The National Register. — London, England, 1813-05-16 00:00:00

" The Emperor immediately made his dispositions, The Vice roy received mders to march upon the lelt of the Prince of Mosk.va, but three hours were necessary to execute this movement. The Prince (.f Moskwa placed his men under-arms, and five divi sions supported the battle, which at the end of half an hour, liceirme terriOle. His Lilajesty himself marched at the head of the last guard, behind the centre of the army, surporting the right of the Prince of Moskva. The Duke of Ragusa, with his three divisions, occupied the extreme right. General Bertrand had orders to de bauch n/ion the enemy's rear, at the moment in w hick the line should be most engaged. FGrttine was pleascd to c! own, with the most brilliant success, all these dispositions. 'Die enemy, who appeared certain of the snceess of his enterprise, mgclied to reach our right, atul the road of Weissenfels. General Compans, General of battle of the first merit, at the head of the first divi sion of the Duke of Rit:7,llsa, stopped him quite short. The Ma rine Regiments suppoi ted several charges with sang fivid, and coveted the field of battle with the hest of the enemy's cavalry. But the great efforts of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, were di rected avainst the centre. Four of Priire Moskwa's I .ive divisions k v ere already engaged. The village of Kara was taken and retaken several times. This village r oiained in the enemy's power. Count De Loban directed Gencr.: Ricand to retake the village ; it wits retaken. " The battle embraced a line of two kagees, covered with fire, Sni ok e, arid clouds of :414. The Pi ihee of Mo-kwa, Gen: Sonham, and Geo. Girard, v:ere every w here makieg head agaiast every tiring. Wounded vvitil several b..slls, Geo. Girard wished to remain on the field ot battle; he declared he wished to die emmnanding and di recting his troop, as the motoelit had arrived for all Frenchmen who possessed any heart to conquer or perish. However, we began to perceive from afar the dust and ti , st tire of Gen. Bertrand's corps. At the same mement the Viceroy entered in Jine upon the left, and the Duke of 'Parente attacked the enemy's reserve, and reached the viitage upon %%Well the enemy rested his right. At this moment coe-ry redourded his efforts upon the centre; the village of Kara was ag, ,n taken, our centre gale way, (/lechet) sonic battalions tied (se det . A,iii,hrent), but these valorous youths at the sight of the Em peror exclaiming, " Fire 1' Empercur 1' His Majesty jod zed that the critical moment which decides the gaining or losing of bat- Les, bad arrived. There was no longer a moment to be lost. The Emperor ordered the Duke offreviso to march miff) }6 battalions of the young guard to the village of Baia, overthrew the enemy, re took the village, and overcame every thing he met with there. At the same moment his Majesty ordered Iris Aid (IC Camp, General Drouet, an artillery officer, of the greatest distinction, to form a battery of el) pieces, and place it in advance of the old guards, which was formed in eschelons,-as timr redoubts to support the centre, all ortr cavalry ranged in battle behind, Generals Dulauley, Drown - , and Devaux, set out at full gallop, with their 80 pieces of artillery in the same groupe. " The tire became dreadful ; fire enemy gave way on all sides. The Duke of Tr..viso obtained possession ot the village of Kara, over threw the enemy, and combined to advance, beating the charge. The enemy's cavalry, infantry, and artillery all retreated. Gen. Bonnet, collimate • ieg one of the Dit!ie of ltagusa's-divlsions, received orders to make a neivement upon Kara, by his left, to sup port the success of the centre. He sustaieed several charges ot ca valry, in which the enemy were defeated. Nevertheless, General Count Bertrand advanced and entered the line. It was in vain that the enemy's cavalry capered about his squares; his march was not relaxed by it. To rejoin :Am the sooner, the Emperor ordered a change of direction by pivoting on Kara. The whole of the right made a charge in front. the right wing foremost. The enemy then tied, and we pursited him for a lewzne and a half. We soon arrived at the heights which had bused occupied by the Emperor Altxander, the King of Prussia, and the Bratideoborg family. during the bat tle. An officer who was taken prisoner there informed us of this circumstance. " We have made several thousand peisoners. •The number could not be mere emsideraide considering the interiority of our cavalry, and the desire the Emperor had shown of sparing it. " At the commencement of the battle, the Emperor said to the troops, It is a battle like those inFgypt ; a good infantry, sup ported by artillery, sufficient a e for it.' " . Gen. Quark, Chi e f o f th e P r i nce of lloskwa's staff. was killed, a death worthy or so good a soldier. Our loss amounts to 10,000 men killed and wounded ; that of the enemy may be estimated at :23 or-40,000 men, the Royal Prussian guards are dustroycd. The Em peror of Russia's guards have sutleted considerably, tind the two di, visions of ten regiments of Russian cuirassier., are (lest royed. His liolajesty cailuot - I to the good with cum agct OYSTER. MAY 16. and intrepidity of the. army. Our young soldiers took no d Inger into consideration. fhey have in this great justance shown all the nobleness of the French blood. " The Chief of the Staff, in his relation, mentions the fine actions which have shed a lustre on this brilliant day, which, like a clap of thunder, has pulverized the chimerical hum, and all the calcula tions fur the dcstructiou and ctsmcinlierment of the Empire. 