330

BATTLE OF BAUTZEN.

[CHAP. LXV order, unpursued by the enemy. This result was chiefly owing Napoleon's deficiency in cavalry, while the allies were very stro in that arm. In this battle, General Scharnhorst was morta

wounded.

The allies retreating in two columns, crossed the Elbe, May 7 the Russians at Dresden, the Prussians at Meissen, and ag formed a junction at Bautzen. Here they took up a strong positi and having received large reinforcements, determined to aw another battle. The French entered Dresden, May 8th, wi Napoleon halted awhile to refresh his army, and to conduct s negotiations. He caused an imperious letter to be written to 1 King of Saxony, by which that Sovereign was required to dir General Thielmann, the Saxon commandant at Torgau, to deliv that fortress to the French, and to join the corps of General Re nier; also, to send all the Saxon cavalry to Dresden, and to decl in a letter to the Emperor that he still remained a member of: Confederation of the Rhine. Frederick Augustus was allowed of six hours to consider of these demands, when, if he did not comp he would be declared a traitor (flon), and would cease to re Such was the style in which Napoleon treated his tributary Prine Frederick Augustus obeyed the despot's mandate, and returned his capital, May 12th. Napoleon declared that he would sp Saxony; but it became, in fact, the chief theatre of the war, a during six months had to support near half a million soldie Thielmann, who had refused to surrender Torgau at the summ of Napoleon, having received an order to that effect from Sovereign, abandoned the Saxon service for that of Russia.

Napoleon, during his sojourn at Dresden, also attempted a ne tiation with the Emperor Alexander. Alarmed at the attitude Austria, as an armed mediator, he was prepared to make importa sacrifices to Russia in order to come to an understanding with t Power; in which case his father-in-law would be at his mer His chief motive for this step was the want of cavalry, whi hampered all his operations; otherwise, he observed, he should 1 have proposed an armistice. He sent to the allied outposts inquire whether the Duke of Vicenza would be received as a neg tiator; but the application was refused, and it therefore becar necessary to fight.

The allies had profited by Napoleon's delay of ten days Dresden to strengthen their position at BAUTZEN with field-work Their left, under Wittgenstein, rested on the mountains of Boh

1 Garden, t. xiv. p. 393 sqq.

mia; their right, commanded by Blücher, was covered by the Spree and the little town of Bautzen. Their whole army, which Alexander commanded in person, numbered 96,000 men, of which 68,000 were Russians. The French army consisted of about 148,000 men. Napoleon attacked the allies, May 20th and 21st. On the first day the French carried the town of Bautzen; on the next day Napoleon broke the allied centre, and compelled them to retreat. A movement of Ney's contributed much to the victory. He had been detached with a strong corps, apparently against Berlin, but suddenly retraced his steps, and fell upon the right of the allies. Covered by their numerous cavalry, the allies retired in good order towards Lauban and Görlitz, leaving to Napoleon the feld of battle, strewn with 50,000 bodies. The French attacked the Russian rear-guard at Reichenbach, May 22nd, but were terribly maltreated and lost several guns. A few days after, Wittgenstein was superseded in the chief command by Barclay de Tolly. The allies, instead of proceeding to Breslau, struck to the right towards Schweidnitz, and formed an entrenched camp at Pulzen, May 29th. Napoleon, on the other hand, pushed on to Breslau, which he entered June 1st; an advance which somewhat endangered his base of operations. In the north of Germany, the French and Danes under Davoust recovered Hamburg, May 30th, and took a terrible vengeance for their expulsion, by driving out 48,000 of the inhabitants, and razing 8,000 houses. In conformity with the orders of Napoleon, a regular reign of terror was now inaugurated, combined with systematic pillage, including that of the bank. Lübeck, which was entered by the French June 3rd, was treated in the same manner.

After the battle of Bautzen, Napoleon renewed the attempt at negotiation, and an armistice was concluded at the village of PorSCHWITZ, near Jauer, June 4th. The armistice was to last till July 20th, with six days' notice of its termination. Napoleon now returned to Dresden and employed the interval in preparing the plan of the ensuing campaign, which was calculated on the no longer doubtful accession of Austria to the allies. England took an active part in organizing the Fifth Coalition. Lord Cathcart, the English Ambassador to the Court of St. Petersburg, and Sir Charles Stuart, brother of Lord Castlereagh, accredited to the Court of Berlin, both which Ministers followed the movements of the allied armies, concluded treaties with Russia and Prussia at Reichenbach. By that with Prussia, signed June 14th, Great Britain agreed to pay a subsidy of 666,6661. sterling for the

332

FIFTH COALITION.

[CHAP. LXVI maintenance of 80,000 men during the remaining six months the year. If the allied arms should prove successful, the King Prussia was to be reinstated in the dominions which he had possessi before the war of 1806. Frederick William III. on his side e gaged to cede the bishopric of Hildesheim and some other ter tories to Hanover. By the Treaty with Russia, June 15th, tỉ Emperor Alexander agreed to keep in the field an army of 160,0 men, for which he was to receive from the British Governme the sum of 1,333,3341. to January 1st, 1814. It was also agre to issue five millions sterling in notes, called federate mon guaranteed by Great Britain, Russia, and Prussia, of which Russ was to dispose of two-thirds, and Prussia of the remainder.' this time, while Austria was offering her mediation for the 1 storation of a continental peace, she was negotiating with t allies; and the Austrian plenipotentiaries were consulted about t plan of the future campaign.

