Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1845-11-05
Battle Of EYlau

The June number of the american
Review contains a biographical sketch
of MuRAT, from which we extract the
following description of the battle Of
EyIau:
This battle, fought in mid wiater, in
1907, was the most important and
dreadful one that had yet occurred
France and Russia had never before
opposed such strength to each other,
and a complete victory on either side
would have settled the fate Of Europe.
Bonaparte,fcmaiaed in possession OF the
field, and that was aIl-no victory was
ever so like defeat, and Murat alone
saved him. The field of Eylau was
covered with snow and the little ponds
that were scattered over it were froz>
en- sufficiently hard TO bear the arlille-
ry. Sevealy>fve thousand men On
one side, eighty five thousand on the
other, arose from the field of snow up
on which they had slept on the night
of the 9Th OF February, without tent
OF covering, to battle for a continent,
Augereau, on the left, was utter Y rout.
ed early in the morning. Advancing
thl ough snow-storm SO thick he could
not see the enemy, the Russian cannon
fired half at random, moved down his
ranks with their destructive fire, while
the Cossack cavaly, which were ORDER
ed to charge, came laundering on, al
most hitting the French infantry with
their long Iances before they were vis>
ible through the drividS snow. Hemm-
ed about and overthrown, the whole d.
vision composed Of 10000 men, with
the exception of 1900, were captured
or slain. Just then the snow storm
clearing up, revealed to Napoleon The
remnant OF Augel eau's division scatter.
ed and flying over the field, while four
thousand Russians were close 10 the
hill on which he stood with only hun.
dred men around him. Saving him.
self from being made prisoner by his
cool selt.possession, he saw, at glance,
the peril to which he was brought by
the destruction of Augereau and the
defeat of SouIt, and Immediately order.
ed grand charge by the Imperial
guard and whole cavalry.
Nothing was farther from Bonaparte's
wishes or expectation than the bring
ing ofhis reserve cavalry into the en-
gagement at this early stage Of the bat>
tle-but there was no other recourse
left him.. Murat sustained his high rep
ulation ON this occasion, and proved
himself for the hundredth time worthy
OF the great confidence Napoleon pac-
ed in him. Nothing could have been
more imposing than the battle field at
this moment. Bonaparte and the EN-
pire trembling in the balance, while
Murat prepared 10 lead down bis cav
airy to save them. Seventy squadrons
making in all $4,000 well mounted
men, began to move over the slope
Bonaparte, it is said, was more agita-
ted at this crisis than when, a momen,
before, he was so near being captured
bv the Russians. But as he saw those
seventy squadrons come down on q
plunging trot, and then break into q
full gallop. pressing hard after the white
plume of Murat, that slreamed through
the snow storm lar in front, a smile
passed over his countenance. The
shock OF that immense host wa:
like a falling mountain, and the from
line Of the Russian army went dowr
like frost work before it. Then com
menced one Of thos protracted fights O
hand-to hand and sword-to sword, sc
seldom witnessed in cavalry. The
clashing Of steel was like the ringing
OF thousand anvils, and horses and RI
ders were blended in wild confusion to,
gether. Mla alb .
| The Russian reserve were ordered
! up, and on those Marat fell with his