The Sun.
London, England, 1812-09-14 00:00:00

FRENCH PAPEftS.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM SIIOLENSK, AUG:
• " For the last week I have scarcely been off my
horse.; -but when affairs go ott well, one does not
feel fatigue, We arc, at length, in Russia ; it is
afire` country,—the haiivest ahundank,—the cli-
mate is agreeable, and this is the most populous
part -of this Vast empire. You will easily conceive
that every thing near the ancient capital offers
great resources ; it is there the Russian nobility
haie their largest property ; and there is 'not any
comparison with• the environs of ,Petershargh,
which are unwholesome and intersected with lakes.

Never will the sight which the inside of Smo-
lensk presented at our entraince into -the city be
banished from .thy -recollection. Figure to your-
self all the streets and squares encumbered with the
dying and the; dead, and the ilanies illuminating
on all sides this frightful picture. Here it was that
one might judge of the generosity of the French.:
nothing was more affecting than to see them pre-
cipitate themselves in the midst of the fire, .and.
spend; in checking the progress of the flames;
the time they might have employed in
,sleep.—
Unhappily it Was impossible to SaWC the quar-
ters built in wood, I arti lodged in the
house of a Russian Counsellor. I yeplaced
a RuSsian Colonel, who had no time to carry off
his effects. I found on the table an Order of the
Day, in which they promise the Russian army
that the walls of Smolensk shall witness the de-
struction of the French. Every moment I see
columns of prisoner 3 pass, among their! ,several
officers, amongst others a General and a Colonel.
The former is General Titshow, brother of the
commander ot.one of Bar Clay de Tolli's di ;
and the Baron Armleldt, nephew of the General
of that name,.who.has so often changed hiS conn"-
try. They were :taken• in the brilliant affair in
which the 'brave General Gudin was -wounded.
.Yesterday we bad the misfortune to losd him.--
Ilis thigh was amputated above'the knee ;:but it
was impossible to save him. Every hour in the
day_ a great number of officers were besiegirfg his
apartments to know how he did. I was informed
yesterday that he bad just departed this life. He
w:is-a lion battle; and in society'it was'impos-
ible to have more mildness and meekness. 'Howr
"ever. 13 s death was Well avenged. We made a
frightful Carnage in the battle of Valentina. , The
Russian' Generals Areinenski and Esca remained
dead an the -field of battle : but General liorff3
who is said to have 'hem ,mortally wounded, is a
more sensible
FrOm that momf.ut we are pursuing them
with Out being, able to overtake them. • They are
saving thernselves as quickly as possible ; one
would say they were fearful of not arriving in
time at :'sToscow, to assist at, fhb M Deum that
will be sung : for this Hymn is become xo the
Russians the fivinn of ,Death, and haS taken the
place of fhe 1)e Projundis. But, this charla-
tanisin imposes neither upon the troops nor the
inhabitants.

" The' deserters and prisoners ' we have made
speak of the' divisions and discouragement: that
reign in the -Russian artny,.Who are all indignant
at seeing so much country lost without having
risked' a general battle.
The .health of the army is excellent, and we
are in no want of bread -and meat"— .

EXTRACT OP A LETTER FRO'il SMOI:ENSK,

GUST 23

" The Russians have been so faithful to their
system of retreat, that they are retiring to Mos-
cow, and from thence, probably, they will go and
take a position on the Volga, and perhaps farther:
Whilst weshall throw them back into their def4arts,
we. shall:occupy their best provinces,: and collect
tranquilly all the resources. We have yet two months
before us. All the inhabitants of the country
tell us, that the month of September is magnifi7.
cent here and that the bad weather does not be-
gin till the end of October. From the reports we
receive from Moscow, the greatest terror reigns
there. Though travellers boast of the hospita-
lity of ttie nobles in that city, the latter.are making
haste to carry off their effects. They are packing
up-their pictures and: archives. We care little
about this, if they leave as, their wine and cooks.
It is difficult to conceive the confusion_ that reigns
in that immense city. Figure to yourself the si-
tuation of Paris, if the Russians were at Chalons.
The women of Smolensk are pretty enongh ; but
all are almost 'fled to Moscow, from whence
they will fly to Petersburgh„ where they are not
more quiet." We fOund on a Russian' Officer a
letter, dated fi:cnu
:the capital, in which :they say'
that the Russian families ace embarking their
most, precious effects on board the English ships.

The field of battle round the city, and on the
read to Moscow, is horrible to be "seen. I Can-
not conceive how there are so many Russians kill-
ed and so few French. We remark that the ene-
my have lost a
_great number of officers. The
Russian General Kooring had his legs carried
off.

" The Emperor Alexander ordered Sniolellsit
to be defended to th.g last extremity; urhappily
he was not there to have his orders executed.
It is said, that he was to lea ve. Moscow on
the 19th, to rejoin his army. I saw R--
yesterday ; he was made prisoner at ,Smolensk
be attributes the late checks of the Russians to
the Want of 'the General's skill; and,. indeed,. Ja
think with himfor what has be. done since the
commencement of the campaign ? He created
magazines p) set fire to theM; built fortifications
to abandon them; • gave up Poland; fled to Wi-.
tellsk ; swore to 'defend Smo:ensa; and; then,
when he saw us before it, let us carry it by main
fdrce. However, they are retreating upon
Mos-
cow. If this be a plan previously arranged,- We
must allow that the Russians have singular com-
binations.

On Wednesday theAth - inst. Cornelius Farr, a
child nearly two years old, the son of Mr. Farr,
stay-maker; of Grainsboro', in the momentary ab-
sence of iris mother, reached to a coffee-potstand-
ing on a table, and drank some boiling 'water from
the spout. Medical assistance was irnmeqiately
procured, .but the child expired in great agonies
next morning.