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

SUNII A V, -M A V 16. !Sl3.

No. 2SI.

POLITICAL DIS2UISITION.

GENERAL BATTLE IN GERMANY.

A general firing along the French coast heard last Snnil2y
at Deal, first gave u; no!ice that the enemy claimed a victory.
A paragraph in-an inferior Paris paper, fixing zhe spot whale
the battle was reported to have been fought,
.brought, on
Thuisday, a slight confirmation, which, however, was but
little credited, as it was supposed that had a general battle
taken place on the 2d int. the Russian officer sent by Gen.
TETTENEORN from Ilamburgh on the Bth inst. with dis-
patches from the Imperial Head quarters for the Russian
Ambassador in this countrv, would have conveyed the intel-
ligence. Some augured from his silence, that he had borne
unpleasant tidings, but it was not until yesterday that we were
put in possession of the French Official account of this new
and tremendous action.

On the Ist a May, BtioNAPARTE, with BERTHIER, oc-
cupied Weissenfels; BEAUHARNOIS was at Mersehurg;
MARNIONT at Naumburg ; BERTRAND at ctohl'cu; OUDI-
!SOT at Jena, and MAIsoN at Halle. On that day, the French
advanced-guard, headed by SOUHAM. and followed by NEy,
and NAPOLEON ill pelson, with GIRARD and MERCILANT's
division, and the cavalry of the guard udder Marshal
liEsstErtis (the Duke of IsTRIA) seized upon the defile of
Poserna after a Smart action with the corps of Generals
WINZINGERODE and LANsKOI, which consisted chiefly of
cavalry. At the beginning of this engagement, BEsst ERE%
who had advanced with the sharp-shooteis to reconnoitre the
plain on the other side the defile, was killed by a cannon-
ball. The loss of men on both sides is represented as com-
paratively inconsiderable, but as usual much mailer on that
of the French.

On the 2d, the enemy manceuvred in the plain of Lutzen,
where, in 1632, the Great GUSTAVUS fell in the arms of vic-
tory. NA P T. EON'S intention was to move rapidly upon Leip-
sick, in order to rlace his army in a different position from
that in which the Russians expected to find it, and fall on
their left flank whilst they attempted to attack him in front. II
Ile had already sent forward LAUnISTON to carry this plan
into effect, and a cannonade bad begun on the bridges beti}re
that town, when the allies crossed the Elster at Zwenkaw,
Pegau, and Zeits,in deep columns that " obscured the horizon,"
and marched towards the village of Kara, which formed the
centre of the French position, and where NEY was posted with
his corps, consisting of five divisions. NAPOLEON, who did not
expect to be attacked htfore the sth it now found himself
perilously situated. He had sent LAURISTON against Leip-
sick, and could not recall him in time for the battle.
BEAUHARNOIS, with the 5t.6 and 1 tth corps, was on the El-
ster on the left of, and at several hours march from, the cen-
tre. M A RMONT, with three divisions, formed the right, in
front of the defile of Peserna, which BERTRAND and his.
corps had not yet passld. BUONAPARTE himself, with part
of his new and old guards, occupied Lutzen behind the village
of Kara. The rest of the guards remained at Erfurth, Vic-
TOR and his corps were three days march from the field of bat-
tle, and DAvoust's three divisions, with SEBASTIANCS ca-
valry; on the banks of the Elbe, near Salsewedel.
ra. No.CCLXI:XL

PRICP. 94.

On perceiving the intention of the allies to profit by the
cxpos,al position of his centre and to pierce it, NAPOLEON
orderal BLA Ulf A ItNois and MA ItNioNT to close upon it and
form its wings, and IlLryr RAND to move circuitously and
tall on the rear of the assailants when the line should he
most strongly engaged. This last movement, to which the
French owe their victors', seems not to have been noticed by
the allies until it was too late, probably because B ERT n A NEt'S
cores not having vet passed the defile of Poserna, was not
pecceiaied, and remained concealed by the hilis during its
circuitous march until it debouched upoa the plain and
rushed unexpectedly to the attack. For the allies, seeing
the centre in advance of the rest at several miles distance
from the left wing, brought their main force to break it before
it could be supported from that quarter: and. in order to pre-
vent the approach of the right wing under M A RMONT, sent
some columns to threaten it on the road to Weissenfels, and
thus compel it to retain its position, for fear it should be
turned if it moved to sustain the centre. On these two points
therecore the mo,t strenuous exertions were made, and long did
the battle's deeeest fury rage. Several times was the village of
Kara taken and retaken. The attempt on the right was
frustrated by MA RMoNT, and BEAUII A !MOTS at last entered
in line upon the left, whilst MAC DON A LD, attacked the
Russian tight, and penetrated to the village occupied by their
reserve. But this diversion failed to relieve the centre.
' The allies redoubled their efforts on that point ; the village
of Kara was again taken, the centre yielded, some battalions*
opened, and the fate of the day and of Europe seemed on
the eve of being decided, when conscious that no chance
remained but death or victory, NAPOLEON in person rallied
his troops, charged with sixteen battalions of his yourig
ruards, whilst a battery of eighty pieces of cannon was
formed; and poured grape shot into the Russian ranks, re-
took the village of Earn, and followed their retiring.
columns closely, until BE RTR AND entering the line with
his corps, the French tight wing moved in ad-
vance to join him and support the success of tile
centre, when the " infantry, cavali y and artillery of the c.llics,
411 retreated". The enemy pursued them a league and an
half from the field of battle, but it is evident that they made
their retreat in an orderly manner, as but a comparatively
small number ofprisoners were taken; for which the French ac-
count by the inferiority of their cavalry, which BUONAP ART E,
willing to spare, or rather distrusting. kept in battle array
behind his infantry, without allowing it to take the least share
in the action. The loss of the 'enemy is estimated at 10,000
in killed and wounded ; that of the allies at 25 or 50,000..
As the battle was fought with the most obstinate bravery on.
all sides, and every soldier seemed to feel that the liberty of
his country, or the crown of his master, depended on his own.
individual exertions, it is possible that the loss of the allies
may have been as great ns it is represented; but it is equally.
impossible that of the French should have been so
1 small. They fougllt, it is true, on the defensive, and a:i
assailant must experience considerable loss if he does not
ultimately succeed in his attempt, because he has then to
Ireceive the repeated fire of the whole hostile line both i;a
! his advance and in his retreat, whilst- the.assailed. if thee
I! -
mu their ground, suffer less, but their ceutie several