Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-01-16

were in plenty. The houses OF the IN
habitants were well provided, aud ma
ny had even left their servants to at
tend upon us. In most Of them there
was note left by the proprietor, beg
ging the French officers whe took pos
session to take care Of their furniture
aud other things that they had left ev-
cry article necessary for our wants, and
hoped to return i'll few days, when
che Emperor Alexander had accommo
dated matters. at which time they
would be happy to see us. Many la
dies remained behind. They know
that had been in Berlin and Vienna
with my armies, and that no injury had
been done to the inhabitants; and more
over, they expected speedy peace
We werein hopes of enjoying ourselves
in winter quarters, with every pros
pect of success in spring Two days
after our arrival, a fire was discovered,
which at first was not supposed to be
alarming but to have been caused by
the soldiers kindling their fires too near
the houses, which were chiefly ofwood.
| was angry at this and issued very
strict orders on the subject to the COM
mandants of regiments and others
The next day it had advanced, but still
not SO as to give serious alarm. How
ever, afraid that it might gain upon US,
[ went out on horseback, and gave
every direction to extinguish it. The
next morning violent wind arose, &c
the fire spread with the greatest rapid
ty. Some hundred miscreants, hiredfor
that purpose dispersed themselves in diff
ierent parts OF the town, and with
matches which they concealed under
their cloaks, set fire TO as many houses
to windward as they could, which was
easily done, in consequence of the COM
bustlble materials of which they were
built. This, together with the violence
ofthe wind, rendered every effort to
extinguish the fire Intellectual. | my
self narrowly escaped with life. In
order to show an example, l ventured
into the midst of the flames, and had
my hair and eye. brows singed, and my
clothes burnt off my back but it was
in vain, as they had destroyed most of
the pumps, of which there were above
a thousand !; out of allthese, believe
that we could only find one that was
servicable. Besides, the wrctches that
had been hired by Restopehin, ran
about in every quarter, disseminating
fire with their matches in which they
were but too much assisted by the
wind. This terrible confagration ru-
ined every thing. was prepared
for every thing but this. / was un-
foreseen, for who would have
thought thai nation would have set its
capital OIL fire? The inhabitants them
selves, however, did all they could to
extlnguish it, and several OF them per
ished IN their endeavors. They also
brought before us numbers OF the incen
diaries with then matches, as amidst
such a popolazzo we never could have
discovered them ourselves. ! caused
about two hundred OF these Wretches
to be shot. Had it not been for this ia
tai fire | had every thing my army
wanted excellent winter quarters;
stores OF all kinds were in plenty ; and
the next year would have decided it.
Alexander would have made peace or
l would have beenin Petersburg" /
asked if he thought that he could entire
ly subdue Russia. No. replied Ma
poleon but would have caused Rus
sia to make such peace as suited the
interests of France. / was five days
too late in quitting Moscow.-Several
of the generals, continued he, 'were
burnt out of their beds. | myselfre.
manned in the Krembling,* until sur
rounded with flames. The fire ad-
vanced, seized the Chinese and India
warehouses, and several stores of oil
& spirits, which burst forth in flames &
overwhelmed every Thing. Then reti-
red to country house OF the Emperor
Alexander's distant about league
from Moscow, and you may figure to
yourself,h the intencity ofthe fire, when
/ tell you, that you could scarcely bear
your hands upon the walls of the win
dows on the side next to Moscow, in
consequence of their heat cd state. 1t
was the spectacle ola sea and pillows
of fire, u sky and clouds of flame
mountains of redtrolling flames, likes m
mence waves OF the sea, alternately
bursting forth and elevating themselves