genstein advanced from Zwickau towards Altenberg, and General Count Klenau from Chemnitz to Penig, where the enemy made some resistance; but appeared in inore force upon the Hohe Wasser and River Tchoppa, where there was an affair of some importance. Meanwhile it had been concerted that General Blucher and the Prince Royal of Sweden should cross the Elbe, and that the further advance of the Bohemian army should be regulated by their movement. On the 7th, a report was received that General Blucher, by the most rapid and brilliant movement that has been made during this war, marched from Elsterwerda to the mouth of the Black Elster, near the town of that name, and having crossed by the bridge he carried with him, defeated the French corps at Wartemberg, driving its remains to Wittenberg, and immediately advanced within reach of the Prince Royal, who had bridges at Rosslau and Acken. On the 8th, accounts were received at Commotan that the Prince Royal had crossed the Elbe, and was in communication with Blucher. On that day a general advance was made from all the posts on the Bohemian frontier, including General Bennigsen's army, who, after a serious resistance by the enemy, drove him into Koenigstein and Dresden, opened a communication with General Bubua near Pirna, successively occupying Dippoldiswalda and Freyberg, placing himself before Dresden on the left bank of the Elbe, while Prince Tcherbatoff observed him on the right bank. All the corps, however, opposed to General Bennigsen, and part of that which was between Dresden and Bautzen, having assembled in Dresden, no further attack in that quarter was judged expedient. It was now evident that Bonaparte had left Dresden, and was concentrating his army at Leipsic, and at Wurtzen, and Eulenburg; the Elector of Saxony following with his family. The Emperor of Russia left Commotau in the night of the 8th, followed by the reserve of his army, which advanced by rapid and successive marches to Altenberg, where the Austrian, Russian, and Prussian reserves were assembled on the 11th and 12th, and where the Emperor Alexander and the Field Marshal's quarters were established. The remainder of the grand army had proceeded down the Elster by Zeist and Pegan to Lutzen, on its left, and to Borna and Espenheim on its right. General Blucher having moved to Halle, a direct communication was opened, through Merseberg, with that General and the Prince Royal. The enemy shewed a line of troops in the villages of Groben, Golsa, Stormenthal, and Kora, between the Pleiss and the Partha, which, having been attacked by Count Wittgenstein and General Klenan, on the 13th, a considerable affair took place, in which the enemy was dislodged on his right; and it would have been more serious if the Field-Marshal, who had come up, had not judged it premature, and put a stop to it. Orders had been sent to General Bennigsen, to leave General Count Peter Tolstoy with a considerable force to mask Dresden and Konigstein, and to march with the remainder of his force, and General Bubna's corps, by Nossen on Grimma, while Count Colloredo, who had been left with his corps to act with General Bennigsen, was to march by Freyberg and Chemnitz, to join and support the FieldMarshal's army. During this period the Bavarian treaty was signed, which opened new lines of communication to the south; and Marshal Augereau, who had been much harassed and impeded in his march, and had lost part of his corps, reached Leipsic with the remainder. Bonaparte had also made a journey to Wittenberg, and sent troops to destroy, or to oblige the Allies to destroy, the bridges at Rosslau and Acken, pushing a small corps to Zerbst, by which he gave some ground to believe that he meant to march down the right bank of the Mulda, to pass the Elbe at Wittenberg, and to repass again at Magdeburg. This feint had the effect of inducing the Prince Royal to fall back to Cothen, where he assembled his army. Finding, however, that the movement of the enemy on the right bank of the Elbe had no other consequence, he decided to return to General Blucher, and to take his post in the general action with that general. Reports having been received of the march of General Bennigsen and Count Colloredo, the army marched on the 15th from Altenberg to Pegau (the place of assembly on the morning of the battle of Lutzen); aud it was determined to attack the enemy the following morning, without waiting for the certainty of the arrival either of the Prince Royal, General Bennigsen, or Count Colloredo, judging that their forces would influence the enemy by their approach, and that they would be fresh for the second day; whereas, by waiting, the enemy might either improve his preparations or escape. Accordingly, the heads of all the columns advanced towards the enemy's position at day-break on the 16th; General Blucher by Schenditz to Golitz and Wetteritz; General Giulay by Lutzen on Lindenau; General Count