were a That the main body of the Rus- ed an attack on the rear of the sian army-not absolutely the whole Russians, which had been lately as will presently appear, re-inforced. It was unable to reforced to fall back eighty leagues sist the vigour of an attack conduct. from the Vistula, is true, but it is ed by his majesty in person.---To. also true that Buonaparte did not morrow we shall be at Koningsberg." find himself in a condition, at this And an attempt on Koningsberg time, again to attack them, and would, no doubt, have been made, hazard another battle. The Rus. if, after the battle of Eylau, Buo. sian army, without any material naparte had conceived that he pos. loss, effected its retreat to Konings. sessed means for accomplishing his berg. object. But this was, in truth, a Buonaparte was now only a drawn battle; and the severest short distance from Koningsberg, a check he had received since the grand depository of the enemy. commencement of his career, which The steeples of this place, whick bad was in Italy, in 1796. becn held out as a rich prey to the It was not, however, without French soldiers, were to be seen some degree of plausibility that both from the heights of Eylau. No sides claimed the victory, or at least thing could have been more desirable a discomfiture of the desigu of their than to take a place which would at opponents. It was the design of once have been a most advantageous Buonaparte to take Koningsberg. military position, furnished abun. He was forced to fall back on the dance of provisions and stores, and Vistula. It was the design of the gratified the army by pillage. And Russians to drive the French back that the reduction of Koningsberg beyond the Vistula, to re-take was accordingly, in fact, his object, Elbing and Thorn, and to force appears from a letter addressed to them to raise the sieges of Colberg, the empress Josephine, by Berthier Graudenz, and Dantzig. By a prince of Neuf-Chatel, the most series of successive actions, they confidential minister of Buonaparte, had been driven back by the French on the evening before the battle, da- as far as Eylau, and on the day ted at Great Glandau, 7th February. after the battle, beyond the Pregel. 6. At the approach of his imperial The French had buried the Russian majesty, the Russian army fell back. dead; collected and taken care of On the evening of the 6th he had the greatest part of their wounded, passed Landsberg with the intention taken a number of their cannon of continuing his retreat during the dismounted in the action ; and, night. The emperor, who com- finally, remained seven or eight manded the advanced guard, order days on the field of battle. CHAP СНАР. II. Relative Positions in which the French and Russian Armies were placed after the Battle of Eylau.-Pacific Overtures by Buonaparte-Rejected.-Artifices of Buonaparte.-The Russians persevere in their System of acting on the offensive.- Battle of Ostrolenka. Skirmishes.-Triumphant Proclamation, or Address of Buonaparte to his Army-Positions of the French Army in their Winter Quarters.-Bridges and Têtes-du-Pont on the Vistula. -Continued Skirmishes.-The most important of these.-Ártillery taken from the Enemy by the French since their Arrival on the Vistula.-Progress of the Allies of the French, under Jerome Buonaparte, in the reduction of Silesia.-Siege of Dantzig.—Disposition of the grand French Army for protecting the besieging Army.-Dantzig defended by Nature and by Art.--Arrival of the Russian Emperor at Memel-Followed by that of the Archduke Constantine with a Reinforcement to the Russian Army.-Grand Council of War concerning the Relief of Dantzig.-Of two Plans, that which was adopted.-Prussian Force sent for the Relief of Dantzig, defeated.-Attacks of the Russians on the whole Line of the French-Intended to prevent them from reinforcing the Army besieging Dantzig.-Dantzig surrendered on Capitulation -Conditions of this.-State of the Garrison at this time.-The Fort of Weischelnunde also surrendered.-Stralsund-The Siege of it, abandoned by the French, who retire towards the Vistula.-Pursued by the Swedes.-These, advancing beyond the Peene, are discomfited by the French under the Command of Marshal Mortier, and reduced to the necessity of demanding an Armistice; which is granted.