Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1838-03-31

- From Blacswood's Magazine.
- TERRIBLE BATTLE OF ELYAU.


go. = the history Of war did two armies pass
80. .sder moro awful and impressive circum-
IN the rival hosts who now lay. witfou:
49, covering, Oh the snowy cxpinse Of the
~ - gvau. The close vicinity Of the two ar
-. ~ vast nulsitud: assembled in narrow
:. ~. intent only on mutual destruction; the
~ :-,.,cst 20 the lives aud fortunes Of al! which
:, stake: the wintsy wildncss of the scene,
$1,000 only by the waichlircs, which threw a
s.,s;al clow on the snow clad heights around; the
.s;,e,;np groups, who in either army lay around
,Iebszisg fires, chilled by g'rdIcs OF 'mpcnerablc
- s,c,n resolution Of the soldiers in the one
80 ,nA the enthusiastic nrdor Of those in the
..a:...,he liberty Of Europe nov brought to the
:[sS soe dread combat; the glory OF Russia
1vreee dependent on tho efforts Of the might
- armament that either had yet semi forth; all
~.ss,;luocd 10 impress n feeling Of solcmnity.
49, reached the most inconsidera:e breast. op-
.see,ed tho mind with feeling ofnnxions thought.
- Kept Enclosed many weary cycI'd ~ both
eaps. not Outstanding the extraordinary ii:igIcs
~ preceding days.
Ths battle began nj daylight on the Sih Of Feb
,,.sv in the midst o! a snow storm. AZ an early
~ of the day Augcrau's column, Of IL, 900 men,
- cuycloped by the Russian masses and with
- exception Of 1900 men was entirely destroy
~ Napoleon himself was in most imminent h,z-
- a being taken prisoner. He had slept at
Eviau On the night before, and was now in the
ei,r:hyard, where the crash Of the cncny's balls
a The stecplc showed how nearly danger WAS ap-
s,oaehjse Presently one Of the Russian divis
ioes SAsscd rapidly after the fugitIves, entered
EyIas by NE western st, and charged with !OId
husssbs 10 he foot Of the mount where tine en-
psros wss placed with battery Of the imperial
eunsj ssJ a personal escort Of hundred men.
.Hsdsoi aIcg,mcnt Of hose be nj hand support
sbs attack. Napoleon must have been m1de pri-
0ses; E,r though the last reserve consisting of
is bstts' of the old guard were at short dis
tecc nc miyht have boon cnvcioped before they
ssld get up to his rescue. The fate of Europe
lbes hung by thread, but in that terrible mo-
nent the cmpcrUr's presence Of mind did not for
axe him; he instantly ordered his little body
Issrd, hardly moro than company, to form
~, in order 20 check the enemy advance. and
sspatched orders 10 the gaurd to attack the col
'mo ON one fink, while Il brig ,dc of Muriat's
,ossc charged on the other.
The Russians, disorlercd by success, and ig-
,oeans Of the inesiimlbl0 pIizc which was AZ
sss within their GRASP. were arrested by the firm
counienancc Of the little band Of heroes who
tassseA Napoleon's last rcSourcc; and before they
could reform their ranks for regular conflict, The
enemy was upon them on either flank, and NJ
most the whole division WAS cut to pieces OF the
'pof. This dreadful slaughter continued through
II the 6ay, the Russians and the FreEch alter
stsly repulsing each other, both sides fighting
nth the mos, desperate intrcpidity- and every
barge Icav ing the ground covered with carnage.
owards evening the Russians, under Lcs;ocq,
lvanced against the Lewiston Of Frisnt-Tho
rcnch were driven before them. MlrShali De-
,ust in vain attempted to withstand TIE torrent.
he cried, "is the place where The brave
Iould find glorious death; .he towards viii per
h in The deserts Of Siberia Still tho French
zero driven en- with the loss of 5000 men, and
10 whole Russian line were pressing on to vic
Wy, when the rapid knight Df ti:c north fell, and
le battle WIS ut an end.
This was the first heavy blow which Napoleon
I'd received in European war. He had once be- .
20 been on the point Of rain. but it was III Syria,
nd British officer had the honor of making tho /
'aqueror Of Italy rcco,l. II is now unluiestiona
3 that Mt Eyau he was defeated. 1t ten al
ght he gave orders for his artillery and baggage
defilc to the rear, and the advanced post TO re-
eat. lie was on the point o.! being disgraccd in !
e eyes Of Europe when he was saved TINT dis
'ace BY the INDIGESTION Of The Russian general.
council Of war held by the Russian leaders
! horseback. 10 decide on their future course.
CUNT Osicrman Tolctoy, the second III command.
nth Generals knoring and I.essocI. urged strong
(2st 8etreat was not to be thought oi: that Ma
ooW4 beaten in pitched battle; that which
u army gained ground would be reputed the
ps, and that the truo policy was to throw their
e force upon him without delay. BIT Ben
unllckily, satisfied with bis triumph. pass {
vigor Of youth. un,cI,ain,cd with the en- I
u'ous losses OF the French army, and exhausted {
thirty six hours on horseback, directed the I
arch on konngburg. Such the terrible I
Nile OF Eylau. fought in The depth OF winter. a.
'sdst Icc md snow. under circumstances of I'M i
SsaPacd horror: the most bloody and obs tna,elv q
ootes'cd that had vet occurred during the war; c
~ u which, il Napoleon did not sustain Il posi- d
"e defeat, he underwent disaster which had J.
." ssgh proved hi, ruin. The loss on both sides I
{. =, 'mmcnsc, and never, in modern times. had a
@ q battle been strcwcd with such multitude !
~ '"e SIDE Of the Russians. twenty five thou &
-" "so 'aien. Of whom about seven thousand C
.I"uv no more: on that Of the French up n
- u ,n'r'y thousand were killed or wounded, ii
: nearly ten thousand had left their colors: un-
. Psetence nj attending TO the wounded and did d
,aAc sno'r appearance for several DAYS Alter C
inc o'hcr trophies of victory we're near \
squ"'v balanced; the Russians had to boast of n
!: usual spectacle Of twelve eagles taken from b
"' ANTAGONISTS: while they had made spoil of OF
" o. the Russian guns and fourteen stand pl
Inafd'y any prisoners were made on either X
,ounoe the action; but sir thousand of wound m
! -'ss ot them IN a hopeless state were left on
s.'o OF battle, and fell into the hands Of the
y Never was spectacle so dreadful as the to
cstuc presented on the following morning. e,
~ "'y thousand men Law in the space or two "
Wo03S WGIterin0 -