Mehrfeldt between the Elster and Pieisse, on Connewitz; General Prince of Hesse Hombourg, on the right bank of the Elster, in the same direction, to sup port port Connt Wittgenstein towards Wachaw, grenadiers, and the latter having occupied with General Kleist on his right, towards a wood on their right, no furthor attack Liebest Wolkeritz; and General Klenau was made; but the cannonade and fire of on the extreme right towards Fuchsayn, on the tirailleurs continued till after dark, the Grimmal road. when the troops lay upon their arms upon the ground they occupied. The enemy occupied the only ridge in this plain in front of the named places, behind the centre of which, to wards Leipsic, Bonaparte's tent pitched. He was also in force at Connewitz, on the side of General Ginlay's advance, and towards General Blucher. was At half-past nine, immediately on the Emperor's arrival on the field, the cannonade began with Count Wittgenstein's corps, and immediately extended to both Hanks on the whole position, and was continued, without any intermission, till after dark at night. It was intended that Count Mehrfeldt and General Klenan should turn the enemy on their respective flanks, but the French were in great force on their left, and the quantity of water, and the number of gardens and summer-houses near Connewitz, rendered Count Mehrfeldt's task extremely arduous. Count Wittgenstein almost immediately drove the enemy from the heights opposed to him, and the whole ridge was, for some time, occupied by the Allies; but a large force of infantry and cavalry opposed to General Kleist, occasioned a continual contest during the whole morning. Count Mehrfeldt, having advanced to Connewitz, beyond the right of the force opposed to Count Wittgenstein, repaired a bridge which had been destroyed on the Pleisse at Dolitz, and was about to pass over, when, unfortunately, his horse was killed, and himself taken prisoner by a column of the enemy, which was supposed to be a division of the Allies retiring. At the same time Murat, at the head of an immense body of cavalry, appeared on the ridge, on the right of Count Wittgenstein, and judging that he had time to attack before the Russian reserve could come up to him, he sent on the light artillery of the guard, and immediately afterwards charged with his masses of cavalry. The Russian reserve had broken ground in its front, which rendered it impossible for the cuirassiers to meet him with the velocity they desired; but the cavalry of Count Wittgenstein's corps, and attached to it, attacked him in flank, and he retired with as much precipitation as he advanced. During the preparation of Murat's attack, the Austrian cavalry was greatly distinguished; they made nine charges on the enemy's right, in some of which they swept the whole front with great slaughter. The Russian cuirassiers having advanced, together with the guards and General Giulay, opposed by superior force, could not penetrate. General Blucher had a brilliant action, and defeated the force opposed to him, taking upwards of thirty pieces of cannon, an eagle, and more than two thousand pri soners. The next morning, at day-break, Count Wittgenstein's corps appeared on the ground from whence he had driven the enemy, but the heads of lumns of the French cavalry and infantry were on their right on the same ridge, the cannon on each side almost within musket shot, and the videtres within pistol shot; and in this attitude the armies remained the whole day, without firing a shot, except some accidental skirmishing by the advanced men. Three great corps were advancing rapidly to join the Allies; it was therefore evidently not to their advantage to renew the attack, unless either General Blucher or the FieldMarshal was attacked by the enemy, in which case, either would have advanced immediately to support the other. Count Colloredo arrived at the village of Magdeborn at noon, and in the evening rehieved Count Wittgenstein, who became his support. In the evening also part of General Bennigsen's corps arrived, and would have immediately marched upon the enemy's flank, had not the General been made acquainted, while framing his attack, that the action was postponed. The Prince Royal also sent notice, that he would arrive on General Blucher's left by the afternoon of the next day. The received disposition for troops in these plans, is now, to form immense solid columns of infantry and cavalry, which are denominated masses, and which are distributed according to the ground, in one or more lines, always with reserves; in front are great quantities of artillery, within reach of support. All villages, and broken or covered ground, are occupied by detachments, furnished by the nearest masses, and supported by them; and which, being defended by musketry, always occasion great slaughter. Except on such occasions, and as skirmishes, the infantry and cavalry are seldom seen in line, but the masses, which