The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-12-30 00:00:00

l i i v 1 1 ,t 1 Vii' fi r, ~•'. r. I • • • .i 4 I ) : s 1 'i ' 1 1 ' . ' I k ' ) " ;- `. r • . f , I , : 1 i i , > ; Rc,... , .... e i t l4:,. . . i t. i 4 ' ,i . , "i An% Malls. I,tle 9 . Dublin 1 Waterford 1 O O O .st Heliland 0.4 . • Bras il... 0 - 1" ... Jeney Guernsey, Coronas 1 1 PRICE OF noon TIIIS Rank 925 3 per Cast. Red. 60 591 60 S per Cent. Cons. 4 per Cent'. 76i 6 per Cent. Navy Lane. Ann. 15 9-16 DAY AT ONK O'CLOCK. I India Bends par 4 5 dis Exchequer Ditto 30. 3 6 p Omnium Consols for Acct. Gls Lottery Tickets £l-2 9s. THE STATESMAN. LONDON: WEDNESDAY, nEctmerit 30, ISM OFFICIAL DISPATCHES FROM LORD' -CATHCART, .CONTAINING TEE RUSSIAN ACCOUNT OF THE DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH, Published this morning in the following LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY. WEDNESDAY, 1hc.30. Foreign-Office, Dec. 30. Dispatches, of which the following are copies, have been received by Viscount Castlereagh•, his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State 'for Foreign Affairs, from General Viscount Cathcart, K. T. his Majesty's _Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipo tentiary to the Emperor of Russia, dated the 30th November, and 6th and 7th instant. et. Petenb•rgb, Nov. M. MT . Lone,—ln my dispatch of the 25th instant, I had the honoer to state to your Lordship the im portant and brilliant success of his Imperial Ma jesty's arms in the affairs of the 17th and 18th, in the former of which Marshal Davoust's division was defeated and dispersed with great loss, Bonaparte and the Marshal flying from the field of battle; end in the latter Marshal Ney's division, near the I same place, said to have consisted of eighteen thou gaud men, appears to have been completely ac. counted for by the numbers killed and wounded, in addition to those who afterwards laid down their arms. I also stated the general distribution of the armies as they stood at that time. I have now the honour to acquaint your Lordship, that General Field-Marshal Prince Kutusoff Smo lenski, reports, on the 23d November, from Laniky Farm, that Bonaparte, with his guards, left Orsha on the 20th November, and marched on the road to Kochanoff; and that on the '2lst the remaining troops of the enemy marched out of the former place, leaving twenty-six gons, and some hospitals, in which were upwards of fifty wounded French Officers. General Count Platoff is ordered to follow the army marching on Kochanoff. A detachment under Major-General trmaloff, con sisting of fourteen battalions of infantry, some carat rr, and two companies of artillery, is directed to move by Orsha to reinforce Count Platoff. The advanced-guard of the main army, under the command of General Millaradovitch, consisting of the Sd and 7th divisions of infantry, and the 2d division of cavalry, was to cross the Dnieper on the 23d, at Kopys, and was to direct its march upon 'f olotchina to join General Ermaloff's detachment. The main army will cross the Deieper, at Kopys, on the 24th, and march by Starasel to Tsetzershioff, from whence it may be directed according to circum stances, either upon Bobra or Berezinoff. General Wittgenstein reports, on the 24th Novem ber, from the village of Cherai, that Admiral Tchi chagoff was at Borisoff on the 24th instant, whecce General Langeron informed the Count, by letters of the 22d instant, that General Count Lambert was at Borisoff on the 21st, where he defeated the whole corps of Dembrolfski, taking six cannon, two colours, and three thousand prisoners, driving them on upon the road to Orsha ; that Count Lambert had also taken at Kaidanoff two guns, and from two to three thousand prisoners, and that, including the hospitals at Minsk, in the last eight days upwards of eleven thousand prisoners, and twenty-four guns had'been taken. Victor and Oudinot hare retired from before Couut Wittgenstein upon Borisoff; the