Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

The latter expecting him with their firelocks ready and with cool intrepidity, fired at 10 paces distance so effectually as totally to rout the enemy, upon which General Veesey, at the head of a division of Klenau, attacked the enemy's cuirassiers with such energy, that their retreat was followed by that of the infantry.

Hereby the army along the whole of its line was disengaged from the enemy, obtained communication on the left with the corps of Prince Hohenzollern, and became possessed of the important post of Aspern. The enemy being in full retreat, attempted no further attack, and confined himself merely to a cannonade. The corps remained during the night under arms. The enemy repeated, indeed, his attacks on Aspern, but they all proved unsuccessful.

Third Column.

what the fixed determination to conquer or die is capable of effecting against the most impetuous attacks,

The enemy's cavalry turned these battalions on both wings, penetrated between them, repulsed the squadrons of O'Reilly's light horse, who were unable to withstand such a superior force, and in the confidence of victory, summoned these corps of heroes to lay down their arms. A well directed and destructive fire was the answer to this degrading proposition, and the enemy's cavalry abandoned the field, leaving behind them a considerable number of dead.

This corps, as well as the others, passed the night on the field of battle.

Fourth and Fifth Columns.

These were both composed of the corps of Lieutenant-General Prince Rosenberg, on either bank of the Rusbach, This column, according to its desti- and directed their march from their ponation, had began its march from its position, to the right and left of Deutschsition at Seiering, by the road of Sus- Wagram, senbrunn and Breitenlee. Some divi. sions of O'Reilly's light horse and chasseurs formed the advanced guard of the column, and at three o'clock in the afternoon met, near Hirschstetten, the left wing of the enemy, which consisted mostly of cavalry.

As about this time the first and second columns advanced intrepidly upon Aspern, and the enemy began to fall back to his position between Esslingen and Aspern, Lieut. General Hohenzollern ordered up his batteries, and a very prisk cannonade commenced on both ides.

The first line formed in close columns of battalions, and advanced with the greatest resolution upon the enemy, when his cavalry suddenly rushed forward in such disproportionate numbers, and with such rapidity, that there was scarcely time to save the artillery which had been brought up, and the battalions were left to defend themselves by their own unsupported exertions. This was the remarkable moment in which the regiments of Zach, Joseph Colloredo, Zettwitz, Froon, a battalion of Stein's, and the second battalion of the Archduke Charles's legion, under the conduct of Lieutenant-General Brady, and Generals Buresch, Maier, and Koller, demonstrated with unparalleled fortitude

The fourth proceeded through Roch. dorf straight to Esslingen. Col. Hardegg of Schwarzenberg's hulans conduc ted the advanced guard.

The fifth directed its march towards the left, in order to go a circuit round the little town of Enzersdorf, and drive the enemy out of the place. It was reinforced by Stipsic's hussars, under the command of Colonel Frolich. Lieutenant-General Klenau led the advanced guard of both columns.

As this circuit round Enzersdorf obliged the fifth to describe a longer line, it was necessary for the fourth to advance farther more slowly.

Enzersdorf, however, was quickly taken possession of by a detachment of Stipsic's hussars, and of the WallachoIllyrian frontier-regiment, as it was already for the greatest part evacuated by the enemy, from whom no more than 30 prisoners could be taken.

Both columns now received orders to advance upon Esslingen.

The fourth in close columns of battalions of Czartorisky's, Archduke Louis's, and Coburg's, who were twice successively attacked by upwards of 2000 of the enemy's heavy cavalry; but these were each time put to flight by our brave infantry with considerable loss.

Of the fifth column, two battalions of
Chastler's

Chastler's advanced directly upon Ess. lingen, while two battalions of Bellegarde's were ordered to penetrate to the left flank of the village, and the small contiguous wood. Two battalions of Hiller's and Sztaray's, besides the Archduke Ferdinand's and Stipsic's regiments of hussars, and two divisions of Rosenberg's light horse, were in the plain in readiness to support them.

These combined attacks were made twice successively with uncommon intrepidity, the enemy's troops were repulsed at all points, and driven into the village of Esslingen, which had been set on fire. But as the enemy's army was drawn up in several lines between Esslingen and Aspern, and met each new attack with fresh reinforcements, because the safety of his retreat depended on the possession of this village; our troops were obliged to abandon it at the approach of night, and to await, under arms, the arrival of morning.

