The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-08-08
THE TENTH BULLETIN.
EBERsDORFF. NJ

the greater is 100 toises. and here the stream
runs with the greatest force. The larger of
two islands is called lnder- Lobau, and the
water which separates it from the main land
isT0 toises broad. The first villages which
appear after crossing, are, Gross Aspern,
Essling ard Enzerdorf.. The passage of such
ariver as the Danube, in the presence OF an
enemy we'll acquainted with all the local
circumstances, and who has inhabitants on
his side, is one of the greatest military enter
prizes that can be imagined. The bridge
over the arm of the river which separates
the river banks from the first island, and the
bridge from this islam to THAT of Inder- Lobau,
were erected on the 29th. Molitor's division
had been conveyed to the great island on the
18th, by row boats.
On the goth the Emperor arrived at fnder-
Lobau. and caused bridge to be thrown over
the least arm of the Danube from that island
to the left bank, betweea Gross Aspern and
Essling. This arm being not quite seventy
toises broad, only fifteen pontoons were re-
CURED tor that operation, which were fixed
within three hours by Col Aubry of the Ar
tillery.
:. Colonel St. Croix. Aid de Camp of Mar
shall the Duke of Rivoli, arrived first on the
left bank, in an open boat, and General
Lasall's division of light cavalry. with Mol.
litor and Boudet's divisions, passed during
the night. Afterwards the Emperor. accom-.
panied by the Prince of Neufchatel, the dukes
of Rivoli and Montebello, examined the po-
sition OF the left bank, and determined the
field of battle, posting the right ON the vii
iagc of Essling, and the left on the village
of Gross Aspern Both villages were like
wise garrisoned.
On the 21st, at four in the afternoon, the
-enemy's army Showed itself, and appeared to
have for its object to defeat our van guard,
tO friy into v.y 80
prize
The Duke Of Rivoli was the first attacked
at Gross Aspern, by the corps of General
Bellegarde. He ,manGuvred with the divi-
sions of Mollitor and Legrand, and rendered
completely abortive all the attacks which
the enemy made that evening. The Duke
of Montebello defended the village of Ess-
ling and Marshal the Duke of Istria covered
the plain with the light cavalry, and Es-
pagne's division of curassiers, protecting
at the same time E.wyensdorf--the contest
was severe, the enemy having 200 pieces of
cannon, and 10000 men, collected from the
remains of all the Austrian CORPS
D'Espagne's division of cuirassiers, which
made several fine charges, advanced in two
squares, and took IA pieces of cannon but
a ball killed General D'Espagne while fight
ing gloriously at the head of his troops. He
was brave man, and in every respect emf
-.
gade Foulers was likewise killedin charge.
General Nansouty arrived in the evening
on the field of battle, with the single brigade
commanded by General St. German, and
distinguished himself BY several brilliant
charges AT eight o'clock the action termi-
mated, and we remained masters of the field
During the night, Gen. Oudinot's corps,
St. Hillaire's division, and two brigades of
light cavalry, and the train of artillery, pas
sed over by the bridges.
On the 22d the Duke of Rivoli was the
first engaged at four in the morning The
enemy made several successive attacks, in
order tor ctake the village. AT last the Duke
OF Rivol, tired OF acting on the defensive
attacked the enemy IN his turn, and threw
them into confusion. General Lcgrand dis
tinguished himself by the GOODNESS and iutre-
pidity which characterize him.
The general Of division Boudet was ste
toned at the village of Esslng, and had had
orders to defend that important position.
~. Observing that the enemy occupied a We.
ny wide space between his right and left
wing, it was resolved to penetrate by his
centre. The Duke of Montebello led the
attack: General Oudnot was on the left,
81. Hilaire's division was in the centre, and
Boudet's division was on the right wing. The
.enemy's centre could not withstand the sight
of our troops--ln a moment every thing was
DOTnc GOWN before tne1n.
- The Duke of Istria made several brilli
ant and successful attacks. Three columns
OF infantry were charged and cut down by
the cuirassiers. The Austrian army was on
the point of being destroyed, when, at seven
in the morning, an Abide Camp of the En-
perOr came to inform him that the sudden
rise of the Danube had set aaoat a great
number of trees, which were cut down during
the late events at Vienna, and RATS which
had been left on the bank and that the
bridges which formed the communication
between the right bank and the Little Island.
and between the Little Island and that of In
der-Lobau, had thereby been carried away
This rapid swell, which usually does not
take place until the middle of June, on the
melting Of the snow, has been accelerated
by the great heat which has for some DAYS
prevailed. All the reserve parks of artille-
Iy which were advancing were, by the loss
OF the bridges, detained on the right bank.
as was also part of orr heavy cavalry.
and the whole of the Duke of Auerstadt's
corps. This dreadful accident induced the
Emperor to put stop 90 the movement In
advance. lie ordered the Duke OF Monte
bello to keep the field of battle which had
been won, and then to take his position with
the left wing, resting on a curtain work
which the Duke of Rivoli covered, and his
right wing at Essling.
The artillery and infantry cartridges.
which were IN our reserve park, could not
now be brought across the river. The enc
my was in e most frightfu state of disorder
at the moment when he learned that our
bridges were broken down. The slacken-