Litchfield enquirer., 1847-01-07
Tbs Battle of HohGnlinden.
BY J. 7. HEADLEY.

! The Iser and the Inn, as they flow from
the Alps towards the Danube, move nearly
in parallel lines, and nearly forty miles
apart. AS they approach the river, the
space between them becomes one elevated
plain, covered chiefly with somble, dark
pine forest-crossed by two roads only while
the mere country paths that wind through
it here and there give no space TO marching
co umns. Moreau had advanced across
this forest to the Inn, where, on the Isl of
December he was attacked and forced to re-
trace his steps, and take up his position on
the farther side, al the village Of Hohenlin-
den. Here, where one of the great roads
debouched from the woods he placed Nev and
Grouchy.
! The Ausuians, in four massive columns
plunged into this gloomy wilderness, design
ing to meet in the OF en- plain Of Hohenlin-
den-the central cellma marching along
the high road, while those on either side
made their way thro' amid the trees as they
best could
Twas stormy December morning when
these seventy thousand men we're swallowed
| from sight in the dark defles of Hohenlin-
den. The day before it had rained heavily
and the roads were almost impossible; but
now furious storm daIkened the heavens,
and covered the gIouud with one white I'M
broken surface. The bye-paths were blot
ted OUT, and the signing pines overhead
brooded with their snowy burdens above the
ranks, or shook them down on the heads OF
the soldiers as the artillery wheels smote
against their trunks. 1t was strange spec
tacle, those long dark columns, out of sight
of each other, stretching through the dreary
forest by themselves; the fallen snow, sif-
ing over the ranks, made the unmarked way
still more solitary. The sof, and yielding
mass broke the tread Of the advancing hosts,
while the rumbling of the artillery, and am.
munilion and baggage wagons, gave forth a
mufled sound, that seemed prophe tic Of sone
|
alone had hundred cannon in its uaiu,
while behind these were five hundred wag
ons-the whole closed up by The slowly mo J.
wing cavalry.
Thus marching, it came abou. nine o.
clock upon Hohenlinden, and attempted TO
debouch into the plain when Gronchy fell
upon it with such fury that it was forced
back into the woods In a moment the old
forest was alive with echoes, and its gloomy
reeesses iilumined with the blaze OF arlil-
cry. Grouchy, Grandjeau, AMI Nry, put
forth incredible efforts to keep this immense
force from deploying into the open field
The two former struggled with the energy
of desperation to hold their gro und ; and
although the soldiers could not see the ene-
emy's lines, the storm was so thick, yet
they took aim at the flashes that issued from
the wood, and thus the two armies fought.
The pine tress were Gu, in two like reeds by
the artillery, and fell with crash on the
Austrian columns, while tae fresh fallen
snow turned red with the flowing blood. In
the meantime, Richenpanse, who had been
sent by circuitous route with single di-
vison to attack the enemy's rear, had ac-
complished his mission. Though his d'
vision had been cut in two and irretrieVably
separated by the Austrian left wing, the
brave general continued to advance and with
only three thousand men fell boldly on forty
thousand Austrians. As soon as Moreau
heard the sound of his cannon through the
forest, and saw the alarm it spread amid the
enemy's ranks he orderad Ney and Grouchy
to charge full on the Austrian centre
Checked, then overthrow, that broken col