Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-04-28

vas condemned by the Russians themselves. :
thought. - '''Ss'O'e nc {
AT two IN the morning the news arrived ola = :
nre having broken ont IN the Commercial Pal e
ace. or the finest quarter; ofthe CITY. Rosto- !,
pchln's threat was being realized. vet Napo-
leon stall doubted il; it must be the inpru- :
dence Of some soldier that had caused the con-
Migration. With this belief he issued order :
alter ORDER and despatched messenger after :
messenger. Daylight came without the flames
being extInguIshed, for a strange circumstance ,
no where had any engine been found. Nap
clean then hastened in person to the scene Of
TINS disaster. Il was.the fault Of Mortier-the
iault OF the Young Guard; all arose from the
Imprudence of the soldiers. 1t was then that
Mortier turned the attention of Napolean to a
close house which was kindling by itself as if
by a magic, Napolean sighed and slowly as
cended, with dropping head, the step leading
to the Kremlin.
he had at length reached that desired OBJ
Ject OF his enterprise, in front of him stood the |
ancient residence of the Cars; to his right the |
church enclosing their tombs; to his left the |
Senate's Palace; Welikoli, whose gilt cross,
beforehand destined by him to be substituted
for that of the Invaldes, commanded all the
domes OfMoscoR.
He entered the palace, and neither his ar
chltecture, the vast and splendid apartments
which he went through, nor the magnificent
view ofthe Moskowa, with a world of houses,
golden domes, silver cupolas and bronze roofs,
could wrest him from his reverie. 1t was not
Moscow that he had in his grasp, but Its shad-
ow, spectre, and phantom Who was it that
killed il.
On a sudden he was told that the fire was
extinguished, and he raised his head again. 1t
was another foe vanquished, his fortune was
still that of Cesar. Reports succeeded one
another. According to them the Kremlin ar
senal contained forty Thousand English, Aus
TRAN, and Russian.musketS hundred peices
of cannon, quantity of lances, sabres, arm
ours and trophies captured from the Turkish,
and Persians. at the German gate 100000
lbs. of guupowder, and lager quantity still of
saltpetre, had been concealed in isolated build
ings. The nobility had abandoned their five
hundred palaces, but those palaces were open
and furnished and would Sc occupied by the
superior officers of the army. Some houses,
which had been deemed emhtywould be opened
! they belonged to the mddled classes of society
: and they would tame or attfact others. Last
", we had behind us 250,000 men, and might
Z await winter. With spring war would revive,
and with war victory would return.
: Napolean fell thus asleep betwixt contend
: ing apprehensions and hopes.
At midnight the cry of,"Fire!" was agar
! heard. The wind was from the north, anC
: the fire broke out towards The north. Thu
II chance seconded the flames. The wind dlov'
them towards the direction Of the Kremlln-
y which they approached like burning stream
Y Already did the sparks fly to the Palace roo
y and fail amidst park of artillery stationed un
- der its walls, when the wind shifted to cas-
u The flames changed their directon-they eX
~ tended, but removed to distance.
Suddenly second fire kinded IN the cas-
a and advanced like the first, pushed by the WIZ,
u No further doubt could be ascertaIned, !
~ was a new scheme of destruction adopted
" the enemy, and the evidence Napolean ma
- so long shrunk FROM Aegan 10 gna" a
= heart.
IT. Fresh columns of smoke and flames soc
arose from various parts. The wind ben
e- still uncertain, and constantly shifting iro
o. north to east, the conhagration enveloped u
iul Kremlin from all sides. At every moment to
ne rents flowed from those streams OF ire, whi'
ne; snread IN theft. turn. 1t was no longer nj
ps hut 4 sea Of flanies-an immense tide, eV
ascending towards the loot OF the hreml
-. walls. . =
Jed 6erv tempest; there his might expired and
no genius conquered. The sun arose over |
7as furnace. and daylight exhibited the nights d
US aster. The workmen before 1t, ard draw
his nearer and nearer to the Kremlln. Repo
to then succeeding one another, and we began
ey- ascertain who was the incendIarles.
'as, In the night of the 18th, the very night
the the occupation, globe of fire had fallen UP
the Prince Trubetskoi's palace, and set nre
10 If. II was no doubt signal Tor at the V,
,os- moment the Exchange was on fames' alo
at two or three places the confiagrauon maze e,
the anne arance, kindled by the tarred lances Oh
leul sian Lolice soldiers. Howltzers hau oetH
eao- cealed in almost all the stores, and tne re
Idu soldiers, in lighting them TO warm llieils1i
hes had made them to explode, so that the N
tore had killed the men and set fire to
by houses. All night had been spent by the
uate IN fIvino from house to house. and IN seeing
=. houses they were IN or the one they were
ting tprinc. spontaneously infafned without
ut oil visible cause. Moscow was evidently 400
ear 10 complete destruction. 81.
the Nanolean was then compelled to acknowiG
Yet that the fire simultaneously hndled at u
and sand nlaces, were the work OF one mana
ert- tho same will, if not of the one ana tne
ates, hand, He wiped his forehead, whence
ecro- ous nprspiration flowed, and utterlng
ovcla;med. ~Voila done CONNIE lis nous
that, ouerrel La civilation de SAINT PETERSBURG
~ at trompes. ct les Russes modernes soht
ously tours les anciens scythesl', L.,
TO He Immediately ordered all VINO sLlou |.
} had sa;zed kindling or stimulating the hre,
> sur ss,ed and Shot: the Old Guard occupying
and EreroIin. were to stand to Their arms, ana
rmies ~ thing was to be kept ready 10 qule d
Mos which had been sought from SO greae a
antzc lance, and on the Occupation Oh WINCH ~
citrate dependence had been placed.
alter An hour after the Emperor was aPt
aid, as hat his orders had been executedi some
es be- -, ;rcendiaries had been shot. lhey
gonis- syo,veJ that they were to the numOer ,S o.
nv In. S SsDTu and that before evacuatng MO
scow, the Governor, Rostopchin had concea h. =
whilst n the cellars, in order that tney ts;,
h was 70 an parts of the city. They nAu lS,t
steps, obeved his commands. lnthathou llie
serted had made further progress; the kTemn Y.
Deheld 5oas which had been close, cracked a.
re into - nieces: the air was filed win aSne
a ilO"l dust. -. -, u,as raj
rest Of .sThe Kremln is on fire!" NapoIeen
oala with anger. Thus even the Anclel
I there POI POO the Kremlin, residence OF the Osal
Ter as If rot sacred to those political ErosS Ia
battle. Least he would have set fire tolt nse De
de and zed. He was brought before tne s,; nl"p'
he pre- r was a soldier Of the Russia Ponce.. ponce
luke de Lean questioned him, when be rePea.e.
.rnor of ~, ~ Men already said. Each had nus