July 6 1812: John Quincy Adams Meets the Count

On July 6, 1812, John Quincy Adams, the American Ambassador to Russia in St. Petersburg, receives a visit from Count Lauriston  the now former French Ambassador. Adams writes, in part, in his diary:

6th. Count Lauriston (who is no longer the Ambassador), Mr. Montreal, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Lewis paid me visits this morning. The Count's third application, like the two former, has been dispatched to the Emperor Alexander, the last advices from whom were received on Saturday by the Empress-mother. The Emperor writes her from Vidzy, about forty-five wersts north of Swensiany,"Your son is alive and well. All is going on well. We shall fight them ; we shall beat them, and la ruse et la perfidie will have their reward." The Count informed me that he should this evening remove from his house to his lodgings at the Hotel du Nord, and should send to me to-morrow the chest of which he had desired me to take charge. He is extremely impatient to be gone, and says they now address their letters to him, "A Son Excellence, Monsieur le Comte de Lauriston," without so much as an etcetera. He says Prince Bagration has joined the central army with his advanced guard, but that both the Russian wings are very much exposed, and that the Emperor Napoleon never suffers his enemy to commit such faults with impunity. It does not appear, however, that the Russians have been molested in their retreat, or that they will be prevented from assembling all their forces. Mr. Montreal had heard a multitude of rumors circulating among the public, which only manifest the agitation of their feelings. Mr. Harris had some apprehensions that if Riga should be besieged it would not hold out more than a fortnight Mr. Lewis had received letters, from which it appeared that war between the United States and England was unavoidable.