Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-11-23
mo. 40 SO
PICTURE OF HAMBURG.

Eatract Of a letter from q yot.ng
.gentleman Of hGnturg, to1is bre.
ther in baltimore, dated London,
!. august, ISIS etailiHs some Of
tile French eno,miiies after the re-
cent entry into that devoted, rityi
ssSatisfied with having escaped
from the fangs Of these mereiless
monsters, have relinquishedeve
hope of ever regaining remnant
Of the property and sffeetsl had left
behind me. These barbarians ars
now preying upon the last remains
of our unfortunate birth place. A
contribution OF forty-eight millions
of francs has been laid, besides All
additional five for the trsubls of les
vying it-abstract from the praed4
ces they use to extort from private
purses the last shilling that is loft to
thousands. Even il it-were Praed'
cable to avail myselfofmy property,
/ could turn it totliltle or no account
the best houses in the city might
be had for 500 or a thousand marks
The French soldiery exact e.
normeus quantities Of provision and
other nee essaries, and resort to force
to obtain them. One third Of the
Inhabitants have fed the city, and
the abeye contribution amounts to
more than perhaps is left in the city.
IF not complied with, the city will
probably be given up 10 plumber and
devastation. Picture then TO your.
self the abject misery and wretched'
ness to which the remnant Of its n-
habitants al reduced.
"Far better and nobler had it been
to lraye. initiated the example of Moss
cow, and iai. the whole province Id
ashes.-From 4 TO GOO inhabitants
and others frem neighboring villages
are kept at work on the fortihea@
tons, and denied the privilege even
Of a substitute, The old, the ii1.
firm, nos even the gentle sex. ara
spared this dreadful visitation, 40
Those particularly who had enis
broidcred the colors Of the EaDsea~
tic Legion !; with the venerable
Bambaeh, who eOnsecrated them
though fast verging on bis 9Oth year,
are among these unfortunate of odr
citizens. The suburbs around the
city are demolished, and our bro.
Their is driven almesi penny
less from house and home. The a.
venues before the DsMnlhcr and
Steinthor. the Elbe Pavilion. tbs
garden, the ornaments upon the ram.
parts-all these delightful places OF
public resort have disappeared, and
are as barren waste. ] dare not
think what ii now is. when ] co1l-
pare ii with what it might have ttens
but for the treaehery Of the Danes.
We, City Guards, were attut 40,
900 strong, and for the space Of
four weeks, almost constant. under
arms. We were reinforced h, INC
Hanseats, Meckienburgers. awefes,
Prnssians, and some HUNDREDS OF { os-
sacks and but for the Intervention
Of the Danes, the French would ne
yer again have entered Hamburg. go
On the 29lh Of May, General Stet-
tenborD, with his Ranseats, Co.'S
sacks, Swedes, &c. left our city,
the City Guards were disbanded, and
the arms ordered TO be delivered up
No reasons could be assigned for
this strange order. The drums
again beat the alarm-seyeral com
panies assembled shut the Rspes had
betrayed US! Three weeks before,
they had fought with US. size by
side /; but not being rewarded
for their services by the posses
sion Of Hamburg, lubeek, ard
Bremen, they lesgued Will the
French, and agreed with item to
take possession of Hamburg. Which
accordingly they did soon after our
corps were dismissed, for our shores
were thus unguarded, ard the French
could thus effect landing in the
greatest order, and sRier Hamburg
when they pleased. The first that
entered we're the I" Dauans,' with
shouts Of "v;,e PEmpereur :" they
went UP enc street and down another.
The 5000 continued the While Of the
next day, to- march out Of one gate
into another. 10 impress an idea Of
superior aumbers. The Douans im-
mediately occupied the gates aud
to save myself the disgrace Of sboui-
- n ) 4 n n