The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-07-08
SIXTH OF JUNE.

tcoSTtsuEp.)

neSe unueHfu OI pFepsfduoue ud'i"6 Wv"
completed during the month Of June, Napoleon
gave orders for the entire force with which ne
intended to operate, to be assembled IN the 49,
land on the Sd and 4th of July, and leaving
Schoenburn on the 30th June, he established his
own head quarters there. These troops denied
under the superintendent OF Gen. Matthew
Dumas, and consisted, when assembled, OF
the corps OF Massena, Davcut, Oudinot, Me-
Donald, Bernadotte, Prince Eugene, Marmont,
de Wrede, and the guard, in all 100000 men.
OF these one-sixth were cavalry. and one
twelfth artillery. This enormous force was
provided with $50 pieces OF cannon. All things
taken into consideration, the world had never
beheld such host, brought into action by a
single general. Suspecting that the Archduke
Charles had given him the slip, after all these
preparations, and descended the Danube 10
Presburg, there to form junction with the re-
mains of the forces Of the Archduke John. re-
turned from Italy, Napoleon sent over IN the
night of the 30th the division ofLegrand, by
bridge constructed near the former passage, 10
ascertain the truth. That division, having DIS
persed some advanced posts, was soon met Dy
heavy fire from all the batteries, and when
the day dawned discovered the whole Austrian
army. Napoleon was then satisfied, and pre-
pared to effect the passage on the night OF
July 4th.
The conduct of the Archduke Charles, on
this occasion, has been severely CRITICISED. lie
had constructed powerful works around AS
pern Esslins and Enzersdorf, where the battle
had been fought before, but he had neglected
to fortify all that part Of the left bank which
lies between Enzersdorf and the wood, though
it was opposite TO the lower extremity OF Lo-
bau, which the French had covered with
works of prodigious strength. In all that space
10 oppose the heavy French batteries, he had
but pieces ofcannon on the plain, and few
troops in a castle situated in the wood. He
did not appear to have conceived fpossIble,
that he would be attacked any where, but at
the place where he had been attacked before.
At the head of 100000 men, and with an un-
limited supply ofmate' tel, he could have con-
structed works of such power along the whole
length of Lobau, on the opposite shore, that it
would have been impossible for Napoleon to
have landed. 1t has been said that he should
have selected defensive position on the plain
of the Marchfeld, SO that it, in spite of all OBJ
stacles, the French should succeed in forcing
the passage, he might be ready to receive them
should they think proper TO attack. The
ground presented every advantage to the Gen.
foil ,ta
Russbach, a small stream, with marshy banks,
intersected the Marchfeld, almost diagonally,
and it had upon its left bank heights upon
which the Archduke had posted $4,000 men,
Had he fortified these heights as he might have
done, it was said that no force, however strong,
could have carried them. From this position
TO the Danube ran second line of heights of
semicircular form, which the remaining por-
ton of the army, it was said, ought to have
occupied, SO as to take the offensive as the
French advanced, and cut them off from the
Danube by attacking them in flank, while the
left wing stood on the defensive. These two
positions were connected by the reserve of ca
valry and grenadiers. The Archduke did not
do this, however, though he had had weeks
to accomplish it. Ii was said, further, that
he uight have had on the ground two hundred
thousand men, instead of one hundred and fifty
thousand. He had been alarmed by the cannon
ade which Legrand's division had drawn upon
itself, and descending from the heights, had
remained in position during the LIST and I'd of
July, when, finding that il was mere feint he
withdrew. One of his corps-that of Klenau-
had always occupied Aspern and Essling, and
the intermediate works supposing that the
French would cross there as they had done be
fore, while EnzersdOrf, the plain and the wood
were only held by an advanced guard under
General Nordmann, though there was no rea-
son to suppose that the enemy might not land
there any more than there was to suppose that
he might not land at any other part of the line.
The continual passage OF troops into the Isle
OF Lobau on the 81 and Alb, attracted his at.
tention, and he fired some shots to disturb
them, but the island being very wide, they, for
the most part, fell short.
The night of the 4lh having been selected
for the passage, at dusk Massena took his sta.
ton on the left, opposite Enzersdorf. Farther
down, opposite the plain, Davout drew up bis
corps, and still farther down, opposite the
wood, the ground was occupied by Oudinot.-
AT this last point armed boats were ready to
carry over Oudinot's advanced guard, which
was destined to go first. About nine o'clock,
the vanguard of Tharreau's division, part
oil Oudinot's corps, entered the boats, passed
to the opposite shore in few minutes, took
the sentinels of the enemy's advanced guard
and seized the only redoubt upon the plain,
without losing more than dozen men. The
na~ser was Immediately made fast to tree.
and The boats, plying to and fro along it, soon
brought over the rest of the division. The
bridge destined for this spot, was COMPLETED in
about two hours, while Tharreau's division
kept up constant fire against the enemy in
the dark. Massena did not begin to pass until
Oudinot was already over. AT eleven he b,p.n
the passage. Five boats, with 800 men each