Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-07-01

wnere prevailed was shll farther increaS-
ed, when the soldiers received permission
to pillage the city. Soldiers, suffers, gal
ley slaves, and prostitutes. were then seen
eagerly running about the streets. rarsack-
ing the deserted palaces, and carving off
whatever could CRAFTY their avarice.
: Some Continues the narrative). covered
themselves with stuffs richly worked with
gold some were euvelopcd in beautiful
and costly furs, while others dressed them
selves in women's and children's pelisses:
and even the galley slaves concealed their
rags under the most splendid court dres-
ses the rest, crowded into the cellars, ana
forcing open the doors, drank the most
luscious wines, and carried off an immense
booty
4" The approach Of night added new sor-
rows to the conflagration and the narra-
tive contains the following description Of
this !readful scene:
Penetrated by SO many calamities. |
hoped that the shades of night would cast
a veil over the dreadful scene but thew
contributed on the contrary, to render the
confiagration more visible. The violence
OF the flames. which extended from north
to south, q were strangely agitated by the
wind, produced the most awfulappeafance
on a sky which was darkoned by the thick
est smoke. Nothing could equal the an
guish which absorbed every feeling heart,
and which was increased in the dead of
the night, by the cries of the miserable VIC
TINS who were savagely murdered, or by
the screamsof the young females, who fled
tor protection to their weeping mothers,
and whose Intellectual struggle, tended on
" to inflame the passion of their violators.
To these dreadful groans aud heart-rend-
ing cries, which every moment broke up
on the ear were added, the bowling of the
dogs, which, chained to the doors of the
palaces, according to the custom of Mos
COW, could not escape from the fire which
surrounded them.
81 fiattered myself that sleep would for
while release me from these revolving
scenes but the most frightful recollection
crowded upon me, and all the horrors OF
the evening again passed in review. My
wearled senses seemed at last sinking into
repose, when the light of anear and dread
ful conllagration, piercing into my room,
suddenly awoke me. thought that my
room was prey to the flames. 1t was no
idle dream; for, when | approached the
window, saw that our quarters were on
fire, and that the house in which, lodged
was in the utmost danger. Sparks were
thickly falling in our yard, and on the WOO
den roofs of our stables. / ran quickly to
my landlord and his family. Perceiviug
their danger, they had already Quilted
their habitation, and had retired to sub
terranean vault, which afforded them more
security. found them with their SER
wants all assembled there nor could pre-
vail on them to leave it, for they dreaded
our soldiers more than the fire. The ia
Their was sitting on the threshold of the
door, and appeared desircus of appeaisng.
by the sacrifice of his own life, the ferocity
OF those barbarians, who advanced to insult
his family. Two of his daughters, pale,
with dishevelled hair, and whose tears adj
ded to their beauty, disputed with him the
honor OF the martyrdom. i at length sue
ceeded in snatching them by violence from
their ASYLUM, under which they would
otherwise soon have been buried.''
" The fourth corps having received or
ders to quit Moscow, proceeded towards
refers Row, where it encamped and
here the author saw the wretched inhabi-
tants taking their departure from their
ruined habitations, TO wander they knew
not whittier. He describes this affecting
spectacle in the following terms
At that moment, about the dawn of
day,l witnessed the most dreadful and
the most affecting scenes, which it is posi-
bic to conceive, namely, the unhappy in
habitants drawing upon some mean vehi-
cles all that they had been able to save
from the confagration. The soldiers hav-
ingrobbed them of their horses, the men
and women were slowly and painfully
dragging along these little carts, some of
which contained an infirln mother, others
paralytic old men, aid others the misera-
bic wreck of half consumed furniture chill
dren, half naked, followed these interesting
groupes. Affection, to which their ace
IS commonly stranger, was impressed
even on their features, and when the SOL
diers approached them, they ran crying
into the arms of their mOthers.'
Moscow continued burning for nearly
four days.
-%pE:ss: Ers--
ANECDOTE.
After the action near Hreslaw in
Silesia, between the Prussians and the