These negotiations were to be kept secret; but Napoleon learn them all, and in a violent scene with Count Metternich, wh: the Cabinet of Vienna had sent to Dresden to propose a pea Congress, he accused that Minister of receiving bribes from En land. It was, however, agreed that a Congress should assem at Prague, July 5th, under Austrian mediation, and the armisti was prolonged to August 10th. None of the parties, howev were in earnest in this matter; they were only seeking to ga time. The Congress did not assemble till July 26th, when or a fortnight remained unexpired of the term agreed upon for t armistice. Meanwhile Russia, Austria, and Prussia had conclud an eventual treaty of alliance at Trachenberg, afterwards cc verted into a definitive one by the Treaty of Töplitz, Septemb 9th, had arranged a plan of campaign, and appointed Prin Schwarzenberg commander-in-chief. During this period Nap leon, on his side, concluded a treaty of alliance with Denmar July 10th.3

Many symptoms seemed to betoken Napoleon's approaching fa Discontent prevailed in France, where the Legitimists were aga active; Jourdan had been completely defeated by Wellington Vittoria; the King of Naples was treacherously negotiating wi Austria and England. Nevertheless, though Napoleon was awa of Murat's conduct, he was again summoned to take the comman of the French cavalry. That force had now been increased t 2 Martens, N. Rec. pp. 596, 600.

1 Koch et Schöll, t. x. p. 254 sq.

3 Garden, t. xiv. p. 412.

40,000 men, and Napoleon relied only on Murat for the command of large bodies of horse. The allied armies, since the junction of Austria, were much superior in number to the French. The main body, under Prince Schwarzenberg, stationed on the Eger in Bohemia, and composed of Austrians, Russians, and Prussians, comprised about 237,000 men, with 698 guns. The army in the March of Brandenburg, composed of Swedes, Russians, and Prussians, and commanded by Bernadotte, numbered upwards of 150,000 men with 387 guns. Blücher's army in Silesia consisted

of about 95,000 Prussians and Russians, with 356 guns. It must be remembered, however, that a considerable part of these forces was engaged in blockades and sieges. The Austrians had besides upwards of 24,000 men, and 42 guns on the frontiers of Bavaria; 50,000 men and 120 guns in Italy; and a reserve of about 50,000 men between Vienna and Pressburg. The Russian army of

reserve in Poland numbered more than 57,000 men. The estimates of Napoleon's armies vary, but there can be no doubt that they were considerably inferior in number to those of the allies. He himself, however, had been reckoned as equivalent to 100,000 men.

Napoleon opened the campaign by despatching Oudinot with 80,000 men against Bernadotte in Brandenburg. On August 23rd, Oudinot, who had been rather too slow in his movements, engaged Bulow's Prussian corps at GROSS BEEREN; when, towards the end of the action, the Swedes came up, and the French were entirely defeated with the loss of 26 guns, 1,500 prisoners, and a great deal of baggage. Napoleon himself marched against Blücher in Silesia, imagining that he could dispose of that General before attacking the main body of the allies. As the French had violated the armistice by levying contributions in neutral districts, Blücher had also advanced before the term agreed upon had expired, had occupied Breslau August 14th, and driven the French over the Bober. According to a preconcerted plan, Blücher retreated on the approach of Napoleon with his guards; and as the main body of the allies had begun to debouch from Bohemia into Saxony by the left bank of the Elbe, Napoleon was compelled to hasten back to the defence of Dresden. No sooner was he gone than Blücher attacked the French under Macdonald on the KATZBACH, August 26th, and gained a decisive victory, capturing 18,000 prisoners, 103 guns, 2 eagles, and a great quantity of baggage wagons.

The advance of the allied army upon Dresden is said to have been counselled by Moreau, who had arrived at the headquarters

334

BAVARIA JOINS THE COALITION.

[CHAP. LX at Prague, August 16th. The van of the allies arrived before: city on the 25th. Had an assault been immediately delivere might probably have succeeded, as Napoleon was still absent his best troops. But it was deemed advisable to wait till r troops had come up, and meanwhile Napoleon re-entered Dre on the morning of the 26th, having, it is said, marched more eighty miles in three days. The attack of the allies was repu and next day they were defeated with great loss, including 18 prisoners. In this battle Moreau was killed by a cannon-bal the heights, about two miles from the town. Murat and damme followed the allies in their retreat to Bohemia, which effected in good order, being covered by the Russian Ger Ostermann. Vandamme, relying on being supported by Napol prolonged his pursuit too far. Ostermann, who had been reinfo by an Austrian corps, defeated him at Kulm, August 30th, w instead of the expected aid, he found a Prussian corps in his At Nollendorf, his division, which consisted of about 30 men, was entirely surrounded and routed, and two thirds either killed or captured. Among the prisoners was Vandal himself.

In the north, Ney, who had assumed the command of Oudi division, began from Wittemberg a march upon Berlin, Sep ber 5th, but was defeated at Dennewitz the following da Bernadotte. The French lost on the 6th and 7th 15,000 killed, wounded, and captured, 80 guns, and 400 bag: waggons. In spite of these reverses Napoleon continue maintain his position at Dresden till October, making occasi attacks in the direction either of Bohemia or Silesia. But situation began to be highly critical. His German troops v deserting his standards by whole regiments. Maximilian 1 Bavaria joined the allies October 1st, by the Treaty of Re a secession caused not by Maximilian's own feelings, but by demonstrations of his subjects. By this treaty he agreed to up Tyrol; but he was to be indemnified at the future pacificatio: what cessions he might be called upon to make. He was tol 36,000 men in the field. The Bavarian general Wrede, 1 forced with an Austrian corps of 20,000 men, now mart towards the Rhine. In the north, the allies had got into Ni leon's rear. Tschernitscheff, Tettenborn, Platoff and o generals made incursions as far as Cassel and Bremen, fell u isolated French corps, and compelled the King of Westphali

1 Koch et Schöll, t. x. p. 294 sqq.