History. 
—_—\— 
A. D, 1812. 
Bonaparte 
quits his 
army. 
Its im- 
moense loss. 
Plot at Pa- 
rls. 
656 
theniselves down to die. Every day witnessed the di- 
minution of their numbers, by defeat or the effects of 
famine and the climate ; but their most serious loss took 
place at Krasnoi, where Kutusoff completely routed 
them ; the division of Davoust, nena 24,000 strong, 
being for the most part, killed, wou ao gr 
soners, A few days afterwards, the division of Ney 
attacked the Russians, but they were repulsed, and be- 
ing surrounded, 12,000 laid down their arms, But it 
is not possible, within our limits, to icularise all 
the disasters to which they were : The e 
of the Beresina, however, must not be omitt 
dreadful destruction, both from the flames and the ene- 
my. After this their retreat to Wilna was not so dis- 
astrous; before, however, the troops arrived there, Bo- 
naparte left them, travelling in a incognilo, 
along with Caulincourt, and returned to Paris on the 
18th of December. Murat was left in command; but 
he soon followed the example that had been set him ; 
and the command of the di ized remains of this 
once most numerous and formidable army devolved on 
the Viceroy of Italy. The loss of the French in this 
campaign cannot be estimated lower than 300,000 men; 
and this loss was entirely occasioned by the mad and 
obstinate ambition of Bonaparte ; for when we recollect 
that, “ at the close of summer, he led an immense 
army into the very heart of Russia—into a country, in 
which winter reigns with most intense and unbroken 
severity for half the year ; that in front, and rear, and 
both sides of this army, were immense bodies of troops, 
inured to the climate, and cutting off all chance of pro- 
curing provisions ; and that this army, when compelled 
to retreat, had to march upwards of 500 miles, without 
shelter, almost without food and clothing, on roads 
broken up, or rendered nearly impassable by the snow, 
exposed to the most intense cold, and harassed night 
and day by clouds of Cossacks, we may be astonished 
at the insane rashness of Bo , but we cannot be 
—- that nearly the whole of his army was de- 
stroyed,” 
hat division of the French army which marched on 
eae oem 8 , shared the fate of of Figend 
my ; for, not being able to gain possession iga, an 
beng aeiminlgteanned by the Russians, while Bona- 
parte would not allow it to retreat, till he himself had 
retired, it suffered nearly in an equal , both from 
the enemy, and the severity of the climate. 
ose thera an! ag ya woe 
r ’s advance into Russia as 
onuet of cat county, and his possession of Moscow 
=a completion of hi telanrtph.. ‘The real state of 
the case, however, was known at Paris; and even he, 
soon after he left Moscow, could no longer ,conceal it. 
His twenty-ninth bulletin exposed his disgrace and dis- 
asters in more complete nakedness to the citizens of 
Paris, than they ever before witnessed. They be- 
lieved, or hoped, that his situation was even more des- 
perate than he admitted. A report of his death was 
spread, Part of the national guard betrayed symptoms 
of open opposition to his government; but the plot, 
mii hiliag’ Lae stich Seelggueces eodlipeminn teemaaiens. 
ed, and the ringleaders a: . The intelligence 
of it is su to have contributed to induce Bona- 
parte to quit the army, and ¢eturn to Paris. 
As the yoke of Bonaparte had been impatiently 
FRANCE. 
‘were ha ve: may easily be collected 
tory whi 
disposal ; and shortly in the annual ex- 
pee a very flattering account of the state of the 
rench empire was published, in which its 
Nering appaisteh the ieupovee tiuaeetitamag te ab- 
ving appoi press darir 
seen koh taeda of April, and ar- 
rived at Monta eaters This ap a a 
12 corps, besides mperial 2 different di- 
visions were-directed to in such directions, as 
borne by the Prussians, the defection of a corps of them, ; 
er al P amp i 
on to ae aa fe poh neryricing ,. ” 
, who commanded army, being thus : a 
weakened, and being, moreover, harassed by the Rus- A.D. 1 
sians, retreated in eth he ee 
berg to its fate, directing his flight to the Vistu 
Across this river the remnant of the French also fled, 
pursued by their unwearied and implacable 
The king of Prussia, being still 
the defection of his generals, and to 
the French; but he was ae 
parte recovered from his losses, he might again 
duced under his power. In these circumstances, on 
the 15th of Febri 1818 he made ps aac 
truce, on condition the Russians’ 
hind the Vistula, sand Nas Plog oe tigen So 
ving Prussia enti ign occupation. 
h cr pendnan eg i agreed. Setiea 
mean time, Bonaparte was deserted by the Austrian *”! % ‘he 
auxiliaries, who, indeed, had been of very little service 
during the campai 
The French still continued their retreat; for a short 
time they a as if’ 
Berlin; but finding the 
be re- 
ing morning, 
when they were received as friends anid deliverers. T 
from Dresden and Leipsick—the king 
adhering tne Sirti ae 2d of A 
sians and Prussians ght together against 
hinting in the vigniy 46 Luneburg: the combat 
and sanguinary, but a complete vi 
tala by tbe allow. The Russians 
divided into three armies ; one had crossed the. 
order to drive the French towards the Maine; 
cond was employed in the siege of Dantzic and 
and the third was posted at Custrin and 
Prussians were distributed in Saxony, 
burgh, and Rostock, and also invested Stettin. i 
Crown Prince of Sweden, who had long ——- 
assistance to the allies, was at nd, to 
take the command of 50,000 men. Fi 
of the extent of country over which the 
rom 
the loss of 
ch the French had sustained, 
Notwithstanding this loss, however, 
more important loss of his best soldiers, 1 
which had been given to his mil reputation, 
naparte resolyed to hazard another campaign ; for 
he exerted all his activity and vigour in 
the resources of France, in order again to 
ona formidable footing. By a senatus cons 
11th of January, 350,000 men were placed at. 
afterwards, 
E: 
i 
fe 
2 if 
3 
2 
ae 
arm 
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to form a junction near Jena and upon the Saale. . The 
