HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



173 



and ine left was in mofion, when 

 the centre formed, and broke into 

 platoons from the left. The^e 

 measures had hardly been taken, 

 when a massive column of French 

 infantry were discovered in a bot- 

 tom, in front of Pratzcn. This 

 column was composed of the divi- 

 sions of Vandamme and St. Hi- 

 laire. 



The Russian conimandcr in chief, 

 general Koutojsoif, whom this 

 movement : f (be French had taken 

 by surprise, (thinking himself the 

 assailant, and seeing himself attack- 

 ed in the midst of his combinations) 

 felt all the importance of maintain- 

 ing the heights of Pratzen, against 

 which the enemy v,crc moving. It 

 was the summit of these heights 

 which decided the fate of the day. 

 It was the key to the position, 

 which the allied army had • just 

 quitted, and, from the confined 

 state of the diflcrcnt colum^is^ their 

 fate depended upon whoever was 

 master of this height. 



Koutousotr, on being informed 

 that the enemy was so near him, 

 gave orders for shewing liim a front, 

 and for occupying the height ; at 

 the same time, he sent for some 

 cavalry, from the column under 

 Prince John of Lichtenstein, who 

 sent him four Russian regiments. 

 IJesides the corps of Vandamme, 

 and .St. Hilaire, another body of 

 French made its appearance on the 

 right of Pratzcn, and threatened to 

 pass through the interval, between 

 the fourth column and the cavalry 

 nnder prince John of Lichtenstein. 

 This column was part of the corps 

 under marshal- Bclnadotte. The 

 Russian infantry, belonging to the 

 fourth column, now marched to the 

 right of Pratzsn, ami sent a rein- 

 forcement to the advanced guard. 



which occupied a hill in front of 

 that village. But this advanced 

 guard, being attacked by superior 

 numbers, was compelled to aban- 

 don the position. 



The Russians now made an attack, 

 but they opened their fire at too 

 great a distance, while the French 

 continued to advance without firing 

 a shot, until they came within a 

 hundred paces of the enemy : they 

 then opened a very destructive fire 

 of musketry, and having done this, 

 they formed in several lines, and 

 marched rapidly towards the height, 

 resting their left on the church of 

 the village, and their right on the 

 elevated points of the heights. Hav- 

 ing reached them, they formed in 

 an angular direction, for the pur- 

 pose of opposing the rear of the 

 third column. This was composed 

 of the brigade under general Ka- 

 minskoy, which had separated from 

 the column, and shewed a front up- 

 on the heights, menacing the right 

 flank of marshal Soult's corps. 



The allies, sensible that the fate 

 of the battle depended upon the 

 possession of the heights, made se- 

 veral efforts to dislodge the enemy. 

 The emperor Alexander, who had 

 constantly remained with the in- 

 fantry of the fourth column, dur- 

 ing this desperate confli6t, ordered 

 his battalions to advance, and try 

 to take the enemy in flank : Ge- 

 neral Kollovrrath received orders 

 to check him on the left : and two 

 regiments of Russians, who had 

 been left in reserve, upon the 

 ground occupied during the night 

 by the 2d column, to which thev 

 belonged, were ordered to reinforce 

 the brigades under general Kamins- 

 koy. 



On this occasion, the French 

 generals manceuvred their troops, 



wit!) 



