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troops that were in the neighbourhood of quarters were moved, on the 6th inftant, Duffeldorff, being confiderably reinfor- from Obermufchel, to Wonfheim, on ced from the army of the North, marched towards the Sieg, and, after fome fevere fkirmishes, forced the Prince of Wirtemberg's advanced pofts to quit that river on the ft. His Serene Highnefs then took a pofition at Crobach, near Hackenburg, having an advanced guard at Altenkirchen.

On the 3d the enemy attacked the poft at Altenkirchen, and carried it with great lofs, after experiencing the moft obftinate resistance that it was poffible to make. Nothing could furpafs the bravery difplayed by the Auftrian troops, but they were obliged to yield to the great fuperiority of numbers, the enemy having brought the principal part of the force which they had on the right bank of the Rhine against that one point.

Head Quarters, Hockheim, June 10. MY LORD, I have the honour to inform your Lordship, that, on the 6th inftant, Prince Ferdinand of Wirtemberg, upon finding that the enemy was manoeuvring his right flank, retired from the Synbach rivulet to the Lahn, and took a pofition near Limburg, having a corps upon his left at Naffau, and one upon his right at Weilberg; the latter detached five fquadrons of light cavalry to the neighbourhood of Wetzlar, for the purpose of obferving the enemy's movements on that side. The first reinforcements that were fent to the Prince of Wirtemberg joined him on the 7th. Several other troops have fince arrived in the position of the Lahn, and the further progrefs of the enemy is effectuaily ftopped by the active and energetic meafures which the Archduke has employed upon this important occafion.'

General Jourdan, immediately after the fuccefs of General Kleber against the Prince of Wirtemberg, threw bridges over the Rhine at Neuwied, and he is affembling, with the utmost diligence, the principal part of his army on the right bank of the Lahn. His firft intention evidently was to advance to Frankfort; but, as the Archduke has completly foiled him in that project, he seems. now to confine his views to the fiege of

the road from Creutznach to Altzey; on the 8th to Nider Ulm; and on the 9th to this place where they remain to day. All that part of his army which is def tined to act immediately against General Jourdan, has paffed the Rhine at Mayence, and is advancing towards the enemy, full of fpirits, and confident of vic tory.

Marshal Wurmfer has detached to the Upper Rhine a fufficient number of troops to put his left flank in fecurity against any attempts which General Moreau might now be induced to make on that fide, and his Excellency ftill maintains a pofition, with a part of his army, on the left bank of the Rhine, from Reh Hutte, to Franckenthal, the left of which is covered by the lower part of the Rehbach rivulet, and the front and right by the canal called the Flotebach, that interfects the plain from the Rehbach to Franckenthal, and runs from thence through part of the wood of Frifenheim into the Rhine, "

I hope foon to have the honour of tranfmitting to your Lordship accounts of his Royal Highnefs's fuccefs againft General Jourdan, and the confequent relief of Ehrenbreitftein; events, which the vigorous offenfive measures that will be immediately pursued in that quarter feem to insure. I have the honour to be, &c. C. CRAUFURD."

Head-quarters of his Royal Highness the Archduke Charles of Auftria, Hackenbourg, June 18.

I have the honour to inform your Lordfhip, that the Archduke's head quarters were moved from Hocheim to Schwalbach, near Koningftein, on the 11th inftant; to Heffe Homburg on the 12th; and to Grain Wifbach the 13th, where they remained the 14th; on which day his Royal Highnefs completed the neceffary arrangements for the defence of the Lahn, between Braunfels and the Rhine, which chiefly confifted in pofting a large corps at Limbourg, with two others of inferior force near Naffau and Weilburg. On the 14th a confiderable corps, under the command of Lieutenant-General

at Butzbach,

Ehrenbreitstein, which fortrefs he has Werneck, ar, the Saxons

invefted. The Archduke is now marching against him with his main army, having left a confiderable corps, under General Mercantin in the pofition behind the Seltz rivulet between Mayence and Altzey. His Royal Highnes's head

of Wetzlar. Another ftrong column, commanded by General Kray, marched the fame day to the neighbourhood of Braunfels, and a Partifan corps purfued across the Labn 3 Z 2

to

to Koningberg, which lies between Gief fen and Herborn on the Dille.

The river Dille formed the natural left Hank to the enemy's line of defence, which was covered on the right by the Rhine; and as the hills on the right bank of the Dille are very fteep, woody, and difficult of access, it was effential for the enemy to occupy them, but more efpecially fo, to take the pofition between Hermanstein on that river and Altenbourg on the Lahn, as the Auftrians would then have been completely prevented from croffing at Wetzlar, and obliged to manoeuvre, by Gieffen, towards Herborn and Dielenburg.

