25. 26. 27. 29. 31. in a great part of the city, destroyed nearly all the shipping in the harbor, and occasioned the loss of many lives. The siege of Cadiz raised by the French after a most vigorous prosecution of it for two years. Seville evacuated by the French, leaving a garrison. The garrison of Seville taken by assault. Bonaparte entered Viasma, which was burnt, the Russians still retreating. Com. Rodgers arrived at Boston, with the frigates President, United States, and Congress, and the sloop of war Hornet, after a cruise of 70 days. Sept. 3-6. The Spaniards under Ballesteros harass the French in their retreat under Soult. Bonaparte took a favorable position from the Russians preparatory to the battle of Borodino. Bonaparte spent the day in reconnoitring, and preparing for the battle of the ensuing day. The battle of Borodino-the most sanguinary conflict in modern times. The French attacked the Russian entrenchments through the whole line about 6 o'clock-various batteries were taken and retaken the carnage was horrible through a great part of the day --the Russians remained masters of the field of battle till the morning of the 9th. Bonaparte retreated 8 miles, where he re. mained till the 9th, when he passed over the field of battle to Mojaisk. At this place he issued his first account of the battle on the 10th. The Russians, convinced that they could not sustan another such conflict, retired without molestation. Kutousoff, the Russian commander, dated his first account on the field of battle, the day after it was fought. It is difficult to ascertain the numbers engaged;-probably Bonaparte had about 200,000, and the Russians somewhat less. The killed and wounded are thought to have been nearly equal, i. e. not fewer than 40,000 on each side, either killed, or so wounded, as to be incapable of service in future. ** The funeral obsequies of Gen. Lingan, (who was murdered by the Baltimore mob,) was attended at Georgetown by 2000 persons. Bonaparte's advanced guard entered Moscow, the Russians having withdrawn to the south. That vast city was set on fire by the inhabitants, and by order of the government, in 800 places. The flames raged till the 19th, and left-not a tenth part of the city standing. A Peace Convention of the State of New York met at Albany. He attempted to take the outworks of the castle by storm, and failed with considerable loss. Toward the end of this month the Emperor of Russia issued a spirited proclamation, which held out to Bonaparte no hope of peace. Com. Rodgers's squadron put to sea from Boston. About 100 volunteers crossed lake Erie, and took two British armed vessels, the Detroit and Caledonia, the former of which was burnt. English convoy of 22 sail lost in the Baltic, The American forces under Gen. Van Rensselaer crossed into Canada, and took Queenston, after an obstinate conflict. In the afternoon of the same day, being unsupported by their associates, the party was obliged to surrender. American loss, 100 killed, 900 prisoners. Gen. Brock, the British commander was killed early in the day. 1 Great Britain issued letters of marque and reprisal against the United States. The U. S. sloop of war Wasp of 18 guns, Capt. Jones, took the British sloop of war Frolic, of 20 guns, Capt. Whinyates, after an action of 43 minutes. Both were taken two hours after by the Poictiers, 74. Murat with 45,000 men defeated by the Russians, and driven back 11 miles with the loss of 38 cannon. Bonaparte left Moscow with the mass of his army. Gen. Wittgenstein beat the French under St. Cyr, and took Polotsk by storm. Gen. Steinhill beat the French under Macdonald. Gen. Winzingerode entered Moscow with his troops, but was himself taken prisoner by the French rear guard. A conspiracy at Paris on the pretence that Bonaparte was dead. It was headed by three ex generals Malet, Guidal, and Laboire, who suffered death iminediately with several of their accomplices. Battle of Malayoroslavitz, in which Bonaparte's main army was defeated, and obliged to abandon its purpose, with severe loss. Death of his Excellency Roger Griswold, Governor of ConBecticut, an eminent statesman. A French detachment on the Dwina beaten, and 8 cannon taken by the Russians. The British frigate Macedonian, 38 guns, Capt. Carden, taken by the United States, 44 guns, Com. Decatur, after an action of an hour and a half. U. S. loss, 5 killed, 7 wounded; British loss, 36 killed, and 68 wounded. The Prince Regent issued a proclamation against deserters employed in American armed vessels. In the course of this month Lord Wellington began a retreat from Spain, compelled by the superior force of the French. Congress of U, S. assembled. Bonaparte's retreating army greatly harassed by the Russians at Viasma. The corps of Ney, Davoust, and Beauharnois, were engaged; their loss 6,000 killed and wounded, 2,500 prisoners. The President U. S. communicated his Message to Congress. Earl Moira