Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-05-14

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were respectable clergymen, were stripped
OF all the clothes they possessed, nor even
Excepting the liaen they wore. During that
night OF horror, considerable number of
inhabitants we're seen running terrified thro'
the streets. tying from the death with which
the soldiers threatened them. Some entire
~ naked. others with merely their linen on,
offering the most wretched spectacle. but
rendering sensible the lot Of some (especi~
ally oil the fair sex) who going up to the
roofs of the houses, or plunging into the
common sewers aud privies, found mo-.
| mertary asylum. What refuge could this
be. when continued and copous showers
came TO augment the miseries of these peo.
pie. and when the city was burning, the al
lies having set FIRE to it in the house of Soto.
10 the main street, almost in the centre of
\ the city, in place where it could NOT con-
duce to any military success! When other
houses were likewise fired by them This
| completion OF misiortunes and disasters was
| osiy wanting 10 the inhabitants of St Sebas
tiaii, who, piundered, already maltreated,
many badly wounded, stripped of their
clothes, and anumber killed. the cup of ca.
lamities was thought to be,exhaus ted. In
TINS dreadful night, during which to the
darkness. to the torrents which poured
dcwn, and TO the lugubrious glare of the
flames, was added whatever man, in his
most depraved state, can contriye most di-
abolical, were heard firing within the hous
es themselves, producing Neutrality-suspicious.
IN the lamentations which every where fill
| led the air. The dawn of the first of Sem
TENDER came to illuminate this dreadful
scene, and the inhabitants, though heavily
detected and halfdead, gathered strength
sufficient to present themselves TO the re.
neral and alcaldes, to treat for permission
to leave thar city. Having obtained this
permission, almost all that were able hur.
RED away but In so forlorn and pitiable a
Conditions, that 1t drew tears of compassion
from all who witnessed the sorrowfui spec
tacie. Wealthy people, who having lost all
| they possessed, could not even save their
small clothes delicate young ladies, in their
iinen only, either wounded or abused in
short, people of every class, who underwent
all imaginable evils, sailed forth from this
unfortunate city, the firemen being unable.
| notwithstanding all their cxertions, to extin.
guish the flames !; for, instead of being pro-
tected, as had been ordered at the request
of the alcaldes, they were faltreated, and
compelled to point out houses for the troops
to plumber aud to FIRE.
In the mean time the CONFEDERATION CONT,
nued tospread, and although the French
| did not fire into the city single gun from
| the castle, no pains were taken to stop ii !;
ON the, contrary, evidences of pleasure and
| Joy we're observed in the soldiers, for there
4 were some, who, after having set Ere at 8
morning OF the first september, to q house
IN the main street, danced. Indian.like by
the light of the flames. While the city was
| on lire IN sever | places, all those buildings
which were not devoured by the flames,
| were completely sacked. Not only the
! troops who entered by assault, not only those
who came unarmed from the encampment
OF Astigarra, distant one league, gave them
selves up to pillage, but the attendants on
the brigades came to load their mules wi h
! plumber, and even the crews of English
transports, at anchor in the port of Passage,
had share in the spoil this disorder con-
| tinuing several days after the assault, with.
out any measure having been taken to pre-
vent it, or to restrain the soldiers, who,
with shocking impiety and inhumanity, rob
bed OF despoled out of the City, even of their
garments, the inhabitants who fled distract
ed from 1t, which evidently proves that the
commanders authorized these excuses. il
being also to be observed, that the articles
| robbed or plundered within the CITY and its
suburbs, by English and Portuguese soldi.
ers, were disposed of at public sale, in sight
| II and adjacent TO the head quarters of
| their army. One of the Portuguese offered
for sale the grand chalice of the parish of
st. Vincent, containing many consecrated
hosts, without its being known what has be,
come OF its most precious contents The
plate OF the service OF the parish of st. Ma.
| ria, which was kept in one of its secret re.
| cesses, was sold by the Portuguese after the
surrender of the castle.
| When the spoliations we're thought at an
end, the progress of the flames seemed to
them too slow, and besides tue ordinary
means to set hrc, practised before by the
allies, they made use of mixtures, which
were seen prepared in the street of Narrica
I in pans and caidrons, from which they
were emptied into cases. They used these
| - tire the houses with astonished rapidity.
and the flames spread with an instantane-
GUS explosion. At the sight of the destruc-
tive artificial compositions, at finding all the
efforts made to save the houses useless, ma.
| ny persons, after losing all their furniture
! and ELECTS, to preserve which they had
staid in the city, were obliged to forsake il,
viewing, with deep sorrow, the extraordina !.
! ry rapidly with which the flames devoured
so many handsome edihces.
| Thus has the city OF st. Sebastian perish
ed ! Oi more than six hundred houses con.
tanned within its walls, thirty six only are
left standing and, it is worthy of remark,
that the greater part ofthcse are contiguous
to the castle WHICH the French occupied.-
| Neither was 1t communicated TO the two pa
| rochial precincts, for they served as hospitals
and quarters for the conq1erors, the range
| OF buildings preserved, as has been stated
In tile street of Trinidad at rho foot rs tL,