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The Archduke ordered General Werheck to push his advanced pofts acrofs the Lahn and the Dille at Wetzlar on the 14th, and to pass, on the 15th, with his whole corps; to fupport which mar noeuvre, the Saxons were directed to advance to Wetzlar the fame day, and General Kray to occupy the heights be tween Braunfels and Leuhn on the Lahn. The French General Le Fevre was in march with a large corps for the fame object at the fame time. The heads of his columns attacked General Werneck's advanced guard, which, after making à very long and most obftinate refistance, was obliged to yield to the great fuperiority of numbers. The enemy then Occupied the above mentioned pofition with their right to the Lahn and their left to the Dille, and began a fevere cannonade upon the Auftrians, who, though at the foot of the heights with the rivers clofe in their rear, had formed again and ftood firm. His Royal Highnefs the Arch. duke having arrived juft as the advanced guard was retiring, ordered the Saxons to accelerate their march, and particularly their cavalry to advance with as much expedition as poffible. His Royal Highnefs likewife ordered that part of General Werneck's corps, which had remained in referve on the left bank of the Lahn, to join their advanced guard, and left the detachments on the left oppolite Altenbourgh, and on the right at Aflar, near Hermanftein, as they had been at firft pofted, in order to fecure the flanks. In this very critical pofition his Royal Highness remained, anfwering the enemy's cannonade from a battery of twelve pounders, and determined to attack as foon as the head of the Saxon column Thould have paffed Wetzlar.

The polition that General Le Fevre occupied, was compofed of a range of

heights, which, from the broken ground in their front, are difficult of accefs. There was a projecting point of wood that formed upon the face of these heights a falient angle to the rest of his line; and this wood, returning through the centre of the pofition, extended to the right and left behind each wing, to the Lahn and the Dille.

This fallient point was ftrongly occupied with infantry, as well as the heights and village of Altenberg, and on the height above Hermanftein the principal part of the cavalry was formed, being fupported by infantry posted in the wood in their rear, the artillery was diftributed upon the fpots moft favourable for taking the face of the pofition. In this order, General Le Fevre waited the arrival of the rest of his corps; had it come up before the ArchDuke attacked, the Auftrians must have retired across the Lahn at Wetzlar. His Royal Highness, perfectly aware of this circumstance, refolved not to delay his attack a moment after the Saxon cavalry should have arrived. This did not happen till feven în the evening, and the difpofition was then made in general as follows: Three fquadrons of the Austrian cavalry, regiment of Carachy, fupported by that of Naffau, were ordered to charge the left, and the Saxon cavalry the front of the heights above Hermanftein, while the Austrian grenadiers attacked the enemy's center in the wood, the left wing was kept back. The regiment of Carachy advanc ed through the hollow ways and ravines, and, when arrived at the top of the height, charged the enemy with a degree of intrepidity that must do them immortal honour; but as they were very much broken by the extreme badnefs of the ground, and as the French cavalry was numerous and drawn up in perfect order to receive them, they were repulfed. The regiment of Naffau had, in the mean time, reached the fummit and formed; they therefore received the regiment of Carachy, which rallied under their protection, charged the enemy agam with part of the regiment of Naffau on their flanks, and part as a fecond line, and, after as regular a fhock as could take place, they proved victorious, This happened before the Saxon cavalry had reached their point of attack, or the grenadiers had arrived at the wood; and the enemy, finding themselves taken in flank, and most vigorously pursued, retired; their firft line with great precipi

tation, abandoning the falient point of their center, and their defeated cavalry threw itself in diforder into the wood behind their infantry. Part of the regiments of Carachy and Naffau followed them, cut a down battalion which had formed where the road leading from Wetzral to Greiffenftein enters the wood, and took several pieces of cannon; but, upon endeavouring to continue the purfuit ftill further, they were received by the fecond line of the French infantry, who gave them a fevere fire, and obliged them to return out of the wood to form again. However, they brought off all the canhon and ammunition waggons that they had taken. The enemy ftill kept the heights of Altenburg, their line extending from thence towards Alfteden on the Dille.

The Auftrian grenadiers now attacked and defeated the French infantry in the wood.

In the rear of the enemy's left flank at the distance of two English miles, lay the village of Barghaufen on the Dille. In the vicinity of that village the wood retires from the Dille in the form of a half circle, leaving a confiderable space of open ground; through this the road, by which the left of General Le Fevre's corps was obliged to retreat, paffes and enters the wood again over an height, that affords an excellent pofition for infantry, not only from being fo immediately on the edge of the wood, but more efpecially as the foot of it is covered, in the greateft part of its extent, by a ravine that is very difficult to cross.

