The Sun.
London, England, 1814-07-27 00:00:00

use, and burnt.

Meaux.

At Chateau Thierry, the Russians, who
were worsted in a skirmish under the town, are
much complained of, but yet I heard nO fact of sin-
gular atrocity, or more than usually befalls a coun-
try occupied by hostile armies ; some women (the
aged and infants,. for the others had saved them-
selves) were violated, and some shops pillaged,
but this by the license of individuals, contrary to
the general order. The gold and silyer of the
country was, of course, concealed as much as
possible. Hence to Soissoos, the country is na-
turally so bare and desolate that it could not suffer'
much
.(for the, population and number of Villages,
are always in proportion, to the goodness of 'the
soil); but to the right and left are a few farm-'
houses destroyed, probably because they Vt'Cr
deserted. Soissons itself has suffered terribly.
The ruin of its ancient chiaches and abbeys, more
than 30 of which were destroyed in the Revola-
lion, is now completed; the suburbs levelled with
the ground. And who have done this mischief? The
Allies-?'no, the Freud!) themselves, and that with cir-
cumstances of unnecessary cruelty. The.enemy Was
yet at Laon when the order was given; there was
there-fore no cause for extraordinary haste, but yet
the conflagration was commenced without an hour's
notice, and the iithabitant s, who might have saved
their goods, were deprived of all, with a barbarous
and wanton atrocity. I have myself conversed with
a poor fellow who offered to destroy his house,
and begged only for a respite of 12 hours ; this
was refused ; and himself, a wife, and six young
children, are reduced to a state of the most abject
poverty, from one 'of comparative affluence. To
complete this little history, his house was a new
purchase; and. had not yet been paid for. 'But
after thus exhibiting the black- character of. the
French .soldiery, it is but just to give due praise
to the character of French Men; the sufferers have
every where been assisted with the greatest liber-
ality by their neighbours, who have reeeived•them
into their houses, and supplied them with .food as
far -as their 'means extended. Many nevertheless
still inhabit the numerous and unwholesome
vaults with which Soissons abounds from the
ruin of its religious houses. The loss •of SoissOns
`is eltimated at 4,000;000 francs ; that of the De=
parlment 04.; Aisne, at 46,000,000 ; in the neigh-
bouring Department of Aube 1,450 houses have
been destroyed, but the amount of the losses is
not yet collected,. In speaking of the *des,' the
-frencb universallyattribute the success of the Allies
to treachery, especially in MARNIONT ; and, as far
as may be judged from the sititation of the fields
of battle, there is some reason to believe this,
especially after the battle of Granite, and in the
capture of Lunn. Between these two positions,
there is a hill commanding a valley, which the Allies
were obliged to cross in their retreat from Craone;
-Maataoa-2. was ordered to occupy this bill; but did
not, in consequence of which the. Allies reached
Laon easily.; bad he clink it, they must haVe
sustained a terrible loss, or been obliged to take
the direction of Soissons, which was BUONA-
PARTE'§' principal ohjeCL Laon was impregna-
ble, (as rtyJNArARTE found afterwards) without
treachery,

PHIL O-VIATOR.

It is with gr6t satisfaction We state, on the
authority of a letter to a relation in London,
that Captain MCKEE , of the Cherub sloop of
ar, is rapidly recovering from his wounds, awl
the fear of the necessity of amputating laoth
either of his legs is removed.