The Sun. — London, England, 1814-12-17 00:00:00

VIE SUN REVIEW. INv. 4 Cron:T.3IO7,HW -Vartati,e Carn,pnign in !basin.: einhellished with Plans-of the Battles of iNiccow and Maio-. jaroslavitz. - Interspersed with faithful Deseripti,ms of thuse,:itleetitig and interesting Scenes of which th, Author was ; l o Ev e -y.rit i , s i. By EuczNE LABAIJAM, Captain of the Royal ieographical Engine:-es, Ex-Officer of the Ord . Lance. of Prince ;Eugene; • ecc. Translated front the I French. Sco. pp: 403. Printed for S. LEIGH * Strand, price Itts. 6d. -- " At length, having passed through Ghorodbk, . Borisov (Oct. 29th), in themidst of almost lin - penetrable clouds of smoke,- we entered, an hour aft( rwards, on a plain which appeared 'to base be long since devastated. We saw at a distance the dead bodies of men and horses, and numerous - 'intrenchments, half-destroyed ;- also the- appear ance of the ruined town, which we recognised as the environs of Mojaisk, through which we had • passed as conquerors fifty-one days before. The .Poles encamped upon the ruins, and; - at their de parture, burnt the few houses which had escaped the first conflagration. The destruction was so complete, ,that we could scarcely see the light of the flames. The only thing which struck us was the newly-erected tower, rising amid the ruins, . and; by its whiteness, forming a melancholy con= trast with the _black clouds which enveloaed it. It remained entire, and the clock yet tolled the hours, though the city was no more. - " Our corpg did nOtpass through Mojaisk, but, striking'off to the left, We arrived (Oct. - 29th) at the site of the village of Krasnoe, where we had slept the day after the battle of the Moskwa : I say the site of the village, for the houses existed no longer, and the chateau alone had been pre served for the use of Napoleon. We encamped, round the ekateau, and, as long. as I live,. I shall recollect the comfortable night which we passed, protected from the while we slept on the yet warm- ashes of the houses, which had been ;burnt - the day before. a " (Oct. 30th.) The further We advanced, the . more desolate the country appeared. The fields, trampled 'down by thousands of horses, seemed as though they had never been cultivated. The fo rests, cleared by the long continuance -of the -troops, partook - likewise-of the general - But most horrible was the multitude of - dead bodies, which, deprived of 'burial fifty-two days, scarcely retained the human form. On,ap proaching Borodino; my Consternation was .."pressible at finding the twenty - - thousand men, .who were there destroyed, yet lyicig 'exposed on' the 'same. spot. The. whole plain was ''entirely covered with them. • None of the bodies were - more than half buried. Here were to be seen, garments ..yet red with blood, and 'bones gnaWed by dogs and birds of prey ; there broken arms,- drums, helmets and swords : fragments ofstand arils lay scattered thick around, and froth the emblems with sthich they were covered, it was easy - to judge how much the Rhssian Eagle had saffered on that bloody day. " ( - November 6th.) • We marched towards Satolensko, with an ardOur which redoubled our. strength;' and, approaching Dorogoboni, distant from that city only 20 leagues, the thought that in three days . we should reach the en:l or, ;111-our misfortunes, filled us with the most intoxicating joy, when suddenly the -atmosphere, which had hitherto been so brilliant, was clouded by cold and dark vapours - . The 'sun, enveloped by the thickest mists, disappeared from our sight, and the snow falling- in large flakes, in an instant obscur ed_ the day, and confounded the earth with the sky. The wind, furiously bloWing, howled dread fully through.- the forests, and 'overwhelmed the firs, already beat down -with ice, while the coun try around, as far as eye could reach, presented unbroken one white - and savage appearance..