'Flu' cloudy train collected by the Cabinet of St. James's, durii e' o , a w hole whiter, arc in an instant destroyed like Ihe Gordian knot by the sword of Alexander. ‘• The Priire of Hesse Homburcli was killed. The prisoners 3ty that the young Prince Royal of is wounded, and the Prince of Meeklenhorgh Strelitz killed. Toe infintry of the old guards, only six battalions of which have arrived, by their presence kept op the affair with that sang froid with which they are charactetised. They did not fire a musket. Half the army was not engaged ; for the bur divisions of General Lauristun's corps have done nothing but occupy Leipsic, the three division's of the Duke of Reggio were still two days march from the field of battle. Count Bertram did not charge but with one of his divisions, and so lightly, that it dl4 not lose 50 men. His second and third diviAutis did not charge at all. The second division of the young guards, commantl9•l by. Gen. Barrois, were still five days 'navel* off; it was the salllC with half the old Guards, commanded by Gencral Decowe, who was only at Erfurt. " The Duke of Bellimo's corp.; was also three day's march front the field of battle. General Sehastiani's corps of cavalry, with the three divi , ions of the Prince or Kektidil, was on the Banks of the Elbe. Tile Allied Army, liu to 200,000 men strong , commanded by the two Sovereign,, with a great number of the Prinees of the House of Prussia, has thus been flefeated and put to the rout, by ks: than the halt' of the French army. " The field of battle presentel the most affecting spectacle ; the young soldiers, on seeing the Emperor, forgot their sufferings, and exclaimed, " Vire l'Empereur " It is now twenty years," said the Emperor, " that I have commanded the French armies, but I have never yet witnessed so much bravery and devotion !" " Europe would at length be at peace, if the Sovereigns and the Ministers who direct their Cabinets, could have been present on the field of battle. They would give up all hopes of causing the star of France to set, and perceive that those Counsellors who wish to dismember the French Empire, and humble the Emperor, are preparing the ruin of their Sovereigns." PARIS, MAY 10.—Her Majesty the Empress Queen and Regent, has received the Ibl:owing intelligence uf the situation of the AtllliCS on 'the evening of the " The Emperor's head-quarters. were at . Colditz ; those of the Viceroy at Hata ; those of the Duke of Ragusa behind Colditz ; General Lauriston at Wurtzen of the Prince of Moskwa, at Leipsic ; those of the Duke of Reggio at Altenburgh; and of Gc ueral Bert rand, at Rochli tz. " The - Viceroy arrived before Colditz on the sth, at nine o'clock in the morning. The bridge was cut and some columns of infantry and cavalry, with artillery, opposed our passage. The Viceroy with his division, marched towards a ford which is on the left, passed the river, and gained the village of Komulian, where lie caused a battery of .40 pieces of artillery to be placed. The enemy then evacuated the town of Colditz in the greatest disorder, and in defiling were exposed to the fire of our 9,0 pieces of artillery. The Viceroy pursued the enemy with vigour ; it was the remainder of the Prussian army, about ..2.0 or _25 ,4)00 men strong, which took their direction partly to Leissing and partly to 6ersdortf. " Having arrived at Gersdorlf, the lOssian troops passed across a reserve which occupied this position; it was the Russian corps of Miloradowitch, composed of two divisions, amounting to neatly 8000 men under arms. The Russian regiments consisting el only two battalions of four companies Cddl, and the companies consist ing of not more than 150 men, bat having at present not more than 100 men each under arms, which does not amount to mote than 7or 800 men per regiment. flit•se two divisions of Miloradowitch, had arrived at the moment the battle %vas finished, and could not take any part in it. "Immediately on the tlivi-ion havii g rejoined the :1511, tl e Viceroy gave orders to the Doke of Tarentmu to form the two di visions in thrce COIIIIIOI3, and di•ive the enemy from his po•itions. The attack was brisk ; out brave fellows precipitated themselves oil the Russians, penetrated, and drove them towards hlal " in this engagement w e had 5 or 600 Walnled, and took 1000 • prisoners. The enemy 10,,t ‘.4000 on this Ilay. " General llertrati.t being arrived at Roehlitz, took there several convovs of sick and vvomme.l. some baL-,:sogr, and made some i toners upwartiS of 1:g0 cauidgcs, wi tfi wutuiticd, had pic::•4•:.1 by. i I • ;arnica pa/ A.3tlfliciestV,ltlugiulti infriMatt it. - .. 4 • iv , ~...k. ....„‘ ( .g.; -": 4 _. . - 7.- - • t` ' :,. . I ' ' - ',.:+" •‘.• 4; J.