The Statesman. — London, England, 1809-07-12 00:00:00

1 i. i ~.~ . ... the whole of the opposite country appeared to be envelop eil in a cloud of dust, and the glitter of arms evinced a general inurement of troops beyond Summering, towards Kaiser.Ebersderf, whither, according to later secouuts, the Emperor Napo. leen had removed his head.quarters, and was by his presence bjstening and promoting thuprepara. tions fur passing the river. On the following morning, at day.break, the Archduke resolved to recouursitre the island, and employed for this purpose part of the advanced guard, under the commted of Field. Marshal Lieutenant Count KlenaNt, suppdrted by some regiments of cavalry. The Isle of Lobes forms a convenient plaits of arass, which is about silt English miles long, and four and a half broad, anal being separated by the Urge arm of the Danube frost, the right bank, ► •othing prevents the building of a bridge, which is couctmiled by ground covered with bushes ; and the.. groat extent of the island Words the advantage of sending troops and ordnance from so many points ef It, that the passage across the smaller Atilt to the large plain of Marelifiehl may be made good by force of arms. It si as souu perceived by the strength of the enemy's columns whit, i advanced upon the island, and plastid their caution so as to support the se. rood passage, that he meditated a serious attack. The advanced guard sustained a tolerable e arm eugagement, and the cavalry routed the first divi. slow of the enemy, which deboudied from the low green& on the edge of the river late in the even. ing, upon which the Archduke, whose intention was not to prevent tho passage of the enemy, but to attack him on the following day, retreated with his cavalry to Anderklaa, and ordered the advanced troops to fall back to Maass, according as the enemy should extend himself. On the 21st, at day.break, the Archduke or. tiered his army under arms, and formed it in two lines on the rising ground behind Gerasdurf, and bArreeu the Dino-hill mid the rivulet Russ. The corps of Lieutenant-General Hiller formed the ri i ;ht wing near Stanimendorf ; on its left was the corps of the General of Cavalry Count Bellegarde, and neat to that the corps of Lieutenatit.General Prince Hohenzollern, in the alignernent of Deutsch %grain. The corps of Prince Rosenberg was pasted by hattalions in column on the Russbach, on. the rivulet Russ, kept Deutsch. Wagmm strong. ly accupied, having, for the security of the left wing, placed on the heights beyond that place a di. vision.en reserve. TM whole cavalry, which the day before hail advanced under the command of Prince Liektenatein by Anderklaa, was called back into the line, filling, in two lines, the space i itervetiing between the left wing of Prince 1.1.0. hensollena and the right of Prince Rosenberg. The vast plain of the hlarchfield spread like a carpet before the front of the line, and appeared, by the absence of every obstruction, to be des. tiered to form the theatre of some great event. The grenadiers temaineia =Lev Seieriug, and the of the General of Artillery Prince of Reuss kept the Risam.hill, and the low busby ground slung the Danube, grossly occupied. Part of it was Mill kit near Krems; the corps heel lug almost broke up by having so many of its divie biota detached to so considerable a distance. M nine o'clock the Archduke ordered the arms to be piled, and the troops to dine. The piquet of observation oa the Bisain.bill reported that the bridge across the Danube, behind the isle of Lobuo, being now quite finished, was plainly perceivable, and that troops were, without inter. mission, sem filing of over it, as well as passing in boats to the late. The outposts likewise, gave information of the gradual augmentation uf the enemy in the town of Enzarsdorf, and in the vil lages of Esping amid A.sperii, and of his advancing towards Ilirschstetteu. The Archduke Charles now thought that the moment for giving battle had arrived, and hastened to Gerasdorf, where the chief elf his Quarter.hlaster.General's Staff, Ginoral Baron Wimple:it, sketched the following plan : ' • PLAN OF ATTACH IPPON THE HOSTILE ARMY ON ITS MARCH BETWEEN EILING AND ASPERN, AND TONA ADS 111 RSCHSTETTEH. " The attack to be made in five columns. The Brat column, or the column of the right wing, is formed by the corps uf Lieutenant-General Hil. ler. It will advance from its present position in the direction between the " Point" and Leopol. elan, slung the nearest arm of the Danube, pass along the left bank towards Stadclau and Aspern, keep coostantly near the Danube and the meadows bordering upon it, and is vigorously to repulse the enemy, who most likely will meet it on the same road, and to drive him from the loft bank. This column must not suffer its progress to be tau ?lacteal by_ tee batteries which the enemy perhaps may have erected on the islands, but must codes your to silence them by its cannon, and spiritedly coutinue to advance. Thesecond column consists of the corps of the General of Cavalry Count Bellegarde; luau. lug Gerasdorf to the left, it will march towards Leopoidau, endeavour to join the first columns hods the right, advance upon Kagrau, and thee, co.