The reserve corps of cavalry had marched in two columns, under the command of General Prince of Lich. tenstein, and advanced upon the New Inn between Raschdorf and Breitenlee. Gen. Count Wartensleben, with Blankenstein's hussars, conducted the advan. ced guard.

No sooner did the enemy perceive the general advance of the army, than he placed the bulk of his cavalry, supported by some battalions of infantry, in order of battle between Esslingen and Aspern, and commenced a brisk cannonade upon the columns of Austrian cavalry as they approached.

Prince Lichtenstein directed his columns to march forward in two lines, on which the enemy detached 4 or 5000 cavalry from his position to the right by way of Esslingen, and excited some apprehension that he would impede the progress of the fourth column, or even break through it. The Prince therefore ordered four regiments to the left, and kept the second column formed in two lines, till he was convinced that the fourth would not meet with any impediment to its march.

During this movement the remainder of the enemy's cavalry also advanced with the greatest confidence, towards the right wing of the Austrian. They were received with a firmness. which they probably did not expect,

The intrepidity of the cavalry which had marched up, particularly Maurice Lichtenstein's regiment and the Archduke Francis's cuirassiers, the former headed by its gallant Colonel Roussel, frustrated the repeated assaults of the enemy by counter-attacks, by which they at length put a stop to his impetuous advance, and completely repulsed him with considerable loss. In these conflicts, the French General of Division, Durousnel, Equerry to the Emperor, was taken prisoner a few paces from him, as was also General Fouler, Equerry to the Empress, after having been slightly wounded. Notwithstanding the fire of musketry which now ensued, the Prince ordered a general advance, by which the enemy was straitened in the alignement between Esslingen and Aspern, but on account of the flanking fire from Esslingen, could not be pursued any farther. The fire of his guns was answered with spirit by the horse artillery. About seven in the evening, 3000 horse were again detached towards the point of union between the cavalry and the corps of reserve and the left wing of Prince Hohenzollern, and fell en masse upon the brigades of cuirassiers of Gen. Kroyher, Klary, and Siegenthal; but by the steady intrepidity of the Blankenstein's and Riesch's regiments, who with the utmost vallantry made a sudden attack on the enemy's flanks, his cavalry was again repulsed, and part of it, which had fallen upon some of the regiments of the new levies, placed in the third line, was cut off, and there taken.

Meanwhile night came on, and it was passed by the Prince in the best state of preparation on the ground which he had gained from the enemy.

For the first time Napoleon had sustained a defeat in Germany. From this moment he was reduced to the rank of bold and successful Generals, who, like himself, after a long series of destructive atchievements, experienced the vicissitudes of fortune. The charm of his invincibility was dissolved. No longer the spoiled child of fortune, by posterity he will be characterized as the sport of the fickle Goddess. New hopes begin to animate the oppressed nations. To the Austrian army the 21st of May was a grand and glorious epoch, that must inspire it with a consciousness of

its strength, and a confidence in its energies. Overwhelmed by our irresistible infantry, its proud opponents were extended in the dust, and the presence of their hitherto unconquered Emperor was no longer capable of snatching from the heroes of Austria the laurels which they had acquired.

Napoleon's glory was obviously at stake. New efforts were to be expected the following day; but he was also obliged to fight for his existence. By means of fire-ships sent down the Danube, the Archduke had caused the enemy's bridge on the Lobau to be broken down, and its repairs would take up several hours. Meanwhile, Napoleon had already in the evening been joined by the corps of General Oudinot; and all the disposeable troops followed from Vienna and the Upper Danube, and were transported across the river in vessels as fast as they arrived. The Arch. duke, on his part, ordered the grenadier corps which had not had any share in the first engagement, to advance from its position near Gerasdorf to Breitenlee; and the short night was scarcely sufficient to complete the respective preparations for the commencement of a second tragedy.

(To be concluded in our next.)

SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. The accounts received from Spain and Portugal, since the expulsion of Soult from the latter country about the middle of May, contain hardly any information respecting the movements of the British army. Sir Arthur Wellesley had marched his army southward from the Minho to Abrantes, where he was collecting stores and provisions to enable him to march into Spain, to join General Cuesta, who had assembled a bout 40,000 men round Merida. They were then in conjunction to attack Vic tor and Sebastiani's corps, who had u nited, and occupied an entrenched position near Truxillo, a town about 70 miles from the Portuguese frontier. General Crawford had arrived at Lisbon on the 3d of July, with a reinforcement of 3000 men from Ireland, and had pro ceeded to Abrantes.