— The soldiers, vainly struggling with the snow and the tempest, which rushed upon them with the force of whirlwind, could no longer distinguish the road, and falling into the ditches which bor dered it, there found a grave. The others pressed on towards the end of their journey, searcelyable, to drag themselves along—badly mounted, badly clothed, with nothing to eat, nothing to drink, shivering with the cold, and groaning with pain ; becoming selfish through despair, they afforded neither succour, nor even one glance of pity, to those who, worn out with fatigue -and disease, expired around them. How many unfortunate beings, on that dreadful day, dying of cold and famine, .strito,led hard with the agonies of death ! We beard some of them faintly bidding their last a lieu' to their friends and comrades ; others, as they drew their last breath, pronounced the names of their mothers, their wives, their native coun try, which they were never more to see. The ri gour of- the. frost soon seized on their benumbed limbs, and penetrated through their whole frame. Stretched on the road, we could distinguish _only the heaps of snow which covered them, and which, at-almoSt every step, formed little untlula fions, like, so many graves. At the same time, Past flights of ravens, abandoning the plain, 'to take refuge in the neighbouring fore s t s , croa k e d Mournfully,as they passed over our heads ; and troops of clogs, which had followed _us fromNfos- lined solely on our tnengled remains, bowled. around us, as if they would hasten the period when we were to become their prey. " From that day the army lost its courage and its military attitude: The soldier no longer obeyed his Officer, the Officer separated himself ,from his General. The regiments diShanded, marched in disorder., Searching for food, they spread them• selves over the plain, burning and- destroying svhatever fell in-. their way. The horses fell by thousands. A The cannon and thewaggons aban doned, served only to obstruct the way. No sooner lead these Izoldiers.separated from us, than. they were assailed by a population eager to avenge the h orrors of which it had been the victim. The c6s„-cks came to the succour of the peasants, and drone back to the great road, already filled with lh'e dying and -the OA' those of the followers who escaped floin • the carnage made among them.. " (November 12th.)—The hour of departure being arrived, we • set fire to Dukhovchtchina, whose houses had been so useful to us. Although sufficiently accustomed to all the cieets of a con- * Ste the Twenty-uiuth Bulletin. tagr ati • 'vbe could not, restrain our titonish- Meat at the horrible, •yet superb slSectacie, which it now presented, amid. the shades-of -a forest covered with snow, and strangely illuntifietV by torrents of flames. - The' treds„ covered with a sheet of ice, dazzled the sight; and produced, as with a prisin, the most - vi , vid and yariegitted co lours; • The brandies of the birch,• drooping to the grownd like the weeping willow, appeared like beautiful chandeliers, while the icicles, melted by the heat, seemed to scatter around us a shower of briFliant and sparkling diainonds. " In the midst of &scene full of splendid hor ror, our troops reunited, and proCeeded from the town on the _ road .to Smolensk°. Although tilt! night was unusually dal k, the flames ;that ascend ed. from the neighbouring villages, which had been also destroyed, formed so many Aurom- Boteaies, and, till the dawn of day, shed a fright- - ful glare upon our march. Beyond Toporovo, we left on our right the road of Pologhi, which we had•followed when we came from Smolonsko to Doroghobui. The snow that covered all the country had nearly buried the villages, which formed from afar only a black spot, on one un broken surface of white. " It was horrible to see and to