Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-06-07
NAPOLEON AT MOSCOW.

ing of Moscow, which is well spoken of in h,
American Wing Review as superior even to Gro
fly's picture in "Salathiel' Of the confiagration o
Rome. Headley's descriptive powers have rarly
/ if ever been surpassed: a so,g "a, ..,.,.,s,
| cat length Moscow, with its domes and towers nj
palaces appeared in sight, and Napoleon who had onedhs
advanced guard gazed long and thoughuy on that goao
his wishes Murat went forward and entered the gates WITH
his splendid cavsy, but he passed through the street.-the
struck with the solitude that surrounded him. Noting
heard bu. the heavy tramp Of his squadron as he passed
aongo deserted and abandoned city was the meager pie
for which such unparalleled efforts had been made Az
night drew its curtain the splendid capital Napoleon a.
tered the gates, and Immediately appointed Morer governor
Ia his drectons be commanded him abstain from ali nase
For this. said he you shall be answerable will your
life Defend Moscow against all, whether friend or be-
"The bright moon rose over the mighty city, tipping
with silver the domes OF than two hundred chuches
and pouring food Of light thousand palaces nd the
dwellings Of three hundred thousand inhabitants Theweay
army sunk to rest but there sleep Mortier eyes,
Not the gorgeous and varegated palaces and their r
ments the parks and gardens and oriental magncencs
that every where surrounded him. kept him wakeu Int the
ominous foreboding that dire calamity was hangv over
the silent capital When be entered IL scarce Twin, soul
met his gaze as ne looked down The long streets and when
be broke open the buildings be found palor and bedroms
and chambers all furnished and in order, but no ocu-
pants The sudden abandonment of their homes betokeed
some secret purpose yet to be fulfilled The midnight
was sailing the city, when the cry Of fire reached tie
Of Morter and the frat light over Napoeon's falling
empire kindled and that wondrous scene in modem
times commemorative burning of Moscow s.
Morer. governor Of The city Immediately issued bis
orders and was putting forth every eIeon, when at day
light Napoleon FASTENED to him. Affecting to dSbeeve the
reports that the inhabitants firing their own city, he put
rigid commands Mortier keep the soldiers from
the work Of destruction The Marshal simply pointed to
ron-covered houses that had yet been opned from
every crevce of which smoke issuing like steam from
the sides of nd apHth
leon turned towards the Kremn the palace of the
Cars whose huge structure rose high above the surrounding
edifces T.s sG slE Sl esF aaca ra,
In the morning Mortier, by great exstions, was ena-
bled to subdue the fire. The next night (epember l5 at
midnight the sentinels watch upon the 10y Kemin
below them the flames bursting through the houses and pa
aces and the cry Of Sire, fire, fire. passd through the
city The dread had fairly opefd Fiery bal
looms dropping from the air and hitting upon the
houses dull explosions heard on ever side from the
shut dwellings, and the next moment brh light burst
forth, and the flames raging through be apartments
All was uproar and confusion The sereneAr and moon
light Of the night before had given way to ding clouds and
wild empess that swept with the roar Of tn the
city, Flames every side, blazing al cracking in
the Storm while clouds Of smoke and sparks ncesssnt
shower, driving towards the KremIn. The clouds
themselves seemed turned into fire, rolling in ath de-
voted Moscow Mortier, crushed with Responsibility thus
thrown upon his shoulders, moved his loung Guard
amid this desoaon blowing up the houses nd facing the
tempest and the famessrugging noby to ar the cona-
grafton. .Ea "a.
He fastened from place to place amid the azng ruins
his face blackened with smoke and his hair and eyebrows
singed with the fierce heat AT length the dy dawned
day Of tempest and aame and Morie who bad strained
every for hirysx hours, entered paaceand dropped
from fatigue. The manly form and salwar arm that so often
carried death into the ranks Of the enemy engh
and the gloomy Marshal lay and painted in ute
But the night Of tempest had been succeededby day Of
empes and when night again enveoped the ely
broad fame, waving and fro In the blast Tie wind had
increased to perfect hurricane, and shifted from quarter to
quarter if purpose swell the of fire. aud eItngush
the last hope. The fire approaching the Remln, and
already the of the ames and the crash Of the falling
houses, and the cracking Of burning mbe reborne to
the Of the startled Emperor He and walked TO
and fro, stopping convusvey and gazing on th. terrific
scene Mura Eugene and Berihier rushed into his pre-
sence and their knees besought him to fee but he still
hung to that naughty palace if it were his empire
:" But at length the shout, the Kremin is fire was
heard above the Of the conagraon and Napoleon
ucany consented to leave He descended the street With
his staff and looked about for way of egress but the flames
blockaded every passage At length they discovered pos
gate leading the Moskwa and entered it, but they had
only entered still further into the danger As Napoleon cast
his eyes around the open space, gded and acd with fire,
smoke, and cinders he single street YET open but
all on fire. Into this he rushed and, amid the crash of falling
houses and raging of the flames burning ns through
clouds Of rolling smoke and between walls Of fire. he pressed
on, and LENGTH half suocaed emerged in safety in the
imperial palace of Perowsky nearly three miles distant,
Moe relieved Of his anxiety for the Emperor redoubed
his efforts to arrest the conAagraon. His cheeruy
rushed into every DANGER Breathing nothing but smoke and
ashescanopied by fame smoke, and cinders surrounded
BY walls Of fire that rocked and fo and fell with crash
amid the blazing ruins carrying down with roofs
OF ron ne struggled against enemy that badness could
courage These brave troop' had heard
tramp Of thousands Of cavalry sweeping to battle without
but they stood in still terror before the march Of
the conagraon, under whose burning footsteps was heard
ncessant crash falling houses and palaces ard churches
The continuous Of the flames terrible than the
of the artillery and before this foe in The midst Of
the elements the awestruck army stood poueress and
afrighted. t.4% s. @ gss ss 81 Z. s5{3sH,F sl5 9uEs@
sWhen night again descended on the city it presented
spectacle the like of which BEFORE and which
battles all description. The streets fire, the
heavens canopy OF fire. and the entire body of the city
mass Of fire, fed by the hurricane that hred tie bszing
fragments in constant through the air Incsssant
explosions, from the blowing up Of stores of OIL tar aud
spirits shook the very foundation Of the city, and sent vast
volumes of smoke rolling furiously towards the sky Huge
sheets Of fire floating like messengers Of
death through the fameshe towers and domes Of the
churches and palaces gowed with redhot heat the wild
below then otterng moment their basis hur
ed by the tempest into the common ruiu Thousands Of
wreches before driven by the heat from the
cellars and hoves and streamed in incessant rong in
the street. Children carrying their parsntsthe
strong the weak while thousands more were Staggering
der the loads of plumber they had snached from the flames
This too would frequently take fire in the falling shower,
and the miserable creatures would be compelled to drop it
and fee for their lives Oh it of fear and wo,
inconceivabe and ndescrbabe mighty and close pack
ed city Of houses and churches and palaces wrapped from
limit 10 limit in flames which fed by whring hurricane
is sight this world will seldom see. 5faEi 81
" But this oil within the cty. To Napoleon without
the spectacle was still moro sublime and terrific. When the
flames had oil Obstacles and had wrspped every
thing In their red mantle, that great city looked like sea