Star. — London, England, 1812-09-09 00:00:00

FRENCH PAPERS. :H BULLETIN OF THE FRENCH ARMY. " Smolensk°, August 21. pears, that in the battle of Mohilow, ter Prince Bagration on the 29d of July, the enemy has been considerable : we •ewith give the report of Prince Eckmuhl this affair : Duke of Tartum found 20 pieces of Dunaberg in p ace , of eight, as had been . He obliged,, several ships, laden with 40,000 bombs and other projectiles, to re the water. An inamense quantity of ammu destroyed by the. enemy. The ignorance ussians in constructing fortifications is appa works of Dunabet dand Drissa. lajesty gave the command of his right to of Schwartzenberg l by placing under his 2d corps. This l'rince marched against 'ormassow, and me t and defeated him on He pays • the highest compliments to and Austrian troops. The Prince "of iberg slimed, in these circumstances, sty. The Prince ha-, requested promotion .ds fur the Officers of his - corps d'armie who iguished themselves. :he Bth, the Grand Army was placed in the manner : Prince Viceroy was at Souria with the 4th advanced guards occupying Vilegs, Pus- Porulsch. • :ing of Naples was at NikQttliii3O, his ca. 'pied Lu',:ovo. ial the Duke rtf Elchingen, commandant :orps, lwas at Leozna. Irsh?.: the Prince of Eckninhl, commandant corps; was at Doubrouwa. ifth corps, commanded by Prince Ponia• as at Mohilow. head-quarters were at Witepsk. second corps, commanded by the Duke of -as upon the Drissa. ,oth corps, condnanded by the Duke of was upon Dunaberg and Riga. :he Bth, 12,000 of the enemy's cavalry Ipon Inkovo, and attackeeGeneral Count 's division, which for half a league was fi ;ht, retreating all the day, suffering mg equal loss to the enemy. A company irs of the 24th regiment of light infantry, part of a battalion of that regiment, which hosted along with the cavalry to maintain in the wood, was taken. We had abourl2oo wounded; the enemy may have lost the fiber of men. On the 12th, the enemy's ing united at Smolensko, marched by dif its, with equal slowness and hesitation, itch and Nadra. Eckmit:ll collected all his corps to Linst the enemy and take possession, of by proceeding thither by the other side irysthene. King of Naples and Prince of Eckmuhl from. Leonza, and marched upon the Bo !ear to the embouchure of Beressina, op. emirs, where, on the night between the 14th, they threw two bridges over the 'icero7 set out from Saniag, and march witsche to Rasasna, where he arrived on General Count Grouchy collected the third lvalry at Rasasna on the 12th. Prince :ollected all his corps at Doubtowna, on General Count Ebli threw three bridges over Rasasna on the. 13th. The headquarters set . 13th from Witepsk, and arrived at Ra- The 13th. Poniatowski set out from Mohilow, and arrived at Romans°. On the 14th, at ty, General Grouchy marched upon Leas two regiments cf Cossacks from it, and the corps of General Count Nansouty ; lay the King of Naples, supported by the Ichingen, arrived at Krasnoi. 27th' enemy's division, consisting of 5000 ;upported .by 2000 cavalry, and 12 pieces , was in.a position before that town. It was attacked and forced in an instant by the Duke of Elchingen. The 24th regiment of light infantry attacked the small town of Krasnoi with the bayonet, with great intrepidity. The 'cavalry executed some ad mirable charges. Baron Bardisouli e General of Di vision, and. the 3d regiment of chapeau, distingu . ed themselves. The taking of eight pieces of ten non, l 4 caissons, 1,500 prisoners; with - a field cover- ed with more than 1000 Russian corpses, were the advantages of the battle of Krasnoi, in which the Russian division, consisting of- 5000 men, suffered a loss of hallits number. di His Majesty, on the 15th, had his head-quarters at Kovonitnia. 46 On the 16th, in the morning, the heights of Smo lensko were commanded. The town presented to our view an enclosure of walls of 4.000 wises, fen s feet thick, and 2.5 feet high, intersected with towers, several of which were - armed with camtorlof a heavy calibre. Upon the right of the Bcriryitteffewe pm . eh) id ' and knew that the enemy f ac ed a bOUt,• a n d re t race d h av e r i va lled each other in ir•trepiditya The field of rear.