are usually formed behind the centre of the corps which composes them respectively, can always extend expeditionsly to a larger front or into line. Wartzen was occupied on the 17th, by a detachment of General Bennigsen's army, On On the 18th, the disposition for a general action was carried into effect; Marshal Schwartzenberg's order of battle, from left to right, was as follows: Count Colloredo's corps, supported by the Austrian reserve, and connected with General Mehrfeldt's corps; Count Wittgenstein and General Kleist, supported by the Russian reserve; General Klenau, his right a little brought forward, supported also by Russian grenadiers; General Bennigsen, his right still more advanced towards Posa; beyond the morass on his right, General Bubna and Count Platoff were advanced, connecting between General Bennigsen and the Prince Royal. General Blucher was to advance between his Royal Highness and the great morass, which extends from Merseberg to Leipsic; and General Giutay in his original direction from Lutzen upon Lindenau. The village of Liebest Wolkeritz was the point to which all the attacks under the direction of the Field-Marshal were to point; the corps advancing towards a central point, thereby becoming gradually more closely connected, and the more distant corps on the right advancing first. The enemy occupied the villages with masses in their rear, but the more distant posts were carried without being much supported, the masses retiring with precipitation towards the suburbs of Leipsic. All the villages, however, were defended with cannon, which rendered the action and the cannonade general over the extent of the plain. Some of the villages nearest this city were most obstinately disputed. The whole plain is covered with bodies of dead men and horses; and the ruins of the villages are full of heaps of dead and dying. Every part of the combination succeeded: General Blucher's left, connected with the Prince Royal's advanced corps, consisting of the Russians and Prussians, came into action in the afternoon, having approached by Taucha. Towards the latter part of the day, by far the most serious and obstinate efforts of attack and defence were made at the villages of Stetteritz and Probsteyda, the former of which was taken and retaken several times; the latter held out till dark. Napoleon was several hours between these villages, animating his men, and sending in fresh troops till dark; and it must be confessed, that they were most gallantly defended. The Emperor of Russia was with his army during the whole of the three days; on the first he was joined in the field by the King, who had remained at Toplitz, and had accompanied General Bennigsen's army in its actions near Pirna and before Dresden. In the afternoon of the 18th, the Empe. ror of Austria arrived, and joined the other monarchs near the village of Probsteyda where their majesties remained till dark. The enemy had then been driven from every part of his position, into a circle within cannon shot of Leipsic, from whence a column had already began its march towards the south-west. In the night the villages of Stetteritz and Probsteyda were abandoned, and occupied by the allies; but Bonaparte continued to hold Leipsic and the villages connected with the suburbs, with a strong rear-guard towards the allies, He seems to have counted upon the presence of the Saxon electoral family, and the solicitations of the inhabitants to preserve the city, to gain time, and to provide for his own security, but he was disappointed. The Emperor Alexander received a flag of truce, sent in the name of the King of Saxony, offering to capitulate to save the town. His Imperial Majesty gave his answer aloud, in the hearing of many hundred officers, with remarkable force and dignity he said, in substance, that an army in pur suit of a flying enemy, and in the hour of victory, could not be stopped a moment by considerations for the town; that, therefore, the gates must be immediately opened, and, in that case, the most strict discipline should be observed; that if the German troops in the place chose to join their countrymen in this army, they should be received as brothers; but that he considered any proposal sent, while Napoleon was at hand, as extremely suspicious, as he well knew the enemy he had to deal with; that, as to the King of Saxony personally, who had taken a line of determined hostility, he gave no answer, and declined makiug any communication. The heavy cannon and columns of attack were ordered to advance. In the mean while, the Prince Royal attacked and stormed the city on the other side, a Prussian corps being the first in the square. General Toll, who had been sent with the Saxon flag of truce to ensure the correct delivery of the message, was, at that moment, in the Elector of Saxony's apartment, and, running out, called to the Saxon guards to lay down their arms, which they instantly did; their example