sworn in Governor General of Bengal The French retreating army began to be in universal and extreme distress, on account of the cold, and the continual vexations experienced from the Cossacks Beauharnois's corps in imminent danger, and was able to form a junction with the main army only by the sacrifice of nearly all its artillery and baggage. Bonaparte re-entered Smolensk. Battle on the Dwina between Wittgenstein and Victor; the latter retired. Battle of Krasnoi. Davoust's corps defeated with great loss. A skirmish between the Indians and a party of militia in the state of Ohio. A detachment of 300 U. S. troops marched a few miles over the line into Canada from the camp north of Plattsburgh, and returned again without seeing an enemy; after which the northern army of the U. S. went into winter quarters. Lord Wellington reached his old lines near Ciudad Rodrigo after a long retreat in presence of an enemy vastly superior to his army. The French corps under Dombrowski on the Beregina defeated by Tchichagoff's advanced guard. A small detachment of U. S. troops passed the Niagara river, and took a redoubt with 30 prisoners. The next day Col. Winder was sent to relieve the former detachment, and driven back with loss; and Gen. Smythe rallied to pass into Canada, but did not pass. Battle of the Berezina between the small remnant of Bonaparte's army from Moscow, joined by the corps of Victor, Oudinot, and St Cyr, on the one side, and the Russians under Tchichagoff, Wittgenstein, and Platoff, aided by the advanced guard of the main Russian army, on the other. Both parties seem to have been so exhausted by forced marches, as not to have fought with their accustomed vigor. The French suffered severely, and were obliged to alter the course of their retreat. This day, or the next, Bonaparte left his army, and fled across the country with a small guard of trusty officers to Wilna. He had been in great personal danger the preceding fortnight. Judging from his own account, his army must have suffered more from the united horrors of sword, cold, famine and continual fatigue and alarm, during the whole month of November, than is recorded to have been suffered by so large an army within the same time, since the world was made. Thirty thousand horses died in a few nights, and the army from Moscow lost all its cavalry and all its artillery. It was with difficulty that a small body guard for the Emperor could be mounted. The Prince Regent opened the new Parliament with a speech. Gen. Smythe rallied and embarked his men to pass into Can ada, but did not pass. Gen. Harrison gave up his expedition against Detroit. The 29th French bulletin issued, dated at Molodetchno. Mr. Gallatin laid his estimates before Congress. Samuel Tully executed at Boston for Piracy. The Russians entered Wilna, and took several thousand French prisoners, A bill passed the Senate U. S. to build four 74's and six frigates, 28 to 2. A bill also passed the Senate for the relief of merchants, who had given bonds under the non-importation act, 25 to 5. Bonaparte reached Paris about 11 at night, having fled with the utmost speed from Wilna in disguise, under a feigned name, and with a single attendant. The bill to augment the navy passed H. R. 70 to 56. The British frigate Java, 38 guns, capt. Lanbert, taken by the Constitution, com. Bainbridge, after an action of one hourand 55 minutes: British loss, 70 killed, and more than 100 wounded; U. S. loss, 9 killed and 25 wounded. The Java was made a complete wreck, and burnt by the captors on the 31st. A bill to raise 20,000 additional troops passed f. R. of U. S. 70 to 37. The Prussian Generals De Yorcke and Massenbach, with their corps, joined the Russians. Com. Rodgers with the President and Congress returned to Boston. During this month a great mortality prevailed among the soldiers of U. S. army, at all their stations. At the close of the year, the very small remnant of the French armies, principally officers, were at Marienbourg, Marienwerder, Elbing, and Thorn, on the Vistula. This remnant was, for the most part, collected from the fragments of corps from the Dwina, the army from Moscow having become almost utterly extinct by the middle of December. The ruin of all Bonaparte's forces en. gaged in the attempt to conquer Russia, is one of the most overwhelming events which ever took place in the whole history of the wars of ambition. In June he entered Russia with an immense army, after three years of preparation, and had under his control a more effective and formidable force than was ever before at the disposition of a single commander; in December, a fugitive in disguise, he returns to his capital, and relates with his own mouth the frustration of his designs, and the annihilation of his army. The loss of the army included the loss of 1200 cannon, 60,000 horses, and immense quantities of ammunition and baggage. The history of the world affords no