as an undertaking too bold for the internal administration, especially at a moment when a belief was current among all ranks, that the emperor would not be able to extricate himself from the embarrassments, in which, after the battle of Eylau, he was supposed to be involved. The governinent, apprehensive of the danger, endeavored to prepare the public mind for the event, by employing emissaries to announce their intention in whispers through the circles, and 3000 coffeehouses of the capital. But an impression of terror was visible, even to a cursory observer, on the countenances of those who were either exposed to the danger, or shuddered at the prospect of new revoJutionary horrors; of suspicion and joy, but half disguised in the lowering brows of the most resolute of the disaffected, constantly on the alert to improve the concurrence of opportunity, and who hailed this desperate expedient as a confirmation of their hopes. The orator of the government, Renaud St. Jean D'Angely, shed tears whether of sorrow or joy, as he stated the necessity of the measure; and the senate received it contrary to their usual practice; in silent acquiescence, and with every symptom of reluctance and dismay. In order to assuage the general grief, it was found advisable to qualify the new call for 80,000 men, with a clause enacting that they were then to be merely organized, and retained within the limits of the empire as a national guard. Circumstances enabled them to adhere to this condition, which most certainly would have been violated if the armies had sustained a defeat. In the midst of disquietude and fear, public festivals were multiplied, in order to give the administration at home an air of confidence; and an unusual degree of splendor brightened the court of the empress, who remained in Paris, and took a principal share in these mummeries of despotism.

It was not to be wondered at, therefore, if all things considered, Buonaparte should be desirous of a pacification. There was no reception, no return for him to Paris,

be

but in the character of a conqueror. Though after the fall of Dantzic, the main army was increased by a disposable force of more than 30,000; and, though there was neither truce nor armistice, he did not take any measures for immediately opening the campaign, and surprising the enemy according to his usual system, by the promptitude and the celerity of his movements, but manifested every symptom of a sincere and even somewhat earnest desire, that hostilities might be for the present terminated by negotiation. Till this negotiation should brought to some issue, he seemed determined to remain on the defensive. The ambassadors attending his court at Finkenstein, were witnesses of the proud eminence on which he now stood, and abundant care was taken that they should fully understand the importance of his recent conquest, the great bulwark of the Vistula. When the ambassador of the port, (Seid Mahomed Vahid,) was presented, on the 28th of May, by the prince of Benevento, Maurice Talleyrand, to Buonaparte, he said to the ambassador, that he and the sultan Selim would be for ever after as inseparably connected as the right hand and the left. The offices and administration of the government were now transferred from Warsaw to Dantzic, which seemed at this time to be intended for the capital of the French dominions in those parts. This city was visited on the 30th of May, by Buonaparte, attended by the greater part of his staff, his minister for foreign affairs, and, in short, all his court. He reviewed his troops, and gave orders for the reparation of the works demolished in the course of the siege. General Rapp, a great favorite, was appointed governor, and Le Febvre created duke of Dantzic. Each soldier engaged in the siege received a gratuity of ten francs. From his imperial camp at Finkenstein, May 28th, Buonaparte wrote to the conservative senate, that he had instituted duchies, as rewards for eminent services done him, whether military or civil, and

that in pursuance of this system of encouragement, he had created, by letters patent, the marshal Le Febvre hereditary duke of Dantzic, in consideration of his former attachment and late achievements. It was incumbent on him, he

VOL. I.

observed, to establish the fortunes of such families as devoted themselves to his service, and sacrificed to a sense of loyalty and public duty, their own particular interests in life.

