The National Register. — London, England, 1813-05-30 00:00:00

THE NATTONAL RECTRTER. reserve ; and the several parts of the army were on the same day collected in the vieinage of that place. • nurshal Pi ince Kontou•off Smolcuskv was left ill on the march. at Bentzlan, where he died ; but his death was nut published. Conn: ~VittgeestAn, at that time at Zwenkau, was appointed to command the artily. H: had on that day reconnoitred the enemy, and ascertained his po-nion ; and the same evening, a disposition was made for a get•et a! attack. to take place on the following morning at day-brchk. During the preceding week, the advance of the enemy's main army towards Naumherg, and the approach of litanharnois from Qaedlin. Imp+ bad been indicated by several skirmishes and partial atlairs: particular) , at ai:d near Halle and Mersebnrg, where the Prussians be*.aved with ereat _gallantry. Ou the evening of the Ist, the enemy appeared to have great Masse' of his tOrce between Laitzen and Weissenfela, and after (tusk a strorg eulumn was seen moving in the direction of Leipsig, to which place there was clear evidence that he intended to move. The advance corps of Count Wittgenstein's alley having been engaged on the tame evening. to the east and north of Lutgen„ the cavalry of it remained there to amuse the enemy in the morning, butt with orders to retire gradnally. Meanwhile the several columns of the army where orchred to. cross the niter at Pegan, and bear down, and to follow the course of a rivulet, which. rising near the Hider, runs in a nor b-west direction to the Saale, by which move ment, which the ground favoured, it was intended to turn the enemy's right between Weissenfels and Lutzen, while his attention was directed to his left between the latter place and Leipsig. 'As soon as. their Majesties saw the troops placed according to the disysition, the whole was put in motion towards the enemy. The eonntty , is uncovered and open, the soil dry and light, but with very considerable variety of hill and valley, and much intersect ed by hotow ways and mill-streams, the former not discernil;le till cle approaeued. Ti' enemy plarel behind a long ridge, and in a string of villages, of winch Gorschen is the principal, with a hollow way in front and a sir .'n sittlicict t to float timber on the left, whited the near approach of the Allied. He 113 d an immeuse quantity of ordnance, of I tpotinders, and larger natures. di•tribilted ihrengliont the line, and in the villages : tie natteiies in the open country were supported by masses of infantry in solid • quart's. The plan of operation determined npoq, on view of the enemy, %vat to attack the village of Grow Gordelien with artillery and Wan ttmand in the meanwhile to.pierce the line to the entitiViu right of the villages with a stroog column of cavalry, in order to cut oil , the troops iii the villa!zio9t 4 om support. he remainfler of the enemy's line wadi to be engaged, according to circumstances, by the cdrps opposed to it. The cavalry of the prossian recrve to whose lot this attack feil, presented tilt we've% and supported tilt it movement s w ith gu m ga l• lantry, but the shoriveis of grape-shot and musketry, to. which they vier ( exposed en 14 achitia the hollnw way, made it impracticable f or them to peretrate: and she enemy appearing determined to main tain the villages at any expenee, the affair assumed the most expen sive character of attack and defem•e, of a port repeatedly taken, lust, and retakete Tine caruilry mode several attempts to break the enemy's line, and behaveti with it.e most exemplary coolne-s and regull•risv under very he vy tine ; in some of there attacks they mimetic', in fireakiu,g into the squires and cutting down the infantry. Late in t .e evening, tinowipas te having called in the troops from Leip s i g , and collecied his se: et yes, :nude an attack from his kir on the right of the ADics, supported by the the of several batteries advantimi. The vivacity of this movetrent maile it expedient to change the front of the hem est hti4ades ou the right, and as the whole cavalry from the !eft was order to the right to turn this attack, and h• chari.e it, I was not without hopes of w i messing the destruction of Bunn ap.ate and all his army ; unt before the cavalry could arrive, it became so dark that nothing could .be distingui , hed but the usher of the gull. The Allies remained in possession of the disputed yilages e and of the line on which the enemy had stood. Orders were its to renew tie etack in the morning, but the er my did ut 4 wait tir it. and it was. judged ritl)Pflielbt, with r< fernier. to the general e of the cavalry, not to pursue. leave 411 !wen removed items% the Line, while the cannon and pd. soner,r taken, and the grnmid vvre•teii from the enemy in the action, a vt ineonwstitne proofs :.f the .iicet %..nf the Both Sovereie,ris w< re in the field the whole day. Ile King wa ebittiy Licar t4e village where lies troupe were eng;ged. The IVr A Y ZO. perm . was repeatedly in eve ty pal t of the field, %%here he was re ceived