parallel. RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. PLAIN SCRIPTURE READINGS. No. V. IT has been intimated, that there is danger of becoming tedious, at least to common readers, by too minute a detail of particulars in the course of these Plain Scripture Readings. Per haps this danger may be somewhat diminished by stating, in this place, the design of the writer in noticing all the emendations proposed by Griesbach, and the principal doctrines contained in each passage of Scripture tak en as the subject of examina tion. Mention is frequently made, in modern publications, of the great number of various readings in different manuscript copies of the Scriptures. This number is so great as to astonish the unlearned, and to make them think the variations of different copies of the Scriptures to be vastly more important than they really are. It seemed useful, therefore, to set before the common reader all the alterations of our text proposed by Gries bach, a very highly valued critic in this branch of sacred learning, that the true character of these alterations may be understood, and the grand edifice of Christianity with all its pillars of doc. trine and duty may be seen to stand on an immoveable foundation. If a selection were made comprising those various readings only which affect the sense, the writer might be suspected of partiality. Besides, it is desirable that every person should actually see, that such various readings as the omission of the word and, or the transposition of a word, or the change of a preposition, or the omission of the nominative case, cannot possibly, in a vast majority of instances, alter the sense in the least. In detailing the doctrines taught by Christ and the Evangelist, the writer has two objects in view. The first is, to induce his readers to compare each doctrine with the passage from which it is stated or inferred. A habit of reading the Scriptures attentively, and with a desire to understand their whole meaning, is of vast importance to every Christian, who intends to advance in divine knowledge. The second is, to shew with what comparative frequency the various truths of Christianity are taught. It is sometimes said, by the disciples of modern liberality, that those doctrines, which are usually called the doctrines of the Reformation, are seldom taught, even in appearance, by the sacred writers. A particular examination of any considerable portion of Scripture will expose the error of this assertion. The prosecution of my present plan through the Gospel of Matthew will, perhaps, answer the chief purposes I have in view. The plan may then be altered, or dropped altogether. If these papers should be generally deemed unprofitable, they will be discontinued immediately on learning that such is the fact. One word more: Let no person suppose, that, because these papers are numbered, it is necessary to read the whole in order to understand any. They are numbered for the sake of distinction; but may be read separately, after the abbreviations contained in the first number are understood. MATTHEW V, 1--20. The only various reading admitted by Griesbach as an alteration in the first twenty verses of this chapter, is the omission of the word falsely in the 11th verse. He classes this among the probable omissions. I know not that the omission of the word falsely can have any effect to render the passage doubtful, or to VOL. V. New Series. favor any class of disputants. If the word be not genuine, it doubtless crept into the text from some comment. The passage appears more forcible without it. No doubt, great malice has been exhibited against Christians, even in speaking what was true, in order to disparage their characters, and out of hatred to the cause of Christ. Thus, for instance, when Christians have sustained immoral characters before they became Christians, the world are apt to take special care that this fact be kept in remembrance. Real hostility to Christ is very frequently manifested in this way; and when thus manifested may operate as a testimony in favor of the persons against whom it is particularly directed. Proposed emendations in our persion. Ver. 5. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the land. Dr. Campbell, has shown very satisfactorily that this is a preferable translation to the common one. By the word land he understands heaven, spoken of by the Psalmist, (from whom this clause is quoted,) under the figure of the promised land. He argues that all the blessings here described are of a spiritual nature, and are to be enjoyed in a future state of happiness. It has been a difficult thing to tell in what sense the meek inherit the earth. Persons of this character often suffer in this world from the rapacious, the proud, the violent; but there is a land which they will hereafter receive in undisturbed possession, even the rest, which remaineth for the peopile of God. To explain at large 70 |