The National Register.
London, England, 1813-06-20 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

I Wet eded in performing the whole of this distance, without
stopping, in thirty hours.
On my arrival at Hadmerslehcn, I learnt that a second convoy
was at Hessen, on the Brunswick road, three miles and a halt from
Halberstadt, where it sv; s infeteled to arrive in the morning to join
the first, in the view of prneeeding with greater safety on its march
to the Grand Army. This last convoy was escorted by tour thou-
sand infantry, five hundred cavalry, and Inlay pieces of artill• ry. •
Notwithstanding the fatigue. of :fly men and bores, after so harrassing
a march, I resolved to continue my route, and to make an immediate
attack upon the enemy at Halberstadt, before the arrival of the re-
inforcement ; and in order to take advantage of the fault he had
ennmitted in placing his guns and the convoy outside of the town,
although at a very short distance from the walls. After recounuit
tri og at four o'clock in the morning, I ascertained that the enemy
had placed his guns in a square, the middle of which wig filled with
ammunition waggons and other carriages. al(' was lined with infan-
try, the flanks being covered by two hundred am! fifty horse. The
whole fOrmed a sort of fortress, almost impenetrable to cavalry.
One of niy first cares having been to cut offtlie enemy from the town,
a single gate which the enemy hail neglected to close, afforded me
the means ofgetting possession of the town, where the brave Colonel
Trecotf charged the rear of the •I roops which were marching out to
join the square, and pursued them very nearly up to the guns.
OU the other side, Colonel Wlassaw, whom I had sent forward
with two regiments, in hopes of surprising the enemy, made two
very fine charges against the square; but the enemy having notice
of our march, and being upon their guard, he could not make any
impression. The enemy- now opened a heavy cannonade from four-
teen gnus, to which I could only oppose two; by the file of which,
however, five of the enemy's ammunition waggons were blown up.
Oise of mine met the siinie fiats, and four horses were killed.
At this moment, a regiment of Cossacks, which I had detached
upon the road by which the enemy's reinforcements were advancing,
brought me intelligence that they were within two miles of us;
this determined me to make a general and decisive (gal against
the square with all my troops. With this view I ordered all the
scattered Cossacks to seize the same moment at which the attack
would be ma:le by the regular cavalry.

After exhorting my soldiers to do their duty, I ordered all my
people to charge at the same moment. This brilliant attack against
a for►nidable squaw, defended by fourteen pieces of cannon, su.-
pwsed my expeet.;tions, and covered with glory the hussars of
bourn, mum:llB4d by Colouel Tiernan, and two regiments of Riga
dragoons; the Coswk4 also seconded admirably the aim. of these
four Itundre,i horse.

In an instant the batteries were carried, and my brave men in the
middle of the square here the carnage was horrib'e, as the enemy
defended binrielf obstioately, even tiring upon us from the car-
riages : More than 700 %yeri ki:led, the rest taken, awl I venture
to assert that not an individual escaped out of all this corps.
Scarcely was the slaughter t: retinated when the enemy's colnnub
began to appear, pressing upon my Cossacks. I was then ohligf.4l
to support them, in order to gain time to send off the captured guns
and prisoners. From want of time I con' carry off only the 14
guns and 12 ammunition waggons; I blew op the rest in the very
presence of the enemy. I destroyed or distributed to the inhabi-
tants all the stores which were in tie ti.wn, and ut seven in the
evening I retired with my booty to Coc!tacit. Such is the sum-
mary account of this exploit : it has the more merit thnt its having
been undertaken after a march of fifteen miles, which has been fol.
lowel 'ay an engagement of woe than seven hours. It is beyond
my power to express to your Excellency how well all my people
have dime their duty in this hi illiant affair.
That the Coisacks shoal I have been ante to support a march of
fifteen mites, and a combat of seven hours afterwards, has not sur-
prised me so mach as to see my regular cavalry perform it as well
as them, without leaving a si horse behind.
(Signed) CZE4Nicurrr,