by the most animatinv cheers by every corps he approached. The fire to which his person was not untrequently exposed. awl the eioualties wh i ch took place near Win, did not appear in the least to disturb his attention horn the objei t.l to which it was directed, and and which he fidlowed without any o.teutat 'on. General Wittgenstein, with the army, is batween the Elbe and the Elstcr, with the command of several bridges over the form, r. The Russian troops of all aims folly realised the expectations I had formed of their bravery and steadiness, and the emulation and , pirit of patriotism which pervade the Prussian army, merits the highest encomium. I have the honour to be, &e (ii;, , ned) CATHCART. The Lord Viscount Castlereagh, &c. &c. OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE BATTLE AT GROSS. GORSCHEN ON THE 0) OF MAY. On the 6th April, information wait received at General Count Wittgenstein's head-quarters_of the greater part ot the army and the French Guards having crossed the Saale, in the vicinity of Naum. bourg. It was at the same time reported. that the Emperor Napo.. leon was arrived at the army. We observed that the Viceroy's army drew to the right. It was therefore clear that the enemy en deavoured, by all mean', to form a junction, and it was most proba. hly his intention to give a general battle. His Majesty. the Em. peror Alexander, and his Majesty the King of Prussia, then fore went to their armies, to animate the coinage of the troops by their personal presence. Bit the better to be enabled to judge of the enemy's strength, a reconnoissance was undertaken, with General Vun Winzingerode's corps, from Leipsic on the road to Weissenfels. This confirmed the intelligence received of the enemy being there in considerable force. Upon this, a very severe engagement took place on the Ist of May with the said corps, by which we were convinced that the mini force of the 'enemy was standing in the vicinity of Weissenfels and Lutzen. It was believed that the Vice roy's position was between Leipsic and Hanle, and censeqiiently 'he enemy's plan for the battle was clearly apparent General Von Wrttgenstein resolved on being before halal with him, to obstruct him in his dispositions by a bold attack, and to restrain his offensive operations. It was eecessary in this attempt to make our main ob ject immediately to tall on such part of his force as was, on his side, considered to be his best 'troops, in order, after such a stroke, to e,ive a larger space fqr the operation of our flying corps, over whom the enemy had latterly acquired a superiority. Therefore it was re. quisite; if possable, to direct the attack immediately against his nearest troops. For this purpose the main army broke up, iu the night bczween the Ist and 211 of May, from Nonni and Borne, in two columns, and pn:hed forward as far as the (letile of the Oster, in the vicinity of Pecan. Geveral Von Winzingerode received orders to mask this operation, to leave his posts of cavalry stand ing, and to unite himself with the main army. by the way of Ze. venkau. At break of day all the troops - passed the defile of the . }Aster, near Pecan, and drew up in order of battle, on the left bank of the Elster, with their right wing to the village of Werben, and their left to that of Gretna. By reconnoitring we discovered that the enemy's main body aheady extended past Weissenfels, to the village of Gross Gorschen Klim Gorschen, Rhens, Starstedel„ and Lutzen. The enemy did not venture to attempt disturbing our march, nor to get before Its into the but took his position in the villages between Gross Gorschen and Starstedel. About 11 at noon, General Blucher received orders, as being the van.gnard of the army, and supported by a part attic Russian artillery., to at. tack the enemy. The attack was made on the village of Great Gorsehen, which wai obstinately defended by the enemy, and was taken by storm. General York matched with his corps to the right ai the village. The whole army wheeled to the right, and presently after the battle became general along the whole line of Blucher's corps The enemy at the same time displayed a numerous al tifiery, and chiefly of heavy calibre+, and the fire of musquetry in the vil lages was kept up with great vivacity for several hours. In this murderous battle, the village§ of Klin Gorschen and Rhens, as like wise the village of Gross Gorsehen, were early taken by storm, and with unexampled brave ry. and kept possession nt . for several hours. At length the enemy returned in considerable force, surrounded, ard in part retook those villages; btit on the attack being: renewed, was not able to reta n posscst.eoll ot them. The Prussia') guards moved forwards to support them, and ..etcr a most obstinaig eomhat of an holm and an halt. 'these villages . Cert. again retaken (nap' the enemy, and resumed in our pdsoession during rhis time. General Wilizierode's eurpi em the left wing, and General Von York'* corps with a part of the Russian troops under • General Von Berk bad taken no share in the battle. We 344 w I 4