GENERAL HISTORY. 



fl6i 



CHAPTER XVII. 



France — Decree concerning Valencia — French occupation of Swedish 

 Pomerania — Report by Mtirat — March of the Army towards Poland 

 — Treaty with Prussia — Decree in favour of America — Napoleon 

 arrives at Danlzic — Negociations— Treaty with Austria — Papers 

 relative to the Differences with Russia— Advance of the French to 

 Wilna — Polish Diet and Coifederation — Riga — Alliance between 

 England, Russia, and Sweden — Russians quit their Camp on the 

 Duna, and French cross that River— Various Actions — Dunaberg 

 taken — Sniolensko carried by the French — Action of Valentina — Ad- 

 vance towards Moscow — Great Battle of Borodino — French enter 

 Moscow— Conflagration of that Capital — Enter prize of the Garrison 

 of Riga — Alarms at Petersburgh — Advanced Guatd of the French 

 defeated — Moscow evacuated— Success of Witgenstein at Polotzk — 

 Conspiracy at Paris — Negociations attempted with the Russians- 

 French retreat — Various Actions — Davoust and Ney defeated— 

 Dreadful sufferings of the French — Napoleon quits the Army, and 

 arrives at Paris — Addresses of the Senate and Council, and Replies 

 — Conclusion. 



THE French Emperor, on his 

 return from his tour in the 

 Low Countries at the latter part of 

 1811, was evidently meditating a 

 grand stroke for the purpose of 

 terminating his differences with 

 the court of Petersburgh in a man- 

 ner conformable to that continental 

 system which he had made the 

 base of his policy ; and the fate of 

 the Peninsula was to be a secon- 

 dary consifleratioii in his councils 

 till the other object was obtained. 

 In the mean time, he was not un- 

 niiniiful of that plan ofattaching his 

 generals and soldiers by rewards, 

 at the cost of the vanquished, 

 which has been discernible in aU 

 his wars. By a decree issued from 

 theTuilleries on January 21st, he 



declares the annexation to his ex- 

 traordinary domain of effects in the 

 province of Valencia to the amount 

 of a principal of 200,000,000 liv. 

 ordering at the same time that the 

 Prince of Neufchatel shall transmit 

 to the intendant-general of that 

 domain a statement of the generals, 

 officers, and soldiers of his armies 

 in Spain, particularly in that of 

 Arragon, who have distinguished 

 themselves, in order that they 

 may receive proofs of his imperial 

 munificence. 



The first military operation of 

 Napoleon which can be considered 

 as connected with his northern 

 projects, was the occupation of 

 Swedish Pomerania. In January, 

 a body of 20,000 French troops, 



as 