* jointly with the Jd column, upon the left, posh fat wards towards Hirschstetten. " The third column is composed of the corps of Licuteuant-General Prince Hohenzollern. It will march by Sussenbrunn to Breitenlee, and from thence towards Aspern, and will endeavour to joie on its right the second adieus, and on its left the fourth. "The fourth &Acme, under the command of Lieutenant-General Prince Rosenberg, is made' up of that part of his corps which is posted ou the right bank of the theist Russ; it is to ad. mince, by Anderklaa and Raselidorf, towards 1 4 The fifth column is formed by that part of Pelee, Rosenberg's corps which stands between Deutsch-Wagram and Beasimeredorf ; it will crass the Ross near Boommenilorf, leave Remit. (liar and Bischderf to the right, endeavour to to the left soared the town of Enzersdorf, adil secure its left hank by the Archduke Ferdi nand'eregiment of hosiers. " Thu cavalry reserve trader the command of General Prince Lichteniteio, to mord by the way of Anderklu, without with the fourth column, between Breitenlee, and straight to the continually at sack a distance of the third and fourth colamus, easily, to be nose at band fur toiling the main body of the The grmiadier cum of reserve Sciering into the p4Mtibte which 'garde has taken up behind Gerasdoi.. columns and corps will march at . 12 o'clock at noon. Their second lines to follow them at a suitable distance. Every column to form its own edvaiicedgeard. The order of march, and the 'distribution of the lickl-pieces, to be left to the judgment of the Commanders of the respective corps. The whole will march by half divisions. Klenau to form the advanced guard of the fourth and fifth columns, and, be fore he advauces, to suffer the heads of these co , Imam to come quite up to him, in order that he may have at hand a sufficient support of infantry. Of the corps of cavalry, the b r igade u nder the command of Vessey to be attached to the second column, and the regiment O'Reilly to the third; I and both brigades are to repair immediately, the former to Gerasdorf, and the latter to Sussen- I brunt'. The principal object in view is to drive I back the enemy entirely over the first arm of the I Danube, destroy the bridges he has thrown over them, and occupy the bank of the Loban with a numerous artillery, especially howitzers. The infantry will form on the plain in battalions, with half divisions from the centre. the Imperial Highness the General in Chief recommends order, closeness during the advance, and a proper use of every species of arms. His station will be with the second column. " Gertudarf, May 21, 1809." lit Column 19 Battiditins 9.2 Squadron. Yd ----40 l6 --- ----- 42 4th---- sth--19 \ 16 -- Cavalry ..... . . ii . ....---- (Iretadiets 16 103 148 AU which amounted to 75,00 D men, effective troops. Of artillery, there were 18 batteries of brigade, 13 of position, and 11 of horse artillery ; in the aggregate 288 pieces of different calibres. The enemy had availed himself extremely well of the advantages of the ground to cover his pas sage. The extensive villages of Ealing and As. peen, mostly composed of brick houses, and en circled all round by heaps of earth, resembled two bastions, between which is double line of natural trenches, intended to draw off the water, served as the curtain, and afforded every possible security to the columns passing from the Isle of Lobau. Biting had a granary furnished with loop holes, and %those three stories afforded room fur several hundred men, while Aspern was provided with a strong church-yard. The left side of the latter village borders on an arm of the Danube. Both villages had a safe communication with the bushy ground near the Danube, from which the canny had it constantly in his power to dispatch, unseen, fresh reinforcements. The Isle of Lobes' served at once as a place of arms, and an a tete de-posit, a bridge-head fur the bridge, in the rear across the main arm of the river. _ The enemy with the divisions of Generals Mo. liter, Boudet, Nansouty, Lcgrandc, Espagne, Lasalle, and Fcrrand, under the Marshals Mas ses& and Lassies as well as Marshal Bessieres, to. gether with the Guards of the Wurtcmberg, Hesse Darmstadt and Baden auxiliaries, had al. ready left this position, and was directing his march towards Hirschstetten, when the first Aus. trian guards