Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-10-31
THE RETREAT FROM MOSCOW.
How the Baiiied French Emperor Resurne
from His DIsnstrous Mar.h TO the Rn,

hoW the Banned French Emperor Returned
from His Disastrous March to the Rus
sian Empire.
Poultney Bigeiow in November "Iiarper's."
At length, however, on the 14th of
September, Napoleon stood upon the
heights overlooking Moscow. His army
now forgot all their past sutferings,
their many months of weary marching,
the ashes of Smolensk, and tho blood
shed of Borodino. Beneath them lay
the wonderful city of palaces and
shrines, the capital Of Holy Russia,
the object of their struggles, the place
where their leader intended to dictate
peace to the world and load them all
with plumber.
Napoleon's face shonc with satisfac-
tion as he surveyed the hundreds of
churches, with their multitude of
strange spires shining with polished
metals, which many believed to be gold
and silver. His soldiers danced for JOY
in the warm September sunshine. The
camp was filled with song as each ono
donned his best uniform, preparatory
to making conquests amongst the
maidens of Moscow.
But the maitlens OF Moscow were not
like those of Berlin. They had all left
the town along with their fathers and
brothers, their sisters and mothers
The advance guard of the French en-
tered at one gate while tho citizens of
Moscow left at the other Napoleon
waited for the usual deputation of
smiling aldermen, but he waited long
and in vain. One hour succeeded the
other, but no aldermen of Moscow
came to offer him homage; it was all
painfully like Smolensli. The hours
passed and darkness came, and in this
darkness there went up bright light
from amongst the thousand spires.
Napoleon remarked that Moscow was a
town particularly well adapted for
illuminations. Nor was Napoleon
single in this opinion. 1t had been
shared by the decamping Russian
governor, who had provided such an
illumination as evon Napoleon might
regard with interest. Light succeeded
light amongst the buildings Of Moscow,
and from the heights of the citadel
Napoleon readily perceived that these
fires must be more than the result of
accident. But for the moment no one
concerned himself with burning
house more or less; all were too busy
selecting good quarters. Moscow was
famed at that time for its excellent
fire companies, and water was abundant.
so Napoleon went to sleep in the palace
of the Cars, confident that he would
be awakened by Alexander's messenger
pleading for peace.
But while he slept the wind blew
high and the flames reached out. The
men who were sent to order the fires
arrested came back with troubled faces.
All the local firemen had fled along
with the rest, and had taken with them
every fire engine.
For a full week Moscow kept her
gigantic blaze, in which some IA, 600
houses were destroyed. Napoleon hoped
from day to day that Russia would sue
for peace as humbly as Prussia had
done six years before; but days passed,
and weeks, and nothing CAME but tho
signing Of the wind in the lonesome
forests round about. Five precious
weeks did Napoleon waste in Moscow
before he finally decided upon his
wretched retreat. On October 18th,
he started, Just one day later than the
anniversary of the Leipzig battle,
which in 1918 sent him once again on
a backward march. Before leaving
Moscow, however, he left detailed
orders for the burning down of the
remaining buildings, and particularly
for the destruction of the famous
Kremlin. Moscow was ablaZe when he
entered it, and he left it blazing afresh
and more savagely still.
In Napoleon's flames, however, there
persisted some 10000 helpless wounded
Russian prisoners, whose avenging
spirits lowered over the long limo of
retreating French and gave them no
peace. The French left behind them
a city full of foul stenches rising from
carcasses Of charred horses and men.
Does it not seem like poetic justice
that ice and snow should be reserved
as tho punishment melted out to these
barbarous house burners?
They we're forced to go back over the
same road by which they had come,
and thus after 10 days from Moscow
they reached once more the neighbor-
hood of Borodino. No need of sign
boards TO this place. The vultures
quarreling overhead, the howl of the
wolf in the forost-these indicated
many acres of unburied bodies slaugh-
tered in tho cause of La Gloire Fifty
two days had passed since the battle,
yet the fields were strewn with bodies
Of horses and men, clothing, boots,
saddlery, equipment of all Kind. Tho
effects were depressing, and not less so
the gaunt creatures who hobbed out
from the churches and cabins of tho
waysidc. begging that they might not
be left behind to fall into the hands
of marauding Cossacks These were
the wounded, who had not strength to
join in the triumphal march To Mos
COW They were now helped ON Ia
artillery caissons and provision carts,
burdening still further loads already
too heavy for the poor beasts OF bur
den. For the French army which left
Moscow was very badly supplied with
horses, thanks to the unanimity with
which the peasants everywhere secreted
their property.
Tho first snow fell on November 4th,
Is days after leaving Moscow. In two
days more the thermometer sank to be
low the freezing point, and the snow
was driven ny cruel northeast wind,
which in Europe corresponds to the
American blizzard from the northwest.
But the cold alone was small matter,
for Napoleon had before this won bat
ties in winter weather. His men were
retreating on empty bellies; his horses
were dying for want Of forage; not
only were his troopers without horses,
the roads became Uttered with pieces
Of artillery and baggage carts, whose
horses died in the traces. Men, too.
died where they lay down TO rest and
each encampment bore next day tho
looks of battle field. 1t was sad
picture of needless suffering, but the
survivors bore il with comparative
cheerfulness, for Smolepsk was not far
off, and there they were promised com
Portable winter quarters, warm cloth
ing, and plenty of food.