Meanwhile, the war in Spain conti

nues to be carried on with various suc

cess.

The army of General Blake had resumed offensive operations, and had formed a junction with the armies of Murcia and Valentia. A division of his armuy had, however, been surprised near Saragossa by a French corps under General Suchet, and obliged to retreat with considerable loss. Blake, at the date of the last accounts, was advancing by Tortosa to attack General St Cyr's corps, which had been weakened by detaching 10,000 men to reinforce Vic. tor's army. At Alcantara, a very gallant action took place between a corps of Spaniards, of only 2000 men, commanded by Cols. Mayne and Grant, and a body of French, consisting of 10,000, in which the latter lost 1200 men, and the former made good their retreat with little comparative loss.

A letter from an English Officer, who was in the action of Alcantara, dated 14th May, gives the following interesting account of that battle:

"This morning at 8 o'clock, three of the enemy's columns, with artillery and cavalry, attacked furiously our position on the height before this place; the small force which the brave Col. Mayne, of the Loyal Lusitanian Legion, (Governor of the town,) had, consisted of 1300 men of the regiment of Idanha, and 600 of the first division of the Loy. al Lusitanian Legion, with six pieces of artillery.

"The enemy had 10,000 infantry, 1500 cavalry, and 12 field-pieces. Our artillery and infantry fought with such fury, and such indescribable bravery, until sunset, that they maintained the pass against all the efforts of the enemy, whose superiority was so excessive. The enemy kept up a fire from all his troops, which was more terrible than can be imagined. Our troops suffered somewhat, but nothing in comparison with the loss of the enemy, which was not less than 1200 men. The intrepid Colonel Grant, second in command, who had been wounded in a previous action, gave, with his usual courage, every assistance to Col. Mayne, which enabled him to make a more regular retreat than could have been expected, saving all his artillery.

"The enemy's cavalry followed us in the evening, but by the judicious dis position of the Commanders, they were

not

L

not able to harrass us as they wished, and still less to prevent us from assisting the wounded, and collecting the dispersed. It is impossible for me to con-vey an idea of the eulogies due to the officers and soldiers for their unparalleled and intrepid conduct. It is useless to mention the sang froid, valour, and steadiness, which are natural to the English, and which shone so conspicuously in Colonel Mayne, and Lieut.Colonel Grant; since experience proves that the English fight, not like men, but like lions. I shall conclude by telling you, that from the beginning to the end, the Loyal Lusitanian Legion fought in a manner worthy of soldiers; the same may be said of the regiment of Idanha. If you had been present in this glorious action, you would have seen an infernal fire."

(Here follow the names of the Portugueze officers killed and wounded; the loss in privates is estimated at 200, the greater part of whom had been dispersed, but were coming in.)

The most flattering accounts respecting Spain were received early last month. King Joseph, it was said, had been obliged to leave Madrid, and retire to Burgos. The two Castiles had risen against the enemy; the Spanish army in Gallicia had taken Santiago and Tuy; while Gen. Ballesteros had defeated the French at the eastern extremity of Asturias, and was expected to get possession of St Andero. Elated with this favourable aspect of affairs, we were suddenly informed of the irruption of the French into Asturias, and of the capture of Oviedo and Gijon.

The following is the best account we can collect:-A vessel is arrived from Vivares, on the coast of Spain, which she left on the 16th of May, and brings an account that the French who entered Oviedo were about 5ooo strong. They got into the province by a pass which had not been defended, and were opposed on their march by 2000 Spaniards, who behaved with the greatest gallantry, but were at last obliged to retreat, which they did in good order. The Marquis de Romana was at Oviedo, making the necessary reforms in the magistracy, after having dissolved the weak and criminal Junta, when he received a dispatch, acquainting him

with the enemy's approach. He had but one regiment with him, the regiment of Princessa. This he stationed to defend the bridge of the Nora. But the enemy were so superior in numbers that the bridge was soon carried, and their own occupied. Romana immediately proceeded to Gijon, and with his aidsde camp, embarked on board the Pala. mo sloop of war, in which she set sail for a port in the west of Gallicia, where he meant to land, and rejoin the main body of his army as soon as possible. All the shipping escaped out of Gijon, two only excepted.

In the Providencia, which first brought the above intelligence to Portsmouth, have arrived the Bishop of St Andero, and several other ecclesiastics.

