Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-10-12

universally believers in ghofts and prefer
natural appearances. They marked with
eager attertion the variable forms of their
cloudy and changeful Ky from the diff
ferent aipect of which, they toretoid fu-
tufe and contingent events: and, AFFORD
cd III tantaitical imaginations, they per-
ceived In. a fort of ecitatic vifion, things
and perions icparated from them by Wait
interval Of fpace. Each tribe had it, pc
culiar dogmas ana modes of faith, which
the surrounding Clans regarded with iudit-
terence, or at mott witha cold diilike lar
removed from the rancor of religious ha-
tired and periecution for religion was
happily peties of folly and wiclledueE,
unknown aud unheard OF amongit them.
The battle Of Marengo is faid to form one
OF the hneit feathers In the cap of French
victories. That our readers may fec
In what dilrefsiul fcenes, and feas OF
blood the laurels of war belt fourth
we Publiih an extract from work writ
ten lately by a Mr.. Petir, Frenchman,
giving an account of tina; celebrated en-
gagement.
The clock at Marengo truck tea,
when we were returning lowly towards
San Juliano. Numbers, harroGed with
fatigue, but more for want OF ileep, dofed
uron their horfes' backs, but were every
infant routed by the painful cries of tiloie
who were borne acrois hrelocks or tempo-
rary hand barrows or of thole who, :
bandoned and fcattered in the fields, i'm
plored our aid. Thus every Humane and
ieniitive heart was penetrated with that
melancholy to which the true folder is no
itranger, and which does him 70 much no.
nor. Hories limping here and there, up
on three legs, calling to our own by
their initinttive neighings; at every Rep
TOO 1t was neceiiary to turn out OF our
way, 10 as TO avoid treading upon the
wounded, The bitches and the road of.
ten preiented the fcene Of CATIONS, and O.
Their carriages, as we'll as cannon, overturn-
ed. Further, eff we beheld houfes de
voured by the flames, and tumbling up
on the heads of the wretched owners, half
dead by the fears which had driven them
to the expedient of hiding the,nielves in
the cellars and other fubterraneous places.
The total darkneis which furrounded us,
made the picture additionally frightful.
Priioners, not knowing where to 90, but
with the hope of eicaping, wandered a,
random. If they were met BY the French
folders, bending under the weight Of
their comrades, they were 70 ced to turn
back, and bear on their fnoudcrs thoie re-
fpectable burdens.
At length arrived at head quarters
which ferved as the ambulance 10 the ar
my, every one flowed himfeIf, as he could
among the dying and the dead, without
the piercing cries of the former being abb
any longer TO furmount the violence oi
heep. The next morning, hunger taking
ITS turn TO prevail, l, in a melancholy
condition, entered the great court 10 look
for fomething for myieielf and horle to
eat. l was there truck with fight 70
horrible, thatI fhuddered all over. More
than three thouidnd Frenchmen and AuC-
TRANS, heaped one upon another in the
yard, In the granaries, in the fables and
out houies, even to the very cellars and
vaults, were uttering the mott ismentable
cries, blended with the fevereif CURES a.
CAN'T the iurgeons, there being 100 few
TO dreis all their wounds at once. Every
where | heard the languifhing voices of
comrades, or of my particular friends, who
begged OF me iomething 20 eat or drink.
All that | could do, was to fetch them
iome water. In truth, forgetting my
own wants, and thofe OF my horfe, i ltaid
more than TWO hours, running backwards
and forwards performing by turns, tie part
OF furgeon and an holpital attendant.
Prlioners were brought in from every