Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1859-08-18
Written for the Marshall Co. Republican
/ 8 / z,
RETREAT FROM MOSCOW.
by MAJOR JOHN F. LASGEynAUcH, SEN.
CHAPTER XXyI


room for disseminating the misscss. What would
be presented, then, when the stream would become
obsruced, by reason ofnarrow streets and avenues
contemplated the result with tae deepest anxiety
apprehenled repetition of the horrors of the Be
rezina-horrors enhanced by the mad infatuaton of
my own comrides. Now, as then. the entire crowd
pressed on in and the same direction. Driven
by sensess anmil instinct. each followed his pre-
decessor without judgement reflection.
Llrusll, as was his VOLT, looked around to dis
cover some by-path by which might turn aside
unperceived; for he feared to draw too argea num-
Der after him if we were sud lcny strike off into
the fields. We had already come up ITO few houses
that lay scattered outside the town, an were close
by the suburbs
"Keep yourselves close, my friends" he said,
and follow me quickly whea turn out of the road.
Behind that fence we shall be able tureach another
of the town gates, where the crowd will not be SO
pressing"
B)les, now calm, he took by the arm; Resen,
myself, anl four IN ,re kept close to him. The liv-
ins stream begin already to stasnlte, AMI we were
pushed forward with rule violence, rather than Of
our own accord.
"Now.' cried lrush, turning to one side from
the road. We followed. Moved by some dim con
lecture, numbers pressed AFTER The devating path
passed across steep AMI slippery slope. Larush
shot across sif.ly to the hollow beyond, dragging
Boles along with him, but slipped. Rosen tried
to support me, but he too weak and unsteady to
keep firmly on his feet so We fell down together
! The crowd passed. Us by on each side. They did not
rample down, bat they cut off from our guide.
With diff Guilty We succeeded in gathering ourselves
up. looked out for Larush He had disappear
ed while a huge mob already covered the field. To
contend inst this current was out of the question
to escape from it by advancing rapidly
seemed equally hopeless. There rem lined, there
fore nothing for to do but su.r ourselves to be
swept along by the turbulent blloys. The path
turned AMI meanlerei arounl the angular zgz.s
enclosures of several detached farms. Suddenly il
branched off in variety of directions, every lane
being already crowded with people. Which one
htd Llrush f,llowell 1t beyond conjecture
to know, and even hid it been possible to ascer
tain, it would have availed nothing: FOR neither
it here lett optional which l,h to t,llc, bat every
one was obliged to 90 into the direction in w'iicl
the ever increasing throng bore him on. Roscn
acting upon the slne principle which stood him il
such good stead at the Berezina, made it his chic
object to elbow his way out of the crowd, .ssk
recover the chance of choosing his own way. In
this he succeeded. and followed him; and that be
fore coming to the first houses in the suburbs where
the multitude crowded into the narrow streets lik
flock ofsheep pursed by the wolf. Breathess AM
exhausted, we finally reached the open field Th
cold, wchhld I'd SO long and ruthlessly pcrsecutes
US, now became our friend and ally for the bitches
2 water courses. and swampy places, which we 9th
, crwise could not have crossed in our way to tn
town, were all converted into solid ice. The cir
= cutous course which we took. prolonged the dis
a tance by good half hours walk-a severe ordea
in our feeble condition.; but finally, to tn
I opposite suburb, where we found ourselves alone
as though no army lay in the vicinity.
The few miserable dwellings, however, affordc'
US no relief, for they had all been abandoned by tn
inmates. But the open town gate only fev
hundred steps before us, and with unspeakable jo
we deserted well-drcssed persons in the street
Trembling with excitement VI, entered the gate
> Even our great anxiety about Larush subsidized con
sider,bly as, in viewing the inhabited houses, tn
people busily engaged in their various pursuits
u naturally concluded that he had also found com
Portable shelter. After a few hours repose in
warm room, would. no doubt, soon be enasIe
to find out our friends and then our meeting woul
L be doubly happy one.
The nearest roofwas to us the one most welcom,
:, Pressing need exalted every hut into palace; W
: therefore fastened with fatering steps towards
small but friendly looking dwelling, where was
Young Standing at the door, staring like otl
ers at our strange appearance. We called out
y this young womin, as best we could in the Russia
language:
"Can you let US have lodgings, good young W,
mum We will reward you literally"
!, The young won IN looked at us for some time
and then exclaim I'd: "Come in. come n''
!. We entered an soon found she could speak I'll
German Language; upon conversation we found tn;
she was the daughter ofthc good old MN we lode
cd with in MaIodeczno, and the wife Of a youn
Gcrualn th,t had ben in the service of Count Lane
skoi, th It upon the breaking out of the war, h,
husband had demanded his discharge from the coul
in order to return to his Fathcrland but had bee
by sumo unavoiisbe circumstances, compelled |
>, delay their journey; and in the meantime, sit
alton was offered him as superintendent of ho
% pital, he accepted it so much the more readily,
while the continued his prospects of earnn
his bread in Gcrm,ny were very doubtful. Viii
the friendly hostess was relating her little histor
q a strange noise AMI uor,ar in the street,
People f)cked in clusters; others ran in hot has
up the streets towards the centre Of the town; Il
v windows were thrown open in every house, the PEI
pie looking full ofcuriosity Ourhostess did Il
o same. then exclaiming in great fright:
It "Holy Mother Of God! what can be the matter
- Ah. there comes my husband he will tell us VIII:
il isr'
She FASTENED out to meet her husband, and il
forming him of our condition, lie entered the roo
a with bound, exclaiming:
/ "And you, my countrymen, have come with tn.
S multitude ofunhappy wretches, who, wild and how
n ing. block up the streetsl''
nj ave have come with the army answered
IF "it is but too true'
n "With the army.'' reiterated the young man
? astouishment. "This-the armyl Ncver--tca
g not be that this multitude of wretches is the a