being followed by the Baden and Wurtemburg troops. The action continued some time in the farther part of the town, and, before it ceased, the Emperor and the King entered with the Field Marshal, and met the Prince Royal at the door of the Elector of Saxony's quarters. General Blucher arrived also at the same time. All the cannon was taken, the particulars of which are not yet collected. A guard of Russian grenadiers immediately mounted over the Elector of Saxony, and their Majesties rode out to see the Prince Royal's army. The The E the day in L The Austri General Wrede, 24th. The Russia gau this evening. The extent of the Austria arrived during rian army, under this important day cannot as ye. ascertained. Near half a million of so.diers fought in this battle, probably one of the most extensive and most generally engaged that ever took place, at least in modern history. The presence of the sovereigns has certainly a most animating effect on their armics. All have behaved well; the Austrians have had a full share, and many of their generals have been wounded. The Field Marshal Prince Schwartzenberg received the Grand Cross of Maria Theresa from the hands of his imperial master, and that of the first class of St. George from the Emperor Alexander. General Barclay de Tolly is created a count. This is the eighth general action, seven of them commanded by the ruler of France, in which I have seen the Emperor Alexan der in the field at the head of his army; as usual, unmindful of personal danger, he ap Near three hundred picces of artillery, some of which were buried, and upwards of thirty thousand prisoners, including the sick and wounded found in this place, have already been ascertained to be in the pos. session of the allies.* Exclusive of the Elector of Saxony and his family, the following are among the most distinguished prisoners: Comte de Hohberg, Baron de Hokorn, Prince Emile de Hessed, Baden and Hessian generals; Generals Count Lauriston, Dhesnain, Del mas, Regnier, Aubry, Charpentier, General of Division Krasinsky; Prince Poniatowsky, drowned; Bony, Bertrand; Latour Maubourg, dead of his wounds. The armies are in full pursuit of the enemy: the grand army to turn his left; part of General Blucher's army observe his right; and he is followed by the Prince Royal, with Generals Bennigsen and Blucher. * We have preferred Lord Cathcart's account as being more intelligible than that of General Stewart.-The twenty-third bul On account of the great length of these accounts of the battles of Wachau and Leipsic, we are compelled to interrupt our series of the Bulletins, and omit those of the dates of September 26th and 29th, relative to minor affairs, and mere changes of positions. 4th October. On the 3d October, the enemy's army of Silesia marched by Konigsbruck and Elsterwerda upon the Elster, threw over a bridge at the head which the Elbe forms at Wartenberg, and passed that river. General Bertrand was placed on an isthmus, in a fine position, surrounded by banks and marshes. Between nine o'clock in the morning and five in the evening, the enemy made seven attacks, and was always repulsed. He left 6000 dead upon the field of battle; our loss was 500 killed or wounded. This great difference was owing to the good position which Morand and Fontanelli's divisions occupied. In the letin of the Crown Prince's army, written on the 21st of October, gives a summary of "The results these affairs, nothing diminished we may be sure, in the following terms: of the battles of Leipsic are immense and decisive. Already, on the day of the 18th, the Emperor Napoleon had begun to put his army in retreat by the roads of Lutzen and Weissenfels. He did not quit this place in person until ten o'clock in the morning of the 19th. Finding that a fire of musketry had already commenced at the Ranstadt gate, towards Lutzen, he was obliged to depart by the Pegau gate. The allied armies have taken fifteen Generals, and amongst them Generals Regnier and Lauriston, commanding corps d'armee. Prince Poniatowski was drowned, in attempting to pass the Elster. The corpse of General Dumourestier, Chief of the Staff of the 11th corps, was found in the river, and more Duke of Bassano escaped on foot. Marshal than 1000 men were drowned in it. The Ney is supposed to have been wounded. More than 250 pieces of cannon, 900 caissons, and above 15,000 prisoners have fallen into the hands of the allies, besides several eagles and colours. The enemy has abandoned here more than 23,000 sick and wounded, with the whole of the hospital establishment. The total loss of the French army must amount to near 60,000 men. According to every calculation, the Emperor Napoleon has been able to save from the general disaster not more than 75,000 to 80,000 men. All the allied armies are in motion to pursue him, and every moment are brought in prisoners, baggage, and artillery. The German and Polish troops desert from their standards in crowds; and every thing amounces that the liberty of Germany has been conquered at Leipsic." evening evening General Bertrand, seeing new forces debouche, thought proper to effect his retreat, and took a position upon the Mulda with the Prince of the Maskwa. 