advanced to meet him. If it be at all permitted in war, to indulge fa vourable presentiments, it was certainly excusable so to do at that groat mon►ent, when, on the ?Ist of May, exactly at twelve o'clock, the columns began to pet themselves in motion for the attack. A general enthusiasm had taken possession of the troops, joyful war-songs, accompaniel by Turkish music, resounded through the air, and were in. terrupted by shouts of " Long live our Emperor, long live the Archduke Charles !" whenever the Imperial General appeared, who had placed him. self at the head of the second column. Every, breast panted with anxious desire and high confi. deuce after the decisive moment; and the finest weather favoured the awful scene. BATTLE OF THE SST OF MAY. First Column. The advanced guard under General' Nordman, I consisting of two battalions of Oyulay and Lich tenstein Hussars, had formed near the destroyed bridge of Tabor, and leaving the villages of Ka. gran and Hirchstetten to-the left, and Stadlau to the right, marched in the plain towards Aspern. It was followed by the column, which having left the high road before the post office at Stain. mersdorf, had marched from the right by half di. visions. Its right flank along the Danube was co vered by a battalion of St. Georgians, by the first battalion of Vienna volunteers, and by a battalion of militia, under the command of Major Count Colloredo. Within a cannon shot of Stadelau the outposts mct the enemy's piquet!, which gradually retreated to their original divisions. At this time j General Nordmao ordered two battalions of Gyu. lay to draw up en echelon, in order to favour the advance of the column. The enemy, drawn up in large divisions, stood immediately before Aspern, having to cover his front, occupied all the ditches of the fields, which afforded excellent breast works. His right was covered by a battery, and his left by a broad and deep ditch (one of those that carry off the waters of the Danube when it overflows) as well as by a bushy ground, which was likewise occupied by several bodies in close or. der. Though the enemy had the advantage of po. iltion all to himself, inasmuch as the freshet of the Danube were only passable by means of a small bridge, at which he kept up a vigorous fire from bellied the ditches both with cannon and small arms, it did not prevent the second battalion of Gyelay, immediately after the first had penetrated as far as the badly meadows, to pass the bridge la a miens, to form without de!ay, and charged the enemy, who precipitately .., on which occasion that vil. woes bdt not very obstinate resis. for the first time. It was, how. Ire the enemy had it itibialmiser fresh reinfurcement, to impel' .of Gynlay. By this lime some , the column had arrived, the chasseurs Schneider, of the 2tl column, joined the /tweed guard of the Ist ; Gyulay formed again, and the enemy was a second time pushed to the lower end of the village, though he succeeded again in regaining what he had lost. Rods parties were aware of the necessity oil maintaining themselves in Aspern at any rate, which produced successively the most obstinate ef., 'fillets of both attack and defence ; the parties en.. *wed each other in every street, in every house,' mod in every barn ; carts, ploughs, and harrows, were obliged to be removed during an ioninterrupt. alli fire, in order to get at the enemy ; every indi. Waal wall was an impediment of the assailants, and a rampart of the attacked ; the steeple, lofty' trees, the garrets, and the cellars were to be con. 4 quercd before either of the parties could stile it. self master of the place, and yet the possession. was csnr of short duration ; for no sooner had we taken a street or a house than the enemy gained , another, forcing us to abandon the former. S. this murderous conflict lasted for seven hoists; the Germatsisattalions were supported by Hunga. Tian', ho were again assisted by the Vienna vo. linkers, each rivalling the other in courage and perseverance. At the same time the 24 column combined its attacks with those of the first, having to overcome the same resistance, by reason of the enemy's constantly leading fresh reinforcements into fire. At length General Vaquant of the '2d column succeeded in becoming master of the upper part of the village, and maintaining himself there during the whole of the night. By the shells of both parties many houses had been set on tire, and illuminated the whole coun. try around. At the extremity of the right wing on the bushy meadow the combats were not less severe. The left lank of the enemy was secured by an arm of the Danube ; impenetrable underwood, intersected only by footpaths, covered his (runt ; and a broad ditch and palisalues afforded him the advantage of a natural rampart. Here fought at the beginning of the battle the Ist Battalion of Gytilay under Colonel Mariassy ; then the battalion of chasseurs tinder Major Schneider ; next the St. Georgians under Major Mihailovich, and finally, the two battalions of Vienna Volunteers under Lieut.