-guard, which presented about 13,nnn -...,,me n , T he their steps to defend Smol ens k o . W e k new t h at t h e b att l e h a s offered to the view of 200,000 persons, Borysthene, at tin enemy's Generals had received •reiterated orders to who can attest it, tlle sight of one Ftench corpse. ! Duke of Abrantes had passedsthe o'clock, to the right of Smolensko, lad h e anaz.4 give battle and save Smolensko. e ig h t, ' lying upon the dead bodies of seven or eight Ruse Inmself clase,upon the rear of th e enemy ; he n " The Emperor reconnoitred the town, and placed sians, meanwhile the Russians were protected by the ' therefore, j by marching with leis division, inte rceptthe, a l his army in its position on t h e d a y o f t h e 16th.— , musketry fire from their trenches during a part ofi r g e r a e r a l t gu rn ar ad a t d n i M ffi c o u sc ir o ; w b , u an t drrieraenndreimr e t , he ti re )e treit of mbar to. Marshal the Duke of El c hi ngen h a d th e l e f t , leaning the days of the 16th and 17th. on the Borysthene; the Prince of Eckmuhl the can-' '" On the 18th we established the bridges over the lumns of the enemy's army which remained ea he tre ; Prince Poniatowski the right ; the guards were Borysthenes, which the enemy had burnt, but did forced, being informed of the success and ad o iv placed in reserve in the centre ; the Viceroy in re- not succeed in quenching the fire, which consumed pidity of the first attack, returned back the way t h ey ' serve on the right ; and the cavalry, under the orders the town'until the day o f the 18t h , the F renc h sap- , came. Four divisions then advanced to suppona.r. e'er of the King of Naples, a t th e extrem i t y o f the right. pets having worked with great activity: . The rear-guard, and among others, the division O m The Duke of Abrantes, with the Bth corps, lost their houses in the city were filled with the Russians, ' nadiers, which, until now, had nut vane / wend. . . way, and had made a false movement. dead and dying. 15 or 6000 men, cavalry, formed their right while* " The 16th, and half of the 17th was passed in "Of twelve divisions which composed the Grand lift was covered by woods, filled with teelle„. ". It K os of the greatest consequence to th e :i• observation. A fire of musketry was kept up along Russian Army, two divisions have been broken andl tom e —.5 1 the line. The enemy o cc upied Smolensko with defeated in the combats of astrovno, two have met tte keep the position as long as p ossible , i t 0., „. a „. 30,000 men, and the r emainde r of their army was • with the same fate in the battle of Mohilow, and six - very fine one, and, appease:fl y,inexpugnable, on formed upon the fine po s iti ons upon the right bank :in the battle of Smolensko. They have only two di; ourepart e we attached no less importance to it, in i of that river, opposite to the tone, and communica.l visions of the guards which remain entire. order to accelerate his retreat and ca use a ll the at. , . ling by three brid g e s . . 46 The deeds of bravery which redound honour on riages filled with which was.wounded _and other cr il art th ie e l esre: " Smolensko is considered as a Strong town by the the army, and which have distinguished such num- be abandoned, Russians, and the bulwark of Moscow. • , .. leers of soldiers in the battle of Smolensko, shall be• guard. This was what gave, rise to th e b at e e "On the 17th, at two in the afternoon, supposing i the subject of a particular report. Never has the Valentina, one of the finest feats of arms in oar ;di- . . intrepidity that the enemy had not dehouchcd, that they were French army shewn greater than in! this tarp history. fortifyingabeenselves in Smolensko, and that they campaign."—( Moniker, Sept. 5.) 64 At six o'clock in the evening the dies;on of . , refused battle, notwith s t an di ng th e or d ers they had Gudin, which had been sent forward to sleott the received, and the fine po s itio n t h e y mi g h t ] h ave oc- FOURTEENTH BULLETIN OF THE FRENCH ARMY 'third corps, from the moment when weeerceieee de Smolensk° may be considered '° Smolensk°, August 93. j cu pied, their right upon Smolensko , and their left great succours that the enemyhad ?int to his rtar. is as one of the upon the banks of the Borysthene, that the enemy's ' guard pushed forward a column fil the centre °Ed e ' finest cities of Russia : had it not been for circum- - Geeeeal" wanted resolution, the Emperor marched enemy's position, was suppertel by the divisica o f stances of the war which has carried thither the fire . upon the right, and ordered Prince Poniatowski