Authentic accounts have, however, since arrived, stating, that the Spaniards had recovered possession of Gijon and St Andero ; and that Marshal Ney, after repeated attempts to cross the bridge of St Payo in Gallicia, had suffered a great defeat, and been obliged to evacuate both Ferrol and Corunna. It is also stated that Soult's army were much in want of ammunition and provisions, and had not been able to effect a junction with Ney's corps.

The following official accounts were published in the London Gazette of Ju ly 8.

ADMIRALTY OFFICE,
July 8. 1805.

The following particulars relative to
the evacuation of Corunna and Fer-
rol by the French, are contained in
a series of letters from Captain
Hotham, of his Majesty's ship the
Defiance, to Admiral Lord Gam-
bier, dated from the 22d to the 30th
of June.

In consequence of the defeat sustained by the enemy's army under Marshal Ney, in the action against the Spanish forces at the bridge of the Payo, that General fell back on Corunna on the 16th of June, and immediately began to take measures for relinquishing the possession of that place and Ferrol, removing his forces by divisions to an encampment three leagues in advance from Betanzos towards Lugo.The last divisions of the French left Ferrol on the 21st, and Corunna on the

22d, after having in both places spiked the guns, and destroyed the defences on the land side, together with the maga. zines and stores of every kind, and completely disarmed these places and their inhabitants.

The proximity of the enemy's position continuing to hold the authorities established by the French at Corunna in subjection, through the fear of his return, no communication being suffered with the British ships but by flags of truce, and the state of the defence in which the batteries and lines on the same side were left, rendering it dangerous for the English to land or approach the coast, in the event of the re-appearance of any of the enemy, Captain Hotham, on the 24th, ordered a detachment of seamen and marines to land, and disable the guns on the different batteries bearing on the anchorage, offering at the same time to the Governor the services of the detachment in rendering any assistance that might be in its power to the cause of the Spanish patriots. The cannons and mortars on the sea lines at Corunna, and in the forts commanding the bay, were accordingly all dismounted on the same day, leaving untouched those on the lines towards the land, which had been spiked by the enemy.

On the 26th, Captain Hotham sent Captain Parker, of his Majesty's ship Amazon, to Ferrol, where he was received by the people with the loudest acclamations of joy, and received from the higher orders of the inhabitants the strongest possible marks of attachment to the English, and happiness at seeing once more among them an officer of that nation. The castle of San Felipe, however, was still under the command of a person appointed by Marshal Ney, and attached to the French interest, with a garrison composed of a detachment of a legion raised by the enemy during their possession of Ferrol and Corunna; and on the 27th Captain Ho. tham received information that the above Commandant had given orders to fire on any English ships or boats that might attempt to pass the castle.In consequence, Captain Hotham repaired to Ferrol in the Defiance, and landed the marines of that ship and the

Amazon, with a party of armed seamen, under the direction of Capt Par ker, who entered the castle without opposition, preceded by a flag bearing the name of King Ferdinand the Se. venth and the Spanish colours. The detachment then proceeded to the town of Ferrol, where it was received in the most affectionate manner by the inhabitants, and having arrested the Commandant of the castle in the name of King Ferdinand, sent him on board the Defiance. The Governor of Ferrol not having any means of garrisoning the castle, the guns in it were spiked, and the powder removed to the arsenal, and the place left under the command of the former Governor, who had been superseded by the enemy.

On the 28th, Captain Hotham entered the port of Corunna, where he was in formed by the Governor that he had received instructions from the Marquis de la Romana, dated at Orense on the 27th, to proclaim his Catholic Majesty, Ferdinand the Seventh, with the advice that he had dispatched a regiment from his army to attend the ceremony and garrison the place: the Governor at the same time gave Captain Hotham assurances that the port was from that hour to be considered under the controul and authority of the lawful King of Spain; and the Captain placed himself, and every assistance that the ships under his orders might be able to afford, at the Governor's disposal.

On the 29th, Major-General the Conde de Norona, Captain General of Gallicia, arrived at Corunna from St Jago, and was followed on the next day by General Carrera, with about 11,000 men, forming the Conde's division of the Marquis of Romana's army.

The French army under Marshal Ney, moved from its camp near Betanzos on the 22d, taking the road to Lugo and Astorga. It was reported that, previously to its breaking up the camp, it had destroyed its baggage and heavy artillery,

On the 27th the Marquis de la Romana was stated to be at Orense with General Mahi and 30,000 men. Marshal Soult's position on the 16th was said to have been at Monforte and Quirage.

Copy

« ZurückWeiter »