latter is marching in pursuit of them l and on the 23d took eiglit,hundred prisoners and many carriages. Count Wittgenstein reports, that General Platoff is marching against the great body of the enemy's corps upon Tolochinow, by which it appears the enemy is enclosed on three sides—General 'Platoff in bictifp, Admiral Tchiehagoff in their front, and poun!, irtertitein 4:in their flank. A raper! was received yesterday of another gene ral 014eer, whose name I have not heard, having keen taken prisoner ; and I have also understood that accounts are received, that Gen. Crtle was ar rived EiPlifi! The deseobmens nnder General Sacken is under !stood to be fully edecpwte to keep Prince Schwart. ;false% iu eiteck ! 111) the cathedral of lank* felled, the ovatc4 baying gone oat before melt"! the . Ti0e . 144 • Ney bee net 'lmp" .. jb.P.404 i!Ti9ff.tlL4 , l ;Pt. illgoed) P4Tgc4iVr , Tr' , 1 Y .. ~,. _ CATHCART. . ___---,,,—.. ..........,,,,............,,,so place, and many large magazines whicli it contoine from the danger w ith w hi ch it was thr . dolled ' A slther part of the detachment, under the ord ßei of the Staahs.rost.meister of the ii‘hsais of e s Guards, Natschaki n , w hi ch had been sent on 4 the road to Knaeschnitzi, came up wi , h the enemy oe their retreat from that place, attacked them, and t ook 1 one officer and 100 men prisoners, putting the req to eight, whom they pursued f ur s i x wersts hey og i hnitzi. In the magazines at Mohilow, th en werethirty-four thousands kouls of provisions forage- General Millartdoritrb reports that, on the I*. he shall be with part o f hi s Tan-guard at Town. chin. Th e Grand Army_ tGe h h a e l n t e ed enrae a l tmpyKl:s tpotyerso.orpeps:owl itehhathid: htsehadp'ellairat:fktedthimenflfsthioßmemeriatllide. Lo tor u p b s aw u i n t d z er ch, M su ai rr s c h :d i e l r sl e z a n d ' to the num b er o f 800 men. The enemy's loss in prisoners was, indeed, so very great that he found it was Im re . cessary to make any particular report on the on o . sacra, as it seldom occurred that he took less than a 1000 prisoners each day. Colonel Potemkin, belonging to General Mill°. radovitch's van-guard, in his report of the I.ltb, states, that Major Gene r al K arpow had assembled six hundred prisoners at Zolotschina, and that at Kostei they had found one hundred Ischetwerts of rye. On the 13th, General Platoff reports, that Lieu tenant General Martinott having attack e d the ene . my, with MajorTeneral Koutenikoff's brigade, as he was marching on the high road, killed fire ban. dred of them, and made four hundred prisoners, amongst whom was General rlseworofsky. The head-quarters were at S•aroselije. VE74llEit lb.—Lieutenant-General Schefelertss report of the 10th states, that the major part of the merchants of Itatstaff Potosott, together with the citizens of that town, animated by the love for their country, had equipped a detachment of one hundred cavalry; and having armed them with pikes, swords, and muskets, during the whole of the continuance of the military operations in the Government of Smolensk°, they had made several excursions, in which they bad had many affairs with the enemy, with advantage to themselves. b . y which means they in fact aimed their town from b eing plea. dead. The head-quarters at Krone°, t • i s THE STATESMAN. St. Petrohurgh, pre. 6.18 n. and forego sulicient to eutiallho whole army, due. ing ten days, were found in ths Piece. Head-quarters of the army at Dabroi (great road to Orsha). Novemsam B.—The Aid-de-Comp ) General Count Oscharofsky, reports, on Al 7t114 that the French army having abandoned, t the night of the Bth, the village of Kenn, h 4 marched to Dombrowna, and that many prisoners had been made in their flight, of which, however, the - Count could not yet St the' number, as it increased every moment. Head-quarteva at Heleanoff. Nov. 9.