-Col. Stegentescb and St. Quenten. Here also the enemy was de feated ; and the first day of this sangui nary en. gagement terminated by the occupation of Aspens by General Vacquant, at the head of eight bathe. lions of the second column, while Lieut. Field. Marshal Hiller drew the troops of his corps from the village, placed them again in order of battle, and passed the night under arms. THE STATESMAN. .. catalog into cootaet bayonets to attack 1 /teen item:Woe( and .retreattal to Aspern, e N ow L os , k ee pi a4 Cage, after a vigoroul e between, the beads bums, was taken foe as, as, in case of ne. ever, nut long befor ur the purpose of re. by the arrival of a . raserny's cavalry.— again the battalions rye to march from battalions of the col ch this corps of Dcl. of Major Schneider ; Gerasdorf. All the advanced guard of t SECOND COLUMN. The advanced guard, commanded by Lieutenant General Fresnel, advanced by Leopultlau eg.tt Ka gran toward Hltschstetsen, and consisted of one battalion of chasseurs and two battalions of An ton Mitsovsky under General IVinsingerode, as well as the - brigades of cavalry, Klenau and Vincent, under Gen. Veesey. It was followed in the same direction by the column from its position near Gerasdurf. The enemy having been discovered from the eminences near Hirsehstetten to be near Asperu and Eslingcn, the Brigade Voescy was detached against the latter place, and the brigade Witainga rode to dislodge the enemy from Aspern. The colamu deployed before Hirschstetten, in two lines, in order to support the advanced guard, and leaving Aspern to the right, followed upon the plain at a proper distance. The brigade of Winsingerode, however, met with so spirited i resiitance in its attempt upon Aspern, that an attack upon the front alone was not likely to be attended with success ; the cavalry of the advanced guard was pushed fur. ward from Aspern on the left, in order to sup port the attack on the lank with the two batter ries of cavalry, as well as to facilitate the junction with the third column, which was advancing by Brcitenlee. At the same time the regiment of Reuss Plano was ordered to the right side of As pern, with a view to an attack on that place; the rest of the corps was formed into close columns of battalions. Meanwhile the enemy formed his left wing, which he refused, towards Aspern, and his right I upon Esslingen. Thus he advanced with columns of infantry tint cavalry upon the main army, while an extremely brisk cannonade supported him. A line of. twelve regiments of cuirassiers termed the centre of the second line of f:ze enemy, giving to the whole an imposing aspect. Meanwhile the attack of a battalion of Reuss Mum en Aspern was repulsed, and it gave way, being thrown into consternation by the loss of its Commander, but it rallied immediately after. Count Bellegard erdered General Bacquant to renew the attack with the regiment et Vogelsang, and to carry the village at all hazards. The latter obeyed the order with the most brilliant success, and Aspern, though defended by twelve thousand of the best of the enemy's troops, was carried by storm; Bargnant being assisted by the regitneut of Reuss Planet', by a battalion of Archduke Raker, and by the brigade of Maier of the third' column. To frustrate this attack, the enemy advanced with two columns of infantry, supported by his heavy cavalry, upon the main army, repulse , l the Iwo regiments of Klcnau and Vincent's la Iht Horse, and fell upon the infantry. The latter expecting him with their firelocks ready, and with cool intrepidity, fired at 10 paces distance so effectually, as totally to route the enemy, upon which Gen.Veesey, at the head of a division of Llenau, 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 liar was disengaged from the enemy, obtained communica tion on the left with the corps of Prince Hohcn. colter's, and became possessed of the importa n t post of Aspern. The enemy bass in full re. treat, attempted nd further sttack, and confined himself merely to a cannonade. The corps re mained daring the night ender arms. The enemy repeated, indeed, his attacks upon Alpena, but they all proved unsure.. fal. TillaD Cot.fUlitY. This column, according to its destination, had begat; its march from its position at Sciring, by the road of Sessenbren and Uri•itenier., Some di.. visions of O'Reilly's fight hnrse ■nd chasseurs formed the advanced guard of the column, and at three o'dock in the aferooun met near Hirchstct ten, Os left wing of the enemy, which consisted