Maximilian Joseph, king of Bavaria, to all whom these presents shall come, health! "Without a declaration of war, without any previous explanation, our territory was on the 9th of this month invaded, and we were compelled to leave our capital, which is possessed by the Austrian troops. This attack on the rights of nations will be punished. The sovereigns of the Rhenish confederacy, supported by their mighty protector, shall maintain their independence, and, by victories, reply to the treacherous proclamation which is circulated in Bavaria, and which endeavours to subvert the rights of sovereigns, by exciting every where a spirit of disaffection, and to produce the destruction of all social order. People and soldiers of Bavaria, you know with what zeal we have loved you. You know that your happiness has been the constant object of our care. You know also that since the treaty of Presburgh, which confirmed your political existence, you have already had reason to rejoice at the new relations subsisting between us and the powers of Europe. People and soldiers of Bavaria, Austria seeks to annihilate your independence, reduce your strength, and diminish your possessions, under the pretext of freeing you. The people of the allied states are not, however, ignorant of the new and dangerous influence which it has endeavoured to establish, and the obvious consequence of which, would be the restoration of the arbitrary power which the archdukedom of Austria had assumed under the title of Head of the German Empire. It is our throne which is threatened to be overthrown. It is the Bavarian name which is to be extinguished among nations. In this attempt it is wished to make you parties, under the pretext of zeal for your property. Your territory is destined to be the reward of your enemies-for in their ostentation they do not conceal their object. They wish to dismember your country, and to establish in it Barons dependent on the court of Vienna. Their base and sense less purposes shall be defeated: for this we have the pledge of the fidelity of our people, of the courage of our soldiers, of the genius and protection of our mighty allv.

In this great contest, in which justice w triumph over the temporary abuse of power, and through which Ba

varia shall finally obtain that consolidation which will place her for ever in se curity against the attacks of a jealous neighbour, you will support with your wishes and your efforts, our arms, and those of our great ally. We shall soon return to our capital. At the sight of the illustrious protector of our confede. racy, our enemies will fade away, and the war which they now again commence, shall, like that in 1805, be carried into their own territories; but mea sures shall then be taken to prevent their any longer disturbing the continent, and making their neighbours the victims of the intrigues of their cabiMAXIMILIAN JOSEPH."

nets.

Dillengen, April 17.

Further on, to the left of Jellachich's division, field-marshal Chastellar, on the 9th of April, amidst the joyful acclamations of the Tyrolese, entered the Tyrol at Lienz, through the Pusterthal, and reached Brauneck on the 12th. Every where the Tyrolese flew to arms, and either killed or took prisoners all the Bavarian soldiers in their territory. At Inspruck, on the same day, about 200 infantry and dragoons, with half a battery, were made prisoners, and on the following day, 49 French officers, 1677 men, with 451 horses, and two light battalions of Bavarians, surrendered at Wildau to the Tyrolese.

While these events were transpiring on the left of the Austrian army, general Bellegarde, on the right, broke up from Bohemia on the roth April with the first corps of the army, and passing by Tieschenrieth, formed a junction at Werenberg, on the Nab, on the 12th, with the second corps of the army which had entered the Upper Palatinate by Rushaupten. Both corps took a position on the Nab, and their vanguard occupied the heights of Hirschau, in order to watch the road from Bayreuth to Amberg. At Hirschau, an affair of advanced posts took place with the division of Friant, which was approaching, in order to reach the Danube, by a rapid march through Amberg. The consequence of the action was, that the French division was driven back to Neumarck, and the advanced posts of the Austrians occupied Amberg. The first and second corps then advanced to Swandorff and Kirn, near Ratisbon. But the corps of Friant, nevertheless, joined the division of D'Avoust shortly after.

We

We now return to the army of the centre, under the immediate command of the Archduke Charles. After passing the Iser at Landshut, H. I. H. with the 3d, 4th, and 5th corps of the army, and the 1st corps of the reserve, advanced by a forced march beyond the river Labar, towards the Danube, in the direction of Kelheim and Ratisbon. On the 19th uit. he passed through Rotten. burg, Echmuhl, and Cloisterach. The object of this forced march of the Archduke was evidently to cut off the corps under D'Avoust, before it could form a junction with the division of Oudinot, which was rapidly advancing from Augsburg, and the division of Massena, which had quitted Ulm, and had reached Augsburg. This bold design was unhappily frustrated by the celerity of the French movements. On the 19th an action took place at Pfaffenhoffen, between the corps of Oudinot and a bo dy of Austrians, which led to no great consequence on either side. The day following the division of Massena formed a junction with that of Oudinot at Pfaffenhoffen; and at the same time D'Avoust left Ratisbon, to advance to Neustadt, and to draw near to Ingol. stadt. It is impossible to mistake the object of these rapid movements.While they eluded the archduke's plan of attack against D'Avoust's corps at Ratisbonne, which was well judged, though it was prevented, the three corps of D'Avoust, Oudinot, and Massena, together with the two divisions of Bavarians at Neustadt, were thus enabled to concentrate their forces, and collectively to attack the Austrians, at the very moment when they were advancing to Ratisbonne, and thought themselves the assailants. Accordingly D'Avoust commenced his march from Ratisbonne, by break of day, the divisions of Moraud and Guden forming his right, and the divisions of St Hilaire and Friant, his left. At Presling, the division of St Hilaire, supported by that of Friant, came up with the Austrians, whom they compelled to fall back with the loss, according to the first bullettin, of between 6 and 700 prisoners. About two o'clock in the afternoon, the left of D' Avoust's army, under Moraud, fell in with an Austrian division, near Tann, which was attacked in front, while Lefebvre, with a corps of Bava.

