Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-11-19

dred thousand infantry and sixty thousand
cavalry, with more than one thousand
pieces vt cannon, commanded in person by
the ablest soldier The world ever saw.
On the 22d of June, 1919, the bulletin ol
Napoleon announced a war with Russia,
and this vast armament was destined ic
Invade lis territory. 1t is not our intention
: 10 follow that army in its victorious march
into the heart OF Russia, nor to speak ot
the battles fought and won. Slowly the
} Russians yielded before the movements ol
The grand army but in following their
retreat the invaders found a country deso-
late. All that could sustain life was des-
Iroyed-villages and towns consumed, and,
what short time before, toemed with busy
life, was now silent and deserted, save only
when enltvened by the songs Of the inva.
ders, or broken by the heavy tramp OF
armed men. To Moscow all looked for
iuli payment of present sacrifices, and to
Moscow their march was hurried. The
lime at which the stormy season usually
set in, had passed. vet, as if Heaven favor
ed the onward march Of The grand army
summer still fingered, and The sun cleaned
upon the muske,s and lances of the host,
and flashed upon the helmets of that stern
band of warriors, the Old Guard, as they
advanced upon the ancient capitol Of the
Czars, the richest city of the Empire. 10
reach ii, the troops had loiled and suffered
lrom hunger and thirst-its riches and
pleasures had formed the theme of many Il
camp story in the midnight bivouac, and
oil pressed on to that goal where their
suffering were TO end.
! From the Mount Of Salvaton-so called
from the fact that here the Muscovites,
upon first seeing the Holy City, as they
Called Moscow, were wont 10 kneel and
cross then,selves-,he tired troops caught
ight OF Moscow and its splendid palaces.
Before them it lay stretched out, the rays
OF the setting sun reflected upon its domes
and numerous churches, covered with
copper, giving to each the appearance of n
mass OF molten gold. Like the soldiers of
Corlez, when from panama's s heights they
saw the city and bay at their feet, The sold
iers of Napoleon threw down their arms
and were lost IN as:onishinent. Fancy
had run riot in depicting The splendor Of
the city Of the Cars, but fancy had painted
nothing near the reality. Ii seemed more
a scene OF eastern magnificence conjured
up by the wand of q magician, than by
stern reaIty, which lay before them.
Moscow, with its beautiful gardens, lis vast
and magnificent churches; its numerous
domes, aud spires which 10 the magma
lions, from The place where viewed,- seenC-
ed almost to reach thu heav ens--all were
before them. >..s -.
Among group which stood for some
time entranccd on the summit of lhe mount,
stood tha. strange belng-that child OF
destiny, at whose command the hosts had
cohgregated, and 10 psf whom down, the
world had stood in arms. Near 10 the
Emperor, and his staff but not Of them,
stood one whose dared and restless eye and
fine form, would make him Il marked man
III every crowd lie had entered the army
of the Republic, quite youth, and in
Egypt had fought beneath, the eye of his
Iuiure Enpel 81. From the ranks, he had
risen TO Lieuienancv and from that, step
by step, he had gained his present com.
mand, and Auguste Marmount now wore
the sash OF Brigadier. lie was brave to
excess, and save that, those who knew
him best, said he had no other virtue. He
had married, during the reign of terror: one
whose family Lad been Cut off by the guiIlo-
tine, in the hope that when the ehange
came, as come he knew it must, the noble
property Of the Marquis dc a., then con-
tiscated, might become his own, and it came
TO pass as he had hoped i. would.
AS the Brigade OF Marmount marched
into the city, naught Of human shape, save
stragglers OF the army and the criminals
loosed from Russian jails, were to be seen
Save The heavy tramp Of armed men, no
sound broke upon the ear. The streets
were deserled-lhe inhabitants had fled,
and the city, so late the theatre of bus,iing
activity, was reit Of its inhabitants. The
French had taken q city of gardens and
towers-of houses and of concealed trea-
sure, yet it was desert they had conquer
ed. AS though some fell pestilence had
passed over it, sweeping from earth every
thing possessed of human life, the city was
at the feet of the conqueror, but it was the
city, not the people. No. a chimney sent
up q srnoke-Moscow was deserted. Near
the splendid church Of St. Michael, next to
the Krennlin, the largest building in that
city OF churches, palaces and novels, the
Brigade Of Marmont were assigned quarters.
The Emperor took up his abode ip the
huge triangular mass of towers-halt
palace, half castle, known as the kremiin,
which the people had been taught to
believe, could never be pressed by the foot
of an enemy Of the Muscovite.
At midnight The alarm bell lent its deep
toned voice to break the slumber OF the
tired soldier and the shout of the sentinel
rang out the alarm of Fire! Moscow. In
lis centre, was in flames, and as the fire
broke forth, it showed CONSERVATION in the
face OF men who never blanched before.
How 1t originated, no one knew, but all
conJecturcd the same cause, when they
found the engines useless, and the supply
OF water cut off. By incredible exeriions
the flames were arrested and at morning i,
was said 'order reigns in Moscow The
next night the cry OF fire was again heard,
and in different quarters of the city the
flames broke forth, and all attempts to
arrest them proved unavailing. The
Kremln itself was on fire, and so rapid
was tho approach of the devouring element,
that when Napoleon yielding to the entreat.
les of his staff to qu. ii, lad gained the
street, on every side he was surrounded by
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