Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-06-12

ruins OF TIC SNCteHt IuSoIdit capital.
On man Of sense this awful LESSON
would have had its effect. He would
have perceived his attempt to be despe-
rate, and would have retired while it wa
vet time. But that obstinate pride, tina,
presumptuous arrogance in the tharae.
ter OF the French chief, which had form.
ed the basis of Ksutousof's plan, now
insured its success. They vented the
invader from listening to this warning
voice, or perceiving the dangers which
were gathering round him. Too blind
to see his error, or too proudto acknowl-
edge it and to retrace his steps, bouyed
Z up with the vain and delusiye hope, that
the Russian government would Sub.
nit now thai their capital Was in his
possession, he spent FIVE weeks at Mos.
cow, which ought to have been employ.
| ed in his retreat In the mean time
Kou,ousoif' was silently wheelpg OH hi.
right tisnk, and Wipzingerode forming
on MS lett. Tchitchagoff advanced with
a rapid and steady course into his rear
| & the gallant 1Vittgenstein being strong
ly reinforced, had attat ked, defeated and
| dispersed helcorps left on The Dwina
| by the invader. TO keep open his com.
murications, bring up his supplies, and
facilitate Unnecessary his retreat. This
blow was decisive. The strong points
Of tbs lire pf communications we're
| tormed by Polotsk and Vilapsk, where
F.! large magazines had been collected
! These ieli into thc haads ofthe Russians.
Wi,tgensten then had possession Of
one road Of retreat, that from Smolen.
$50 to Wilma by the way of the D~ina
Tss hacbasoff, having dispo,ed of the
Austraas; was rapidly approaching the
other, which lead from Smolensko to
G.o,lno, or Wilra by the way Of Mink
koutousof s'ilh the main army Wa. al
vancing from Kslonga to Boronina, into
tic rear Of the French, on one side, *
Winzingerode " ith strong corps rom
the Twer on the other.
1t was then that on the 18th OF Oc;e-
Der, the invader, with rage and anguish
in his heart, toe late resolved on his re
treat. Having tried in vain his usual
arts of perfidious negotiation, and see
ing the distractions which had been
formed in his road back, he made de
sperare attack on the army Of Koutous.
off, in hopes, apparently, of opening
his way into the southwestern provinces
of Russia This produced the battle OF
Malo-aznsloff, in which after a most
obstinate and bloody conflict, after that
town hati baen eleven times taken and
re-taken If, one day he was repulsed
with immense loss. beaten and driven
back on Moscow. He then commenced
his retreat, or rather flight, by the way
of SaloIensko, where he arrived on the
10th of November, with an army ia.
tigued, defeated, disheartened and d.
minishcd one third.
Aid let it be remembered that &C
cordIns to his own aceoupt, the cold did
not set IN till three days. befyro he
reached SmoIensko. Up TO that mo-
mtnt, Up 30 the 7,h Of November, the
Weather, say his bulletins, was as fine
IS in the middle provinces Of France.
And vet in that part oil his retreat whlct'
took place during THIS fine season, the
force of his a:My was entirely broken
His troops were beaten and scattered on
all sides. Whuie corps were made pr.
soners. The roads were every where
s.rewea with their cannon and their
baggage, their dead and their dying
III fine, this pretended retreat was al.
ready, before the frost and snow com
menced, the most disastrous flight re-
corded in history. 1t was not therefor
the premature winter, nor the severlt'
of the climate, but the skill and prow
ess ufhis enemies, by which he was de
stroyed. He no doubt suffered severe
" from the cold, the ice and the snow ;
but it was the force of his eneHtles that
compelled him to be exposed to them
Had he been able to make head agalns'
his pursuers, or even TO make slo"
and orderly, retreat. he might have
found quarters to shelter him from The
ice and snow to Whish moreover his
pursucrs were as II UGH exposed as him.
self Alternating two days at Snoen-
sko, and he could stay no longer, tor
enc dsy more he would have brought
Koutoasoff Into his front, he resumed
his flight, by the road to Minsk; tor he
was shut out by Wittenstein from tina
which led through Vitapsk and Polotsk
to wilma. The active Wittenstein, In
formed of this movement, put himself
in motion towards theA Mlpsk road, driv-
ing tbs remnanto OF Victor's corps before
hin, I chisehago approached it on the
other side. He reached Slinsk before
the French. and passed the bridge o the
Berezioa, which lies between that city
and Smolcnsko. The Frsnch were thus
driven fromsbe main road, snd confyef.
led to ascend the Barizina in quest ot's
passage. Here they encountered the
army Of Wittgcnstein and were COM