Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-02-08
TWENTY NINTH BULLETIN OF
THE GRAND ARMY.
MoLoaetscAno, Sd Dec.

A0i0aetScAno, Sd dec. 1879.
The weather was very good till the
9Th Nov and>the movements OF the ar
my were executed with the greatest
success The Geld weather commenc.
ed the 9Th from that time, we have
lost every night many hume! eds OF
horses, which died while mounted on
guard Since our arrival at Smoiensk,
We have lost msnv horses belonging to
the cavalry and artillery. The Russian
army OF V"lhynie was opposed to cur
right Our right Quilted the line OF o.
pera ion. on Minsk, and took for it that
of Warsaw. Tie Emperor was appris.
cd at Snolensk, Oh the 9th, OF this
change in the line of operations, and
presumed how the enemy would act
However difficult it appt AIRED to him to
put himself in motion in this sc we're sea-
son the new site Of things compelled
him to do SO. He hoped 20 arrive at
Minek. or at least on The Beresina, be-
lore the eremr-hc lett Smolensk on
tic lSth. the l6th be arrived at KiasDoi
lhe cold weather, which commenced
tie u, Increased daiiy, and from the
l4th to the 18th and l6th, the thermo-
meter was at Is and IS degrees below
freezing. { Rruamur TIE roads were
covered with ice. thc horses OF the Ca.
yalry. artillery and baggage, pesished
every night, not by hurdred- bui by
thousands, particularly those of France
and Germany, More than thirty thou
sand horses persisted in few days our
cavalry we're dlsmountcd, our artillery
and our baggage Wagons we're without
horses. 1t became necessary to destroy
a great part Of our artillery, provisions
ard munitions Of var. This srmy il
fine condition On The 9th, was very
different on the l4th, almost withou, ca
valry, without artillery: and without
waggons--we could rot guard without
cavalry more than quarter Of a league
notwithstanding. without artillery we
could not risk battle or maintain a po-
sition, we must march, not 10 be forced
TO battle. which the want of artillery
and cavalry prevented Us from wishing
we must occupy certain space not
to be turned, and that without cavalry
which protects and unitcs the cnlunns.
These difficulties, together with excts
sivc cold, rendered our situation dis.
tressing. Men whom nature bad not
gifted with that fortitude which places
them above the frcwns of fortune, ap
reared alarmed, lost their aaie,,, Their
good hunouc, and saw nothing before
them but misforlnres and catastropbies,
those y hom she lad created superior to
every thing, preserved their eaiety and
ordinary manners. and saw new glory
in the various difficulties they had to
surmount
The enemy who saw on the reads the
traces Of this awful calamity which at.
ended the French army. sought to pro-
81 by it. They filed up all tEeir columns
with Cossacks, who carried of, like the
Arabs in the deserts, tie carriages ard
rain that were lost. This conte,np,ible
;ava!ry, who make nothing bat noise
md Is not capable OF breaking one com.
,anv of vGligeurs, recder themselves
ornidable by favor Of circumstances
Notwithstanding the encmy had reason
o repent OF all the serious enterprises
Which they undertook. Thew were
'eaten. BY the Vice, Roy and lost manv
men. The duke OF EIchipgen, WHO W.,
hree thcasand men composed the rear
;nsrd, aud scaled the ra,nparts of Smo-
snsk. &c WAS surrounded and found