hear the enor mous dogs, with shaggy hair, which, driven from the villages that' we had burnt, followed us along our march. Dying with hunger, they uttered one incessant and frightful howl, and often disputed with the soldiers for the carcases of the hories which fell on our route. In addition to this, the ravens, with which Russia is filled, attracted by the scent of the dead bodies, hovered over us in black and innumerable crowds, and by their cries of mournful presage, struck the stoutest hearts With terror." They arrive at Stnolensko, where they vainly hoped that all their troubles were to be rewarded with repose, and al,l their privations with plenty►. Disasters on every side fosce them also front this place. " Marching from Smolenk6, a spectacle fte most horrib}e was presented to our view. Frcm that point till we arrived at a Wretched ruined hamlet, (Loubna), at the distance of aboht th.ree leagues, the road was enCrely covered wiiii Can non ;hid ammuntion waggons, which they had , merely.tirne to spiiie, or blow up. Horses in, the agonies of death were seen at every step, and sometimes whble teams, sinking nude!' their la bours, fell together. All . the defiles ‘‘.liich - the carriages could, not pass, were filled withniuskets. helmets, and breast-plates. Trunks broken open, portmanteaus torn to pieces., and garments' of every kind, were scattered over the valley. From time to time trees were seen, at the foot of which . the solders had attempted to. light 'a fire, but the poor wretches had perished .ere they could ac— complish their object. We saw them stretched by dozens around the green branches which they had vainly attempted to kindle ; and so. numerous were the bodies which obstarcted the road, that many soldiers were employed in throwing them into the ditches and the ruts. . " These horrors, far from exciting Our sensi bility, only hardened our hearts. :Our cruelty; which could not be exercised On the enemy, was extended to our companions. The best friends; no longer recognised each other. - Whoever dis covered the least Sieliness, if he• had not .good horses and faithful servants, was sure never to. see his country again. ' Every one preferred to - save the plunder of Moscow, rather .than the life of his comrade. On all sides we heard the groans of the dying, and the lamentable cries of, chose whom' we' had abaradoned. But every one was deaf to their cries, or if he approached those who were on the point of expiring,. it was to plait- - der, not to assist them; is was to search ,whether they had any remains of food, mid not to afford - then! relief. " The Russians have divided our retreat into three principal epochs, which, besides the con stant increase of our misfortunes, liaVe each- a peculiar character. The first ended at the ba - !tle of Krasnoe ; the second at the passage of the be.- resina; and the third at Niemen. - j' At the conclusion of the .first period, to which we arc now arrived„ they had already taken forty tholisand men, twenty-seven Generals, live, hundred pieces of cannon, thirty-one standards, and, beside our own immense baggage, all the plunder of Moscow, that we had not destroyed. If, to all these disasters, we yet add, forty thou-. sand men, dead of fatigue, ors famine, or killed in the different battles, we shall .find that our army was reduced to thirty thousand, including . the Imperial Guard, of whom not more than :eight thousand combatants survived. The twenty-five pieces of .artiHery, which the Gnards had prescrv ed, could not be reckoned, since it was uncertain whether they wolild not be obliged to abandon them on the morrow. Our cavalry was almost extinct. —This is the exact statement of the losses' which we had sustained, at the end ofoue mon,th's.march From' this we formed. mournful presages of what we were-yet to ,endure, since We were scarcely halt-way to