It was on this height that the enemy had formed three battalions, with a battery of artillery, to receive their troops that had been defeated by the Auftrian cavalry and grenadiers; and, at the fame time, finding that victory was declared in favour of the Auftrians, they retired their right from the heights of Altenbourg, forming the troops that had occupied that part of the pofition in the thick wood which was immediately in their rear. Four squadrons of Saxon cavalry, as if determined to emulate the exemplary conduct of the Imperial troops, together with a squadron of the regiment of Carachy, advanced through that part of the wood which had been cleared by the grenadiers, and, without wait ing for further fupport, and not accompanied either by cannon or infantry, defiled along the road, and scrambled through the ravine under the enemy's

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The night now came on, and put an end to this very brilliant affair. Nothing could furpass the steadiness and intrepi dity with which the Auftrian and Saxon troops executed his Royal Highness' maf terly and decifive manœuvres. I

The lofs of the Auftrians and Saxons amounted to above five hundred men, including feveral officers; that of the French, judging from the number left dead on the field, and from the accounts given by deferters and prifoners, and by the inhabitants of the country through which they passed in their retreat, muft have been very great It is reported that General Le Fevre, who commanded in perfon, was wounded badly in the arm.

Having failed in his attempt to make himself matter of this important pofition, General Jourdan determined to raise the blockade of Ehrenbreitftein, and recrefs the Rhine. Four of the fix divifions which compofed his army have directed their march towards Neuwied, the two others towards Siegburg, Cologne, and Duffeldorff.

On the 16th the Archduke marched in pursuit of General Le Fevre to Greiffenitein, where he was joined by General Kray, who had croffed the Lahn that morning at Leun.

On the 17th his Royal Highness marched to Renderodt; the advanced guard pufbing on to Altenkirchen, and on the 18th to Hackenbourg. The corps at Limbourg, Naffau, and Wielburg crof fed the Lahn, and pursued General Jourdan by Montabauer and Thierdorf, whilst the Partifan corps on the right advanced to the Sieg. But notwithstanding the utmost diligence has been made use of by the Auftrians, no affair of confequence has taken place fince the 15th, as the enemy have retired on all fides, with the utmost precipitation.

Intelligence is juft received that Marfhal Wurmfer's pofts in the front of Manheim were attacked on the 14th inft. and that his Excellency defeated the enemy, and took from them fome cannon. ~Head Quarters of his Royal Highness the

Archduke Charles of Auftria, Hack-
enbourg, June 20.1

I Have the honour to inform your
Lord-

Lordship, that his Royal Highness the a proportionate number of heavy and Archduke's advanced corps, commanded horfe artillery. by General Kray, marched yesterday morning at day break in purfuit of that part of the enemy's army, which after uniting at Altenkirchen, was retiring, under the orders of General Kleber, towards Siegburg on the Sieg, with the intention of proceeding from thence to Cologn and Duffeldorf.

General Kleber found himfeif under the neceffity of halting that day on the heights that lay between, Kirpen and Ukareth, on the great road to Siegburg, in order to give time for his referve, ammunition, and baggage to pafs the Sieg. He therefore occupied the very advantageous pofition that thefe heights afford, with about twenty-four thousand men. The front of both his wings, as well as his flanks, were covered by two deep ravines, that could only be paffed at a very few points. The approach to his centre was about three hundred yards broad, and ran along a ridge that connected this position with the heights of Kirpen, and in which the two ravines above mentioned take their fource. At the village of Kirpen there is another range of advantageous, heights, parallel to those where the enemy was pofted; their right (looking towards Ukareth) terminates in a deep ravine; their left on a plain opposite to the enemy's center. This plain is bounded on its left by a fmall wood that extends towards the ravine, which covered the enemy's right wing, leaving the approach of their centre clofe on its right. From this wood a long range of inclofures and fmall copfes, intermixed with two villages and feveral fcattered houfes, extend in a parallel direction to the right of the enemy's pofition, nearly only a line with the heights of Kirpen, d

On the Altenkirchen fide of Kirpen, about feven hundred yards from the latter, is a third range of heights, which take exactly the fame direction as thofe I have juft defcribed, their right being covered by a deep ravine, their centre and left falling gradually into a plain that is bounded by Kirpen, and by the inclofures and small villages above mentioned.

General Kray's corps confifted of about eleven thousand men, viz. thirtytwo fquadrons of light cavalry, two battalions of grenadiers, fix battalions of fufileers, two battalions of Sclavonian light infantry, with a corps of riflemen, and

The Auftrian huffars fell in with a large patrole of the enemy at the village of Wyerbufch, and drove it back to Kirpen; there they came up with General Kleber's poft, which they immediately forced back towards his pofition, and General Kray's advanced guard, confifting of one Sclavonian light infantry and one Walloon battalion, with several fquadrons of light cavalry, and fome horfe artillery, formed upon the heights of Kirpen.

