The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-12-08
ire. A thoasand pieces ofcannon spread
death on all sides.

Il
our artillery crowned his heights. The ad.
vantage az position which the encny's bat
lterieS had enjoyed :or two hours, now be-
!ion2ed tous. The parapets which had been
uccup,ed against us during the attack, were
now To our advantage. The enemy saw the
battle lost. which he Thought hal only COM
menced. A part OF his ar;ilrrv was taken :;
tine rest was Withdrawal to his lines IN the
rear. In This extremity he attempted to
restore the Combat. and 10 attack with all
his masses those strong positions which he
WAS unable to protect. Three hundred Die
ces OF French cannnn placed Oh these heights.
numbered upon his masses, aud his soldiers
died &c the fnot ct thos paraDets which
they had raised with SO much labor, and as
a protecting shelter.
| The King OF Naples, with the cavalry
made various charges. The Duke of FL
chingcn covered himself with glory. and dis
played rs much intrepiditv as cnaincss.-
The Emperor ordered Il charge of the front,
the rightjn advance this movement made
US masters Ut three parts of the field of batr
tie. Prince Poni;towsky fought in the wood
will, various success.
! There still remained to the enemy hi,
redoub;s to the right. General Count Mo-
rand marched thithcv, and carried them ::
but at nine in the morning, attacked on all
sides, he could not ms;ntan himself there.
The enemy, encouraged by this advantage,
made his reserve and his last troops advance
~ try his fortune again. 'The Imperial
Guards formed part ofthem. He attack
Ted our centre, which formed the pivot to
our right. For mome mt il was feared that
he might carry the village which was burnt :;
the. division Friant advanced thither so
E, pieces OF French cannon immediately ar
lrest, and then annihlate the enemy's CO.
lnmns, which stood for two hours in close
| order, under the chain shot, not daring to
advance, unwilling to retire, and renounc-
| ing the hope of victory.-The King of Ma
pies decided their uncertainty-He caused
the 9TH corps of cavalry to make charge,
who penetrated through the breaches which
our cannon shot had made in the condensed
masses OF the Russians, and the squadrons
of their curassiers; they dispersed on all
sides-The General of Division Count eau.
lancourt, Governor of the Emperer's Pages,
advanced at the head of the 5th regiment
OF Gu rassiers, overthrow every thing, and
entered the redoubt on the left by It's gorge.
From this moment there was no longer any
uncertainty. The battle was gained He
turned upon the enemy the 81 pieces OF can
non which were found in the redoubt-
| Count Canlaincourt, who had distinguished
himself in this fine charge, has terminated
his career. He fell dead. struck by a bull
! iet-a glorious death, AMI worthy to be en-
Wed.
| 1t was now two in the afternoon the enc
my had lost all hope; the battle was ended !;
the cannonade still continued the enemy
fought for retreat and safety. but 10 longer
! for victory.
! The loss of the enemy is enormous from
~ to, $4,000 men and from to 5000 Rus
sian horses, have been counled on the field
OF battle; 81 pieces OF cannon and 1000
prisoners have remained in our power.
| we have had $500 killed, and thrice that
number Wounded. Our total loss may be
estimated at 10000 men that of the enemy
at from 40 TO $4,000. Never was there seen
such field of battle. Out of six dead boz
/ dies, there were five Russians for one
Frenchman. Forty Russian Generals were
killed, wounded, or taken. Gen. Bagration
| was wounded p,
We have lost the General of Division
Montbrun, killed by "a cannon-ball; Gen.
Count Cauiaincourt, who was sent to occupy
his place, was killed by shot Of the same
kind. an hour afterwards.
The Generals of Brigade Compere, Plau-
zonne, Marion and Huart, were killed
seven or eight Generals were wounded, the
most of them slightly. The Prince of Eek
muhl has received no injury. The French
troops covered themselves with glory, and
displayed their great superiority to the Rus.
Such. in few words, is a sketch of the
battle OF Moskwa, fought few leagues in
the rear Of Moaisk, & twenty five leagues
from Moscow, near the little river Mosk
wa. We fired 10000 cannon shot, which
are already replaced by the arrival of SOC
artillery carts, which passed SmolensE
previous to the baetle.--All the woods
and villages from the field of battle tc
TINS place arc covered with dead & wound
ed We have found here 1000 killed OF
ampu'ated Russians. "A number Of Gene
raj and Colonies are prisoners. co."
The Emperor was never exposed; nei
thcr the foot nor horse guards were enga
ged, or lost single man. The victory was
never uncertain. Had the enemy. when
driven from his entertainments, not endea
vored to retake them, our loss would have
been greater than his but he DESTROYED his
| army by Keeping it. from O'Clock till 9
nnder the fire of our batteries, and in obsti-
nately attempting to reg ain that which WAS
lost. This was the cause of his Immense
loss.
Every one distinguished himself The
hing OF Naples and the Dnkc of E!chinger
were peculiarly conspicuous
The artillery, and particularly that Of the
guards surpassed itself. The actions whi-l
have rendered this day illustrious shall be
made known IN detailed reports.
" Monsieur, Bishop of -, the passagc
OF the Niemen. of the Dwina, tho Borys1.
henes, the com1ats of Mobilow, of the
DrisSa, of Polo.sk, Of Ostrowno. of Snn.
lano IL.