The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-07-28


june.
OF BONAPARTE. DEFEATED. ,4-,
aUSIRL4.N OFFICIAL BULLE1tN.,
OF rHE DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH
Published BY o,.ier of his I,nbe,ial Rshness, tie
drcLd.ke CHARLES.
IN pursuance the command of his Impe-
rial hi5hness, the generalissimo, the follow
ing preliminary report of the brilliant victo-
ry, obtained the 2lst and 22d Nav Is issued
OH the 23t, from the head quarters of Brei-
teDnce. g..
On the 10Th and Goth the Emperor passed
the greater arm OF the Danube, with the
whole OF his army, to which he had drawn
al the reintorcemcnts OF his powerful allies
lie established his main body ON the island of
Lobau, whence the second passage ever the
lesser arm, and his further offensive d soosi
tons were necessarily to be directed, His
Imperial hiSiiress resolved to advance with
his army To meet the enemy, and not to OBJ
struct his passage, but to attack him after
he had reached the left bank. and thus to
defeat the object of his Intended enterprise
This determination excited throughout the
whole ARM, the highest enthusiasm Ami
mated by all the feelings OF the pur~st pa
triotlsm and OF the most loyal attachment to
their sovereign, every man became hero,
and the smoking rams, the scenes of desoia-
ton which marked the track OF the enemy in
his progress through Austria. had intfamed
them with just d sire OF Vengeance With
joyful acclamatIonS wish Il cry a thousand
times repeated Of. Live our good Empe
ror y and with victory i'll their hearts our
Columns at noon. on the 2lst, proceeded on
ward, to meet the reciprocal attack of the
advancing enemy; and soon after 5 o'clock
the battle commenced. The emperor Napo
leon, in person directed the movement of his
troops, and erdeavored to break through our
; centre with the whole OF his cavalry that.
vast body OF horse he had supported by $4,000
infantry, his guards, and by 100 pieces of
artillery.
His wings rested upon Aspern and Esslin.
gen, places 10 the Strengthening Of which, the
resources of nature and of art had, as far as
was possible, contributed. He was not able
however, to penetrate the compact mass
which our battalons presented. and every
where biScavalry Showed their backs, while
our cuirassiers endorsed his armour equip
ped cavaliers, and our light horse carried
death into his TANKS. 1t was a eieantick
combat, and is scarce capable Of description.
| he battles with the infantry became i'm
medlately general more than 200 pieces of
cannon exhibited on the opposite sides a
was ten times taken, lost, and again conquer
ed. Esslingen after repeated attacks could
not be maintained. At1l at night, the viii
lagos were in flames. and we remained mas
ters CT the field of battle. The enemy was
driven up III the corner, with the island of
l-obau and the Danube in his rear. Night
had put an end to the carnage.
| Meanwhile fire boats which were 1oated
! down the Danube destroyed the bridge.
winch the enemy had thrown over the prin-
! cipai branch of the river. The enemy, how
ever, conveyed over, during the night. all the
dIsposable troops which he had in Vienna
and on the upper Danube, made every pos
sib'e effort for the. reconstruction of his great
/ bridge, and attacked US at 4 in the morning,
with "A furious cannonade from the whole of
! his artillery, Immediately after which, the
action extended along the whole of the line.
Until IN the evening every attack was re-
, PEELED. HE perseverance of the enemy was
then compelled TO yield to the herosm Of our
! troops. and the most complete victory crown
ed the efforts Of an army. which in the French
! proclamatiens was declared as dispersed,
| and represented as annihllated by the mere
idea OF the invincibiiity Of their adversares
| The loss Of the enemy has been immense ;
the Held Of battle has been covered with dead
bodies, from among which we have already
I
to our hospitals. When the French could
no '""grt maintain themselves in Asperh, the
brave HessiaDs were obliged to make last
attempt ana were sacrificed.
At the departure Of the courier the En-
peroT Napoleon was in foil retreat TO the
other side oil the Danube, covering his re-
treat by the possession Of the large Island
Of Lobau. Our army are still engaged in
close pursuit. The more particular details
OF this memorable day shall be made known
as soon as they are collected Among the
prisoners are the French General DuroneI
Cen. Of Division, and Foulet Bower, FIRST
Chamherlain to the Empress also the Wer-
,emburg General. Roder, who was made
prisorcrat Nuedorf by the second battalion
Of Vienna Jandveher.
We have likewise an abstract Of tic FrercI
Bu'ictin, OF the same date. 1t would be lodged
by every reader 10 confirm the main points ibe
| abore. II mentions Lssues and S'Hilaiie az Sc