—Conditions of this Armistice-The King of Sweden arrives at Stralsund-Reviews and encourages his Army. -Himself encouraged by the Arrival ofan Envoy from Great Britain with Assurances of Succour in Troops and in Money. TH pacific nature. But general Ben- than was than with the Russian chief. Buo. the French army. On the 16th, at Daparte endeavoured, however, after day-break, general Gazan with a these repulses, to make it believed part of his division moving towards in Germany, that both the Prussians the advanced guard, met with the and Russians were desirous of enemy on the way to Novogorod, peace, and that treaties were on attacked and defeated him. But at the point of being concluded. It the same moment, the Russians by was given out in his newspapers, the left bank attacked Ostrolenka, that Duroc had gone to St. Peters- which defended by general burgh, and that the king of Prus. Campana, with a brigade of the dis sia was governed by the counsel of vision of general Gazan, and geneLombard, Beyme, and Kockyriz, ral Ruffin, with a brigade of the di. the men who, together with Haug. vision of general Oadinot. The witz and Lucchesini, had heretofore Russian infantry advanced in seve. managed as he wished the court of ral columns. They were suffered to Rerlin. He was desirous to spread come fairly within the town, as far a conviction that he possessed the half the length of the streets ; same infuence at the court of Me. when they were charged by the mel. Thus he hoped to sow the French with fixed bayonets. Thrice seeds of jealousy among the alliés, did the Russians make an attack on and to deter any of the German states the French, and were as often re. from insurrection on the reliance pulsed, leaving the streets covered of support, from powers with whom with the dead. Their loss was so he was likely, very soon, to be on great that they were forced to aban. terms of peace, amity, and even in don the town, and take a position alliance. behind the sand-hills which coverit: The Russians were not induced the divisions of generals Souchet by the battle of Eylau, and the ne. and Oudinot advanced, and at noon cessity their main army was under, the heads of their columns arrived of retreating behind the Pregel, tó at Ostrolenka. General Savary give up their original plan of acting drew up his army in the following on the offensive against the French, manner. General Oudinot com. and harassing them without ceasing manded the left in two lines ; geneby all means and at all seasons. ral Souchet the centre; and the geWhile the main army of the French neral of division Reille, chief of the still lay at Eylau; 3,000 Russian pri. staff of the army, commanding a soners were rescued by a squadron of brigade of the division of Gazan, Cossacks, a thousand strong at Wil. formed the right. He covered him. denbergh, from 15 to 20 leagues on self with all his artillery, and march. this side of Eylau on the Omulcio, ed against the enemy. General to the south-west of the lakes of Oudinot putting himself at the head Passenheim. General Van Essen, of the cavalry, made a successful February 15th, at the head of 25,000, charge, and cut in pieces the Cos. advanced to Ostrolenka, along the sacks of the Russian rear-guard. two banks of the Narew. At the A very brisk fire was kept up for a village of Flakis Law-owa he met the considerable time on both sides. advanced guard of general Savary, The Russians at last gave way on who commanded the 5th corps of all sides, and were followed fighting VOL. XLIX. C. for Ha Pregel. In the battles of Bergfried, Deppen, Hoff, and Eylau, we have taken from him, 65 pieces of cannon, and 16 standards, besides the loss of more than 40,000 men, in killed, wounded, and taken pri soners, The heroes, who, on our side, remain in the bed of honour, have died a glorious death. It is the death of a true soldier. Their relatives will always have a just claim to our care and beneficence. ving thus defeated all the enterprises of the enemy, we shall return to. wards the Vistula, and resume our winter quarters. Those who shall dare to disturb these quarters, shall have reason to repent: for whether beyond the Vistula, or on the other side of the Danube, whether in the middle of winter or the beginning of autumn, we will still be found French soldiers, and soldiers of the grand army." for three leagues. The loss of the Russians was 1,300 killed, among whom were two generals, above 1,200 taken, seven pieces of cannon and two standards. The French, according to their accounts, had only 60 men killed, and among these, the general of brigade Campana, an officer of great merit, and it is observed, a native of the department of Marengo.