Niemen, and bad . . tree rivers to - cross, and two mountains to climb." These'presages were more than realized ; but we must proceed no further. Enotrgh has been copied to excite in every one a doire to teat! zwitE's Narrative, aad not to be satisfied with, extracts. I - A few evenings since a Gentleman, at a Coffee house, expatiating on the late success of his Majesty's artns,. exclaimed--" And thus we have scaptured the Island of Macassar, an island - un known, in fact, to this Country, liad it not been for the meritorious exertions of Messrs. Row- LAND and Soll who, at an immense expellee, introduced the famous Macassar Oil., so justly ceL lebrated for producing a growth of Hair, and adding to that' inestimable ornament and income parable beauty."—lt is honoured with the benign patronage of 'their Royal Highnesses the P r incess of Wales and Duke of 'Sussex, his Imperial Ma jesty the Emperor of his Serence High -ness the Duke of Brunswick, his Excellency the Duke del Infantado, and the , majority of the Nubility throughout Europe. 16 , ,.wksnotte..,%dria•e s,Nwl M A fLS .41.;:rovED-1 Dublin. ME-2 Frane, 2 tiamborgb„ 2 an! land, I firalta, 1 Gueroscy t alid Jersey, 2, Syaterfurd. • PILICE OF STei:KS" . ..,, THIS nAy al •ovt!r.vn-o'ci.nex. flank Stoel4l- . nal4li 1?.. .},=,,1 a 1.-iath 3 per Cent. Red. 65E1 f Lidia 1.1011;1s, 12i. pr. 3 per Cent. Cons. 'Ent ' • f Exclieq. Bills, :is. pr. ~ 4 "per Cent: Coni. Sq. ; - on,:iitini, 11 di. -- : .5 percent. Navy Ann.slot I Coiis: f , Jr Opening; G( G 7 HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE 'l'o-MOIIIIOIV. Morning, 15 minutes after 6. f Evening-, 40 winutei_after 6 THIII, SOLEM QUIS DI(IERS FALSUNI AIII)EAT . LONDON, . SATILgDAY ; DECEMBER 17, ISM There are no arrivals from • the Continent to day, nor has there been any from Vienna fOr some days ; and yet that which was. bat an idle.rumour - on Thursday, is now given to the Public. as an absolute certainty, and they-are taught ituplicitly to credit .that the Emperor has.. left Vienna in disgust, and that all Europe is .about to be -enve loped in the flames - of var. We- still witlihol.4- our belief from' the fact, and feel - assured th,it .the. consequence presumed from it is destitute of foundation. In our last page we have gleaned the remain§ of the American Papers, which are' more calcu lated to slim the state of. politics and political feeling in that country than to convey any, infor mation as to recent facts. Among our extracts from the Canadian Journals is - a defence of Sir G. -PittwosT, from which it appears that he has friends in Canada as warm in his cause as he has enemies zealous in his condemnation. After the mutual criminations which have passed- he tween our Naval and , Military Commanders on this station, - it would ill become a Public Jour nalist.to deliver au- opinion either on one side or the 'oilier ; but it Seems consistent with justice to notice the .argaments of both. We-yesterday; upon authority not to hw e coII).- verted, , accused the Morning Chronicle of uttering a deliberate falsehood, in-stating that the Adlni- raly had sent Water Casks, .tkc. to Lake Ontario. Unabashed by this yebuke, Nvilich would have si !ended ordinary effrontery, the sanie Paper to 7 day; invents sirpilerfalsehonds respecting Broomm,Wa ter.