The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-06-14

Their centre and right was on the other side
% tSS Stfean. II was the ohjsct o. Napoleon
to drive the Russians into the river, and IN or
der 10 accomplish Il, II was necessary to cruah
| the snemy's left, tocarry Friedland, and 70 gel
possession Of the bridges there. This waa
4 task Of no small difficulty. for Benning'
sen, knowing the importance Of the position
had not only collected there an immense ariii-
lery. but had stationed heavy batteries on the
other side to enflade the French right a. i
advanced TO the attack. To carry il. required
i 4 daring leader, and troops Of unconquerabie
valor. Napoleon selected Marshal Ney for the
service. SEEKING him by the arm, he said with
grea, energy. .'yonder is the goal, march to il
without looking about you; break into that
| thick mass whatever il costs you enter Fried
land, take the bridges, and give yourself no
concern about what may happen on your right,
on your left, or on your rear. The army and
I will be there to attend to that" Proud Of
the honor conferred on him, Ney set out at
gallop to join his corps. Struck by his martial
bearing, Napoleon said to Marshal Mortier,
"that man is lion!"*
To the left of Ney's corps was placed that of
Lannes, with Victor's between them. To the
LETT OF Lannes was placed Mortier. and the
guard drew up in the rear of the whole as a
reserve. The whole formed force Of about
$4,000 men. The signal was to be twenty pieces
of cannon from the village of Posthenen in the
centre of the position. The proper time hav-
ing arrived, it was given, and Ney moved for
| ward TO the attack. Two of his divisions drove
the Russians out of the village of Sortlack'
but they were charged by the Russian cavalry,
who being in their turn charged by the dra-
goons of Latour Mauboury, were thrown into
extreme disorder, and falling back on their in
fantry, forced great numbers into the river
Two thousand were drowned. Ney having
gained the ALE, and appuyed his right wing
upon it, pushed forward on the enemy. The
Russian fire here became terrible from the inn
mense mass of artillery in front, and the pow
erful batteries on the other side of the Alle.-
Unable to stand the tornado of fire that burst
upon them on all sides, from what seemed to
be gulf of utter perdition, the troops Of Ney
began to give ground. The heroic Marshal
exerted himself to the utmost to rally them,
galloping from one point to another in the midst
of showers of bullets, and exposing his life
with the most reckless audacity. At this
moment Dupont, without orders, pushed
his division forming part of Victor's corps to
the left of Ney, and by It's presence prevented
the disorder which was commencing from
spreading farther. In the meantime, Napoleon
ordered Victor to collect all the artillery of his
corps, and send it forward to the assistance OF
Ney. 1t advanced under General Senarmont
and at once opened its fire. Its first operation
was to silence entirely the artillery on the
other side of the Allie. That done it advanc.
ed gradually, covering Ney's front, until with.
IN the proper distance for grape, when it com.
menced terrific fire of that destructive mate.
rial. The dense masses of the Russians were
swept away as though lanes had been made
through them. Ney seized this moment to adj.
vance with his whole corps, fanked on the left
by Dupont's division. The Russians were
thrust into the space between the French, al.
ready with their right on the Allie, and the
mill stream. They sought to extricate them
selves by charge of the Imperial Russian
guard. 1t was repulsed by Dupont's division
and the Russians, in despair, threw themselves
some across the stream, and some into Fried.
land. Dupont crossed the stream in pursuit
and assailed the left flank and rear of the Rms,
sian centre and right already engaged with
the French centre and left. Ney, after a terri.
BILE struggle, carried Friedland, which the Rus.
slams set on fire, and seized the bridges, which
were already in flames, and were soon afte,
entirely destroyed.
While these transactions were passing on his
right, Napoleon, on his left and centre had been
amusing the enemy by series of demonstra.
| tons intended to draw their attention from the
main point OF attack. Seeing the complete
success of Ney's operations-that the enemy's
left had been defeated-that Friedland had been
taken. and the bridges destroyed, he ordered
the whole line to advance. Infantry, artillery,
cavalry, all pressed forward with terrific shouts.
| The Russians resisted this furious onset with
great bravery, but their line bent back upor
the Allie, At length gave way in all directions.
Vast numbers threw themselves into the Allie.
and were drowned, while others, more fortunate.
escaped by means of deep and dangerous fords,
which they discovered only in the hour of de-
feat. A body on their extreme right consist
ing in part of cavalry, and commanded by Gle.
neral Lambert, escaped by the Konigsberg
road. Worn out by incessant marching and
fighting, the French. could not over,ake il. Had
Mnrat been present With his cavalry, it would
| all have been captured. All the Russian artil.
| lery fell into the hands of the French. This
was one of the most terrible disasters thai ever
befel Russian army. Out of $4,000 men, II
had lost, in killed, wounded and drowned, at
least half The French army was about equal
but % 1000 OF them did not fire shot. II lost