The National Register.
London, England, 1812-07-19 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

conduct, until the Eagles of France shall have repassed the Rhine,
leaving, by such a movement, our allies at her mercy. Russia is
dragged along by a fatality ! Her destinies niust be accomplished.
Should she then consider us degenerated ? Are we no longer to be
looked upon as the soldiers of Austerlitz ? She offers us the alternative
of dishonour or war. The choice cannot admit of hesitation—Let us
march forward ! Let us pass the Niemen ! Let us carrry the war into
her territory. Tie second war of Poland will be as glorious to the
French arms as the first ; but the peace which we shall conclude will
be its own guarantee, and will put an end to that proud and haughty
influence which Russia has for fifty years exercised in the affairs of
Europe.
At our Head-quarters, nt Wilkowiski, June 2?, 1R12."
THIRD BULLETIN OF THE GRAND ARMY.
Kowno, June 1812.
_ _

On the 23d of June, the King of Naples, who commands the cavalry,
Iransterred his head-quarters to within two leagues of the Niemen, upon
its left bank. l his Prince has under his immediate orders the corps 4
cavalry, commanded by Generals Count Nansouty and M..iltbrun : the
one composed of the divisions under the command of Generals Count
l3ru}•eres, St. Germain, and Valence ; the other consisting of the divi-
sion. under the orders of General Baron Fattier, and Generals Count
Sehastiani and Defrance. Ithirslial Prince d'Eckmuld, commanding
the tirra corps, nwved his head-quarters to the skirts of the great forest
of Pilwisky. The second corps, and the Imperial Guards, followed the
lit eof march of the first corps. The third corps took the direction of
Marieopol ; the Viceroy, with tie fourth and sixth corps, which re-
m:lined in the rear, marched upon Kalwarrv. The King of Westphalia
proceeded to Novogrod with the filth, seventh, and eighth corps.
The first Austrian corps, c•onunandetl by the Prince Schwart2enberg,
quitted Lemberg on the —; made a movement on its left, and drew
nearer to !Arlin. The Pontoon train, under the (tide's of General
Eble, :an% ed on the 23d within two leagues of the Niemen.
On the 2;3d, at two in the morning. the Emperor arrived at the ad-
vanced posts near Kowno, took a Palish cloak and cap from one of the
light cavalry, and inspected the banks of the Niemen, accompanied by
(;cneral Haxo, of the engineers, alone. At eight in the evening, the
army was again in motion. At ten, Count Morand. General of nivi•
sion, pushed over three companies of voltigeurs, and at the same time
three bridges were thrown across the Niemen. At eleven, three co-
lumns debouched over the three bridges. At a quarter past one, day
began to appear. At noon. General Baron Pajel drove before him
a cloud of cossacks, and took possession of Kowno, with a single bat-
talion.

Ou the 24th, the Emperor proceeded to Kowno. Marshal the Prince
of Echmuhl pushed forward his head-quarters to Rounichicklii, and
the King of Naples to Eketanoul. During the whole of the 24th and
of the 25th, the army was defiling by the three bridges. In the even-
tat of the 21th, the Emperor caused a new bridge to be thrown over
the Villa, opposite Kowno, and directed Marshal the Duke of Reggio
to pa,s it with the second corps. The Polish light horse of the guards
crossed the river by swimming ; two men were drowning, when they
were picked up by two swimmers of the 26th light iolantry. Colonel
Gusheneuc having imprudently exposed himself to afford them assist-
ance, had nearly fallen a sacrifice himself—a
-swimmer of his regiment
saved him.

On the Vsth, the Duke of Elchingen pushed on to Kormelon ; the
Bing of Naples advanced to Rzmoroni. The ellellly'S light troops
were driven in and pursued on every side. On the 2Gth, Marshal the
Duke of Elchinuen arrived at Skoroule. The light divisions of cavalry
covered the whole plain to within ten leagues of Wilna. Marshal the
Duke of Tarentum, who commands the Pull corps composed in part of
the Prussians, passed the Niemen on the 14th, at Tilsit, and moved
upon Rossiena,in order to clear the right bank of that river, and to pro-
tect the navigation. Marshal the Duke of Belluno, commanding the
9th corpq, and having under his ordcis the divisions of lieudelet, La-
grange, Durutte, and Partonneaux, occupies the country between the
Elbe and the Oder.
The General of Division Count Rapp, Governor of Dant zic, has under
his orders the Di. ision of l)aendels. The General of Division Count
Iligendorf is Governor of Konina-berg.
The Eiliperoz of Russia is at %Vilna with his guard, and one part of
him ;Italy occupies Runikontoni and Neretrouki. The Russian General
Bagawort, commanding the see, lid corps, and a part of the Russian
army, having been cut off from Wilua, had no oilier means of safety
than by proceedng towards the Dwina. The Nienien is navigable fig
vessels of two or three hundred tons ev, far as Kovno. The commoni-
c'di'ms by water are also secured a, far as Dantzie, and with the Vis-
t"td, the Oder, and the I Hie. An immense supply of brandy, flour,
"d biiiseu:t, is passing (Mitt Dantzic and Konig-berv, towards Kowno.
14 Villa, which flows by W.lna, is navigable for veiv small boats from
"..0 to %Vilna. Willi+, the capital of Litliu.ntia, it also tire chief

437

town of all Polish Russia. The Emperor of Russia has been for several
months in this city with a part of his Client. The possession of this
place %sill be the first fruit of victory. See eral Cossack Officers. and
Officers charged with dispatches, have been captured by the light ca-
valry.