The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1863-11-24

Nho shoi al me, saet bHt ono ol
you il was. II il was this cursed
Jew--who already know to he i
spy. and half suspre, TO be- a murder
er-l viii kill him on the spot. i
you, Monsieur krau1er. shall re-
port YOU 10 Marshal Mortier.'
know what yon want" said
Kmuizer sallenly looking up. " Don't
suagger. You want your share
well, then, here take il !" and 50 say
ing. hc threw Oh the lid Of the mala,
chite cabinet with hideous grin OF
triumph.
IL was empty; its velyei-lined re.
ccsscs still bore the impress OF tiAras
carcanets. chains and bracelets.
You see we werr too late other
men bad the iruii, and left the shed
for us. As for the shot, we took you
for n stray Russian, and being hefC
alone. feared violence For that shot
thousand pardons, my dear Doctor
but pray, keep this casket as small
remembrance Of Moscow"
left the room with a curse, dash
ibg the malachle box to pieces with
a kick Of my foot, and saw no more Of
Krautzer and his jew for many a
day. Though ! heard a rumor that
lac had been undertaken, for several
thousand rubies, 10 convey back TO
France a Russian lady Of rank, whose
husband had been taken prisoner at
wilma, and sent to the Temple. |
never knew man so transformed for
LOST for wealth as that Krautzer---
fame, st;ence, honor, had all been
sacrificed To that moloch.
That night. our ruin began. The
Russians fired. Moscow--the flames
first breaking out in the coachmakers'
warehouses. From that moment, the
Emperor knew that il was all over
with him. The thrice fatal retreat
soon after began.
Every day matters grew worse and
worse. When one morning. on 9Th
November, at Dorogobui, the first
snow-nakes fell, large as half-crowns,
the Russian prisoners smiled bitterly,
for they knew well what was coming.
From that day, it grew worse and
worse-tlicker and thicker; and the
CoSsacks skinned round US like Arabs
round a plague-siruck caravan. As
Segur says grandly in his work :
. In this vast wreck, the army, Ike
a great ship tossed by a tremendous
tempest, threw into that vast weller
terue sea Of ice and snow all that
cou.d impede It's progress"
First, p'u'ider, guns, arms. powder,
shot then the wounded, the women.
the sick, suffers, prisoners, standards.
A, the convent OF koloiskoi, il went
to my heaItl 10 find thousands Of my
poor wounded dead, and The rest,
whom We rould not move. crowdng
to the door, lame anu bandIged,
stretching out their arms, and praying
US TO lake them with us. There was
no ford but some wagons or guns
were abandoned 1T it--nU storm bt
Cos,acks hJi swtpt cH son mis-, ra-
blc slr.igglers no bivouac fire lit
bui in the morning some Of our
wrelcltcd soldiers were tound dead.
with their feet half burned off, and
their lair frozen to the ground.
Pounded corn and horse flesh had
been superseded by ,ircl,-
bark and saw dust loavrs. The Em-
peror gave orders to destroy one-hall
the wagons, so as to use tho horses
and draught oxen to help forward the
Many Of The cavalry, b,
the time we reached Studzian ka-and
many even Of the Sacred 81 akron,
the five huudr. d officers who formed
the body-auard Of the Emperor
were dismounted. Some OF our men
had their bleeding feet bandagcd with
rags. to replace their worn-oui sho, s.
There were Generals wrapped ia wo
men, reli>ses. All discipline was
rapidly going.
During the retreat; | had frequent
glimpses Of Krauizer, who was always
followed by that carrion-crow Of a
jew. The day we left Moscow. had
seen him riding beside The summuous
carriage that contained tie Russian
lady OF rank whom he had undertaken
iC convey to Paris. A day or two
later. when We halted At the lake Of
Srinrlin, to throw into ii the ancient
ara o.. cannon, the great cross Of Ivan.
and other trophies of Moscow, llr.
carriage had disappeared, and kraui-
ger and his charge weIe { b5th mount
ed on horses. There was no sun VS.
ible, and the thick fog had suddenly
changed into heavy snow. that blew
round rs. and almost blinded Tie sol
diers. Emaciated, dirty ard unsllattn.
uir men ready hal begun 10 look
more like hungry bfigauds than gre
nadicrs Of the Grand Army. II was
OF this day that the Emperor himself
disnounied, seized muskct, ma
marci ed at the head ct tie Old Guard.
to encourage them. When shai my
eyes, | can see him now, with the
Stern, eripped mouth ard the broad
white forehead, over Which one black
iress Of hair fell. | WAS riding qnirt.
ly along with the vanguard, wrapped
in thought, when one Of my assistant
surgeons tapped me on tic shoulder.
and pointed al kraulzer.