Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-05-08
Prom a laie Foreign paper.
VA j0r hegiOv sky,
THE AGED SIBERIAN EXILE.

THE AGED SIBERIAN EXILE
Our readers may remember that some time ago, ac-
counts from ST. Petersburgh mentioned the return from
Siberia Of an exile, whose advanced age together
with the romantic incidents of his life, excited deep
interest and sympathy. The exile was Major Cheg-
lovsky, who, in the reign of Catherine H. ban
shed to Siberia for having incurred the dispeasure of
the redoubtable Potemkin, whose rival he in the
affections of Polish lady Of high rank. On his re-
turn to St Petersburgh about year and half ago,
Major Cheglovsky was presented to the Emperor and
the Imperial family. He was then about nlnety-iive
years of age, and had passed nearly seventy years of
his life IN exile The romantic circumstances which
led to his Punishment are thus related.
While in the full enjoyment Of the favor of his
Imperial mistress, Potemkin, who really loved
Catharine, became deeply enamored of the Polish
Princess Zumovsky. The Princess then was what
the Countess Woronzoff Asrhkoff now is, the sove-
reign arbiter of fashion, and the of the saloons of
St Petersburgh. She inspired Potemkin with vio-
lent passion, to which it was believed she herself was
not wholly indifferent
Potemkin, at all events, whether with or without
reason, hattered himself that he had made ad-
vance IN the good graces of the lady, when, his
dIsInay, he was struck by marked change in her
manner towards him.. She suddenly became cold, re-
served and serious 1t remarked that this lady
altered manner was dated from the of the fire in
the theatre of St. Petersburgh which occasion she
had been exposed to great danger; and had indeed
been indebted for her life to the heroism of young
officer. who, when the flames rapidly spreading
through every part of the building, rushed into her
box and bore her out in safety.
Potemkn was deeply mortified at the ladys cold
ness and being determined ascertain the cause, he
surrounded the Princess by imperceptibe but vlg-
liant espionage. However, no circumstance OF any
importance was brought to light and Potemkn
beginning to console himself with the belief that the
PrincesSs altered manner was the result of
price and coquetry when incident occurred which
banshed from his mind all doubt OF the fact that he
suppanted by a rival.
On the It'll of March, 1774, the Empress Catha-
rlne was seated at of the windows Of the Hermit
tage Palace looking at some military evolutions per-
formed by the Imperial Guards and the four regiments
of Preobajulski Beside the Empress sat the Princess
Zumovsky, and behind stood Count Potemkin. The
second battalion of the Preobaiuisk had Just reached
the middle of the bridge of Trost when the Princess
leaned over the rail of the balcony, if anxionsy
watching for some one and either voluntarily or by
accident dropped Of her gloves. A young officer,
who saw the glove drop, received it the point of
his sword and after pressing il to his lips, thrust it
into his bosom.
The Princess colored deeply, and Potemkin fixing
his eyes upon her, said, sternly-
''That officer, Madam, has enriched himself with
one of the gloves for is the other designed ~
<'For you, Counts" replied the lady, recovering her
self possession ''if you SO gallant to attach
any value to such trihe''
'Give it me-" said Potemkn, and putting the glove
On the evening of that day feldjagger and two
cossacks proceeded TO the abode of Major ChegloFsy
At sight Of them the officer turned PALE for he well
knew what such visit portended.
"You must accompany me- said the feldjagger.
ssWhther -
ssThat is a secret"
'sWhere are your orders I"
ssHere, read them"
e.Will the journey be long ~
"Perhaps"
''May l be permitted to take bag of roubles and
: some papers with me 10
'.Neithcr money nor papers You must take no.
thing"
'.Well," said the Major, 81 obey Fut at least ]
may take last farewell of my mother. she has just
retired TO rest. Pray let me bid her adieu. will
not detain you than few moments
slmp0ssible! Our orders are peremptory. You
must depart this instant"
Any resistance would have been in vain, and even
the slightest attempt to resist would have been visit
ed with punishment. The Major descended
to the street-door, where teleque was waiting A
teleque was a vehicle then used in RuSsa-lt was
high, with two wheels, and had single seat or bench
of wood. Chegovsky mounted the teleque, which be-
ing drawn BY two swift Urkanian horses, soon passed
beyond the Walk Ostro leaving in the far distance
the blue domes and gded spires of the cathedral and
citadel. The snow fell thickly, and soon covered the
mute travellers. One Of the Coss1cks drove the te
leque and the other sat the wooden seat he being
on one side Of the Major and the fedjagger on the
other. The Cossack who sat the wooden seat soor
fell asleep and for the moment the Major conceived
the idea of sranglng him and attempting his escape
but the bronze eye-d of the feldagger never closed
throughout the whole of the night. They reached
Pochezirskoe; and then Cheglovsky ventured to in
quire whether they had reached their destination
''Not yet replied the fedjagger. They changed
horses and again galoped of; Vystark and Puneskot
SUCCESSFULLY passed and at each delay the Ma
ior, with anxiety increasing proportion the dis
lance, laconicaly Intercepted his escort Every in
quiry was answered with the terrible mot yet"
While passing through the forest of Volosga, the
teeque was followed by pack of hungry wolves
who continued in sight for the distance of sevcra
wersts. The feldagger took notice Of them, IT be
ing an incident Of common occurrence on such jour
neys. To be deyoured by wild beasts, frozen to death
or buried in a tomb Of snow, few of the mani
horrors that await travellers in those desert wilds
Imagination can picture nothing so desolate as tn
interminable succession of white plains, whose wea
" uniformity is broken cny distant intervals by
monastery constructed in the Asiatic style, hut 0
twisted bamboo or gigantic barren mountain. Tn
miserable journey lasted ten days, and Cbeglovsk
was almost worn out by fatigue, when the telequ
halted at the boundary Of dreary s.eppe, and drew
up before huts, which appeared more like tn
dens of bears than human habltatIons.
"We are now at our journeys end" said the field
jaeger
The Major turned deadly pale.
"Impossibe !" he exclaimed, conyulslvely press
ing the hand of his sinister companion. '.You done
intend to abandon alone in this horrd wilderness
What have done What is my crime Why al
/ thus mysteriously dragged from my home II mu:
be that am the victim Of some unaecountabie error