The Bath Archives

14 June 1800

Battle of Marengo

VOL, II. K

signing, which owing in some measure to Lord Cathcart*s leisurely mode of transacting business, has been delayed till now, has taken place on the anni- versary of the battles of Marengo and Friedland.

7–8 February 1807 (26–27 January Old Style)

Battle of Eylau

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" This he repeated the next day at Tylbetzch, near Halle, in the presence of Baron Wilderstedt and General Aldercrantz, who have always expressed themselves as most loyal and devoted to the cause. The I^rince next observed that * I wanted him to make a march with his flank to the enemy, as had been done at the battle of Eylau/

20–21 May 1813

Battle of Bautzen

PAOI

Bautzen. Quartered at the

F.J.J.

It is much to be regretted, that Marshal Prince Kutusow is in so bad a state of health that he was left behind at Bautzen, and it seems doubtful whether he will be able to resume the command. In this case, it will devolve upon Wittgenstein.

F.J.J.

Meanwhile, we are in a most comfortaJble state of bustle, disquietude and uncertainty ; un pied dans VetrieTj ready to start at a moment's warning for Bautzen and eventually, Breslau— the only road likely to be open to us. The town exhibits an

F.J.J.

Bautzen^ 1 1 p.m. At a little before ten this morning

26–27 August 1813

Battle of Dresden

CONTENTS.

Bonaparte leayes Dresden with the King and Boyal Family of Saxony 296

CONTENTS.

Accounts from the battle-field. Allies repulsed at Dresden • 308

F. J. J.

the Office for the purpose of entering en moHere with Lord C. and his man Cooke, but everybody was so busy with the Princess's affaire that more particular conversation was put oflF till to-day. They now talk of not being able to despatch me for seven or eight dayB. In the interval, events, which do indeed keep pace with our most sanguine expectations, have occasioned an alteration in the plans of our Govern- ment. Something had come in in the night that occasioned the sort of hesitation and demur I noticed yesterday, but could not well account for. But this morning there has been an arrival from Heligoland, announcing that a vessel had come there from the Elbe with the news that Beauhamois had been defeated on the Oder, and that, in consequence, the allied forces, part of which is composed of d'Yorck's corps, had entered Berlin, Dresden and Hamburg. The general belief is, that the King of Prussia has declared for the Allies, but it is doubtful whether he has actually done so. There is, however, no doubt at all of the governor of Colberg having isent word that he holds that fortress only for the interests of the Allies, and is ready to receive succour for them ; that he knows that the Eang of Prussia's pro- clamation is about to appear, when there will be a hundred and twenty thousand men — ^Prussians — ready to fight against the French.

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M. de Eapatel, Moreau's aide-de-camp, drank tea with us. He told me that Moreau's letter, and his own announcing the G-eneral's death, were sent to England enclosed in one to my brother, that he might break the sad intelligence to Madame Moreau. The Emperor Alexander has made very handsome offers of provi- ding for her and her child, if she should choose to settle at St. Petersburg. Moreau s letter was as follows :• — *' Jtfa cfihre amie — A la bataille de Dresde, il y a trois jomrs^ fai eu lea deux jarnbes emporUes d^un boukt de canon. Ce coquin de Bonaparte est toujours heureux. On rn^a fait ramputation aussi bien qxAxl est possible. Quoique Farmee s^est fait un mouvement rStro- grade ce rCest ntdlementpas revers mais pour sapprocher h GinSral BlUcher. Excuse mon griffonnage — -je taime et je iembrasse de tout mon cceur. Je charge Rapatel de finir^ Kapatel assures me that, so far from G^ene^al Moreau having advised the attack on

16–19 October 1813

Battle of Leipzig

VOL. II. T

1 %th. — I was up early, in order to be ready for a start before breakfast. A message was brought me from the Chancellor, to say that no further intelli- gence having been received, he considered it a good sign, and was, accordingly, getting ojBF for Chemnitz. Not half an hour later, a second message was brought — "His Excellency begged I would go to him im- mediately .'^ — I lost no time in doing so. When I entered his room I found him, the minister Alten- stein, and M. de Hilppel all busily engaged in writing. The Chancellor put a letter into my hands, containing an account of the success of the allied army in a great and general battle which had been fought yesterday near Leipzig, and which was still going on most favourably when the courier left the field at 4 p.m.

P. J. J.

I confess I was never sanguine enough to expect we should get thus &r, and what is more, I am bold to say it is further than, from what we have done, we ought to have got. But Bonaparte, since the re- conmiencement of hostilities, has shown himself altogether an altered man. We shall see what he will do next. If before the battle of Leipzig he wanted two hundred and eighty thousand men, what number will he now call for? And a still- more in- teresting question is, how such a demand, already no very popular one, will be received. I know but

VOL. II. 2 A

Some French papers give us a garbled account of the opening of parliament. We were all very curious to know whether the news of the victory of Leipzig was in time for the Speech. The above papers of course say nothing about it ; but as Captain James sailed from Gothenberg on the 28th and the dupli- cates we know reached Heligoland in safety, it will be very unlucky if it did not. If I had been the bearer of such glorious news, I think I should, even then, have made a push and tried for the rivers.

VOL. II. 2 A

We hear that letters and papers to the 9th, full of illuminations and rejoicings for the battle of Leipzig, are at Bremerlohe — so we are looking out anxiously for a messenger.

16 June 1815

Battle of Ligny

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ten the next morning to direct the action that took place between Ligny and Quatre Bras.

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The battle began at three in the afternoon, the enemy's first point of attack being the village of St. Amand, which after a vigorous resistance he got possession of. He then attacked Ligny, a large substantial village built along the banks of the small river of that name, and where as desperate a battle as any recorded in history has been fought. For

VOL. 11. 2 I

five hours it raged without intermission, the troops on both sides fighting furiously in the village itself, the narrowness of which afforded little space to fall back or advance. The combat, however, was sustained by continually bringing forward fresh masses of troops from the reserves that each army had in its rear, and on the heighte to the right and lefc Ligny w« in flames in several places, and on either side a hundred or more cannon were pointed against it.

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A part of the village of St. Amand was retaken, but this had but little effect on the fortunes of the day ; for the heat of the battle was still at Ligny, and as night was drawing on, the -only chance for the Prussians was the arrival of their fourth corps (Taring or the expected succour from Wellington's army. Taking advantage of the approaching dark- ness, a column of the enemy made the tour of the village unperceived, and attacked le gros de TarmSe in the rear, whilst some regiments of cuirassiers forced a passage on the other side. This surprise was decisive. The Prussians retired to the heights, whence they retreated in good order on Tilly. In the night, the fourth corps darmSe under Biilow arrived at Gembloux, and information was received of the expected English division having been vigorously attacked by a French corps, and that it had with difficulty maintained its position at Les Quatre Bras. In this engagement the valiant Duke of Brunswick fell, pierced by a ball through the breast, while leading an attack of cavalry.