursuit, -every heart 'xild with ex ultation, every hand raised to strike. Rut Heaven • robbei of the full joys of revenge. We only Witnesied the ruin which' we were prepared to inflict. Our eneniies fell; but the arm that laid thetit low was the arm of the Almighty, and smote so swiftly, that we could scarcely dye our spears in living blood. Instead of, encountering a powerful hol, marching in the strength and with the order and undaunted resolution of veterans, scarred in a twitched battles, we trod on the frozen corpses of thousands, amidst the howlings of wretches perishing with hunger and col& to overtake scat tered bands of despairing fugitiVes . ,Thent on escape alone. On such, during twelve hundred miles of close and incessant pursuit, we wreaked a small portion of our disappointed ven geance. For could we deem the sacrifice of their miserable lives a sufficient expiation ? Our brethren had fallen in their stt'ength•befoie_them, surrounded by all the honours of war and the enjoYments, of life, when the loss of existence • wps indeed a heavy calamity. We.slaughtewd them in their - weakness, when, exhausted by famine, cold and fatigue, a prey to disease and despair, death toolhem was only a blessing. They had despoiled our cities of their wealth and buried their plunder . . We but robbed then (4a painful being and gave frost to the fowls of Heaven. With unsatiated venge ance, therefore, we reached the banks of the Oder, and saw Prussia embracing our cause, and the Germans rising tbsbako off theirfetteti under our shield. Here the war rested4N . v,liiie. The enemy had brought fresh levies to the fie!d:i . armies were re-organizing and our tiovereig,n paused in his career of conquest to refresh his warriors and-niarshal s the forces of allied It was during this interval that I accompanied an officer hearing dispatches to EnAland - , and v kited that island,,the fame of which has reached . the distant banks of the Tanais, but had been hitherto considered by our simple and wanner ing tribes as the 'wild exaggelatiou of romance. To-reinovq their prejudices, and inform their ignorance respecting: the real greatness, state, customs,. and manners of this wonderful land, shall he.my endeavour, whilst, th ow 1 by the events of war into her bOsorn, 1 have the fullest opporunity for ob. servation.. : The particulars of my reception and ,the cariosity attic people will also, no doubt, divert my old countrymen .andfriends. I shall express my mind freely on every sub ject ; for though, in this country, freedom has not yet at tained that degree of perfection which allows us, without an legal or pecuniary res traint, to boild,ot!r habitil so w our harvests where we plkta*,4oAng,e. our estateri as we think propet? (of thor :•1 # • • %) 'S • .! - - 4 4 it:ons atl,l )r etilarze u‘ht as