rians, which we before stated had taken a central position at Neustadt, had marched from that place through Abensperg, and attacked the Austrians in the rear. The Austrian division was thus driven from its positions, after sustaining a very severe battle, leaving, accor ding to the French accounts, several hundreds killed and prisoners. At sunset the divisions of Lefebvre and D'Avoust formed a junction.

On the following day, the 20th April, Buonaparte arrived at Abensperg, and there resolved to attack the left wing of the Austrian army, commanded by the archduke Lewis and field-marshal Hiller. For this purpose, the corps of D'Avoust kept the Austrian divisions of Hohenzollern, of Rosenberg, and Lichtenstein, in check, while the two divisions of Moraud and Guden, which had formed the right of D'Avoust's army on its march from Ratisbonne, the Bavarians and Wirtemburghers, attacked the army of the archduke Lewis and General Hiller in front. Massena marched by Freyberg, and thence proceeded to the rear of the Austrian army, to cut off their communications. The French order of battle

was thus formed: The divisions of Moraud and Guden formed, and manœu vred under the command of the duke of Montebello; the Bavarian general Wrede was stationed at Sigenburgh, and attacked the Austrian division opposed to him; general Vandamme, who commanded the Wirtemburghers, attacked the Austrians on their right flank. Lefebvre, with the division of Bavarians under the hereditary prince, and the Bavarian division of Deroi, marched toward the village of Ranezhausen, in order to reach the high road from Abensperg to Landshut. The duke of Montebello, with his two French divisions, forced the extremity of the Austrian left, and advanced to Rohr and Rosemburgh. The French bulletin states, that these movements so disconcerted the

Austrians, that they did not fight for more than an hour, and then beat a retreat; and that 8 standards, 12 pieces of cannon, and 1800 prisoners, were the result of this affair, while they lost only a few men. It is certain that the Austrians were defeated, because we find them on the following day, the 21st, in full retreat over the Iser, and Land

shut

shut evacuated by them. And though the usual exaggeration of the French has magnified the most trifling affairs into great battles; yet it is clear that the Austrians sustained a great defeat in the general action which took place between Abensperg and Landshut. Their flank was laid open, and their magazines at Landshut were exposed. According ingly, the French availed themselves of their victory to push on to Landshut. The Austrian cavalry, who were cover. ing the retreat of their army, engaged the French under the duke of Istria, in the plain before Landshut; and the French infantry forced a passage over the bridge, and penetrated into the city. Driven from their position, the Austrians were then attacked by the corps of Massena, which had advanced by the right bank of the Iser; and the conquerors, according to their own account, possessed themselves of 30 pieces of cannon, 9,000 prisoners, 600 ammunition waggons, and 3,000 baggage waggons.

itself to the third and 4th corps of reserve at Echmuhl, where a great battle was obstinately fought on the 22d, according to both the Austrian and French statements.

While the battle near Abensperg was taking place, the Archduke defeated the French at Ratisbonne, and took, according to the French bulletin, 1,000 Frenchmen prisoners; a circumstance which wrought such an effect upon Bonaparte, that he swore an hellish oath, that in 24 hours Austrian blood should flow in Ratisbonne, to resent the insult which had been offered to his troops. A thousand Frenchmen lost, could not have occasioned such a bloody oath. It is more likely, therefore, that the Austrians took 4 or 5,000 prisoners, as is asserted by intelligence, not official, in the German papers, All this while, the corps of D'Avoust, and the Bavarians under Lefebvre, held in check the corps of Rosenberg, Hohenzollern, and Lichtenstein, that is, the 4th, 3d, and 2d corps. At this critical moment Bonaparte was in a situation of imminent danger, and had not the communication between the archdukes Charles and Lewis been cut off, or had the Archduke made a forward movement with celerity with his whole force from Ratisbonne and Eglofsham, the corps of D'Avoust and Lefebvre would have been utterly exterminated, and he would have taken the French, division at Landshut in the rearf. Unfortunately this was not attempted with adequate promptitude, and Bonaparte, perceiving his danger, made a forced march from Landshut, with the two divisions of the Duke of Montebello and Massena, the cuirassiers of Nansouti and St Sulpice, and the Wirtemberg division. If now the division of the archduke Lewis, instead of pursuing its retreat, had suddenly advanced again upon Landshut ‡, the French corps there must have been