—The Count Oscharofsky reports, that a detachment seat by him pursued the rear-guard of the enemy on their retreat from Kosan. The Cos. sacks, in following it on each side of the great road, had cut oft part of it from Dombrowna, and regard less of the fire of grape-shot, threw themselves, tog gether with the chasseurs, upon the enemy's column, killed more than a thousand men, took four pieces, of cannon, with the caissons laden with grape, be. sides a considerable number of carts, and made sic' ' hundred prisoners. Major-General florosdini reports, on the 4th, that having with his de achment driven the enemy from Dombrowna, he hid pursued him to Orsha, on which occasion he took above four hundred men and eight officers. At Donbrowna was found a small maga. zine of flour, oats, and hay. General Coum Platoff reports on the 7th, that proceeding from Smolensk* to Dombrowna, he hail destroyed a detachment of the enemy, which, after the defeat of the French army at Krasnoi, had sated itself by flight, and paced over to the right bank of the Dnieper, in order to come up again With the main body. The Count made three thonsaad pri soners, among whom is the late Chief Commissary General at Smolensko, de Puibusque. In a lava& report, General Plato states, that, cOatinuing en the 7th, his route to Dombrowna, he was informed that Marshal Ney was marching with the remai ns oti his corps to Loubswitsch, and had been seen in the] afternoon at - Gousuiroff. Having occupied this place with his Cossacks on the left, General Platoff ordered masked batteries to be raised on the road ; and baring permitted the enemy to adrance, he sud denly opened upon the a tremendous fire of grape shot, so that confounded, and seeing it impossible to pierce through to Lonbawitzeh, they threw them selves late she woods on the flanks of the Dnieper, and covering their mnrch by chasseurs, pressed along the bank of the rives until the night was far ad yawed ; and threes Into k the fi of MY Loao,—l have the honour to transmit the re part of the defeat of Victor's corps by General Count Wittgenstein, on the 27th November. It ,woeld seem that this corps had altered its direction fiorn Borisoif, and was proceeding up the left bank of the I3erezina, when it was charged by Count Wittgenstein. On the 161 h, at daybreak, the Count pursued Boilipnrte on a road which leads to Wiles, Still upon the left bank of the Be rezina. A bridge, had been thrown over the river, at a plat about thirty wersts froth gorisoff, where . there was an advantageous position for the enemy's rear guard, and for covering the passage. In this day's march the French lost the whole of their equipages and plunder, and were vigorously and repeatedly attacked at the bridge. The position on the left bank being continually reinforced by fresh troops. was contested till night, when it was evacuated, and the bridge was destroyed as soon as the rear-guard had passed. .There is a cross road from this point which leads to the great road to Witna, and it was the intention of Count Wittgenstein to pursue, as soon as he either received pontons, or re-establised the bridge. Genoral Platoff had already got to the right bank, probably at Borisoff. Admiral Tchichagors quarters appior to have been at no great distance, but no particular report of the distribution or movements of this part of the force, has as yet been received, since the affair of Count Lambert. It appears, however, from the conclusion of Count Wittgenstein's last report that he - expects the concert and support both of the Admiral and of Count Platoff. General Millaradovitch was stated to have arrived at Borisoff when the last accounts came away. The headivarters of the main army were still ad vancing on a line parallel to, and to the southward of the main road from !imolensko to Minsk, but con siderably in the rear of the present operations. There are long defiles to pass on the road from Borisoff to Minsk, as well as on that spoil which Bonaparte is supposed to be marching; and it scarcely appears possible, that the remains of his army