Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-09-12


the corps in the plain.
The troops station Il at Aspcrn, exhaus-
ted as they were with the incessant hre
| kept up during the nlg-f, were unable 20
withstand the-impetu >s'ty OF the ATTACK
their ammunition both for artillery and
mnsqust'y began TO faii, and gcal Wac
Guam, retreated in good order to the church
yard. This post, gained At 81 de Ir rate,
was again taken fro n h'n, after several at
tacks susc aimed in conjunction with lieut..
general Hitler the place was alternately
taken and lost, till at length the supsriori-
| ~ Of our fire Obliged the enemy to abandon
| the houses, and last assault OF Killers
CORPS prevented all farther ,etenps.
| From the moment of the retak;ng of As
perm il 5ccame possible to oppose an ofen-
sive movement TO the enemy advancing
uocn tho centre, and to open upon his left
hanll \ commune ton. The defence #
Aspcrn was therefore left entirely TO HR-
ler's corps, and while count Beiitgarde &C.
, cupied his right wing on Aspern, ne fora
med his left and the centre in the direction
of Esslngen, in such manner that by de-
grecs, he gained the rIght iank of the en-.
envy, compelled bin TO retreat, and by the
co npete effect of The artillery, brou3n. TO
bear upon the left wing, winch comman.
d d the whole space from Aspera To Ess-
lingen, gave him mos. severe defeat.
Corhs Of Lieut.. Gen. the Prince Tohen-
zcUerr
The dawn of morning was with this
corps also the. signal for the renewal OF
the gigantic conflict. The eneny's insan.
try was drawn up IN large divisions and be-
! tween it the whole of the heavy cavalry
was formed en- masse. The general of cav.
airy, Prince Lichtenstein on observing this
order of battle perceived the necessity of
keeping up close com municatlon with
the infantry placed near him he there
| fore drew up his right wing en- echequier,
behind the corps of infantry, but kept his
! left wng together, with reserves posted
| in the rear.
| A prodigious quantity of artillery cover
ed the front of the enemy, who seemed de.
] sirous to annhiiate our corps by the MUIR
! dcrous FIRE of cannon and howitzers Up.
wards of 200 pieces of cannoa were enga.
| ged on both sides, and the oldest soldiers
never reco.lected TO have Witnessed So tre-
mendous n fire.
Vain was every effort to shake the in.
trepiditv of the Austrian troops Napoleon
rode through his ranks, and according to
the report of the prisoners, made them ac-
! quainted with the destruction of his bridge,
but added that he had himself ordered it
TO be broke down, because in this case
! there would be no alternative, but victory
or death. Soon afterwards, the whole of
the enemy's line put itself IN motion, and
the cavalry made its principal attack on
! the point where the corps OF cavalry OF
Prince Lich enstein communicated with the
lef wing of lieut.. general the prince {
Hohenzoilern. The ensagemcnt now be-
Came general the regiments of Rohan,
| II al and
pulsed all the attacks of the enemy The
generals were every where at the head of
their troops, and inspired them with cour.
age and perseverance. The archduke him
self seized the colors of Zach's and the
battalion, which had already begun to give
d, way, followed with new enthusiasm his
heroic example,. Most of those who sur
rounded him were wounded his adjutant
gsaeral count Colloredo, received a ball
i'll his hand, the wound from which was
considered dangerous, squeeze of the
hand signiied to him the concern of his
sympathizins commander, who, filed with
The contempt of death, now fought for glory
and for his country.
The attacks of our impenetrable corps,
both with the sabre and the bayonet, so RAJ
| pidly repeated and so impetuous, as to be
unparalleled in military annals, frustrated
all the intentions of the enemy.
He was beaten at all points, and aston.
! ished at such unlaunted intrepidity he was
obliged to abandon the field of blttle.
About this time lieutenant general the
prince of Hohenzollern, observed on his
teft wing, near Esslingen, chasm which
had been formed during the heat of the
engagement, and afforded an advantageous
point of attack. Frelsch's regiment, COM
manded by colonel Messy, was ordered
thithcr in three corps, and repulsed four
regiments Ut cavalry, accompanied with
infantry and artillery. The corps remain.
ed in the position which they had taken,
till the grenadiers Of the reserve, which
the archduke had ordered forward from
Brientenlse, arrived to relieve the battal-
ons exhausted with the sangu nary conflict,
and continued the attack upon the centre
of the eneDy's position. Lieutenant gen'l
D'Aspre penetrated with the four battali.
ons of grensdiers of Pizezinsky, Pu,c1ny,
ScOvaux and ScarIack, without firing a
shot, to the eneny''s cannon, where he was
Ranked by such 4 destructive fire from Is.
slingen, that nothing but the presence of
the archduke, who hastened to the spot,
could have induced his grenaders to main
tain their ground. Captain count Bon
basle had already re cbed the enemy's
battery, wnen he was wounded by two
balls. and ouittcd the field.