15th October. On the 7th the Emperor left Dresden; on the 8th he slept at Wurtzen, the 9th at Eulenburg, and on the 10th at Duben. The enemy's army of Silesia, which had marched upon Wurtzen, immediately retreated, and repassed to the left bank of the Mulda; it had some engagements, in which we made some prisoners, and took several hundreds of baggage waggons. General Regnier had marched upon Wittenberg, and having passed the Elbe, marched upon Roslau, turned the bridge of Dessau, seized upon it, afterwards marched upon Arken, and took possession of the bridge. General Bertrand marched upon the bridges of Wartenburg, and seized upon them. The Prince of the Moskwa marched upon the town of Dessan; he met a Russian division. General · Dulmas overthrew it, and took 8000 men and six pieces of cannon. Several cabinet couriers, among others, Sieur Kraft, with dispatches of high importance, were taken. After having thus obtained possession of all the enemy's bridges, the Emperor's intention was to pass the Elbe, to manoeuvre upon the right bank from Hamburgh to Dresden; to threaten Potsdam and Berliu, and to take for the centre of operations Magdeburg, which, for this purpose, had been supplied with warlike stores and provisions. But, on the 15th, the Emperor learned at Deiben, that the Bavarian army had joined the Austrian army, and threatened the Lower Rhine. This inconceivable detection made the defection of other Princes foreseen, and induced the Emperor to come to the resolution of returning towards the Rhine-a painfal change, as every thing had been prepared to operate upon Magdeburg; but it would have been requisite to have remained separated and without communication with France for a month. This would not have been inconvenient at the moment when the Emperor fixed his plans; but the case was no longer the same, when Austria was about to have two new disposable armies; the Bavarian army, and the army opposed to Bavaria. The Emperor, therefore, changed his plans with these unforeseen circumstances, and removed his head quarters to Leipsic. Meanwhile the King of Naples, who remained in observation at Freyberg, received orders, on the 11th, to make a chauge of front, and march upon Genig and Frohbourg, operating upon Wurtzen and Wittenberg. An Austrian division, which occupied Augustusburg, rendering this movement difficult, the King received orders to attack it; he defeated it, took MONTHLY Mag. No, 248, several battalions, and afterwards effected his movement to the right. Meanwhile, the right of the enemy's army of Bohemia, composed of Wittgeustem's Russian corps, had marched upon Altenberg, upon intelli gence of the King of Napies' change of front. It marched upon Freyberg, and afterwards by the left on Borna, placing itself between the King of Naples and Leipsic. The King did not hesitate respecting the maneuvre he ought to make; he faced about, and marched upon the enemy, overthrew him, took nine pieces of cannon, 1000 prisoners, and drove him beyond the Elster, after having made him experience a loss of from 4 to 5000 men. On the 15th, the positions of the army were as follows: The Emperor's head quarters were at Reidnitz, half a league from Leipsic. The 4th corps, commanded by General Bertrand, was at the village of Lindenau. The 6th corps was at Libenthal. The King of Naples, with the 24, 8th, and 5th corps, had his right at Doelitz, and his left at Liber Volkowitz. The 3d and 7th were in march from Eulenburg to flank the 6th corps. The Grand Austrian Army of Bohemia had Giulay's corps opposite Lindenau, a corps at Zwenckaw, and the remainder of the army, with the left leaning on Grobern, and the right on Naundorf. The bridges of Wurtzen and Eulenburg, upon the Mulda, and the position of Waucha, upon the Parthia, were occupied by our troops. Every thing announced a great battle. The result of our different movements in these six days, has been 5000 prisoners, several pieces of cannon, and doing much injury to the enemy. Prince Poniatowski has, in these circumstances, covered himself with glory. 16th October. On the 15th, Prince Schwartzenberg, commanding the enemy's army, announced in daily orders, that the following day, the 16th, there would be a general and decisive battle. Accordingly, on the 16th, at nine in the morning, the Grand Allied Army debouched us; it constantly operated to extend itself upon its right. At first three large columns were seen marching-one along the river Elster, against the village of Doelitz, the second against the village of Wachau, and the third against that of Liber Volkowitz. These three columns were preceded by 200 pieces of can non. The Emperor immediately made his |