Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-08-12
LAST IMPERIAL VICTORY.
battle Agaiast the Alli>
at DrooA0n.

LAST IMPERIAL VICTORY.
Nap0looa'e Battle Agalast the Allios
at DrssAss.
On the 18th, ~ he passed Bautxen. he
learned that Oudinot had been defeated
at Luckau: but he gave no heed to the
report. and next day he reached Drss-
den At nine In the morning. An hour
later the guard came mp. having per
formed the almost Incredible feat Of
marching ssveaty-six miles in three
days. vandamme. with 10000 men.
had reached Pirna, . few miles above
the city. and st. Oyr was dra wing In
behind the temporary fortiHcations of
Dresden. The head Of Napoleon's defens-
I've line was to be kept at any cost. The
enemy. too. was at hand. but they had
no plan In a council OF war held by
them the same morning there was .
protracted debate, and finally Moreau's
advice to advance in seven columns
was taken. He refused to "hSht against
bis country" but explained that the
French could never b. conquered In
mass. and that IL one assaihng column
were crushed the rest could still push
ON.
This long deliberation cost the allies
their opportunity. for At four in the
afternoon, when they attacked, the
mass Of the French army had crossed
the Elbe and completed the garrison
Of the city. For two hours the fighting
was fierce and stubborn: from three
different sides, Russians, Austrians
and Prussians, each made substantial
gains; at six Napoleon determined to
throw in his guard With fine prompt
ness Mortier. with two divisions Of the
young guard. sailed forth against the
Russians, and, fighting until midnight,
drove them beyond the hamlet of STRIFE
fen. st. Cyr dislodged the Prussians
and pushed them to Strebla, while Ney,
with two divisions of the young guard,
threw q portion of the Austrians into
Plauen, and Murat, with two divisions
Of infantry and LatOur- -Maubourg's cav
airy. cleared the suburb Friedrichstadt
Of the rest. Napoleon. alert and ubdQui-
tous, then made his usual round, and
knew when he retired to rest that with
10000 men or boys he had repulsed 1bO,-
600 Of his foe. His inspiritins personal
work might be calculated as worth co.
900 Of his opponents best men. That
night both MarmOnt and Victor. with
their corps. entered the city; and Van
damme in the early dawn began to
lombard Pirna, thus dra wing away
forces from the allies to hold that out
post.
The morning Of the 27th opened in a
tempest of wind and rain a fact which
il considered as having been most ad-
vantageous to the French. since 1t ena
bled them to hide their movements,
and interfered with their enemy's guns
and ammunition. In any case the sec
Ond days fighting was more disastrous
to the allies than the first. At six both
sides were arrayed. On the French
right Victor and LatOur- MaubOurR:
then MarmOnt; then the old guard. ana
Ney, with two divisions of the young
guard; next st. Cyr, with Mortier on
the left. Opposite stood Russians. Prus-
SLAMS and Austrians. In the same rela-
tive positions. on higher ground. encir
cling the French all the way westward
and around by the south to Plauen; be-
tween their center and left was reserv-
ed a gap for the Austrians under Kle-
nau, who were coming up from Thar
andt In the binding storm, and were
overdue. At seven began the artillery
fire Of the young guard, but before long
1t ceased for an instant. since the gun
ners found the enemy's line too high
for the elevation Of their guns. "Con-
tinue." came swiftly the Emperor's or
der; I'VE must occupy the attention
,f the enemy on that spot"
The ruse succeeded: at ten Murat
dashed through the apparently unnO-
ticed gap, and, turning westward to-
ward the Elbe, killed or captured all
who composed the enemy's extreme
left The garrison of Pirna stood drm
until afternoon, and then retreated to-
ward Peterswald. Elsewhere there was
continuous fighting, but the French
merely held their own. Napoleon lOung
ed all day in a curious apathy before
his campfire, his condition being ap-
parently due to the incipient stages Of
q digestive disorder. Early In the after
noon Schwarzenberg heard Of Murat's
great charge. but he still held frm
When, however, the flight from Pirna
was announced, he prepared to retreat,
and at FIVE his columns were slowly
withdra wing from the conflict. By six
Napoleon was aware that the conflict
was over. and. mounting his horse, he
trotted nstlessly to the palace, his old
gray overcoat and hood streaming With
rain.-Century.