The Austrian account of these actions, in their seventh and eight reports, confessedly drawn up in haste, merely states that the Archduke Lewis, after the battle of Abensperg, first retreated, with general Hiller, upon the Iser to cover Landshut; near which the defile was obstructed by several waggons, which rendered the loss of some artillery and several waggons unavoidable. But the loss of men was not considerable; only one division of the regiment of Benjaysk's infantry, suffered severely. The 5th, 6th, and 2d corps of the army united, and took a position near Old Oeting, to defend the river Inn. we must acknowledge that there is not only great confusion in these reports, but also contradiction. For in the seventh report, the 2d corps is said to have retreated by Ratisbonne, and combined with the main army; whereas, in the eighth report, it is represented as united with the 5th and 6th at Old Oeting, and presently after, the same report mentions it as having effected a junction with the 3d and 4th corps of reserve Ratisbonne. Both statements cannot be true, as the French and Iser at that time intercepted the communication between the archduke's army in the vici. nity of Ratisbonne, and the archduke Lewis at Old Oeting. The most probable account is, that the 2d corps did not fall back to Old Oeting, but united

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For on the preceding evening, a severe action had taken place with the corps of D'Avoust, when the archduke in vain attempted to carry the post of Abach, of which action the French make no mention. But it was no doubt this attack which hurried away Bonaparte from Landshut.

Which they might have done, according to the 8th Austrian report.

exposed, in consequence of this great subtraction from its force, and the magazines might have been recovered. But the loss of the means of communication is the bane of armies; and unless a great genius presides, who is capable of hazarding much, great results cannot be expected. To the continued retreat of the archduke Lewis must therefore be ascribed the subsequent successes of the French. As we have already stated, Bonaparte, seeing the danger of the corps of D'Avoust and Lefebvre, advanced with the rapidity of lightning to their support. At two o'clock in the afternoon of the 22d, he arrived opposite Echmuhl, and drew up his army in order of battle, while the Austrians, according to their 8th report, were only preparing to make a general attack on the following day. The Battle of Echmuhl was fought on the 22d, with un common animosity, every Austrian feeling," says their report, "the sublime cause for which he fought."

The right wing of the Austrians attacked and carried the post of Abach, on the Danube, and took Lakepont. Opposed to this wing, Lasnes commanded with the division of Guden. The right wing of the Austrians was com pletely victorious; but the left was not so fortunate. It was turned at Echmuhl, of which the French possessed themselves, and then formed again in the woods (near Harting,) which cover Ratisbonne. The French say the Austrians were driven from this position in. to the plain, where their infantry was cut off by the French cavalry. On the other hand, the 9th Austrian report states that the archduke restored order, and thus ended a battle which had lasted five days without interruption. The French assert that not half their army was engaged; with great truth, the Austrians may say the same, as half their army was at Old Oetting. They also declare that they took 15 standards, and 20,000 prisoners; the Austrians, on the other hand, maintain that the loss on both sides was very great, and that they had taken a great number of prisoners.

It is utterly impossible, in the present stage of our information, to reconcile these flat contradictions ; and therefore, the fairer mode seems to be, to admit that the Austrians were generally worst

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ed, but that they stood their ground with such inveterate obstinacy as to have materially weakened the force of the enemy, and to have prevented him from following his successes with that galloping impetuosity for which he has been heretofore distinguished. We are the more inclined to judge in this way, from the flippant style of the French bulletins, and from the striking fact, that no pitched battles have been since fought, though the army of the archduke is still above 100,000 strong. Even the subsequent movements are not narrated by the French with their usual vapouring gaiety. "Darkness at length compelled them to balt," yet during this same darkness, the archduke defiled his army undisturbed through Ratisbonne. On the ensuing day, the 23d, the French advanced upon Ratisbonne, which they carried, after a severe conflict between their advanced guard and the Austrian cavalry, which covered the approach to that city, wherein the French must have suffered severely, as they represent that several successive charges were made, terminating, in more constrained language, to their advantage." Every one acquainted with military affairs must be aware, that it never was the intention of the Austrian cavalry to attack the enemy, after its infantry had passed the Danube. The only object of their manœuvres was to cover the retreat of their infantry, which, by the French accounts, they effected so completely, that they do not boast of having made a single prisoner in this action. And in their representation of the battle of Echmuhl, the Austrians are stated to have lost only 300 cavalry! "In all these battles," they assert that "they lost only 1,200 killed, and 4.000 wounded," though in different parts of the same bulletin, we can reckon more than 7,000 of their men made prisoners, by their own admission. Nor are we told how many Bavarians and Wirtemburghers fell; this was not a considération to the good people of Paris, but was an affair which concerned only the widows and orphans of Bavaria and Wirtemberg; yet it must be recollected, that in the battles of the 19th, 20th, and 22d, the wretched troops of those nations were most exposed to slaughter, for "the emperor determined to fight that day (the 20th)

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