Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-09-08
BATTLE OF THE 21st MAY.
,yIRST COLUMN.

j
YIRST COLUMN.
| The advanced guard under gen Nord-
man consisting OF two battalions of Gyulay
and Litchtenstein hussars, had formed
near ths destroyed bridge Of Tabor, and
leaving the villages of Kahn and Hirschir-
| ten 10 the left, aud Stadlau to the right,
marched in the plan towards Aspern.
| 1t was followed by the ceilnn, which ha.
wing left the Rad before the post Office at
\ Stammersdorf, had marched from the right
J by half divisions. Its right flank along the
| Danube Was covered by battalion of ST.
! Georgians, by the first battalion of Vienna
volunteers, and by battalion of militia,
! under the command of IN jor count Collore-
40.
Within clnnoo. shot of S,adelan, the
! out posts met the enemy's piquets, which
gradually retreated to their original divisi. .
ons.
"A, this time gen. Nordnan ordered two
oattaiions OF Gyulay to draw up e,g cnchek-
Ton, IN order to favor the advance of the
en- umn The enemy, drawn up in large di.
visions. stood Immediately before Aspern,
having to cover his front, occupied all the
ditches OF the Fl Ids, which afforded excel
lent breast.works. His right was covered
oy battery, and his left by broad and
deep ditch, Zone of those that carry off
the waters Of the Danube when it overflows)
as well as by a bushy ground, which was
likewise occupied by several bodiesin close
order.
Though the enemy had advantage of po-
s'tion alto himself, inasmuch as the fresh
es OF The Danube were ony passable by a
small bridge, at which he kept up viEo-
rous fire from behind the bitches both with
Cannon and snail arms 1T did not prevent
the second battalion of Gyu, ~, immediate.
ly after the first had 2enerr ted as far as
the bushy meadows, to pass the bridge in
a column, 20 form without delay, and with
Charged bayonets to attack the enemy,
who precipitately retrea,ed to Aspern, On
winch occasion that village, after vigo- I
rous, bu no. very obstinate resistance, was
takes for the first time. II was, however,
not long before the enemy had il in his
p )wer, by the arrival OF fresh reinforce.
ment to expei again the battaiions of Gyu
lay. BY this time some battalions of the
column had arrived, the chasseurs of ma
or Schneider, of the second Column. joined
the advanced guard of the first Gyulay
formed again, and the ene'uy was second
time pushed to the lower end of the village,
though ne succeeded again in rcgaining
what he lost.
Both parties were aware OF the necessity
OF maintaining themselves in Aspern
at any rate, VIII ch produced successfully
the most obstinate efforts both of attack *
defence (; the parties engaged each other
lin every street, IN every house, and in eve
ry barn; Carts, p.oughs. and harrows we're
obliged 70 be remov ed during an uninLer-
frupied FIRE, in order to- get AT the enemy
every irdivIduai was an impeachment Of the
assa'laHts, and rampant OF the attacked
the s,eeple,i lofty trees, the garrets and the
| 70 he rod NO ett bs.r
Of he parties eoBid,s,ile itself master of the
place and yet the possession was ever OF
short duratI N for no sooner had we Ia
Ken street. or house, thaa the enemy
gaiued ano'her, forcing US 70 abandon the
/ former. So this murderous coLiilct las ed.
for several hours the German battalons
were supported by'Hungarians, who were
again assisted by Inc Viennt volunteers,
each rivailing the other in courage and
perseverance,. At the same time the sev
cond column combined It's attacks with
those of the hrsl, having 10 evercon the
same resistance. by reason of the eBeny's
constantly leading fresh rsinforcemen,s in
to FIRE. At length general Ydcquant of
the cond colu0n succeeded ~ becoming
master Of the upper part Of the village, s.
maintaining h mseHthere during the whole
night
BY the shells Of both parties, many hon.
seshaG been set on fire, and illuminated the
whole country round.
NJ the extremity Of the right wing on the
bushy meadow, the combats were not less
severe. The left eank OF the enemy WIS
secured by AN arm fthc DanHoe itnpene.
'rabe un' -.rwood, intersectct only by foot |
paths, covered his front and a broad ditch !
and palisades afforded him the advan- |
tlgc of natural rampant.
Here fought at the beginning If the bat- I
tle ths hrst battalion Of Gyulay ugder col I
Mariassy and the battalion Of chagseurs
under major Schneider next the 81.
Georgians Under major VI ha,lovicb and
finally, the two bat,aliO'is of Vienna yolun-
teers nader Lent. col. S,eigentescn and
IT. Quentin. Here, also, the enemy wa,
defeated and the 6rst day OF this sangui.
nary engagement terminated by the occu.
patton Of Aspern by gen Vaceuant, at the
head OF eight bsttalons Of the second col.
umn, while lieut.. field marsha! Hitler drew
me troops of hts corps from the village,
placed then again IN order OF battle, and
passed the night unGoT arms.
To be continued