Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1838-06-09
TERRIBLE BATTLE or rYLAu. r1pnuAay, lsoe

pass q hisht under more awful and jmpressiv &c
circumstances than the rival hosts who now
lay, without tent or covering on The SNOWY o =.
Paise OF the field Of Eyiau. The close vein.
Wy OF the two armies. the vast multitude as.
sehhoied IN 80 narrow a space, intent oulv IN
mutual destruction, the vital interest 10 tho
lives and fortunes OF all which were at stake.
The wIn'fy wilderness of the scene, cheered
only by the watchfires, which threw only !
partial glow on the snow-clad heights around:
the shi'erIng groups, who in either army Law
around the blazing fires, chilled by The pirdles
OF lmpenetrab'e Ice; the stern resolution, OF the
so'difrs III one army, and The enthusiastic ar
d"f o, 'h"se III the other; the liberty Of Eur ne
no" drought TO the issue Of one dread cou,ba,:
'te glory OF Russia and France dependent on
'"e Efforts oil the mi.hiiest armament ,I,a, eth,
tr had yet sent forth, all contributed 10 Impress
feeling OF solemnity, which reached the mos,
lhcon.idfrate breast. oppressed The mind with
neltg OF anxious thought. and kept unclo.
sea many wearied eyelid in both CAMPS, moi.
wi'hsiandlng the extraordinary fa,igues Of the
preceding days.
;, Inc battle began at daylight on the 9Th of
February, in the midst Of a snow. storm. A,
an early hour Of the day, Augercau's column
OF 10000 men, WIS enveloped by the Russian
masses. and with the exception of 1900 mon
was entirely q stroycd. Napoleon himself
was ~ the most imminent hazard Of bein, "a.
ken prisoner. lie had slept at E,Iau on the
night before, and was now ~ the cIircl,.yard
"hen The crash OF the eurmy's balls on the
s'erpl', showed how nearly danger was ap.
Preaching. Presently one of the Russian di.
visions, folio" ing rapidly after the lupalives,
entered EJlan ny The western street. and char.
geo with loud lnrr1s. 10 the foot of the noun,
where the emperor was posted with battery
OF the Imperial guard and personal escort Of
a hundred men. Had regiment OF horse been
at hand to support the attack. Napoleon mus,
nave been made prisoner; for though the las,
reserve. consisting Of six baira'ions of The old
guard. were at short distance. he might have
been Ell clipped before they could get to iis res
cue. The fate Of Europe then hung upon a
thread; but IL that terrible moment. The I'm.
crms presence did not forsake him: he IN.
stan'Iy ordered this little no y-snsrJ, hardly
more than company, To form line in order
to check The eneny's alvarez. and desparchcd
orders 10 the old guard 10 attack tie column on
one flank. while a brigade Of Murat', horse
charged il on the other
The Russians. disordered by success. and
ignorant 0f The lDesiimabe prize IS hch was
almost within their grasp. were arrested by
me him rolniGDlnce Of The little la d Of he
roes who formed NapoIern's last resouic-; and
before they could reform their ranks for r..
GUAR r0nhIcf, the enemy was upon them on
tiibcr flank. and almost the whole division
was cut 10 pieces. This dreadful sIanyh,rr
continue though the day, the Russians and
me French alternately rcpnlslng zach other.
BON sides lighting viii, the most desperate in
irepidiy. and every charge leaving the ground
wiIi carnage. Towards evening The
Russians. under Lestocq, advanced against
the division Of fsan'. The FrencI, were dG- |
ven before them. Marshal Davoust in vain AT.
tempted TO Withstand the torrent. Here b.,
rned, is The place where the brave should fiud
a glorious death: the towards will perish in ID.
deserts e Siberia" Sill The French were
driven on with the loss Of 1900 mon. and tie
whole Russian line were pressing on to viclo.
~ when fiic rapid knight Of the north fell, and
lie tile was at an end.
This was the first heavy blow v I,ich Napo.
leon had received in European war lie had
once before been on the point Of min. bm il
was IN Syria. and British officer had the hon
or Of making the conqneror Of Italy ,creD. ],
IS now ungnesiionabIe that at II, Tau he was
defeated. At 10 AT night h. gave orders for
his artillery end baggage u dehe ibe rear and
he advanced post 10 retreat lie was on The
,ni"t Of being disgraced in lie eyes ofEurope.
= hen he was saved that disgrace by the indie.
'ision d the Russian Gener.l. a council Of
var was held by the Russian leade.s on horse.
rack. to decide on their future course. Count
fisherman ToIstoy, the second in command. |.
(,un.v.i. I'D 4 |
ironaly that retreat was rot 10 be- thought OF
-.ihat Napn'son was beaten 10 pitched bat
le---ti al wlIcl,evrr army gained grosnt would
'e rrfuicd victor. and That TIC 'rue policy was
0 thiow their whole iorce lpon bin without :
clay. But BrnGingsen, unluckily satisfied
sul' his triumph. past the vIgof Of youth. IN. !.
rqnalnted wnIl The enormous losses Of the
'fench army, and exhausted Ivy 80 hours on
orse.back. directed the ,zafci on konings.
erg. Such was The terrible battle u Eylao, .
,nght ia The depth Of winter amidst ice and Il
now, under circumstances Of Unex4mpIed il
onor, the most bloody and obs,iGa,cly con- "
,sied that had yet occurred during The war. a
nd in which. il Napoleon DID MOI sustain a e
o-iIvr detrai. he underwent disaster which II
ad well nigh proved his min. The loss on .
9th sides was Immense. and never, in modern II
mes. has field Of battle been sifewed with 81
Irh multitude 0f slim. n
On the side Of The Russians fw'niy five ihou- q
nd had fallen. Of whom about seven 'hons- ii
I'd we're already no more; On ,tatofibe FrencI, ri
wards OF thirty thousand were killed " n
opnded. and nearly tel thousand had left their II
'Iors. under pref nee of arteodlegioii,e woon- "a
ID. AMI did not m, he their appearance for So Ic
raj lays. TIE other ropbirs ofsiciory were d
'ariy equally baIanced--.lhe Rns.iaDs had to b
'asf u the unusual spectacle Mtwe'se eagles Ia
ken from tbeif sGia2ohists-.-wfnle hey had N
abe spcii OF sixteen Of The RGs,i guns and 81
rrteen standards. Hardly any prisoners were b.
ade on either size during tie action; bni SIX 'e
oussnd n the wounded, most NJ fl,era 10 ~
,peIfss Stale, were lvf on the field Of battle. al