to General Ledru, and, after a l hour's combat, for change his front, the right in advance, and to place and consumed immense magazines of colonial mar- i the position. General Conte Gudin arriving wi t h chandise and goods of all kinds, this city would ' his right to the Porysthene, occupying one of the sub- . hil division, was at the eommeeecereent of the action have been a grand resource for the army. Even in ' 1 struck by a bullet, ellich carried off his thigh: hs orbs by posts and batteries, to d e stroy the bridge a nd its .... tgent state, it may be of the greatest utility in sa intercept the communication of the town with the militate , • ,• -, point of ewe. There are still large tosses : • died gloriously. hesloss was sensibly felt. Genre right bank. . i emeining, which o ff er fine places for forming hos. i • the ; Gudin was .one of the most disting u ished Officers _Ta in 64 During this time th e Prince of Eel:multi meek , - pi,:ls. army he was estimable for his morel kla The province of Smolensko is very fine and i ed orders to attack two of the suburbs whi c h themu ch :se for his bravery and intrepidity. Ge nera l fertile, and furnished with great resources for sub- i a ' mu enemy had entrenched, 200 toises distance from the Girard has taken the command of the division. We sistence and forage. The Russians intend, accordin g ' town, and which were each defended by 7 or 3000 ' teckoa that the enemy have bad eight Generals killed to the events of the war, to raise a militia of peasant , 1 men gild heavy cannon. General Count Friant had .or wounded': one of their Generals is taken prisoner. slaves, whom they have armed with bad pikes. They ' • 1 as On the following dey'the Emperor ciistributed orders to complete the investment, in leaning his had already selected about 500 of theni at this place right towards Prince Poniathe ski's corps, and his ' ' recompenses on the field of battle to all the regiments it was an ()eject of raillery and derision even to the left to the right of the attack made by the Prince of I Which had d isting uished themselves, and as thelfli, • Russian army itself. They had already stated as the t • . Eckmuhl. which is - a new 'regiment, had behaved itself well, Order of the Day, that Smolensko was to be • the " At two in the afternoon Count Bruyere's divi. Ihis Majesty granted this regiment the right of carry. deemed convenient to evacuate Poland, yet it was sion of cavalry, after having driven away the Cos-an eagle, k priailege it had not before enjoyed, I lug re sacks and enemy's cave!! y, approached the bridge i never having until this time been present in any bete necess try to give battle at Sm lensko, to prevent this . highest up the river. A battery of ten pieces of ar the. These recompences, given on the field of battle, . barrier of Russia from falling - into our Ilan& tiller er was established upon this ground, and fired in the midst of the dead, th e dying, the wounded, " The Cathedral of Smolens ko is one of the most with grape shot upon that part of the enemy's army celebrated Grecian churches in all Russia. Theand the trophies of victory, offered a spectacle truly . which was on the right bank of the river, and quickly military and imposing. Episcopal Palace forms a kind of town by itself. • obliged the Russian masses of infantry to evacuate " The heat is excessive, the thermometer having 64 The eneply, after this battle, precipitated he that position. reheat in such a manner, that on the day of the2olb risen to 26 degrees ; the weather here is much hotter " The enemy then placed two batteries of twenty our troops marched twenty leagues withpat but than in Italy."—Offoniteur, S e pt. 5.) pieces of cannon in a convent, to annoy the battery able to find the Cossacks, and were every Au ' BATTLE OF POLOTSK. which played upon the bridge. Prince Eckmuhl picking the wounded and the stragglers. 