Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1812-12-18

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sources of every kind.
The Emperor is lodged in Kremlin,
which is in the centre of the city, like a
kind of a citadel, surrounded by high walls.
Thirty thousand wounded or sick Russians
are in the hospitals, abandoned, without
succour, and without nour;shnent.
The Russians acknowledge that they lost
fifty thousand men in the battle of Mosk-
wa. Prince Bagration was MORALLY wound
ed or killed in the battle a list has been
made of the Russian Generals wounded or
killed in the battle. 1t amounts to between
forty-fve and fifty.
TWENTIETH BULLETIN OF THE
GRAND ARMY.
Moscow, Sept. IL.
"The Russians have celebrated TIE
Deums, for the battle of Polotzk. Te
Deums have been sung for the battle of
Riga, for the battle of O~strowno, and for
that of Smolensk. According to the Rus
sian accounts they were every where con-
q~uerors, and they drove the French to a
great distance from the field of battle. 1t
was then amidst the strains Of the Russian
TIE Deums that the army arrived at Mos
COW. There they thought themselves con-
querors at least the populace thought so,
for we'll informed persons knew what was
passing.
I" Moscow is the entrepot of Asia and
Europe.--Its warehouses were immense /;
every house was provided for eight months
with neeessaries of every description. 1t
was only the evening before, and the day
of our entrance, that the danger became
known. We found in the house of the mis-
cradle R~ostopchin some papers, and a let
ter half written he fed without finishing
it,
i" Moscow, one ofthe finest and richest
cities in the world is no more. On the 18th
the Russians set fire to the Exchange, the
Bazaar and the Hospital. On the 18th a
violent wind arose. Three or four hundred
~ruffians set fire to the city in 500 different
places at the same moment, by order of
the Governor Rostopchin. Five sixths of
the houses were built of wood the fire
spread with a prodigious rapidity it was
an ocean of flame.-Churches of which
there were 1900; above 1000 palaces, i'm
mense magazines nearly all have fallen a
prey to the flames. The Kremelin has
been preserved.
Their loss is incaiculable for Russia,
for her commerce, and for her nobility,
who had left ell there. 1t is not over rating
its value to state it at many milliards.
About 100 of these incendiaries have
been apprehended and shot all of them
declared that they acted under the orders
of Rostopchin and the director of the Pc
lice.
Thirty thousand sick and wounded
Russians have been burnt. The richest
commercial houses in Russia are ruined.
The shock must be considerable. The
cloathing, the magazines, and the equip
ments OF the Russian army have been con-
sumed. They nave thus lost every thing
they would remove nothing, because they
always tho't it impossible for us to reach
Moscow, and because they were willing to
deceive the people. When they saw all in
the hands of the French, they conceived
the horrible project of destroying by fire
this first capital, this holy city, the centre
of the Empire and they have reduced to
beggary 100000 respectable inhabitants.
This is the crime of Rostopchin, executed
by felons liberated from the prisons.
The resources which the army had
found are consequently .much diminished
however, we have collected and are still
collecting, a number of necessaries. All
the cellars are untouched by the fire and
the inhabitants, during the last t~wenty-four
hours had saved many articles. They en-
deavored to stop the progress of the flames,
but the Governor had taken the horrid
precaution to carry off or destroy all the
engines.
"The army is recovering from its ia
iigues, it has abundance of bread, potatoes,
cabbages and other vegetables, meat, salt
ed provisions, wine. brandy, sugar, coffee,
and in short, provisions Of all sorts.
"The advanced guard is twenty wrests
on the road to Nassau, by which the enc
my is retreating. Another French advanc-
ca guard is on the road 10 ST. Petersburg,
where the enemy has not a single soldier.
The temperature is still that of autumn.
The soldiers have found, and continue to