Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-09-21

fnents before the attack coaameraced, pc had
ordered His cavalry to form behind his cen.
ire, as the enemy had Withdrawn all their
fofses 10 his left but there was no tirns
for The execution Of this order, nor tor
himself 10 n,punt,on hor setback, brtsrr ti,e
euemy's battery Of 40 pieces Of caDnoo,
Numbered On The guards stationed ou tfr
left, and several columns ofimnrnse depth
rushed forward, the principal one direct
ipg itself along The ravine. The regiment
of chasseur guards and the banalion OF mi
lnia, which were considerably advanced,
gave way 4. the approach OF ahe sur0
The guards, impaiisn, ondrr the cannon :,
sno:, which plunged ,hfough their ranks,
moved forward, but not win regularity or
cpmpact order, and were driven back upon
the wp, here for some time they main
tanned themselves, and uutil the fngl;iyes
OF the ct1asseurs and militia had passed The
bridges, when they also retired, and an
order was given for the destruction OF the
pon,oons and the couaagration Of hetown
bridge, which was executed eHec.ually.
The iown also was set on FIRE, ID asquarser
where the Russians who We're dangerously
wounded were deposited SO that they have
persisted 10 The flames which ragged for Sc.
veral hours. The centre has repr!sed the
ATTACK made 90 it J. but when the enemy
gained lis flank, retreat was accessory !;
but SO difficult was it, that there was little
prospect Of Offering IT, Atthis momen,
the horse guards and two other ,rglmep.s
charged the colsmns pressing tbs N, and
routed one 80 completely that the Russian
infantry gained the town, snd were prepar..
ing to pass the bridge; when the flames
showed them its fate, and their probable
destruction. .
At this critical conjrrc.ure, however, a
ford was accidentally discovered, ba. the
river was breast deep, with very steep
banks. The infantry, nevertheless, not
only passed in safety, but the artillery ven.
sQred the passage and assembled the oppo.
site bank. The, remaining ammunition
was then destroyed, but in no considera.
bic quantity, as the firing had been SO
great during the day. thar hslle,remained;
and this indeed Gay be justly stated as one
of the causes which occasioned the defeat;
tor many gus had been Withdrawn, and
the Russian line WIS no longer covered ~
an adequate artillery, when. the enemies
batteries, previous TO the attack, commepc,
ed the fire. The right wing. consist.
ing chiefly of cavalry, a!so resired by .he.
same ford, and saved their artillery. Gsu.
Dennipgsen rallied the troops Of The lief.
wirg at wood, abou, mile distant, on
the Wehlau road, which preventative par.
suit OF the enemy, and gave time for the
guns and baggage TO gain Allenberg, from
|. which place The army marched 10 Wehlau,
where th. Pregel river was passed 90
single bridge, and 10 presence Of the enemy,
who detached 1000 men, as corps of ob.
servstion, rather ,han Of offence, as they
moved 90 the left bank Of the Ale, but
kept pos, within eannon-shot Of the bridge.
II is generally said, thar Bonapar,e was
with This detachment. The whole. Of The
army passed wshon. any intcrruPtionSor
loss on the I'm; the. bridge was burnt,
and the troops moved to Pspelke, where
the corps of L'Estocq and Kaminskoy
joined tie main army, after having effect
ed their JUNCTION al Peterswalde, en.ered
,Koningsberg, evacuated that town with an
'mmense equlPage, crossed the Domenau
a. Lelbau. and all this with comparatively.
small loss, he principal of which was BY
dcsertion
On the 18Th, the army collected and
marched 20 1'i!sit, and there again crossed
the river OF ja.sngle, bridge, anJ where the
protection of a rear goard waa very diff
cult. The whole of the baggage, about
500 guns, kS- having gained the right
bank ofthe Memel, the bridge was burnt,
aud the enemy almost instantly entered the:
town, &heYe there was come partial firing