The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-10-03
LAST IMPERIAL VICTORY.
NapoIeon's Battle Against the Allies
Dresden.

NapoIeon's Battle Against Allies at
Dresden.
On the 25th, as he passed Bautzen, he
learned that Oudinot had been defeated
at Luckau; but he gave no heed to the
! report, and next day he reached Dres-
den at nine in the morning. An hour
later the guard came up, having per-
formed the almost Incredible feat of
marching rs miles in three days. Van
damme, with 10000 men, had reached
Pirna, a few miles bow the city, and
St. Cyr was drawing in behind the tenn
porary Notifications of Dresden. The
head of Napoleon's defensive line was to
Ire kept at any cost. The enemy, too,
was at hand, but they had no plan. In
a council of war held by them h same
morning there was n ~protracted debate,
and finally Moreau's advice to advance
in seven column was taken. He re-
fused "to fight against his country"
but explained that h French could
never be conquered in mass, and TINT If
one assailing column were crushed the
rest could still push on.
This long elaboration cost the allies
their opportunity, for at four in the aft
crnoon, when they attacked, the mass
of the French army had crossed the
Elbe and completed the garrison of the
city. For two hours h fighting was
fierce and stubborn; from three differ
emit sides, Russians, Austrians and Prus-
slams, each made substantial gains; at
six Napoleon determined to throw in
his guard. With fine promptness o
tier, with two divisions of the young
guard, sailed forth against the II
SLAMS, and, fighting until midnight.
drove them beyond the hamlet of
Striefen. St. Cyr dislodged the Prus-
SLAMS and pushed them to Strehla,
while Ney, with two divisions of the
young guard, threw a portion of b
Austrians n Plauen, and Murat, with
two divisions Of infantry and Latour-
Msubourg's cavalry, cleared h sub
urb F~riedrichstadt of the rest. Ma
poleon, alert and ubiquitous, then made
his usual round, and knew when he
retired to rest that with 10000 men or
boys no had repulsed 5 $4,000 of his foe.
His inspiriting personal work might be
calculated as worth $4,000 of his oppo-
nents' best men. That night o Mar
mont and Victor, with their corps, en-
tered the city; and Vandamme in the
early dawn began to lombard Pirna,
thus drawing away forces from h
allies to hold that outpost.
The morning of the 27th opened In a
tempest of wind and rain, a fact which
Is considered as having been most ad-
yantageous to the French, since it en-
abled 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 han the first. At six both
sides were arrayed. On the French
right Victor and Latour~Maubourg;
then Marmont; then the old guard, n
Ney, with two divisions of he young
guard; next st. Cyr, with Mortier on
the left. Opposite stood Russians,
Prussians and Austrians, In the same
relative positions, on higher ground,
encircling the French all the way west
ward and around by the south to
Plsuen; between their center and left
vas reserved q gap for the Austrians
under Klenau, who were coming up
from Tharandt in the binding storm,
and were overdue. At seven began the
artillery fire of the young guard, but
before long it ceased for an instant,
since the gunners found the enemy's
line too high for the elevation of their
guns. "Continue," came swiftly the
emperoris order; 1--WE must occupy the
attention of h enemy on that spot"
The ruse succeeded; at ten Murat
dashed through the apparently unno-
ticed gap. aud, turning westward to-
ward the Elbe, killed or captured all
composed the enemy's extreme
left. The garrison of Pirna stood firm
until afternoon, and then retreated to-
ward Peterswald. Elsewhere there was
continuous fighting. but the French
merely held their own. Napoleon
lounged all day in a curious apathy be
fore his campfire. his condition being
apparently due to h incipient stages
a digestive disorder. Early in the
afternoon Schwarzenberg heard of
Murat's great charge, but he still held
firm. When, however. the flight from
Pirna was announced, he prepared to
retreat, and at five his column were
slowly withdrawing from the conflict.
BY six Napoleon was aware that the
conflict was over, and, mounting his
horse, he trotted listlessly to the palace,
his old gray overcoat and hood stream
ing with rain.-Century.