The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-11-26

ty thousand men wounded, and thirty gene
erals h0rS-du-combat, you may imagine thai
| had busy time of it the day after the bat
tie | was the chief doctor in the great con
vent of KoIotskoi, where our wounded were
brought. We had no lint or anything, anc
our hussars had to scour the country for lin,
en- and beds. | was up to my waist in legi
and arms and at night, when l went out tc
take breath of fresh air, as tired as any
butcher on market-day, the groans from that
great building rose as from a dying giant.
On the night of the 18th, Napoleon being
uncertain whether the Russiars had take the
road to Moscow or Kslouga, was informed by
Jewish spies that KutuSow had really fallel
back on the capital. The next morning we
were to advance on Krymskoie. We were al
in high spirits even poor wounded cheereC
family when l reported the news in the hos
pital.
That same night, as l was walking rounC
bivouac fires, just to observe how the soldiers
took the news, | came upon singular group
near clump of frs, at the east end of the
convent garden. There was Krautzer, whom
knew perfectly by sight and jew spy
tormenting an old Russian peasant who knelt
before them. They had each got a Lighted
brand, and were, L suppose, going to torture
| him into some sort of confession. Two or three
soldiers, in their bear-skin caps and gray-coatt
were leaning on their muskets, and laughing
as they watched them The Jew was lean
haggard man, with a dry, thin, wrinkled face
and withered eyes, that looked like dried cur
rants. AS he stood there in his greasy CAT
tan and dirty boots drawn over his trowsers
| thought he might have passed muster fo
| + he IyprV Spir-it Ot Avarica hi,ncalf
''Burn his beard OF, great sir - | heard hin
say to Krautzer; Il tell you he knows al
about the Rostopchin Palace"
'.And the celebrated Rostopohin jewels ?
said Krautzer, eagerly.
''Ges-everything. lie was stewards mar
to the prince, and knows all the family Sc
crets."
Then ne held his torch close to the eyes Of
the wretched peasant who shrank into heap
and screamed Tor mercy.
Burn his fingers off! ~ cried the Jew.
Mercy! mercy! and I'll tell ALL cried the
peasant. ''All the finest jewels are kept in a
nalachite cabinet, under the floor of the third
bedroom to the right, on the third story, as
you go up the grand staircase
tiles lying" said the jew; 'ny great sir
burn his toes otf-do burn his toes off,
was just going to interfere, and had i'll
deed spoken to krautzer apart, much to his
indignation, when an old soldier cam up, and
striking the Jew with the butt-end of his mus
ket, told him with an oath, not to ill-treat the
Russian.
eve owe them turn" he said, land
We'll SINCE them with our cannon; but once
prisoners, brave men should be merciful.-
Now, then, old Muscovite, run for your life,
and no Jew or SGUgRt shall hurt you while
I've a cartridge left. I've got an old father
home in Auvergne just you age. Go, mon
| enfdRt."
The old Russian did not probably under
stand word the old UtoalSt0cbe said to him
but he saw that krautzer and the Jew were
! res trained by so,re one other, ana ne saw
the wood to which the grenadier pointed
That was enough. In moment, he blunder-
ed through the fire, and ran off as hard as his
old legs could carry him; and as returned to
the hospital, hearing the soldiers laughter,
looked back, and saw the jew, nose on the
ground, stealing like a bloodhound on the track
of the old Russian.
But thought no more Of it. Hard work
drove all other thoughts out of my mind, and
had my large family-ny twenty thousand
men-tO look after.
AT sunrise on the 18th of September, the
vanguard reached hill called the Mount of
Salvation, and where the pilgrims kneel and
pray before entering the holy city.
"hloscow Moscow - cried three hundred
thousand voices.
The steeples and gilt domes shone in the
sun the huge triangular krenIin-haf pal
ace, half Citadel-rOse above the trees.
AS | stood among the crowd, heard two
harsh voices at my elbow. One said:
''Where-Where is it %
The other replied
''That is the Rostopchin Palace there among
the trees, to the left Of the Kremlin, by the
KoIomna Gate All will very soon be ours
now"
looked round it was Krautzer and that
carrion-crow of a Jew. They were evidently
thinking Of the Rostopchin Jewels"
Monsieur Krautzer," | said, ''have you not
heard that Marshall Moutier has forbidden all
pillage?"
q suppose we may take keepsakes," he re-
piled. ''But to what do you reter?'
q was only thinking" replied, quietly,
''of the malaohite cabinet in the Rostopchin
Palace"
ga PEASANTS lie" said Krautzer, pale with
anger and confusion, as he spurred on his horse
and joined the vanguard.
That man had but one thought now The
beast of Jew ran by his stirrup. How or
where he had picked up this man, or what
common interest brought them together, |
never could learn.
Presently the news came that the two hun
dred and fifty thousand inhabitants of Mos
COW had left the city 1t was ours. No one
was left in Moscow but beggars and thieves
and we entered the city soon after noon.
While others sought the Kremlin or the
bazzars, the churches or the cafes, | employ
ed myself in selecting a fit place for the
wounded to winter in. When [ had made
my arrangements, under the guidance Of a
Cossack officer, a prisoner, l stopped at a
great gateway, next door to our new quarters
and asked to what palace that led
'That is the Rostopchin Palace, Frenchman
said the prisoner, ''and contains furniture
worth half q million of ruBies, all left for your
Corsican's plumbers
eve are no thieves" l said ''MarshaI
Mortier, the new governor of Moscow, or
dred, on pain of death, to prevent all pill
lage"
';Ha!" says he, look there; they have be-
gun already"
l looked up to where he pointed there were
two men tearing down some shutters, and
thrusting their heads out of window on the
third story. | looked again-it was Krautzer
and that accused Jew. They were evidently
in full cry after those celebrated Rostopchin
diamonds
':Take charge of this officer l said to the
picket Of grenaders that accompanied me-
land wait below. l have some business
here"
Another of Marshal Mortier's robbers, !"
muttered the Cossack; but did not deign a
reply.
l leaped through the shattered door, and in
a moment was up the staircase.
That moment a gun was discharged, and a
bullet shivered the balustrade that my hand
rested upon. drew my sword, and ran into
a room on the third story, where the door was
open.
stumbled over still smoking musket.-
There, in the left-lit room, with light stream