can get through these difficulties in presence of so many troop s , with artillery and cavalry, reguy lar as well as irregular. I have the honour to be, &r. (Sipped) ed) CATHCART. Our pieces St. Petersbargh, Der. 7, 11312. My LORD,—While in the act of dispatching the messenger, I received from the palace a report from Admiral Tchichagoff, dated the 29th November / upon the march to Ostachcow, detailing his proceed ings from the 21st November, and stating, that, in concert with Counts Wittgenstein and Plata, be is in pursuit of the French, whose force he estimates at seventy thousand men, including Oudinot and Vic tor, and which he says is provided with cavalry and artillery. I have the honour to be, usc. PROCEEDINGS QP THE MILITARI . RUSSIAN ARMY, TROM THE NOVEMBER. Nov, 13.--The Ai&do-Cat • Oicharoffsky, as he wtti proceedi with part of the detachment un fro - 1 Sclikloff - .rds Mobilo w, ts, wh9 pa which s• ea fireall , information, itho, .ef thee, Paltawa, inowitod the ,419 night with his earatry artillery, ..16 - tetew 4 e; freer Wheace Jell lamiediatal) at 0 1 , sills Oa fu l tiilDS • -~ --et ; . cannot; they bed with them. - ; iSIFORT PROM THE CEMIRAL OF CAVALRY, coax', WITTGENSTEIN TO - RIF IMPERIAL SIAJZSET, DATED The Bth , at obese- six o'clock in * morning, ETA ROE BO RESSOFV,. NOY. 29TH. the advanced guard came apt ways ten enemy in ad- Yesterday I had the honour most submissively to vanes of Domini:mtg., Ile was n received with report to your Imperial Majesty, upon the defeat grape shot on comieg out of a fo rest' on the road, of the corps of Marshal Victor, from whom the Our Ccssacks, profiting by the disorder of the enemy, and the well a directed fire of our artillery, troops of your Majesty took four cannon, two standards, sixty-seven staff and other officers, and attacked wlth the lance, killing many, and making three tho arena prisoners, independently of a considers. 800 prisoners, among which was a Commissary-Ge- able number in killed and %speeded. After this vie. ? floral and 10 Officers. Marshal Ney, seeing his ter tae defeat, threw himself into the forests, and co.I, tutu there earreq:ered v the Cl a e rig Ditision Parthensut , the feral of the teeth% the troops whom the attack of our COMMIES Chief of the Stsff d'Elett; Numb Camila en Ile. had dispersed, he occupied the Allege of Jarouboff, moat 1 ale oolousts f ir tgoesotewucolosigv: where he defended himself wish obetinally, until b an a a d and twenty4mse tom, vill eaves , night, which pot an end to the combat. sand eight bemired prlfiltes; amongst these were Nov. 10.—General Count Platoff reports, on the two whole regiments of cavalry, fallt Mottittfal l _llol 9th, that during the perm* of the enemy to Orsha one a Saxon- regiment, and one of Be IMb he mode 400 prisoners, The Poesy &fetid, the pas- i ! wards resolved on attacking Napoleon himself; sage of the river with his artillery, while he gives the' which I did 'not fail to perform on the same day. town up to the fames. The Vaitiean Dasideff at. The enemy approached the passage of the 1)1 i ' tacked the enemy on the 9th at Kopys, and killing , twine •in great force', and inept there tq defeadlt I many, made 485 primmer., besides taking a quart- with the greatest obstintic), ice order to save hls tits of equipages; passing afterwerds the river by ! same _ ry J any. baggage • without being diaceneetted swimming, he sent various partly; to Schkloff, Sta.; by ,• his great efforts, baggage; him bock the disisnol roselije of three wersts. The engagement lasted es . - vOOlll The ' and Orsha. ! Count Platoff reports, on the 9th, that the . day. To-day I compelled him to cross' tte de l enemy had, after some resistance, been.driven from ;„ear Stoudenzie, where, after having peed it, he Orsha, and that at one o'clock the town had been burned the hridge ; but having received pontoon occupied by our troops. The enemy left there 20 pieces of cannon, some provisions, and his hospi- i from Admiral Tchichngoff, I . arty et thie moment occupied in getting them thrown on the rives I talc, in which were found, of Officers alone, fifty ----, I shall pass it immediately, and shall set 1 , -. emitint• persons. -lion ,lth him and General NOE yeleniq ell On the 11th, the Grand Army halted at Lannike. NOVEMBER 12.