The National Register.
London, England, 1812-09-13 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER,

SEPT. 19.

BATTLE OP POLOTSK.
After the hnttle tif Drissa,. the Duke ot Reggio, knowing tbpi the
enemy's General NN ittgensteni had been reintorced by twelve third
battalions front the garris. 0 ot Dumioure, and wallet:, te draw him to
ail engagement near the de file below Polotsk, caused t-e 2ci and (eh
corps to he' ranged in order of battle below Polot,k. Generel Wotgee.
Ic in fail .wed hint, attacked him on the i6tlt and 171 h, and taus
rously replied. The navorian division of 1)e Wrede, of I. e title
cops, has distitignished itself. At the moieent when the Mike of
;..eg,io was making his dispositions to profit by the victory, and to
close the eueitty in the defile, be was struck on the shoulder by Ks-
M
raven. s wound. which is of a vrions nature, obliged hire to cease
.
himself to he transported to but it die not appear that he en de
himself in anywise unqui. t concerning the consequences.
Tier General (i-uvioe St Cyr has taken the command of the 2d 411 d.
6'l calve On the 17th, in the evening, the • nemy retired through the
defile. Generel Verdier W. wounded. Genera! Macs. n has been re.
cogeized as General of Divisien, and has succeeded him in the corn
maid of his division. Our I ssis es:imated at Woo men killed End
wounded. The loss of the Russians is triple ours ;we have taken
500 prisoners Irene them.
On the 18th. at four o'clock in the ofterneon, General Gouviun St.
Cyr, commanding the 2fi and 6th co:ps, opened on the enemy, by
causing his right wing to he attacked by the Bavarian divisions of the
Count de Wrede. The bettle extended the whole length of the line,
and the enemy were thrown inte complete rout. and pursued for two
leagues, as long as day-light permitted ;20 p,eces of cannon, and
1000 prisoners, have remained in the power of the French army. The
Bavarian General, Deroy, was wounded.
BATTLE OF VALENTINA.
On the 19th, at breakeil-day, the bridge brine, finished, the Marshal
Duke of Elchineen crossed over to the right bank of the Borysthenes,
arid pursued the enemy. At one leagne from the town he encoun-
tered the lest column of the enemy's rear-guard. ft was a division of
sor 6,000 men, stationed on line heights. lie caused them te be at-
tacked with the bayonet Ly the 4th regiment of infantry, of the line,
and by the 72d ditto. The position was careied, and oar ba3-ont ts li
ne,
and
the held of battle with dead : three or four hundred prisoners tell
into our hands The flying enemy retired on the 2tl column, which was
posted on the heights of Valentina. The first r sft:on was car:icd by
the loth of the line, and towards hair o'clock in the aftemooo, the
musketry lire was kept up against the whole of the enemy's rear guard,
which presented about 15,0110 men. The Duke of Abrantes bad passed
the Borystbenes at two o'clock, to the right ofSmolensko, and lee found
himself el se upon the tear of the enemy ;he might, thereftne, by
marchin,; with divisions, intercept the great road to Moscow, and
render the retreat of the rear-guard difficult ; but meantime the othe:'
columns of the enemy's army which remained to be forced, being
iii-
formed of the success, and of the rapidity of the first attack, teteecel
back the way they came. Four divisions then advanced to support
their rear-guard, and, anionic others, the divisions of grenadiers, welch
until now had out come forward ; 5 or 601,0 men, cavalry, formed thee
right, whilst their left was covered by woods filled with tireilleurs.
It
was of the greatest clnsequenee to the enemy to keep this position as
long as itossible, it being aver v floe one, and apparently it.expagnabic
on our part we attached no less importance to it, in or& r to acceled
•
rate his retrcaf, and caused all the carriages filled with wounded
an
other articles to be ebrildow d, which was erotected by tbe rear guard.
This was wheat gave rise to the battle or Veletaina, one ottlie tinest
el arses he our military histea y. At six o'cloch iu the eveeing, de
vision of Guilin, which hail been sent forward to support the 3d corps,
trout the moment when we perceived the great succours Ilea the
of
had sent to his rear-guard, pushed forward a column on the centre
the enemy's pie,ition, was supported by the division of General
and after an hour's combat, toned the position. General Count Oudot
arriving with his divisions, was at the coin:net:cement of the action
struck by a hullet, whirl, carried Of his thigh, lee died tiortooly.
Hits loss was sensilify felt. General Guilin was one of the most de•
tinguished otheers in die a-my ;he was estimable for his moral (poli-
ties, as ranch as for his bravery and intrepidity. General Gilled
taken the command of the division. We reckon that the eneu.y
had eight (ienerals killed or wounded one of their (,metals is trete
()ii the billowing day, the Emperor distributed rceowl:(Tco;
on the ticld of battle, to all the regiments which had dimii:gui
themseives ; awl as tl e 127111, which Is a IleVf legi Mel •t,
heed bell'
i!.elfwell, leis Majesty granted this regiment the reihr earr mg ell
eagle, a privilege it had not before enjoy eel, never having, wen lit°
lime, beret preseht in sore battle. These recoil)! roues, given mi
field of t able, ill the midst of the dead, thee dvieg, the wouuded, and
the trophies of victory. offered a spectacle truly military and imptesa:g.
Teen enemy, Hier this baltle, has precipitated his retreat in suf..)','''
manner, that tea the day of the 20th our Mope marched slolca9