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THE BATTLE OF LEIPSICFirst Great Battle In 1813
France
Paris, May 8, 1813Her Imperial Majesty, the Queen and Regent, have received the following news from the army:
The battles of Weissenfelds and of Lutzen are only precludes of events of the highest importance. The Emperor Alexander and the king of Prussia, who had arrived at Dresden with all their forces, at the latter end of April, learning that the French had planted themselves before Thuringe, adopted the plan to give them battle on the plains of Lutzen and made a movement to take their position; but were prevented by the rapid movements of the French army yet they persisted in their projects, and resolved to attack the army in order to maintain the position they had taken. The position of the French army on the 2nd of May at 9 o'clock in the morning was as follows: The left of the army was on the Elster. It was formed by the Viceroy, having under his command the 5th and 11th corps. The Center was commanded by the Prince of Moscowa, at the village of Kaia. The Emperor, with the old and young guard, were at Lutzen.
The Duke of Ragusa was in the defile of Porerna, and formed the right with his three divisions.
In fine, Gen. Bertrand, commanding the 4th corps, marched to join the defile. The enemy made a movement and passed the Elster, over the bridges of Zewnkaw, Pegan and Zeitz. His Majesty, hoping in future in his movement, and thinking he cold not attack only the 3rd, ordered Gen. Lauriston, whose corps formed the extremity of the left, to repair to Leipsic, in the end to disconcert the projects of the enemy, and to place the French army in a situation for the event of the 3rd, in a position entirely different from what the enemy expected to find it in (and where it was effectively on the 3rd,) and thus cause confusion and disorder in their columns.
At 9 o'clock in the morning, his Majesty, hearing the cannonading near Leipsic, repaired thither at full gallop. The enemy defended the little village of Listenau and the bridges in advance of Leipsic. His Majesty waited only for the moment when these places should be carried, to put his whole army in movement in this direction to wheel upon Leipsic, pass over the right of the Elster, in many columns under advantage of extreme darkness.
The enemy presented forces which appeared immense. The Emperor immediately made his arrangements. The Viceroy received orders to repair to the left of the Prince of Moscowa; but it took him three hours to execute this movement. The Prince of Moscowa took arms, and with his five divisions sustained the battle, which at the end of half an hour became terrible. His Majesty himself, at the head of the guard, behind the center of the army, sustained the right of the Prince of Moscowa. The Duke of Ragusa, with his three divisions,occupied the extreme right, Gen. Bertrand had orders to repair to the rear of the enemy's army, at the moment when the line was most warmly engaged. Fortune was pleased to crown, with the most brilliant success, all these dispositions.
The enemy, who appeared certain of success, marched to turn our right and to gain the road of Weissenfelds; Gen. Compans, a general of the first merit, at the head of the first division of the Duke of Raguse, stopped all short. The regiments of marines sustained many charges with sang froid and covered the field of battle with the light cavalry of the enemy; but the grand efforts of the infantry, cavalry and artillery, were in the center. Four of the five divisions of the Prince of Moscowa were already engaged. The village of Kaia was taken and retaken many times. This village remained in the power of the enemy. The Count of Lobeau directed Gen. Picard to re-take the village; it was re-taken. They occupied a line of 2 leagues covered with fire, with muskets and clouds of dust. The Prince of Moscowa, Gen. Souham and Gen. Girard were everywhere facing the battle. Wounded with many balls, Gen. ??? resolved to remain on the field of battle. He declared himself willing to die when commanding his troops, as the time had arrived for the French who had the heart, to conquer or perish.
Now we began to perceive at a distance the dust and first fire of Gen. Bertrand instantly the Viceroy entered the line on the left; and the Duke of Taranto attacked the reserve of the enemy and charged upon the village where the enemy supported his right. At this time the enemy redoubled his efforts upon the center. The village of Kaia was carried again. Our center was broken some battalions disbanded themselves; but these valorous youths, at the sight of the Emperor, rallied, crying "Vive L'Empereur." His Majesty, judging that the crisis had arrived, which decides the gain or loss of battle, did not lose a moment. The Emperor ordered the Duke of Treviso to repair with 16 battalions of the Young Guards to the village of Kaia, to overturn the enemy and re-take the village and destroy every thing they found there. At the same time, His Majesty ordered his aide-de-camp, Gen. Drout, (an officer of the greatest distinction) to collect a battery of 80 pieces and to place them in advance of the Old Guard, which was disposed in echelon, as four redoubts to sustain the center all our cavalry were ranged in battle behind. Gens. Dulauley, Drout, and Devaux, started full gallop, with their 80 pieces in a body. The fire became desperate. The enemy fled on all sides. The Duke of Treviso carried, without firing a gun, the village of Kaia, and drove the enemy at the point of the bayonet. The cavalry, artillery and infantry of the enemy fled. Gen. Bonnet, commander of one of the divisions of the Duke of Raguse, received orders to make a movement on his left upon Kaia, to succour the center. He sustained many charges of the cavalry, in which the enemy experienced many losses.