—The Aid-de-Ce• took from the enemy one field-piece, mid mei Oscharoffsky reports, on the 12th, that having ar mPC'euend Count fifteen hundred prisoners. To-der we tpnk twills rived on the 11th at Gorlii, he had vent Major Rschef- ' pieces of cannon, and a considerable tletntierof the% ,he east himself into the river. I have also takeat sky, with 'the regiments of Cossacks of the Don, of number of Officers and men ; others arn continually Schamscheff, and one hundred and fifty hussars, in arriving, so that I have not as yet beer able to tall pursuit of the 'enemy, who had just quitted the any account of them ; they bring in, besides, moment place. The Major Riehefsky canio up with and c a rriages, belonging to Bonaparte as well as to nearly destroyed them, making four O ffi cers and w werst is covered rivate individuals that them, so as not to allow that the distance of half e two hundred and fifty soldiers prisoners, and taking . tinny equipages. !persons to pass either on foot or on horseb ack. The head-quarters of the army at Morosoff. I have been obliged, therefore, t o dispatch t hree The Tirailleur of the Ist grenadier company of later the regiment of infantry of Moscow, Stepan Jere- troops. Upon these carriages, most of tl . iet t menko, had been left, in order to be cured of the companies of militia to clear a passage only for the the property of - Moscow families, 'Pat M a l at wounds he had received at Smolensk°, to the care of • sides a great booty for the troops, the principal 44 that Government, the Snb-Lieute- church plate and other effects, nant Krestschetoff. After his cure had been cont. had stolen at Moscow. We are occupi ed d pleted, and during the retreat of the French, a de. letting it all together, in order it to the to send this tachment of forty-seven men passed by the villages Governor-General of Moscow. Iu reporting _lay at the of Mlethiuo and - Polsino. He immediately assembled 'most humbly to your Imperial Majesty, , i . , are whic a h g the in en y ez i y . the peasants of those places, and encouraging them by his example, he killed seven of the forty-seven, t a ke n fro. the enemy. and having bound with cords the forty remaining, he., We have lost, during these ;lays, above 3000 men. same time at your feet the standards wince I a sent them with, the peasants to the outposts of the Cossacks. The said Jeremenko having by so coura- REPORT geous an action shown his zeal for the service, and 06 MPG a proof of the spirit which characterises the s ee i ng Russian soldier, his Highness the General Field- with St, Marshal has advanced him to the rank of subaltern known Officer, and has likewise given him the badge of the ra y last military order of Si. George. to the outposts of the Le having b y " c"ra - REPORT e V Alimmtar. TENNI' AG M, ON THE nog, or x for the service, and osTscmszo , o THE 29TH Or Novr mßEß. rhich characterises the geeing the possibility cf communicating directly the General Field- with St. Petersborgh,. I profit o f it, to make the rank of subaltern known to your Majesty all that h as happened mote him the badge of the my last report. The following day after my it- rival at Minsk 1 reinfor..ed my advanced vird: r OPERATIONS Or THE B or is ew . , and ordered General Limbert to go on the side o f On the 21st of November he attacked at 13TH To TILE 16tH ' the break-of day the redoubts occupi ed b y the rear. guard of Gen. Domhrowsk who bad arrived in great imp General Count haste from Beresina to tak e-, possession of it. The rz• ceetling on the 12th, ! sistanoe was very great; they fought a long tide , under his command, , and with fury. Your Majesty possesses in