* At Guttenfield, February 12th, 500 French soldiers were made prisoners by Platow, hetman of the Cossacks. On the same day a division of one of the French corps marched to Marienwerder, situated on a small river, called the Leibe, not far from its junction with the Vistula, thirtyfour miles south from Dantzig, and forty-four north-east of Thorn. Seven Prussian squadrons found at this place, were attacked and rout. ed, and 300 men with 250 horses taken. The rest of the Prussians making their escape, took refuge in Dantzig. On February 16th, the day before Buonaparte began to march from Eylau, for the disposition of his troops in winter quarters, he thought it proper to counteract any notion that might be entertained of this being a retreat, and to keep up the courage of his army, by assuming a very lofty air of triumph, which he did in the following proclamation, dated Prussian Eylau, February 16th. "Soldiers, we had begun to enjoy a little repose in our winter quarters, when the enemy attacked the first corps, and shew. ed themselves on the Lower Vistula. We broke up and marched against him; we have pursued him sword in band, 80 leagues; he has fled to his strong holds, and retired beyond the The first and leading considera. tion in the choice of positions for winter quarters for the French ar. my, was, to cover the line of the Vistula, and to favour the reduction of Colberg, Graudenz, and above all of Dantzig. It was therefore concentrated in cantonments, be hind, that is, to the westward of the Passarge, a small river which, passing by the town of Braunsberg, discharges itself, a little below this place, into the Frisch-haaf. The prince of Ponte Corvo, Bernadotte, with his corps, lay at Prussian Hol. land, and Braunsberg; marshal Soult, with his at Leibstadt and Mohrungen; marshal Ney, at Gutstadt; marshal Daroust, at Allenstein, Hohenstein, and Deppen; a Polonese corps of observation, com manded by general Zayoncheek, at Niedenbourg; marshal Le Febvre * 62d and 63d Bulletins of the grand French army. befere before Dantzig : the 5th corps of possession or command of the coun. the French army, was stationed at tries he had over-run, by reducing Omulew; and the 8th as a corps of the Prussian fortresses that still held observation, in Swedish Pomerania. out on the Vistula, and the Oder. There was a corps under Jerome, But the Russians, determined and or prince Jerome Buonaparte, em. resolute in their purpose to give ployed in the reduction of the fortres- him no rest, engaged the French in ses of Silesia. The Bavarian divi. continued skirmishes, and in some sion, commanded by the heir appa. very sharp actions, which were rent, or as the French style him, the attended with considerable loss crown-prince of Bavaria, serving to both parties. The most serious under Jerome, lay at this time at of these it may be proper brief. Warsaw, and was on its route to join ly to notice; but we shall hasten to the French army. There was still the siege of the more important post a strong garrison at Thoro, where and port of Dantzig, to which, afgeneral Rapp, Buonaparte's aidade. ter the battle of Eylau, every eye camp, was appointed governor, in was turned. the room of marshal Le Febvre, now A Russian detachment marched, employed in the siege of Dantzig. February 26th, against Braunsberg, The head quarters were at Oste. the head, that is, the most advanced rode, nearly equidistant between or easterly of the French cantong Thorn, which formed as it were a ments. Buonaparte being informbastion, on the right of the French, ed of this, gave orders to the prince supposing their eye still directed to of Ponte Corro, that it should be the east, and Marienwerder, and attacked; the execution of which Elbing, with the Isle of Nogat, orders was committed to general which supported the left. And, for Dupont, an officer of great merit, maintaining a communication be- who on the same day, at two o'clock tween the opposite banks of the in the afternoon, attacked the Rus. Vistula, as well as for securing a sian detachment, which was 10,000 a retreat, in case of any disaster, in strong, overthrew it with fixed bay. the course of future operations, the onets, drove it from the town, and têtes-du-pont, or fortified bridges across the Passarge, took 16 pieces at Praga, Modlin, Dirchaw, in the of cannon, and two stands of copalatinate of Ulm and Thorn, were lours, and made 2,000 prisoners. put in a proper state of defence, On the side of Gutstadt general and new ones constructed at Mari- Leger Belair, on receiving advice enburg, and Marienwerder. From that a Russian columo had arrived the country around Marienwerder, during the night at Peterswalde, and Elbing, which, particularly the repaired to that village at day. Isle of Nogat, is exceedingly fer- break, on the 25th ; overthrew it, tile, the French army was abun. took the general baron de Korff, dantly supplied with provisions, who commanded it with his staff, It was now the immediate object several lieutenant colonels and other of Buonaparte, to refresh and re- officers, and 400 men. + cruit his army, and to secure the After the affairs of Braunsberg, 65th, 66th, and 67th, Bulletins of the grand French army, # 690 Bulletin, of the grand French army. - C2 and |