In the mean time, Gen. Count Bertrand advanced upon the line. It was in vain that the enemy's cavalry wheeled into squares.
His march was not impeded the Emperor ordered a change of the direction by wheeling on Kaia, all the right made a change of front.
The enemy fled we pursued them a league and a half We soon after arrived at the height that the Emperor Alexander, the king of Prussia, and the Brandenbourg family occupied during the battle. An officer (a prisoner) whom we found there, informed us of this circumstance.
We have made many thousand prisoners. The number could not be greater, considering the inferiority of our cavalry, and the desire the Emperor has shown to spare it.
At the commencement of the battle, the Emperor said to the troops, "It is a battle of Egypt. A good infantry sustained by artillery, that should suffice."
Gen. Gourre, chief d'etat major of the Prince of Moscowa, was killed, a death worthy of so good a soldier! Our loss amounts to 10,000 killed or wounded; that of the enemy may be valued at 25 to 30,000. The Royal Guard of Prussia was destroyed. The Emperor of Russia's guards suffered considerably. The two divisions of ten regiments of Russian Cuirassiers were crushed to pieces.
His Majesty cannot bestow too much praise for the good will, courage and intrepidity of the army. Our young soldiers did not regard danger they have, in this grand affair, recovered the nobleness of the French blood.
The Etat Major General, in his account, will make known the brilliant exploits which have illustrated this famous day which, as a stroke of thunder, has frustrated the chimerical hopes and all the calculations on the destruction and dismemberment of the Empire. The dark plots hatched by the Cabinet of St. James during the winter, will be found in an instant destroyed as the gordain knot by the sword of Alexander.
The Prince of Hesse Hamburg, was killed. The prisoners say that the young Prince Royal of Prussia was wounded, and that the Prince of Mecklenburg Strelitz, was killed.
The infantry of the Old Guard, of which six battalions had only arrived, maintained the affair with sang froid, which characterizes it. They did not fire a gun one half of the army were not engaged, nor Lauriston's four divisions occupied Leipsic the Duke of Reggio's three divisions were two days journey from the field of battle.
The Count of Bertrand, engaged with only one of his divisions, and that so lightly that he did not lose fifty men. His 2nd and 3rd divisions did not act.
The corps of cavalry of Gen. Sebastiani, with the Prince of Eckmuhl's three divisions, were at the lower Elbe. The allied army, 150 to 200,000 strong, commanded by the two Sovereigns, having a great number of the Prussian Princes at its head, has been defeated and put to route by less than half of the French army.
The field of battle presented an affecting spectacle the young soldiers at the sight of the Emperor, compromitted their grief in crying, "Vive L'Empereur!" "For twenty years," said the Emperor "that I have commanded the French armies, I have not seen so much bravery and devotedness."
Europe would be tranquil if the Sovereigns and ministers who direct their Cabinets could have been present on this field of battle. They would renounce the hope of making the Star of France retrograde. They would perceive that the Counsellors for the dismemberment of France, are preparing for the ruin of their Sovereigns.London Papers
The particulars of the great battle near Leipsic, on the 2nd of May, are herein.
Both the contending parties claim the victory. The allies, however, appear subsequently, to have withdrawn to new positions. The loss was very great, and probably nearly equal on both sides. The French, at this time, have not a surplus of men and means as formerly. They have conscripted almost down to their infants; and their allies, if cordially disposed towards them, are exhausted in their finances, and rule over impoverished and dissatisfied subjects. Losses at this time must be felt with great sensibility; and such as could formerly be replaced with scarcely an effort, are now irreparable.
By the recent contest the relative forces of the belligerents are not affected; and the issue of the next battle can be predicted with no more certainty than that of the last. The changes of position by the Russians and Prussians has been pronounced unfavourable; but this remark depends on the events to establish its truth or error. If it is evidence of their inability to maintain their former position, they may still encamp where the advantages of ground may be greatly in their favour, and assist them in obtaining a victory. In all the small affairs in different places, in Leipsic, near Hamburgh, at Halle, &c. the French were opposed with great spirit.
In the official order for Te Deum at Paris for the "victory" at Lutzen, prayers are "especially directed for the preservation of the sacred person of Napoleon, whose safety is necessary to religion which he has raised up, and which he is called to re-establish.
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