-Sweetncrs, Eric. all of which, we assure the public, Pare equally de, , titute of truth. We also. put it to our Country...to decide, if 'suCh gross and scandalous crinduct as is involved in system of lies,, and 'slander, and private.persimal hostility, and public injury, is 'not deserving of universal and urupialilied reprobation. Nothing can equal the ruaLignity . and falsehood of the Morning Ch7onicle; except its ignoiance and stupidity. Devoted to the Wretches, of every Co►►ntry who will vilify its oWn,.it does not pos sess abilities eno►►gh to avoid such s hludders' and inconsistencies in their communications, as ex pose them and it to the scorn and - ianghter of every man of common sense and information. And what adds an extra.ordinary zest to these perfectly absurd compositions, is the Imdic . rously I solemn importance with which the Paper itself pretends to invest them. A Russian who does - not know that Ci'acow, the former; Capital of Poland, was not a Russian- Town, and an impudent lying rascal who writes himself ANTONIO DI RAVgNiIA, are exalted in mock dignity to the very apex of fanciful treatt4ss, and under the patronage of the learned and loyal Edito . r of the Chroniele, arbitrate the destinies of all the States of Europe. So sublime a Duo, so well instructed in all things, so pure and patriotic, sopowerful and penetrating, has not ex isted since the celebrated town of Brentford pos sessed two Mighty monarchs, in whose assimilated minds identity seemed to be. only divided. And • then they so sweetly befool one another, smell ing-at the same nosegay, sitting in'the same anti scribbling for the same Patriotic Journal,. that it must afford great satisfaction to every phi ' losophical mind to observe the wonderful variety of a Political Proteus—now an Italian, contendinr for the annihilation of all the independent States of Italy, to make up one solid kingdom—and now a German protesting against the seizure of any one independant State in - Germany to secure the balanced repose ,Of mankind—but in every shape adhering closely to the one grand priu ciple and object of, the Party to malign their po litical. Opponents, insult their Prince, and decry their Country. Y e t d o these things suggest more serious re flexions. Since the invention of Newspapers we will venture to pronounce, that so incessant, undisguised, and infamous a perseverance in en mity to the best interests of the Nation in which it appeared, was never afforded as by the Morn ing Chronicle at the present time. Apparently . . . . i7t ti Sttird, to • * eArr'b,. mat'nes by tyre .oVettiltOSV its fril 4l _v,) , and the utter hopelessnos ° I ' tv id - sus at p t l e e nl i o -P n t ' there , fortunes with those of the 10sc o qtr it fo :re . is nothing too base or t o° 1) ir political creed- and Ca ller Ty, tt 3c or t:eir. ,,a O S ; 4 i who huve thrown down its ThIg011; 6- AO' co, .4 z l BpirathMS .5 at • A daily wort; of this W.' 0 p rt once a phenomenon, a db;grace t o , I N )p'e'' ) P:'llaelilltn l and 1,1, a scandal- to th e very land io crhici"toote e Pare . absolutely astonished tilat 0 0e c hl ( Vl . ' i with it can be - - so lost to the. sense (I t 1 4 t o 1' to i. nthe°cSdaevriottn: :f P i l e r° !; o:ent° respectable; or patriotic, .° . (1 - ° : cy ? ' from day to d„ y aivocAtino. the cau se - ie jil: i a ene l my, and endeavour:ilia in o,ol° ° aid ;I' M reflect ri( dezrade their oWn country. SurclP il , ill° asi a moment, they would bccorae 0 1.11 (1 ( if 04 of so reprehensible a course; 'j:tteil coulda lned, not altogal-ler:overcome thei r 1 tv e Great Britain, and love for its foe/ 1116 4 0 5 ' i play the hypocrites a little i' f or so ,Ir°ol,iiii jtr their open artimosity, that we a ° tlll4l C i a d case in which even hypocrisy O il evi'le Ke tt..„l, yesterd a y morning the Mate of r st 3c re eb 4 : ll ed at the Foreign Office, Dow"ing-,,46i('°4:1" dispatches front the Atnerican• 10 0 0 1 Ghent, lie came with all speed frog' not being able, to -pia in at Dover,.,4,)f • boisterous state of the weather- sc 'fit the King's Mcssinger, was aftepre. with dispatches from the Foreig j'ER~ 5t3 A report has been_spread of .1i:i"g,, 2 1 of SPAIN having hastily left his cq-7t0tV:1.,41 manta, whence to pursue his jonr °Y e *iit it l 11/. in Portugal. The vessel upon --w11°%;01,1-0Yst this improbable story is fathered, is called the _....Pstorio, and s to have from Corunna, which sate left on t h „, l d I , ( , Some further accounts were from America, brought by the %cars- 0 ` war, arrived at Portsmouth. When to', 41 . ed the winter had begun to set c 1 verity in Canada, and it was ei'" ier.l4 further e. operations in that .quUrter till next sprit)* th ' for e? Yesterday Corn N ' h oilore,OwEa ,o°-,10 ference with the. Board.Board. of Admit -eh - /rid:01Po) , -lie afterwards left trisrll for with several Qffleers, who are to aec.