Martinsburgh gazette — Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.], 1810-11-30 00:00:00, page 1

No. 28 of Yol. XII.
■
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Biographical Anecdotey of the late Marshal
SouxvoroxO.
The following are extracts from a histo
rical account of the celebrated field marshal
count Soaworow Rymniski, prince Italiski,
lately published in the French language, by
INI Guillaumaoches-Duboscage, lieutenant
colonel of Kinbourne dragoons, and staff
officer in the army of field marshal Sou wo
rn w, in the years 1794, 1795, and 1796.
Souworow was born at Moscow, in 1730,
of a family originally Swedish, enjoying
but a very small property. He entered the
army in 1742, as a private soldier ; and
was forced to remain undistinguished du
ring many years, in iuferiour situations.—
In the course of this time, feeling the supe.
rioritv of his own mental powers, and the
insufficiency of those of his chiefs, whose
faults he could see and point out, he re
solved, in order to raise himself above
their command, to affect that singularity
of character, which afterwards, through
habit, became in him a second nature ; and
stamped notn ms mind ana ms person,
with characteristicks exclusively his own.
In this he succeeded completely. In a short
time he attracted notice, and the dawn of
hit talents pierced through the obscurity of
the lower stations, to which he had been
confined for the first five tears. After the
year 1749, his rise was sufficiently rapid,
and ten years afterwards, being then twen
ty nine years of age, he was made lieuten
ant colonel. However, in pursuance of
his adopted system, the more he advanced
in rank, the more he affected to be whim
sical. This line of conduct obtained, at
length, such a preponderance over his mind,
that he found obedience of every descrip
tion became absolutely impossible; and
that, in the end, he would even have re
fused to command the armies of his sove
reign, had she attempted to trace a plan for
his campaign, or to bind him to such or
such operations, in preference toauy other.
“ When my sovereign does me the honour
to intrust me with the command of her ar
mies,” would he say, “ she believes me
capable of leading them to victory ; and
how can she judge better than an old sol
dier, like oie, who is cn the spot, of the
Terms of the Gasen-.
MARTINSBURGH
IIIIWIQPvI
best course to that object ? In consequence,
when she sends me orders contrary to her i
true interest, I suppose that they have |
been suggested to her by courtiers, her ene
mies ; and I act in the manner which ap
pears to me to be most conducive to her
« t)
giory.
In manv circumstances, the genius of
Souworow, overstepping the narraw lim
its of the orders he had received, led him
boldly on to certain victory. Of this the
following are instances :
In the campaign of 1771, in which he
served as major general, he received in
formation that tits marshal of Lithuania
was forming an army of Poles, at Stalo
witz. He immediately gave notice of it. to
Uouzoui'ia, (.Jiumauilcr in chief of the
Russian army, a very cautious and indo
lent man ; requesting at the same time an
order for attacking them. Boutourlin,
knowing that Souworow had only a few
hundred men under him, expressly forbad
him to undertake any thing. But Souwo
row, who, that very instant, had learned
that the Polish confederates had defeated
me retersourgn regiment, mat tnesr num
bers were daily increasing, and already ex
ceeded five thousand, judged that he could
not delay for one moment, the destruction
of a nucleus, already too considerable. He
hastily collected his little army, amounting
to one thousand men only, and marched in
quest of the enemy. In four days he
marched upwards of fifty leagues, fell un
expectedly upon the Poles, in the middle
of the night, defeated and dispersed them,
and took Stalowitz, with twelve pieces of
cannou. The day after he followed up his
victory, and destroyed whatever had es
caped from the first battle. He then has
tened to transmit to Boutoutlin the details
of this daring expedition, by writing to
him: “ As a soldier I have disobeyed; I
must be punished ; and I send you my
sword—But, as a Russian, I have done
my duty, in destroying the confederate for
ces, which we could not have withstood
had they been allowed sufficient time in
which to collect.” Boutourlin was wonder
struck. Not knowing in what manner to
act towards Srviworow, he determined to
write to the empress for orders. On the
receipt of his letter, Catherine wrote to
the victorious general: “ Marshal Boutour
lin, as your chief, must put you under an
arrest, to punish the want of subordination
in the soldier ; as your sovereign, I reserve
to n»y3elf the pleasure of recompensing the
zeal of the faithful subject, who, by a
splendid action, has so well served his
country,” She sent him the order of St.
Alexander.
