19g 
light troops of the centre began the 
action by opening a brisk fire on 
the Prussians, which drove them 
from their advanced positions, and 
enabled the French line to extend 
itself on the plain, and draw up in 
order of battle. The Prussian left, 
amounting to about 50,000 men, 
were dispatched early in the morn- 
ing towards Naumburg, to take 
possession of the impregnable defiles 
of Koesen ; but these were already 
‘occupied by Davoust, whom they 
attacked eleven times successively, 
but in vain attempted to dislodge. 
Their centre, consisting of 80,000 
men, was opposed to the French 
centre at Jena; and these were the 
only two divisions of their army en- 
gaged in the heat of the action. 
Their right, under general Ruchel, 
amounting to 12,000 men, did not 
come up till their centre was 
broken and thrown into disorder ; 
and their rear guard, (formerly their 
vanguard), commanded by the duke 
of Saxe Weimar, was still at Mei- 
nungen, 30 miles distant from the 
field of battle. A thick fog obseured 
the early part of the day; and when 
it cleared up, the two armies beheld 
each other at the distance of less 
than cannon shot. The action be- 
gan by some French _ battalions 
taking possession of a small village, 
from which’ the Prussians attempted 
to dislodge them.. Lannes advanced 
to support his countrymen, and 
~Soult to get possession of a wood 
upon his_ right occupied by the 
enemy. Another body of Prussians 
having made‘a movement upon the 
French left, Augereau put his troops 
in motion to repulse them, In less 
than an hour the action became ge- 
neral. ‘Two hundred and fifty or 
three hundred thousand men with 
seven or eight hundred pieces of 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
artillery, scattered death in every 
direction, and exhibited one of the 
most awful scenes ever beheld. 
‘The Prussian infantry behaved with 
courage and firmness ; but their ca- 
valry, worn out, fatigued, and dis- 
heartened, maintained not its antient 
reputation. The French cavalry 
charged with the greatest spirit and 
boldness; and their artillery per- 
formed wonders. The most cou- 
rageous soldiers could not approach 
without trembling the shower of 
balls that preceded the march of 
their columns. Both armies ma- 
nouvred with the same exactness as 
on a field day, but the rapidity of 
the French evolutions astonished 
and disconcerted the Prussians. 
Soult having got possession of the 
wood, after a combat of two hours, 
pressed forward ; and, at the same 
instant, the French reserve, both 
cavalry and infantry, advanced to 
the front line, which, being thus 
Strengthened, threw the Prussians 
into disorder, and forced them to 
retire. They rallied, however, and 
returned to the action, which they 
maintained for about an hour; but 
they were again thrown into confu- 
sion by the advance of the second 
French reserve, composed of the 
dragoons and cuirassiers under the 
command of the grand duke of Berg. 
The charge of this body of horse, at 
the conclusion of the day, was ir- 
resistible. Neither cavalry nor 
infantry could withstand the shock, 
In vain did the Prussians form them- 
selves into square battalions: their 
ranks were broken ; artillery, ca- 
valry, infantry, all were put to rout. 
The French reached Weimar as soon 
their fugitive enemies. 
While the Prussian centre and 
right were thus completely defeated, 
their left, repulsed by Davoust in its 
repeated 