44 After the battle of Drissa, the Duke of Reggio, • "' up • entrusted the attack of the right suburbs to Count 44 Our loss in the battle of Velentina hasbeen 600 knowing that the enemy's General, Wittgenstein Odorant, and that of the left to General Count Gudin. ' killed and 2600 wounded; that of the enemy, nth , had been reinforced by twelve 3d battalions from the • At three the cannonade commenced : at half-past field of battle thews, is triple : we have taken 1000 garrison of Dunabcrg, and trilling to draw him to four a very brisk fire of musketry began, and at five prisoners, mostly wounded. . an engagement near the defile below Polotsk, caused ' the divisions of Morand and Gudin carried the en- " Thus the only two Russian divisions which had the 2d and 6th corps to be ranged in order of battle trenched enemy's suburbs, with a cool and rare inure-s uffered by th • preceding combats of Mobiles; not below l'olotsk ;General Wittgenstein followed him pidity, and pursued them to the covered way, which attacked him on the 16th and 17th, and was vies; was strewed with Russien dead. Upon our left the rously repulsed. i of Ostrovno, of Krasnoi, and of Smolensko , have now - - suffered by the battle of Valentina. Duke of Elchingen attacked the position which the 64 The Bavarian division of I'e Wrede, of the 6th enemy had without the town, seized upon it, and corps, has distinguished itself. At the mo ment w h en "All the intelligence received, con firm the are count of the enemy running in full drive for Moscow pursued them to the glacis. —that his army has suffered Much in the preceding the Duke of Reggio was making his dispositions to "At five o'clock the communication of the town profit by the victory, and to close the enemy in the engagements, and besides this, experience a great de with the right bank became difficult, and could only defile, he was struck on the shoulder by a Biscayan. sertion. The Poles say to them when desertioe, be accomplished by isolated men. s You have abandoned us without fighting, what His wound, which is of a serious nature, obliged him . 46 Three batteries of breaching 12-pounders were to cause himself to be transported to Vilna ; but it placed against the walls at six in the evening, one did not appear that he made himself in any wise un- right then can you have to exact from us . to tensia under your colours ?' 'by Friant's division, and the two others by Mound quiet concerning the consequences. " The Russian soldiers of the provinces of Mohi and Gudin's divisions. "General Gouvion St. Cyr has t a k en t h e corn - low and Smolensk, likewise take advantage of t h e 46 We drove the enemy from all the towers with mand of the 2d and 6th corps. On the 17th, in the proximity of their villages to desert and return, to re howitzers, which played upon th em . ' evening, the enemy retired thrOugh the defile. Ge- ' pose themselves in their own countries. " The General of Artillery, Count Sorbier, ten- neral Verdier was wounded. General Maisonhas been " The division of Gudia attacked with . so ouch dared the occupation of the covered way by the one- recognised as General of Division, and has succeeded him in the command of his division. Our loss is es my impossible, by two enfiladed batteries. Never- to ptroUCT intrepidity, that the enemy were persuaded a was the Imperial Guards. It is, in one word, theless, the enemy, who from two in the afternoon timated at 1000 men in killed and perceived we had serious intentions against the town, an d 127th of the line, /Da wounded. The the finest eulogy on the 7th regiment of light intantelt and on the 12th, 21st, loss of the Russians is triple to ours—we have taken . sent two divisions And two regiments of i n f antr y of composed the division. I 500 prisoners from them. the guard to reinforce the four divisions which were I 'ss On the 18th, at four o'clock in the afternoon, in the town. These united forces composed half of ; General Gouvion St. Cyr, commanding the 2d and a battle, as en gaged." the Russian army. The battle continued • the whole 1 6th corps, opened on the enemy, by causing his right Cl m b ore at of Valentina may men likewise wereen key _ It was at least an affair of the vanguard of the bill night ; three breaching batteries played with the ut- l wing to be attacked by the Bav ar i an di v i s i on of rank. most activity ; two compa i nies of miners were attach. Count de Wrede. The battle ext en d e d .the whole ed to the ramparts . the route 'to eereekovichirra, found ad the w "General Grouchy, . who was sent with his caps • . (length of the line, and the enemy were t h rown into on 64 The town was now on fire in the middle of a i complete rout and pursued for two leagues, as long filled up with dead and wounded, and has t ake° fine August night. Smolensko offered the French! as day-light permitted ;20 pieces o f cannon an d one . . • some carriages, containing 900 