In 1790, the empress had given express
orders to take Ismailoff; the siege of that
place having been twice raised. Potemkin,
who commanded the Russian army, fear
ing to disobey Catherine for the third time,
communicated his orders to Souworow,
proposing to him, at the same time, to re
new the siege, and to take the command
of it. Notwithstandingthe dangers attend
ing an expedition which had already mis
carried twice, Souworow, always relying
with confidence on his own resources, ac
cepted the proposal by saying simply : “ It
is the empress's wish : she must be obeyed
He immediately assembled his troops, and
after four days of forced marches, arrived
under the wall| of Ismailoff; several days
were spent fa preparing fascines, ladders,
and all the instruments necessary for an as
sault. In th# meantime, he got a fort con
structed in a remote place, to exercise his
soldiers in scaling walls ; and, the better
to dective the enemy, he caused a trench
to be opened within thirty or forty fathoms
of the place ; as if he meant to proceed by
a regular siege. “ Kvery thing was pre
pared for the assault,” says the author, “ the
orders were given, the columns were be
ginning their march, in the middle of the
night, when an officer arrived with des
patches from prince Potemkin. Souworow
guessed that those despatches contained an
order to retreat, or some secret snare.—
1 he fact was, that Potemkin could not but
shudder at the uncertainty of such an en
terprise ; when, considering the inclemen
cy of the season, the fortifications of Is
mailoff, mounting 232 guns, and defended
by 43,000 men ; his anxiety was conside
rably increased by the knowledge he had,
that one half ol that armv was composed of
Janissaries, commanded by seven Pachas;
while Souworow, to overcome so great
difficulties, had only 28,000 men, the half
of whom were cossacks. Wishing, there
fore, to throw the whole blame and the
whole shame of the miscarriage on that ge
neral, he had written to him, not to
FRIDAY, November 30, 1810.
* t
the assault, unless he was certain of taking
the place.
“ Souworow guessing the contents of the
tetter, ordered his aid-de-camp to get a
horse ready for him, at his tent door, in
such a situation as to bar the entrance. He
recommended at the same time, to keep
the messenger waiting, as he intended to
i k** despatches himself on going out.
He soon alter made his appearance, pre
tended not to perceive the messenger, vaul
ted on his horse, and set forward at full
gallop, to join the columns of his army.
“ f he Russians scaled the intrenchments
with iotripid'ty. The Turks opposed to
them a vigorous resistance * but the fortifi.
aMons were carried. A dreadful convict
immediately began in the town. In short,
aiter ten hours of the most sanguinary, and
almost unparalleled assault, victory de
clared lor the Russians.
“ Svuworow, now victorious, surroun
ded bv his general officers, who were con
gratulating him, perceives Potemkin’s mes
stnger: ‘ Who art thou brother ?' says he,
addressing him. * It is I,’ answered the of
nier, wno yesteruav evening brought des
patches from prince Potemkin.* Souwo
row then pretended to be in a great passion. !
‘Thou bringest me,’ said he ‘orders from
my sovereign j thou art here since yester
day ; and thou hast not delivered them to
me!’ He immediately took the letter, and
threatening"the messenger with the seve
rest chastisement, handed it to one of his
generals, to read it aloud.
“ When that communication had been
made, Souworow turned towards his offi
cers, smiling and crossing himself:
‘ Thanks be to God' said he, * hmaihjf in
taken ; but Jor that I had been a lost man'—
1 he answer he immediately returned to
prince Potemkin deserves to be known,
lrom its heroick conciseness :
“ The Russian standard Jloats on the
walls of Lmatloff —Souworow ”
He gave that letter to the messenger ;
and seut him off that very instant.
1 he exteriour appearance of marshal
Souworow agreed peifectly with the oddi
ty of bis temper. His stature was short,
about five feet one inch [Frenrh] his
mouth large ; and the whole of his features
were far from agreeable ; but his look was
full of fire, quick, and above all, it was
penetrating. It was impossible to see more
wrinkles, or more expressive, than those
on hi3 forehead. At the age of sixty four,
his head, whitened by age, and by the fa
tigues of war, retained but few of its hairs.
Though, to all appearance, of a weak
and delicate frame, he was blessed with •
very robust and vigorous constitution ;
which he had constantly strengthened by a
sober, hardy, and active life. Being sel
dom br neversick, he supported fatigue
better, perhaps, than men of a stronger
make. Yet such was his want of bodily
strength, at the age already mentioned,
that even the bare weight of his sabre made
him stoop.
Souworow, in his temper, was hasty
and vehement. When he was deeply af
fected, his countenance became stern,
commanding, and even terrible ; it por
tra\ed the sensations of his heart. But
this seldom happened ; and never without
powerful motives.
On one point, this old warriour showed
a weakness. It respected his age. He
could not bear to be pul in mind of it, and
carefully avoided whatever might recall it
to his memory. For this reason, looking,
glasses were taken away, or covered, in
his apartments, or wherever he went on a
visit. Nothing was more comical than to
see him pass before a looking-glass. When,
by mischance, he perceived one, he would
run, shutting his eyes, and makiog all
kind of wry faces, till he was out of the
room.
