GENERAL HISTORY. 



[I7i 



in" the flames, arguments were 

 not wanting to show that on such 

 emergencies, sacrifices of this kind, 

 however severe, were not only jus- 

 tifiable, but were the truest patri- 

 otism ; and that the depriving an 

 inveterate foe of a comfortable 

 abode during the winter in the 

 heart of the country, was a point 

 of such essential consequence, that 

 it could scarcely be gained at too 

 high a price ; and the sequel will 

 render probable the justness of this 

 reasoning, it may be added, that 

 nothing could more convincingly 

 prove the fixed determination of 

 the Russian government to enter 

 into no compromise with the in- 

 vader, than a resolution rather to 

 destroy the venerable capital of 

 the empire, than to bargain for its 

 safety. 



General KutusofF, in his report to 

 the Em pel or Alexander of the loss 

 of Moscow, mentions, however, as 

 one reason for his declining to risk 

 another battle to save it, that its 

 issue would not only have proved 

 destructive to his army, but have 

 reduced Moscow to ashes. He 

 further says, that all the valuables, 

 the stores in the arsenals, and al- 

 most all other property, imperial 

 or private, were previously carried 

 away, and that scarcely a single 

 inhabitant remained in the town; 

 which, on the other hand, looks 

 more like a design of sacrificing the 

 buildings. The general proceeds 

 to say, that though the abandon- 

 ment of the capital is very morti- 

 fy '"S> y*^*^' that considering the 

 advantages which may accrue 

 from it, the circumstance is no 

 longer to be lamented. His pur- 

 pose is, to occupy with his forces a 

 hne which shall command the roads 

 leading to Tula and Kaluga, and 



annoy the whole line of the ene- 

 my from Smolensko to Moscow. 

 Baron de Wintziiigerode was at 

 this time posted to the north of 

 Moscow, in order to cover Twer, 

 and the roads leading to Peters- 

 burgh, and other places on that 

 side. A powerful Russian force 

 was assembling to the westward, 

 of which the army from Molda- 

 via formed a part. 



The garrison of Riga having 

 been reinforced with a consider- 

 able body of troops, its governor. 

 Lieutenant-general Essen, laid a 

 plan for surprising the Prussian 

 corps posted in three divisions be- 

 tween Mittau and Riffa. He niov- 

 ed on September 26, and obliged 

 General D'Yorck to abandon his 

 post, and retreat beyond Mittau. 

 A series of actions took place dur- 

 ing some succeeding daj^s, which 

 concluded with the return of the 

 Russians to Riga, on October 2, 

 after having, according to the Prus- 

 sian accounts, sustained considera- 

 ble losses. The Prussians saved 

 the park of artillery destined to 

 the siege of Riga, re-entered Mit- 

 tau, and re-possessed themselves 

 of the positions they before occu- 

 pied. 



The impression made at Peters- 

 burgh by the fall of Moscow was 

 necessarily that of great alarm, of 

 which the court seems to have 

 participated, even whilst it was en- 

 deavouring to tranquillize the peo- 

 ple. A supplement to the Peters- 

 burgh Gazette of October 2, under 

 the title, " For Information, by 

 special Command," acquaints the 

 public, that measures are adopting 

 in that city for the removal of cer- 

 tain necessary articles ; not, how- 

 ever, from any apprehension of 

 danger to the metropolis — audit 



proceed* 