General Kleber, who could easily dif cover all General Kray's firength, immediately determined upon attacking part of the infantry of his right wing, advan ed into the wood that bounded the plain below the heights of Kirpen, and into the inclosures and villages that extended from thence between the two pofitions, and the cavalry of that wing, marched in the rear of the infantry, ready to advance and attack General Kray's left, as foon as the latter (viz. the infantry), fhould have established itself along the edge of the plain. A fmall part of the infantry of this left wing advanced thro' the ravines against General Kray's right, in order to prevent his detaching from thence, whilft his principal body of cavalry, fupported by nine battalions of infantry, and a great proportion of heavy artillery, marched from his centre against the heights of Kirpen. The Auftrian cawalry, which was pofted near Kirpen, attacked the French cavalry as they were forming at the head of the ridge before defcribed, but partly from the fire which they received in their left flank from the wood, and partly from the very great fuperiority of numbers, they were repulfed. However, the battalion of Walloons and Sclavonian light infantry kept their ground, the cavalry rallied under their protection, and in this fituation the advanced guard waited the enemy's attack The French cavalry, as foon as its formation was completed, advanced against the heights of Kirpen, and fupported by a part of their infantry, drove back the Auftrian cavalry, the Sclavonian battalion, and the artillery, all of whom retired behind the line of the pofition in the rear. The Walloon battalion, commanded by Colonel Brady, stood firm, repulfed the repeated and combined attacks that were made upon it, and at laft finding itfelf furrounded, began its retreat through the village towards the

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pofition, which they effected in a manner that deserves to be represented as an example of bravery and difcipline which may be equalled, but can never be furpaffed. The French were now mafters of the village and heights of Kirpen; their right wing had established itself on the edge of the inclofures, and in the vil lages that border the plain, and their left extended from Kirpen in a parallel line to the Austrians, with whofe right it was already engaged in a diftant mufquetry fire.

General Kray formed his advanced guard again behind his center as a referve, and remained upon his pofition to receive the formidable attack that the enemy were now preparing to make up

on him.

General Kleber brought a great quantity of artillery on the heights of Kirpen, and formed two principal attacks; the one with two lines of cavalry fupported by his right wing of infantry, against General Kray's left, and the other with nine battalions of infantry, fupported by a large body of cavalry againft the centre, whilft his left advanced fufficiently to keep the Austrian right in check.

The enemy now attacked General Kray's left wing, and defeated his cavalry, as their great fuperiority of num bers gave them an opportunity of gaining its flank. But the battalion and the battery which occupied a height on the left of the infantry pofition, changed their front, and kept up fuch a heavy fire on the flank of the French cavalry as checked their purfuit. The Auftrian cavalry rallied under the protection of this able manœuvre, and returning to the charge, fupported by four fquadrons of Saxons, who had jul arrived, drove back the French into the villages and defiles from which they had advanced, and decided the affair on that fide.

Whilft this was going on, the nine battalions, and the cavalry that were formed at Kirpen, advanced against the centre of the Auftrian pofition. This point was occupied by three battalions and fome fquadrons of cavalry in the first line, 40 which the advanced guard that had been obliged to abandon Kirpen, formed, as has been obferved, a fecond line. Thefe mot gallant troops allowed the French to approach them within a hundred paces, without firing, except from their cannon. The first line of infantry then gave a general discharge, and charged with their bayonets. This decifive

movement produced the defired effect; the French gave way; General Kray's cavalry purfued them into the village, and the Auftrians proved finally victorious. They were not, however, in fufficient force to profit of this victory in the manner they might have otherwise have done, especially as the enemy's broken troops were received by a strong referve, and as their right ftill remained in the villages and inclofures which they had taken poffeffion of in the beginning of the action: General Kray was therefore obliged to content himself with forcing the enemy to abandon the heights of Kirpen: In the evening General Kleber retired his right wing into his pofition; but a battalion at the extremity of his left, that had advanced to turn the right of the Auftrians, was completely cut off.

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Thus, my Lord, ended an affair, which, though lefs important than that of the 15th near Wetzlar, becaufe the object of contention was not of fuch magnitude, may with juftice be filed equally bril liant; particularly when we confider that the French had more than double the force of the Auftrians.

General Kray loft between five and fix hundred men. The enemy had above feven hundred taken prisoners, left feveral hundred dead on the field, and according to all reports had a very great number wounded.

General Kleber retreated last night as foon as it was dark across the Sieg to Siegbourg, frem whence he is directing his march towards Duffeldorf, and General Jourdan has recrofled the Rhine with all the reft of his army at Neuwied,

Dowing fireet, July 1.

Dispatches have this day been received from Colonel Graham, dated at the headquarters of General Beaulieu, Cagliano, near Rovoredo, June the 13th and 14th, by which it appears, that nothing material had occurred in that quarter fince the 31st of May.

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