5 D

situated on the left bank of the Aller; a long wooden bridge connects the town with the right bank-west of the town is a capacious lake-the country for a mile in the direction of Heilsberg forms a semicircle of apparent plain, but is cut by a deep and narrow ravine full of water, scarcely fordable, which runs from Domnau into the lakes. Near the town on the left of the plain, the ground abruptly descends, and woods border the Aller; a deep wood fringed the plain from the Aller to the village of Heinricksdorf, where there was a little interruption; but woods again closed round to the Aller, the banks of which were very steep, the fords subsequently used were unknown, and, when discovered late in the evening, scarcely pervious. In the open space of the semicircle between the Aller and the rivulet, and about half a mile in front of Friedland, general Beningzen at first formed his troops in column, the cavalry being to the right of the Heinricksdorf road, and, as the succeeding division passed the Aller, the right and part of the centre of his infantry, were posted between that

road and the rivulet, and that part of the centre was covered by a branch of the rivulet which terminated in a broad piece of water his army was thus entirely exposed to fire, and every movement distinctly seen; whilst the enemy were sheltered from aim, and their force and operations were concealed till they chose to expose them. Upon the right of the enemy's position, he had the advantage of some rising ground, which commanded both banks of the Aller as far as the town.

After a heavy cannonade and much musketry, which the French maintained with their troops dispersed en tirailleur, the French cavalry and a body of their infantry, attempted to turn the Russian right, by the occupation of Heinricksdorf. Thirty French squadrons bore down upon the twelve Russian squadrons stationed to the right of the village, advanced rapidly, charged, and obliged the Russians to break; but the Russian cannon, and some columns of infantry moving forward, checked their progress, and compelled the cavalry to retreat in confusion and with some loss during the attack the enemy's chasseurs, with several pieces of cannon, had lodged

themselves in Heinricksdorf, taken three pieces of cannon improperly advanced, and opened a battery from the village. Soon afterwards the enemy being anxious to profit of the feeble fire of the Russians, yet scarcely established in their positious, advanced from the village in a column composed of 2500 men to force the Russian right and gain Friedland. This column was suffered to approach close to the Russian cannon, when the Russians opened a destructive fire of grape, which was irresistible. The column hesitated and almost immediately gave way, the retreat commencing with the rear ranks, when the Russian infantry charged forward and captured the eagle of the 15th regiment. An attack on the Russian left had been attended with no better success, and the enemy was compelled to shelter their columns in the wood, but still they maintained in advance various batteries and an incessant tirailleur fire.

The Russian divisions had successively continued to pass, and about nine o'clock in the morning only one division remained on the right bank, and in its front about half a league the cossacks under general Platoff were still stationed. General Beningzen, who from some prisoners, was now acquainted with the force opposed to him, fearful that a corps of the enemy might be sent to seize the bridge of Allenburg, which would intercept his retreat on Wehlau, and defeat the original plan of movement concerted with general Lestocy, directed 6000 men of which a regiment of the imperial guards composed a part, to recross the Aller and march upon that town; this detachment added to general Kaminskoy's deprived his army of 15,000 of his best troops, and left him but 40,000 men to defend the two banks of the Aller, and the probable destinies of Europe 40,000 gallant warriors, but almost exhausted by fatigue and by want of sustenance.

About 11 o'clock the enemy gave way in every point, and great hopes were entertained that he was retiring altogether upon Eylau. General Beningzen therefore or dered the Siberian chasseurs of the guards to lodge themselves in the wood at the ex

tremity of the French right wing. They moved forward under the command of colonel St. Priest in the most intrepid manner, drove or destroyed every thing before them, and pierced into the wood, but they could not long maintain themselves in that advanced position, for the enemy immediately moved his principal forces against them. Obliged to withdraw they fell back with most per fect order, to half musket-shot distance. from the wood, where they threw their left upon the Aller and obtained the shelter of some farm houses.

The Russian cavalry had manœuvred on the right to gain the enemy's left, by gradu ally encroaching into a new alignment. Having succeeded, a part charged the French dragoons aud cuirassiers stationed in advance, who at first fled, but on a French officer riding down to them, they rallied, readvanced, and met the Russians, who, daunted at this unexpected onset, receded until a Russian reserve moving to their succour, the French again yielded the ground. The remainder of the French cavalry then galloped forward, the residue of the Russian cavalry also rushed into the combat, and a general mêlé ensued, which terminated in considerable loss to the enemy, especially his cuirassiers, and the temporary recovery of the village of Heinricksdorf, which was again abandoned, as the enemy brought ca a numerous artillery