Count w, was informed by Lambert an active, courageous, and able General,ca• had left that place, pable of surmounting every difficulty, who having t had remained there, perceived the importance of this post, in II within their reach ; enemy had collected ail their force to maintain them- Mien, Count Oscha- ; selves, decided to take•it, and completely succeoleti• ordered on the Cos- , The enemy lost two thousand men in killed, and we_ * the flernen, and at- I have made u many prisoners. .The . remains of the Irby and artillery, in corps of Dombrowsky have been pursued and dis.. beat* he loomedioAcly parsed. UN *ill illittital the ,' la the soul time whilst my advanced guard wa n • which the - .;-,.-- .. -I - —..,.....,,,.. ~..„4 , ~ . . _.,,,,,„,.„,..... . ---...1.-------tmw -- - (Signed) JOURNAL OF MILITARY OPERATIONS PROM THE 7TII TO THE 13TH NOVEMBER, 1812, DATED MEAD- QUARTERS KOPYS. Novvesett 7.—Major.General Borosdini having driven the enemy from Laeda, pursued them with a part of his detachment as far as Bolschoi Kolotof. sky, and with lis Cossacks as far as Kosan, where they were relieved . by those of the detachment com manded by the Aid-de-Camp General Count Oschar ofsky. The enemy lost in his flight seven pieces of cannon, and a number of carriages. The General of Cavalry, Count Platoff, reports, under date of the iith instant, that having on the 3d approached Smolensko, and having learnt from the inhabitants, who were quitting it, that the enemy occupied the Fauxbourg of Petersburgh, he gave im mediate ordert to his troops to attack under cover of the tire of the artillery of the Don. Colonel Kaysaroff. after having with his chasseurs broken the barrier which the enemy had placed, vi gorously pursued them into the Fauxbourg itself, from whence they in alarm and disorder within , the walls of the fortress, where they were etpasod to a fire of grape.shet from the neighbouring heights. Whilst the Cossacks and the Mammas were engaged iq the faut,bourg, the enemy ifs e sortie in two columns, with eight pieces of ',Anon and a mortar, resolutely determined to repossess themselves of the Fauxbourg.' But Major. General Kouteinckoff with his Cossacks, and Colonel Kay. saroff with his chasseurs, fell upoq them, and hav ing repulsed the infantry, took their cannon, The Fan ibourg was retaken, when night put an end to the contest. On the 4th, the enemy established themselves behind the palisadoes, keeping possession of the left bank of the Dnieper, whilst his columns quitted the town with precipitation, • Count Platoff caused Tr Deum to be sung in pre- sence of the troops l accompabied by a discharge of artillery and a hurrah of the soldiers. The enemy on quitting the town, sprung the mines which they had formed under several places of the fortress, which set fire to the houses of the fauliboprg of Petersburgh, which were situated op posits the fortress. ' The Aid-de.Camp, General Baron Polettertako4 inelsky reports, that the officer whom he bed de• tached with three squadrons, had discovered an enemy's column at three - - , rsts fro— . • 2 ‘..""`”' enemy's column at three worsts from Winnisa- from Schkloff towards , . j.sialti l sad haring 'snrroundeil them, he , sent, thp some of the inhabitants, 1 of Sato. Sittabs-Rowneider o f the huslars of tite Akimeeldt that the enemy's troops before it guards, 'with' a proposal to lay doyn their arms.— had threatened to set es This cosisseission he executed with comp ISM success— in coniequence of this the caliber of prisoners 'amounted to two thousand roffsky, without lois -9 _ . R I , We'''. Ave hundred asp. .. Packs from Paltawa l ma latell vi itge bas been- •,-. 61 ..... • th at the detach- ' rived bettor, night aritli •-• -4 • 1 0 4 ' r S t t r' ti r l 4 L '. , '., • MO Mae to taVe- fßeteen, I 11 16 ■• i . . . • - • ' • resleleaa 11C4Cr? •M r . 71,i... -.-, - ...... ! . .. . 5/if!' tl'aglisf7 - 4 11 1 11 .... . • , . ti ,, - ...5..•:•, ~..., ;... 1 • - . . . 1 .., .