This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com " $j"Z s^ig* MENTEM ALIT ET EXCOLIT Q 0(1000 J K. K. HOFBIBLIOTHEK OSTERR. NATIONALBIBLIOTHEK 6.L.21 -r T BRIEF REMARKS, &c. &c. &c. BRIEF REMARKS ON THE CHARACTER AND COMPOSITION OF THE AND A SKETCH OF THE C^MP^IGJVS IJV POJL^JVJD IN THE YEARS 1806 AND 1807- BY SIR ROBERT WILSON, AIDE-DE-CAMP TO THE KING; KNIGHT OF THE MILITARY ORDER OF MaRIa THERESa, SfC. fyc. 6fC. Veritas visu et mora; falsa, festinatione et incertis, valescunt. LONDON: PRINTED BY C. R0WORTH, DCLL-VARD, TEMPLE-BAR. AND SOLD BY T. LGERTON, MILITARY LIBRARY, WHITEHAIJL 1810. TO FIELD-MARSHAL HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF YORK, UNDER WHOSE ADMINISTRATION THE BRITISH ARMY HAS RECOVERED ITS CONSIDERATION ABROAD, AND BEEN ESTABLISHED ON A BASIS COMMENSURATE WITH THE POWER AND DIGNITY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, THIS WORK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. A. FEW weeks only have elapsed since I commenced the arrangement of the present publication. Until that time I never thought of submitting what is here contained to the public, although the materials have been at my command, dispersed in private correspondence with my family during the period that I served with the Russian army, and to which I was attached with the Honourable Mr. Hutchinson, by Lord Hutchinson, then Minister Extraordinary to the Court of Prussia.* I could have wished that the details of the Russian cam paign had engaged the labours of a more able writer, so as to have assured the narrative all the interest it merits from the statesman, the soldier, and the world in general. The constant expectation of active employment since my return to England diverted my attention to other objects, or rendered me fearful of undertaking a work that I might have * The mission of Lord Hutchinson consisted of his brother, Lieu tenant-Colonel Eustace, Captain Harvey, and myself. It was after wards joined by Lieutenant-Colonel Bathurst. Colonel Sontag was attached to the Prussian army. Colonel Froberg Montjoie was on his way to join from Kcenigsberg, but being overtaken by the enemy, refused to surrender, and died after a desperate resistance. His brother, in the Bavarian service, was one of the first persons who recognized his body. b to ( vi ) to abandon in its progress ; for unfortunately my manuscript being almost as difficult to decypher as hieroglyphics, I have experienced that my personal superintendance was daily ne cessary. The perusal, however, of a French extra-official narrative of the campaigns of 1806 and 1807, and a late British publica tion on the character, customs, and manners of Russia, with a review of that work, awakened my feeling, and induced me to attempt the vindication of a brave people, notwithstanding the friendly relations between the Russian and British govern ments are unhappily interrupted. I determined to expose the false and exaggerated statement of our common enemy, by contrasting it with an important historical narrative of facts, so that the future historian may be able to discriminate between truth and fallacy, and to mitigate the evils which a work written at a gloomy period in Russian history was calculated to occasion, when better times and a more enlightened government have succeeded. The interests of Russia and England are inseparably con nected ; and whilst we experience regret at the adoption of a policy at variance with such a principle, it is injudicious to alienate the affections of a great nation by remarks charac terized at least by asperity, and particularly when the mili tary portion of that empire has established such high claims to grateful admiration for the gallantry with which it pro fusely shed its blood to maintain the interests of the common cause. These are the motives that have influenced me to this under taking, and these motives will, I trust, find numerous advocates to espouse the cause in which I have engaged, and assure the triumph of truth. Lord Hutchinson is indisputably high authority; and al though { vii ) though I have had no communication with him relative to this publication, I dare to affirm, that he will corroborate all that I have stated respecting the Emperor and his government, and the courage, conduct, and merits of the Russian army ; and that he will express his concurring sentiments in more impressive lan guage than I have used, whenever suitable opportunity offers. I am also confident that he will hold up to admiration the loyal feelings, the patriotic ardour, and the social virtues which characterize the Russians; that he will unite with me in lamenting any depreciation of a people amongst whom so many eminent qualities at pre$ent exist* whose moral and physical state is so rapidly ameliorating, and that he will still more regret that some temporary causes should have induced a gentleman of high endowments, and a writer of considerable merit, to delineate the general features of such a people so unfavourably and harshly. Lord Hutchinson will deny, in common with every British nobleman or gentleman who has visited Russia, or resided in the country, that " Russian hospitality and social generosity are but the indulgence of a vain ostentation."