Thus far all had prospered, not indeed as to the original project, which had been early abandoned, but as to the realization of a hope that had succeeded of maintaining the ground until night. Under this confidence no precautions had been taken. against disaster; no works were constructed to defend the entrances into the town and cover the retiring troops, if prematurely. forced to recross the Aller, precautions that were perfectly easy of execution, as well as eligible, and which would have discomfited the ultimate efforts of the enemy.. About mid-day the enemy's fire, which had relaxed, resumed more vigor, the cannonade increased, the tirailleurs came forward great-ly reinforced, and from that time the cannon and the musketry continued unremit tingly a tremendous fire upon the Russians,. 5. D. 2.

who were totally exposed, standing in columns with some infantry thrown forward to act as tirailleurs, whilst the French columns still remained in the woods, and the supporting lines of the advanced infantry concealed themselves 'from direct aim by laying down in long grass, or behind the favoring ground. Never was resolution more heroic, or patience more exemplary, than that now displayed by the Russians never was a sacrifice of such courage more to be deplored.

The enemy had continued to arrive with fresh succours, and the woods were now thronged by battalions which advanced upon the edge and there reposed. About four o'clock in the afternoon Buonaparte was first noticed by the bustle and movement amongst the French troops, and soon afterwards he was distinctly seen giving directions. A little before five the French army stood to their arms and the cavalry mounted. From the town of Friedland the masses appeared through the interstices of the trees and the partial interruption of the wood, of enormous power and extensive depth, but the eye could not distinguish where the weight of the force was directing. From the plain the horizon seemed to be bound by a deep girdle of glittering steel..

It was in vain that general Beningzen had notice, and saw with his own eyes the nighty preparation.-The ammunition of his artillery was exhausted, and not forty pieces could fire. He had not a single battalion in reserve, and as he had been obliged to pass the last division over the river, not a soldier but the cossacks remained on the right bank of the Aller, and they half a league in advance. His columns reduced by the loss of 12,000 men were now so thinly scattered over the position that they seemed rather advanced detachments than the army itself, and this impression deceived Buonaparte so far that he suspended ulterior efforts after the battle. It was now that he regretted the absence of the 6000 men detached in the morning to Allenburg-a detachment that the world has had cause indeed to deplore; for if these 6000 men had been present at this

moment on the left of the position, Russian courage would have maintained a victorious contest against the enormous superiority of hostile forces, and against their more ruthless destiny, which had seduced them into the plain of Friedland.

General Beningzen in this extremity did all that his means and the time permitted. He directed six guns to take post on the elevation at the right bank of the Aller, a little in front of his left, so as to flank the enemy's right in a forward movement. He closed up the wreck of his centre, and sent an order for his cavalry to quit the right wing of the position and support the centre and right of the infantry, orders which were under these circumstances most judicious; but before the officer could reach the cavalry, the enemy's proposed attack was in execution.

About five o'clock the French army had taken its order of battle; marshal Ney on the right, marshal Lasnes in the centre, marshal Mortier on the left, marshal Victor and the imperial guard in reserve, general Grouchy with his division of cavalry supported the left, general Lahoussaye's division of dragoons, and the the Saxon cuirassiers, the centre, general Latour Maubourg's division, the right.

At half past five o'clock, 20 pieces of cannon discharging salvos gave the signal of attack, whilst another battery of 30 pieces opened upon the Russian left. The report of the guns were scarcely heard when the French column started from the wood, and the right corps advanced in massy echellons at a quick step.

The chasseurs of the imperial guard greatly committed by an advanced station, fired some volleys and retreated. Several battalions of militia formed behind the chasseurs, and on the low garden ground near the banks of the Aller, also gave way and streamed to the bridges, while the six guns upon the elevation on the right bank, overpowered by fire, were beaten back out of action. Some cossacks and cavalry so soon as the French had quitted the wood, attempted to attack the rear of the right flank, but a division of French dragoons, sustain ed by infantry, repulsed them. The enemy