Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-12-07

redoubts and fortified with batteries. Th
position appeared strong and favorable
IL was easy to manocuvre, and To oblige IN
enemy 90 cvacuatc it. bat that would kav,
been f'enouncing our object, and the position
vas not judged sufficiently strong to render
IL necessary to avoid fighting. 1t was easy
to perceive that the redoubts were but hall
formed. the fosse shallow, and neither Dalisa
led nor defended with chevaux de frse.-
We rcckonel the encmy's force at about
one hundred and twenty or one hundred &
thirty thousand men. Our forces were equal;
but the superiority of our troops was not
doubtful
| On the 9TH az two O'Clock in the morning,
The Emperor was surrounded by the Mar
shals in the position taken the evening be-
| fore. At half past S o'clock the sun rose with
out clouds, it had raiued The preceding even
| ing {" This is the sun of Austertz, ;" said
the Emperor. Though bat tx month of
September, it was as cold as December in
Mnravia. The army received the omen {:
the drum beat, and the following o"der of
the tiav was read:
"Soidiers, behold the field Of battle YOU
have so much desired henceforth victory
depends On you it is necessary TO us: it will
give MS plenty. good quarters for the winter,
and speedy return to yonr country. Be-
have yourselves as YOU did at Friedland, at
\usterliz, at Witepsk, ut Smoeusk, and
that the latest pos,eritv may speak of your
! conduct this day with pride-that it may
say Of YOU, He was y. that great battle un-
der the wall ,f Moscow
"At the Imperial Camp on the heights
/ OF Bnrodino, Sent. z, 2 O'Clock \. NJ.
The army answered with reiterated &C
clamations. The ground on which the ar
M stood was spread with the dead bodies
| of the Russians killed the preceding dav.
Prince Poniatowsky. who was on he right
| put himself in motion to turn the forest on
which the enemy rested his left. The Prince
of Eckmuhl marched the skirt of the
| Forest, the Division Compans a the head
Two batteries Of 60 cannon each, command
| ing the enemy's position, had been construc-
ted in the night.
AT o'clock, general count Lorbier, who
had armed the battery on the right with
the artillery of the reserve of the guard,
| commenced the fre-General Pernetty, with
thirty pieces of cannon, put himself at the
head of the Division Compans Fourth of first
! corps) who skirtcd the wood, turning the
head of the enemy's position at half past
| six General ComDans was wounded at Sc
ven the Prince of Eckmuhl had his horse
(! killed. The attack advanced the uusquetry
| commenced. The vicerov, who formed our
| left, attacks and carries the village of Boro
dino, which the enemy could not defend;
that village being on the left bank OF Ko'o
CHA. At scvcuthc Marsha! Duke of Elchn
| gen put himseifin motion and under The pro-
! lection of 60 pieces Of cannon which General
! Foucher had placed the evening before a
| gainst the eneny's centre bore upon the CEN
| tire. A thousand pieces of cannon spread
| death on all sides.
J At eight O'Clock the positions of the enc
my were carried. his rednubts taken, and
! our artillery crowned his heights. The ad :
! vantage of position which the enem'vs bat
I teries had enjoyed for two hours, N be
longed to us. The parapets which had
been occupied against us during the attack
! were now to cur advantage. The enemy
saw the battle lost, which he thought had
only commenced. A part of his artillery
| was taken; the rest was Withdrawn to his
| lines in the rear. In this extremity he at
| tempted to restore the combat, and to at
tack with all his masses those strong posi-
tons which he was unable TO protect. Three
hundred pieces of French cannon placed on
these heights, Numbered upon his masses
and his soldiers died at the foot Of those par
I, apets which they had raised with so much
labour, and as protecting shelter
The King Of Naples, with the cavaIrv
made various charges. The Duke of FL
chingen covered himself with glory, and dis
PLAYED asmuch intrepiditv as coolness -
The Emperor ordered charge of the front,
the right in advance this snovement made
us masters Of three parts of the field of bat
tie. Prince Poulstowsky fought in the wood
with various success.
| There still remained to the enemy his re-
doubts to the right. General Count Morand
marched thither, and carried them but at
nine in the morning, attacked on all sides, he
could not maintain himself there. The enc
nv, encouraged by this advantage, made his
reserve and his last troops advance to try his
fortune again The Imperial Guards formed
a part Of them. He attacked our centre,
which formed the pivot to our right. Fora
moment it was feared that he might carry
the village which was burnt the division
Friant advanced thither; 80 pieces of French
cannon Immediately arrest, and then annihi-
late the enemy's columns, which stood for
two hours in close order, under the chain
shot, not daring to advance, unwilling to re-
tire, and renouncing the hope Of victory
The King Of NAPLES decided their uncertain
ty--He caused the 4th corps of cavalry to
make n charge, who penetrated through the
breaches which our cannon shot had made
in the condensed masses ofthe Russians, and
the squadrons oftheir cuirassiers they dis
persed on all sides-The General of Di-
vision Connt Caulaincourt, Governor of the
| Emperor'g Pages, advanced At the head oi
the 5th regiment Of Cuirassiers. overthrow
| every thing, and entered the redoubt on the
left By its gorge From this moment there
was no longer any Uncertainty. The battle
was gained He turned upon the enemy the
81 pieces Of cannon which we're found in the
| re,touht Couut CauIo;ncourt u,bo hod die