The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-04-01

beauharnis and Ponatowski extended to the
ghtoeyond the city, whilst Murat, whose move
| iheh's Napoleon watched with increasing ankle
", reached the extremity of the suburbs without
! any depulaton presenting itself.
! Inc Marshals then gathered about him, deri-
wing 'neir anxiety from his anxiety. Napoleon,
pehoiding their clouded brows and wistful looks,
guessed that his thoughts were the thoughts of
an Patience, patience" said he " those PEG
PIC are SO savage that they, perhaps, do not
know how To surrender
In the meantime. Murat had penetrated into
the city Napoleon, no longer able TO resist his
impauence, sent Gourgaud after him; Gourgaud
gailoped OIL, entered the city and joined Murat
al 'he moment when one Of Mlarodowick's oil
GERS was declaring TO the King o, Naples that
the RUSSIAN General would set fire TO the city If
his rear guard were not allowed time enough TO
retire Gourgaud galloped back and conveyed
the news to Napoleon, whose reply was, Let
them go; want all Moscow, from the richest
palace TO the humblest hut.n
Gourgaud went back with the answer 10 Mu-
rat, whom he found amidst party Of Cossacks,
who were gazing with astonishment at the EN-
broidery OF his rich poionaise and the plumes
decking his cap Mural informed Ahem Of the
armlstce, gave his watch 10 their leader his
trinkets 10 another, and, when he had nolhipg
more TO give, borrowed the watches and rings Of
4 the aids-de-camp.
Meanwhile the Russian army, sheltered by
this verbal COW ention, continued TO eyacuate
| Moscow
Napoleon stopped at the gate, still expect
ing that some OF its inhabitants would come
out of the enchanted town. No living being
appeared, aud every returning officer uttered the
strange words, "Moscow is deserted Yet he
could not believe them; he looked on and listen
ed it was the solitude of the desert--the silence
OF death. He was at the gates OF a city OF tombs
! 1t was Pompeii or Metropolis
/ Nevertheless, he still hatered himself that,
like Bremus, he would find either the army at
I the capital, or the Senators magnanmously
awaiting his arrival in their curue chairs TO
prevent any escaping from Moscow who had not
such right, he ordered the city TO be surrounded
on one side by Prince Eugene and on the other
by Poniatowski; the two armies spread along
like crescent, and enveloped Moscow. He
then ordered the Duke Of Danlzc and the Young
Guard TO push on and penetrate TO the heart OF
the capital AT length, after delaying his own
entry as long as he could, as if he would still
doubt what his own eyes behed, he determined
on passing the DorogonstoH gate, summoned TO
him his Secretary Interpreter, who was acquaint-
ed with Moscow, ordered him TO keep close to
him, and, whilst advancing towards the deep 81
lence, which was only interrupted by the noise
Of his own steps, he put questions TO him about
all the deserted palaces, monuments, and dwell
ings, he beheld before him Then, as if afraid
to venture into that modern ThebeS, he stopped
alighted from his horse, and took up temporary
abode in large inn, which was abandoned like
the rest OF the city.
Scarcely had he stationed himself there when
his orders succeeded one another, as if he had
just pitched his tent in field of battle. He felt
the want Of combating, solitude and silence
was more awful than the presence and frdrdS
of an army. The Duke de Trevise (Mortier)
was appointed Governor of the Province, the
Due de Dantzic O.efebvre) was ordered TO occu-
py the Kremlin, and take charge of the police Of
that quarter; the King of Naples was 10 pursue
the enemy, not to lose sight Of them, to pick up
stragglers aud send them TO Napoleon.
Night came on, and as il came Napoleon grew
as gloomy. Some carbine reports had been
heard in the direction Of the Kolonna gate. 1t
was Murat, who. after marching nine hundred
leagues, and being present in sixty actions, had
crossed the capital Of the Cars as lie would have
done village, and overtaken the Cossacks on
| the vladimir road. Some Frenchmen were
announced, who had come to solicit their Empe
ror's clemency. Napoleon ordered them to be
brought in, anxously questioning them, thank
| ing them in some measure for having come with
news but at the first words they uttered he
frowned, flew into passion, and gave them a
denial. They related indeed strange things.
According to Them Moscow was doomed TO
destruction Moscow was doomed by the Rus
SLAMS themselves, by its own sons TO fire 1t
was impossible, thought he
AT two in the morning the news arrived OF
fire having broken out in the commercial Palace,
or the finest quarter Of the city. Rostopchn's
threat was being realized, yet Napoleon still
doubted it; il must be the imprudence of some
soldier that had caused the confagration With
this belief he issued order after order and de-
spatched messenger after messenger. Daylight
came without the flames being extnguished,
for, Ga strange circumstance nowhere had any
engines been found. Napoleon then fastened
| - M he Of
the fault of Mortier-the fault of the Young
Guard; all arose from the lmprudence OF the
soldiers 1t was then that Morticr turned the
. attention of Napoleon to closed house which
was kindling by itself as if by magic. Napoleon
sighed and slowly assembled, with dropping head,
the steps leading to the kremln.
He had at length reached that desired object
Of his enterprise; IN front OF HIM stood the an
cient residence OF the Cars 10 his right the
, Church enclosing their tombs; TO his left the
Senate's Palaces and in the background the
lofty steeple Of Ivan Welikoi, whose guilt cross,
beforehand destined by him to be substituted for
that of the Invades, commanded all the domcs
of Moscow
He entered the Palace, and neither the archi-
lecture, the vast and splendid apartments which
he went through, nor the magnificent view of the
Moskowa; with world Of houses, golden domes,
silver cupolas, and bronze roofs, could wrest
him from his reUefie 1t was not Moscow he
had in his grasp, but its shadow, spectre, and
phantom. Who was il that had killed III
j. On sudden he was told that the fire was ex-
tnguished, and he raised his head again. 1t
was another foe vanquished; his fortune was
still that Of Cesar. Reports succeeded one an
other. According TO them the Kremlin arsenal
contained forty thousand English, Austrian and
Russian muskets, hundred pieces Of cannon, a
quantity of lances, sabres, armors, and trophies
captured from the Turks and Persians. AT the
! German gate 100000 pounds Of gunpowder,
and larger quantity Of salpetre, had been con-