wounded a spectacle similar to that•which an eruption of V e - ii thousand prisoners have remained in the o.ver of the a The Cossacks have surprised at Leczna le k m ' curios presents Aso the inhabitants of N aples. An I • s ,French army. The Bavarian General, PDeroy, was pital of 200 sick Wirtemburgh troops; which, . ier' g r . hour after Midnight the enemy abandoned the town, I Witeesk• negligence, had not been forwarded to and retired cohost the river. At ' two o'clock the pee wounded." BATTLE OF VALENTINA. On the 19th, at break of d a y, t h e b r id ge b e i ng '1 e Den i " To conclude, in the midst bf all thew due lers ' theT ; .nadiers who first led the attack, no longer found re - c' i r ShitanCe." .. the place was evacuated ; 200 pieces of , fi n i s h e d, t h e M ars h a l D uke of Elcbingen crossed I the Russians never cease to chaunt convert every thing inio a victory,' but in spite „th Cannon, and one of the first towns in RUssia were iq e 'over to the ri g ht bank of g the I3orysthene and pursued "h te I ignorance and of these people, this h e r ans- the enemy. At one league from the town, he recon- 0 our power, and that too in sight of the whole , ! appear ridiculous to them, and even too gm's* ~ clan army. . • lnoitered the last columo of the enemy's rear-guard. which vie might It was a 'division of five or 6000 men, stationed on REPORT OF THE * MAJOR GENERAL. ~ 66 The combat of Smolensko fine heights ;he caused them to be attacked with the "Mr Lottle—l suppose . that the Doke 4. Kehl ' :justly term a battle, an hundred thousand ease in been engaged on the different sides, causetrthe ,bayonet by the 4th regiment of infantry of the line, day of the 17th, or at leash uP to• the rn°lnelg • •'. the field and by the 72d ditto. The position was carried, and L will have rendered pear Highness an accottet of • Russians a loss of 4700 men, left. dead on s 'battles' of battle ; of 2000 prisoners, the greater part of - or foot hundred prisoners fell into our hands. our bayonets covered the field of battle with dead ; 3 during . the remainder of ;hat .elal !he his wounds forced him to- quit the field whom are wounded ; and of 7 to 8000 woundede— Is lhe flying . enemy retired on 'the .2d -cat , 1 ' nued their - successes, and a t nine, in the • •ee . Amongst the dead were found five kuisian Gene..,' which, was posted o n the'. heights ofValentimi. The rah.- ' Our loss amounts to 700 killed, and 3;100 or ßussians ,were repulsed at every point, - suffered the most consideiabde leases., ka ie g p,2 oo wounded. The General of Brigade, are- first position was carried by the 10th of the line,•aitd . ' led, he the course of the day si; or seven houski, - wae . hilled ;„ and the Generals -of Br igade , • ees tws towards four o'clock in the afternoon the mu I ' l4 kb *ere M ule " with* bravlsir *lPertar— etrandjease and Daiwa, wouadcd.' All the troops sie was ' kept up against the whole of the esesnyei'lleatewitiba which brought them tilt Oa. iRTEENTI " It appe 4 ained over I e loss of tl a I all herewii I especting th I " The Di I 1 annon in D • nnounced. , . .. ore than 4( ire from the .ition was do 'f the Russia ent in the w " His Ma le Prince of orders the 2d General Tor the 12th. the Saxon a SChwartzenb equal activitl and rewards have distingr 11 On the I following ma " The Pri corps, his - ac • viath, and P " The Kir valry occupie " Marshal of the 3d cor " Marsh?; 0 of tht first cc i " The flit ( towski, was ' gg The hei " The sec itggin, was " The lth 1 Tarentum, N " On the i marched upc I Sebastiani's , a obliged to f and causing ;' of volsigetirs ! I forming a pa had been ent: Ia position in! ,i killed and w i same nu'inbe I army, havin , ; ferent points . upon Boreitc " Prince march agair ' Smolensk°. 3 1 of the Borys gg The Ki I set out Iron I rysthene, ne . , , posite Klorn 13th and 1- : Borysthene. I " The Via l ed by Jacovi 1 the 14th. 3 s • " General a corprof caw I Eckmuhl col I ' the 13th. I I " General J the Rasasna I th _ s 'sasna on the 1 Cg Prince 1 I 4 on the 13th r : I break of day, i laKi, chased t .. I there found I 3 . the same day I Duke of Uzi I - " The 27 infantry, sup i of cannon, v a was attacked 2 of Elchinger g g The 24 : 1 i ? the small toy 4 ''. great intrepia 1 • 0 . t ▪ i 1 L. 0 r. a ti ' b • f s t 6 t I di of baitkr' t e r v a ps ening a f ter biliag t 4 ring atterlV 00 1 att.)* a r nar. 4° a . Tki; ' bit •