mostly of cavalry. A.s about this time the first and second madams advanced intrepidly upon A spern, and the enemy began to fall back to his position b:•twern Esslin 4evi and Aspern, Lieul—Gen. Hohenzollern or dered up his batteric:4, and a very brisk cannonade commenced on both sides. The first line formed io dose columns of batta. lions, and advanced with the greatest resolution upon the enemy, when his cavalry suddenly rushed forward in such disproportionate numbers, and avi' such rapidity, that then• was scarcely tint, to save the artillery uhich had been brought up, and the battalions were left to defend themselves by their wen unsupported citations. This wag the remarkable moment in which the regiments of Zach, Joseph Collared°, Zcttwitz, Froon, battalion of Stein'a, and the second battalion of the Archduke Charles's legion, under the conduct of Lientenant.General Brady, and Generals Bu. reach, Maier and Koller, demonstrated with un. paralleled fortitude what the need determination to conquer or die is capable of effecting against the most impetuous attacks. The enemy's cavalry turned these battalions our both wings, penetrated bet Ween them, repulsed the squadrons of O'Keilly's light horse, who were uo, able to withstandsuch 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 degrad ing proposition, and the enemy's cavalry abaft dossed the held, leaving behind them a considerable trimber of dead. This cure, as ►ell as the others, passed th• night on the field of battle. FOURTH AND FIFTH COLUMNS. These were both compnved of the corps of Lieutenant-General Prince Rosenberg, on either bank of the Rinabach, and directed their march from their position, to the right and left of Deotsch-Wagram. The fourth proceeded through Roschdorf straight to Esslingen. Colonel Hardegg of Schwarzenbcrg's Mhos conducted the advanced geard. The fifth directed its march towards the left, in order to go a circuit round the little town of En. sersdorf, arid drove the enemy out of the place. It was reinforced by Stipsic's hussars, under tha command of Colonel Fre Neb. Lieutenant-Gene ral Klenau led the advanced guard of both ca. lumns. ' As this cirenit round Enzersdorf obliged -4iser firth to describe a longer line, It was nectoury for the fuurth to advance rather more slowly. Entersdorf, however, was quickly taken pos. session of by a detachment of Stipsic's hussars, and of the Wallachia Illyrian frontier regiment, as it was already for the greatest part evacuated by the enemy, from %hum no were than thirty prisoners, could be taken. Roth columns now received orders to advance upon Esslingen. The fourth, in close columns of battalions of Cvirtorisky's, Archduke Louis's and Cobourg's, who were twice successively attacked by upwards of two thousand of the enemy's heavy cavalry; but these were each time put to flight by our brats infantry with considerable loss. Of the fifth column, two battalions of Chaste.. ler's advanced directly upon Esslingen, while two battalions of Relle•garde's were ordered to pene trate the left dank of the village, and the small contiguous wood. Two battalions of Hiller'4 and Sztarray's, besides the Archduke Ferdinand's and Stipsie's regiments of hussars, and two divisions of Rosenberg's light horse, were in the plain in readiness to support then,. These combined attacks were made twice sue cessively with uncommon intrepidity, the enemy's troops were repulsed at all points, and driven into the village of Esslingen which had been set ou fire. But as the enemy's army was drawn up in several lines between Esslingen and Aspen), 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 aban don it at the approach of night, and to await, un der arms, 'the arrival of morning. The reserve corps of cavalry had marched in two columns, under the command of General Prince of Lichtenstein, and advanced upon the New Inn be twecn Raschdorf and Brciteniee. General Count Wartensleben, with Blankensteia's hussars, con. ducted the advanced guard. Nu sooner did the enemy perceive the general advance of the army, than he placed the bulk of his cavalry, supported by some battalions of in. fantry, in w.der of battle between Esslingen and► Alipern, and commenced a brisk cannonade upon► the columns of Austrian cavalry as they ap proached. 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 enliven formed in tti► c. lines, till he was convinced that the fourth would not meet with any impediment to its march. During this movement the remainder of the enemys cavalry also advanced with the greatest confidence. towards the right •ing of the Aus trians. Titey were received with a firmness which they probably did nut expect. The intrepidity of the cavalry which had marched up, particularly Maurice Lichtenstein's regiment, dud the Arch.