* The charge of ** ostentation" * With regard to Russian magnificence, some conception of it may be formed from the ffite given by Count Scherematow to 1200 persons at Petersburg, who were all served on the family silver plate, and the Empress Catharine and 25 persons on a service of which many of the articles were of solid gold. Six English gentlemen sitting together wished to ascertain how far this magnificence could be sustained, and they changed tlieir plates for clean ones until they were satisfied that the store was inexhaustible to their possible demands. This nobleman certainly did not verify the assertion, " that the only property a Russian nobleman allows his peasant to possess is the food he cannot or will not b 2 fat ( viii ) "ostentation" is indeed untenable, and bears in its own construc tion palpable refutation. It is alleged, that " during the time of Paul's reign, when there was great danger in associating with Eng lishmen, yet the nobles of Moscow would receive them gladly at any risk, and sometimes close their gates upon them to conceal from the police the kind of hospitality that was going on within. But the principle of all this being state and show, and the exhibition of the master's superiority and vanity, it is need less to add that no kind of refinement and delicacy is shewn in the manner of entertaining the guests."* — Surely those who encountered great personal perils to render attention to the proscribed deserve more charity. But what principle of state or show could influence to this deportment ? What exhibition of vanity could be indulged in an act that, by its own nature, prohibited publicity? It could not be an action of vanity; or, if it were, in the language of Junius, " the gratification was limited to a narrow circle, and the vain were depositories of their own secret." But the British merchant, the masters of ships, the common mariners, will emulously vindicate the Russians from this asper sion, and repeat their attestations, that during the march eat himself — the bark of trees, chaff, and other refuse, quass water, and fish oil ;" for one of his peasants offered two hundred thousand roubles (about 2s. 3d. each, English money,) for his liberty, which Count Scherematow refused, noc to exact more, but with the assurance that he should have his manumission eventually gratis. * I positively deny all the assertions respecting the illiberal restrictions imposed on guests, and this denial will, I am sure, be supported by Lord G. Leveson Gower, Earl Gower, Lord Whitworth, Mr. Adair, Lord Malmesbury, Mr. Stuart, Mr. Ross, and 500 other persons of character. There are other remarks which it would be an insult to Russia if I were to treat witlveveu the consideration of a contradiction. toward^ ( ix 1 towards Siberia, in Paul's reign, (at the very period to which the previous remarks allude,) the high and low, the rich and poor, were indiscriminately experiencing, and especially at Moscow, from all classes of Russians, the most disinterested, generous, and affectionate aids, notwithstanding such benevo lence and expression of amity exposed the Russians to severe punishment ; and the gentlemen of the British factory will not only confirm this statement, but add that the most cordial ser vice, the most liberal arrangements, the most scrupulous good faith, have to this very hour continued to diminish the evils of political hostility. " Such are these barbarians ;" (for so they have been described by the unfortunate misconception of writers whose abilities ren der their opinions greatly authoritative with the public,) " such " the debased and groveling character of this whole people," whose institutions and establishments the same writers thus pursue with animadversion. " The phenomenon of a city populous and civilized, in the heart of Siberia, 1,500 miles from St. Petersburg, is as mon strous and unnatural a thing as the parent from whence it sprang— the tyranny which reigns at Petersburg itself— the boundless tyranny which outrages nature by planting that city in the marshes of the Neva." * * In Charles the Xlth's time, when the Swedish troops were paid in land, a trumpeter complained that the ground on which Petersburg now stands was an unfair and inadequate allotment for his mainte nance. The same complaint might have been made of the scite of Ve nice, of the Pontine marshes, and numerous situations which have ranked those who rendered them habitable amongst the benefactors of the world.