The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-10-10
From hc NATIONAL Journal.


near 1919. Ry General Philip dt
Segur.' 1925.
The reign Of Napoleon has fur
nished inexhaustible materials for
memoirs. which Nepresumo will con-
tmue successfully ~ appear for ma
ny years to come. Tho work ol
Count SFGUR is written in a very
captivating style. Its dcyelopcments
are clear and energetic and the
illustrations and reflections IF the
author are worthy of the uncom-
mon incidents of the Russian
campaign Of the late emperor of the
French, of which it is the history.
This war of 1879 was political
one. Napoleon did not hesitate to
proclaim It as a war Of that desCrip-
ton. TWAS a contest Of which he
was the author and the victim. lie
entered upon il contrary to the ad-
. vice and "Reminiscences of his abicst
counsellors both military aud civil.
TWAS in Nalu Ihatthey represented to
him The immense distance 1T which
If would place him from the seat of
his power /; the opportunities which
| it would afford his enemies, IN PARIS.
to cabal in his absence the rigors
of the Russian climate ; the doubt
tul fdc' " nf his German allies I;
the vas exhaustion of men and mo-
ney viii, would be oCcasioncd by
two great wars waged at the same
momcnt-the one in Spain and the
other in the north eastern extremity
Of Europe and the value Of his life
to The permanent establishment "l
his family on the i1esh fhlae.
Napoleon Combatted those .attsen-
tations by other arguments. Russia,
he said, had not been faithful 10 her
treaties she had been seduced by
England to violate the continental
system she was endeavorIng to "a
lienate from him the Germans, and
il was necessary 10 secure, BY a
splendid and final victory. what VIC
tory had been the means OF obtaining
for France. When Napoleon was
closely pressed by powerful counter
acting reasons, he resorted to fatal
ism. 4 declared that he must faliil his
destiny, which seemed to hurry him
on to a goal which he would not
foresec. Count Segur depicts the
agitation of Napoleon'b mind, at Pa
ris, the fluctuations OF his resoluti-
ons, and his ultimate determination.
He gives a lively view of this extra
ordinary man at Dresden. Sur
rounded by kings, and princes, and
generals, his reluctant allies, his
friends or dependents he portrays
him in his movements, with halt a
million Of men in arms, composed oil
troops furnished by almost every
European nation OF the Continent
a vivid picture is drawn ofthc march
directed by Napoleon, in person,
banked by an Austrian force on the
right, and IA Prussian force eon the
left Of the passage through Polandj
of the entrance on the Russian terri
tory Of the retreat OF the Russians
under Barclay and Bagration o!
the fierce and bloody conflicts at the
passage Of rivers, III the vicinity oil
towns, and Of the sanguiDary and
tremendous battle Of the Moskwa.
which was Immediately followed by
the entry Of the treHChinto Moscow,
! the ancient capital Of Russia. Here
the conqueror found little else than
a deserted city and empty dwellings,
lurking among which were a few
thousand miserable Wretches, who
remained for the purpose OF setting
! the houses Of that vast metropolis in
| flames. Prov iSious became scarce !;
the Emperor Alexander refused to
/ listen to terms Of accommodation !;
| Russian armies we're lowering a.
round Napoleon, ready to take ad-
vantage Of his distress and mistakes;
he hcsitated as t. Tic plan he should
adopt he dcliberated, lost time. and
eventually, concluded to retreat.
But winter was approaching; a Rus
sian winter, whose SHOWS, lro9ts, and
ice, rendered 1t difficult to breathe,