Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1812-12-29

LoNDON, December rs,
COMMUNICATED PROM A NATIVE OF
MOSCOW.
In the possession of Moscow. DO
uaparts hoped to secure Tor ms W. a."
dance of supplies. Fer the a..a,n-
ment Of Che first object. II IS proos
HE that enough Of the town has ues"
rescued from the flames :; iof .nou
the buildings in Moscow consist
chiefly ofsmail wooden houses. mere :,
are Whole streets Of stone and BRICK lex
palaces rooted with iron' anu !"e
walls Of these edisees are SO proais.,
ouslv thick that the conflasratlo'
s o"nI,l scarcely spread through them !,
rbr nhras. used in the bulletin
:. Moscow is 70 more,' was perhaps
er,'loyeato produce strong impress
s;on .. the minds ofthe R'ssisa poo
ple. and to ALLEVIATE their affection
from their government. as the al'e's
oil esnse Of such destruction. 3
Da though a sufficient nnmDer OF
buildings may remain to afford oar IA F.
r..ks fer the French army. it is dill
fcuIt f. imagine, how this army Is
to he suhsistcd through a long winter
in tins rigorous climate. 1he state
man., i, the goth Bulletin, that " e,
verv house was provided for eight
months with neeessaries OF every
DESCRIPTION" is perfectly false.
,,he season for laying in . stock OF
nroy;s;ous had not arrived when the
F,rnch entered Moscow. It's only
ahnut the middle of October, u.s.
before the snow begins to 'aii' that
the wiu,er supplies are collected
A. other seasons Of the wear. the
General stock of provisions 10 the
town is calculated only fsr sh"rt
,eriod Of consumption. II IS equal
~ false that the French faund large
snnrlies of wine. brand! &c. in the
cellars. The middle and inferior
classes at Moscow are altogether
without any supplies whatever OF
these articles. They are obliged TO
be contented With humble kass a ne
verare. that ma, hereafter r7odd'e
a greater mortality among '"e
French. than the grapes of Cham
pasne di,! among the prnssians un-
der the Duke Of Brunswick at the
commencement cfthc revolution. In
the cellars of the richer and higher
orders alone were such supplies to
be discovered. but in no rr""oT'''n
to The quantity stated in the Bulletin
The necessit, for collecting stores
for the water is OeeasiGnc'i by the
cessation Of al! intercourse between
Moscow, and the smaller towns, wi
lagos and estates, during that severe
season. Except the great and lead
ing roads ofthe empire. every high
way and foot path is lost in the fa'-
len suow. Ii is difficult to conceive
how the French army can obtain
the means of subsistence for the win
ter. surrounded, as il must be, by
i,npas able ami trackless snow, anu
by IA hostile population.
Bonaparte has asserted. that ne
found in Moscow $4,000 stand OF
arms, and $50 pieces Of cannon.
This is not to he creditei'-fhere is
no arsenal at Moscow and the pro-
digisus extent oflhe town rendersit
perfectly indcfensibIe. 1t is sur
rounded by no fortified lines; and SO
numeTous a park of artillery was
not requisite for the deieHce OF the
krem!in.
A circumstance which hitherto ap-
pears to have escaped general ebser-
walton is. the probable diminution Of
the numbers Of the French, by the
effects Of cIimate alone, at this sea
son of the year. There are three
rivers, which partly surround and
flow through the city of Moscow and
the fogs and civilizations from them'
Just previously to tho falling of the
snow, are extremely injurious to the
health. even of the inhabitants, seas
oned 10 the climate. In these destruc.
tive miasmata the Russians will pro-
baby nave aneffectiveally; & we may
confidently expect, that thousands OF
Boaaparte southern troops viii
thus be sacrificed to the pestilental
risours of a Russian climate.
While the numb>rs of the French
army are diminishing, to those of
the Russian Il constant augmentation
IN b., ,,,,,l., fi'ha haStruef;na 1T