Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-09-09
BATTLE OF THE a1st MAY.
FIRST COLUMN.

FIRST COLUMN.
The advanced guard undere general Nord-
man consisting of two battalions OF Gyulay
and Litchtenstein hussars, had formed near
the DESTROYED bridge Of Tabor, and leaving
the villages of Kahn and Hirschitten to the
the left, and Stadlau to the right, marched
in the plain towards Aspern.
Ii was followed by the column, which
having left the road before the post. office
at Stammersdorf, had marched from the
light by half divisions. Its right flank "a
long the Danube was covered by battalion
of St. Georgians, by the first battalion OF
Vienna volunteers, and by battalion or
militia, us1der the command of major count
Colloredo.
Within cannon shot of Stadelan, the
out posts met the enemy's piquets, which
gradually retreated to their original divi-
sions.
AT this time gen. Nordman ordered two
battalions of Gyulay TO draw up exc enchef
Ion, in order to favor. the advance OF the
column. The enemy, drawn up in large
divisions, stood immediately before Aspen,
having, to cover his front, occupied all the
bitches of the fields, which afforded excel
lent breast. works. His right was covered
by battery, aud his left by broad and
deep ditch, Zone of those that carry off the
waters of the Danube when it overhows) as
well as by bushy ground, which was occu-
pied by several bodies nclose order.
Though the enemy had advantage ofpo-
sition all to himself, inasmuch as the fresh
es of the Danube were only passible by a
small bridge, at which he kept up a vigor.
Gus fire from behind the bitches both with
cannon and small arms, it did not prevent
the second battalion of Gyulay, immedi'
ately after the first had penetrated as far as
the bushy meadows, to pass the bridge in
a column, to form without delay, and with
charged bayonets to attack the enemy, who
ipitately reiterated to Aspern, on which
occasion that village, after vigorous, but
not very obstinate resistance, was taken tor
the first time. 1t was, however, not long
before the enemy had it in his power, by
the arrival of fresh reinforcements, to expel
again the battalions of Gyulay. BY this
time some battalions of the column had ar
rived, the chasseurs of major Schneider, OF
the second column, joined the advanced
guard of the first; Gyulay formed again,
and the enemy was second time pushed to
the lower end of the village, though he sue
ceeded again in regaining what he had lost.
Both parties were aware of the necessity
of maintaining themselves in Aspern at any
rate, which produced successfully the most
obstinate efforts both of attack and defence
the parties engaged each other in every
street, in every house, and in every barn
carts, ploughs and harrows were obliged to
be removed during an uninterrupted fire, in
order to get at the enemy every individual
was an impeachment of the assailan,s, and a
rampant of the attacked /; the steeple, lofty
trees, the garrets and the cellars were to be
conquered before either of the parties could
stile itself master OF the place, and yet the
possession was ever of short duration for
no sooner had we taken street or house;
than the enemy gained another forcing us to
abandon the former. So this murderous
conflict lasted for several hours the Ger
man battailons were supported by Hungari-
ans, who were again assisted by Vienna
volunteers, each rivalling the other in cou-
rage and perseverance. AT the same time
the second column combined its attacks
with those OF the FIRST, having to overcome