-`_ ) "," -j iii', / ; ;i; 1 to, Canaria, in the Niobe as we have before stated the instal - it t4 e permit. , ~;e e il rrre Ottthe 27thof October the Port3c°l i s P $O, ma e gnificnt stanch-Ird, intended, Or 11'1 1 1"' sent fOr the Prince Regent of ment of Austrian 1.-Itissars (late 0 1 ;ii? which lie w as first received at the T'''.l.o;-,of side of the Colours arc the Iruperil cd.il4 tria ; and on the other a , represe''tes. restEV VIRGIN MAIiY, with infant -.1 l' 9 ;1;ocl‘ i i: 1 : her hand O the PopF ejnOitc' A illt t postolicai u h • , 1115 1. nderneatit Ist.- - As '.1 ( 4 • " flux PAT/lONA Pie t • f )fdia• /met!, Hamm-- ~'m- D - V iispic''' 0 , .1 The disposable fore- • -the,ii i ~,o1 " (in reference to its Floridas) consists of the ISt ' h ; ° l i st c°l -';` /f the 6th battalion of the.GOth, l -I ,,!'f L i'liti a (! dlil i t The guillotine deposited in the . Dusseldorf, after having been to public view, wus burned on the celeUration of the arm' t 4-11 iversar Leipsie, in the evening of the Ht b • ° . t i f °. ;g rs fe 4 , The Grand Drielless -mid Ole to gaV i oi t 'd BADEN propose what they, call a ti 4 f costume, consisting of a white rob e -,111 ° ,.(1, 1 ; riatc, except Velvet or skill, And . gr i t l: ( 1" i' velvet ) , wit st rail4la border e P f r :g e gold, thefro extremities of gold; are to meet on'fte left si" e % c rs dress, from which feathers and 111•31Jetl, is to consist of a ribbon ij l to velvet, xvith 'a g old beirtio, passe" . I% . l a rk fr: I," . thill• dress, the DUchess ~ a ; to' . they' shall 'appear at the o pening -t b . liC 5 ' scum, Where it is intended to hold P t ' do and they proptAe' themselves, m ‘ vl.-/ -mite and no 6 ble sbnplieity of ' 5-- the happiest influence, especial l y this proposal, which anooutieed idea r of coristraint," the Ladies of several 'places in the neighbottrh°°( P" their consent: - ' ,tile' W N 1 2564, DEC. 16. -Tuesday I I KErslT'arrived at the Castle on a 51 ' °r ,iti ( )11 / 1 11, QUEEN. His Royal left '4, o ,,Yr ° le ,i . nesday. The same day Sir 1 1 1 ; r 1 rued t tr t e l to m e e 'Castle to attend the 1 '1" (i t and iiistuodf,sHilaiailci,out.rßorrulartriii:'ei:::cot a on St. • k ham, in Oxfordshire. • "Detachments of• the following h 7i' s ttnl cl t4t . ' 2 t l b u i li C e l l t e f e la D s sne sn l a r t a t i a i e .s g y nw o: ; l i o ed i :n a l i t s s( yf ,t Bl - , KT Y i: i n i s :g it l t ' —l a s i 3 i n G 'is tdi S e , Ct r 2 t s ° :3 3 l : b i l l ( r g i r i ; t ditto, Line e i: , l . e t ; Fei e OxronD, Duc, 16.—T14e Rev. J. -,--PA-paat'',ers tOr f fr ''- lately instituted to the rectorie s o . f Color uty ton-Mortis, and Stowell al . cant by the death of his 1.5 , 0 P:':_filvV. — The Rev. Charles Btuiic.l•l!".,f ri; _IA of W inchester college, to the Vicara. isrOv a P` Hants, and Vicarage of Sydlinn• St. Niel,'" ',deo pod ;, r j. P pelry of Hilfield, Dorset; 'the /I'2. of that Society. patrons, 6 O( t, o'clock, co i l : 0 1 E very e, as t night, between s evei t o °l' 4 ry ac a lO a i l n .n i i n in o- g tl fi te re NN l; l ' l .°itl(e s e tr rlv i ,s6 o l3 ; °l, ; )i c ):,P e e'' Moon public-honse, Nigh which, from the wooden -constructinider 11e 0 t il! t 4 confined n ear e fi r: ;: fi e `t: (17'1 h ou s e sa l arm f'r t l m ; behind premises ,ut os ftc cfr : enrbi l were entirely consumed, with ti' e property. No lives were lost , in a degree. exposed to danger, stiowtress) would be virtue .