170] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



fail in the end of falling into the 

 power. of a superior enemy, and 

 the deduction of which would 

 make a very serious diminution of 

 his veteran troops. The most con- 

 siderable body of these was remain- 

 ing in Dresden after the fatal bat- 

 tle of Leipzic, under the command 

 of Marshal Gouvion St. Cyr, when, 

 indeed, it probably was incapable 

 of joining the main army of the re- 

 treating French. An addition was 

 made to it of the relics of Van- 

 damme's army, driven in by the 

 Russians. Tho great number of 

 soldiers, with the town's people, 

 and many from the country, who 

 took refuge within its walls, made 

 a superabundant population, which 

 was soon visited with all the ca- 

 lamities attendant upon disease and 

 scarcitj'. A private letter fromDres- 

 den during its investment by the 

 allies, gives a most distressing nar- 

 rative of the evils endured. " The 

 French soldiers (says the writer) 

 like spectres were wandering about 

 the streets, and had often scarcely 

 strength to beg : others were seen 

 laying hold of the corners of streets, 

 falling down through weakness, 

 and dying on the spot. Every 

 day more than a score of these 

 victims were found in the streets, 

 on the dunghills, or under carriages. 

 Pious Catholic priests were often 

 seen kneeling by their side, and 

 giving them extreme unction." 

 The Marshal for a time thought 

 of nothing but resistance, and in- 

 cessantly caused new entrench- 

 ments to be thrown up around the 

 city, and the streets and suburbs 

 to be barricaded. He then at- 

 tempted to march away with the 

 greater part of his troops by the 

 left bank of the Elbe, but the 



Russian commanders drove him 

 back into Dresden. On November 

 6th, he attacked the blockading 

 corps on the right bank of the Elbe, 

 with the intention of penetrating 

 to Torgau, but in this he was also 

 foiled. Reduced to a state of de- 

 spair, he now proposed a capitula- 

 tion to general Klenau, on the 

 condition of declaring his troops 

 prisoners of war, but to be march- 

 ed to France and there exchanged, 

 with an engagement not to serve 

 against the allies for six months. 

 The proposal was accepted, and 

 the French began to quit Dres- 

 den on the 12th ; but the com- 

 mander-in-chief, Prince Schwart- 

 zenberg, refused to ratify the trea- 

 ty, and made the offer to the 

 Marshal of re-entering tHe place. 

 This he declined, and submitted to 

 the condition of surrendering him- 

 self and his men absolutely as pri- 

 soners of war. By a return given 

 as accurate, the number thus ca- 

 pitulating amounted to 1,759 offi- 

 cers (among whom were 13 gene- 

 rals of division, beside the Marshal) 

 and 38,745 privates. 



The town of Stettin, with its 

 dependent forts, surrendered to the 

 allies by a capitulation signed on 

 November 21st, on the same lead- 

 ing condition, that the garrisons 

 should be detained in Germany as 

 prisoners of war. They marched 

 out on December 5th, to the num- 

 ber of 7 generals, 533 officers, and 

 7,100 privates. Of these 1, 400 were 

 Dutch, who immediately mounted 

 the Orange cockade, that they 

 might be sent to the assistance of 

 their countrymen. The French 

 were conducted across the Oder. 



Another example was presented, 

 in the case of the Swiss Cantons, 