“ It would be a great mistake, however,”
observes the author, 44 to consider this od
ditv, as produced by superannuated pre
tensions to beauty. The marshal himself
often made merry with his own counte
nance ; and as to his singular aversion for
looking glasses, I have heard him repeat,
frequently, that he never looked at him
self, in order to avoid being made sensible
of the havoc of time ; and that he might
continue to believe himself still able to exe
cute -the satie military enterprises as in his
youth ; for the same reason, whenever he
found a chair in his way, he would leap o
ver it, to show that he retained his activi
ty. It was also for the same cause that he
seldom walked, but always ran ; particu
laily when erming into, or going out cl,
his apartment. Nor was he deterred from
jo doing by the most numerous company.
He would even redouble his capers, and
his anticks of every kind, before strangers
of high rank ; to convince them, that he
was able, notwithstanding his age, to bear
the fatigues of war, fully as well as when ^
a young man.”
Marshal Souworow was in the habit of f
rising, the whole year round, at four o’ 4
clock in the morning j but sometimes at 1
twelve at night On rising, he went out j
of his tent, and had several pails of cold
water thrown on his naked body. Neither
hia advanced age, nor the inclemency of j
seasons, ever made him relax from this
singular practice. He usually dined at
eight o’clock in the morning in winter }
and at seven in the summer. Dinner was
his principal meal. It was his only time
lor recreation; and he accordingly, in
dulged often in long sittings at table,
where he sometimes lorgot himself, for a
longer time than he could have wished.
He never sat down to table, or rose from
it, without saying a previous grace, or re
turning thanks, to which he sometimes add
ed a short blessing for his guests. If they
did not answer amen, he would say, jok
ingly, “ those who have not said amen shall
have no brandy.” Although he was very
tond of wine, and ot liquors, yet he never
was seen intoxicated. He ate and drank
a great deal, because he had naturally a
great appetite; and, besides, dinner was
his only meal. The rest of the day, he
would take only some cups of tea or of cof
fee. He was in the habit of sleeping an
hour or two after his dinner, accoidiug to
the ordinary practice in Russia. Ilis table
was in general, far from delicate j the en
tertainment was composed of cossack-ra
gouts, excessively bad ; but which nobo
dy presumed to notice as such. Kach dish
went round, and contained a separate mess
for each guest.
. j, v •
/vs auuworow was ime no one, nts mode
of dress must of course, be utterly unlike
that of every body else, jockey boots,
half cleaned, ill made, and slouching, with
knee pieces coming up very high ; breech
es of white dimity; a jacket of the same,
with a cape and facing * of gicen i*nco ; a
white waistcoat underneath, and a small
woolen helmet, with green fringes. Such
wa3 his dreas when with the army, in all
seasons of the year. What made this ap
parel still more whimsical, was the circum
stance of his having two old wounds, one
in the knee, and the other in the leg, which
often incommoded him, and compelled
him, now and then, to wear his boot on
one leg only ; having the knee band loos
ened, and the stocking down, on the other.
Add to this, a huge sabre hanging down to
the ground* K ; was so thin and slender,
that this light dress seemed hardly to hang
on his person. When, however, the cold
was excessively intense, he would exchange
the dimity dress, for one of white cloth,
exactly of the same fashion ; but this was
but seldom. In this singular costume,
Souworow commanded, inspected, address
ed, and encamped his soldiers on the fro
zen plains of Russia. He had obtained a
great quantity of decorations anddiamondg,
in recompense of his numerous victories.
On occasions of important ceremony, he
was covered with them, and on those oc
casions only, would he display his splen
did uniform of field*marshal, but, in pri
vate, or at the head of his troops, of all
his orders, he only wore the riband of the
third class, of that of St. Andrew.
Allhough this extreme external simplici
ty had all the appearance of avarice, those
would be cgregiously mistaken who could
suspect Souworow of that mean vice. He
always manifested a stoical contempt for
money. When he spoke about it, which
was rarely, it was always in a way which
induced the belief, that he had almost com
pletely forgot its value. He never carried
any about him ; was unacquainted with the
price of every article ; and never paid for
any thing himself. An old soldier, named
Tichinka, who had saved his life, and
whom he had attached to his person, bV
making him his private aid-de-camp, was
at the same time, his major-domo, his
steward, his caterer, and had exclusively
the care of all his expenditure. He never
carried about him watch or jewel*, except
in grand ceremonies, when be would deck
himself with all the diamonds be had re
ceived from the generosity of several sove
reigns, on account of bis victories. Even
then he considered them as monuments of
his glory, and not as trappings of vanity.
The finest diamonds could have no value
inhiaetes, unless they weie the recom
pence of some brilliant military achieve
ment. Accordingly, if, when glittering
Whole No. 600.
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