^J 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



A capitulation was entered into for 

 the evacuation of the place by 

 Macdonald, which he effected on 

 thfCth, withdrawing his own corps 

 and those of Sebastiani and Arighi 

 to the left bank of the Maine. 

 Chalons-Sur-Saone was captured 

 by an Austrian force, under the 

 Prince of Hesse Honiburg, Gen. 

 Le Grand, who was assembling 

 troops there, retiring upon the road 

 to Lyons. 



Hitherto the allies had been ad- 

 vancing in a career of almost un- 

 interrupted success, and the great 

 contest was approaching to a crisis 

 which threatened ruin to tlie for- 

 tunes of the French emperor. In 

 this emergence it cannot be said 

 that he was wanting to himself, or 

 thdt he manifested any decline of 

 his former vigour and enterprize. 

 Much inferior in physical force to 

 his enemies, and faintly supported 

 by the energies of a nation which 

 he had ruled like a harsh despot, 

 but which his name still held in 

 awe, he was to make head against 

 foes who pret-sed on hira from dif- 

 ferent quarters, and by some bril- 

 liant action?, if possible, was to 

 retrieve his military reputation, and 

 avert the imi>ending danger from 

 the capital of his empire. Not able 

 to oppose an adequate resistance to 

 the advance of the allies in every 

 point at once, it was his plan to con- 

 centratehis forceat particular parts, 

 and by striking some blows suc- 

 cessively, break their communica- 

 tions and disconcert their measures. 

 Tie report from Blucher's army 

 on Feb. 8, was, that the Field- 

 marshal himself was to move for- 

 ward on that day to Etoges : that 

 Sacken was at Montmirail, with 

 his advanced parties two leagues in 

 front; Gen. D'Yorck at Chatfau- 

 Thierry ; and Gen. Kleist at Ciia- 



lons. On the 10th, Napoleon at- 

 tacked aRussian division underGen. 

 Alsutief, at Champ-aubert ; and, 

 according to the French account, 

 captured or destroyed the whole, 

 taking all their cannon and bag- 

 gage. The statement of numbers, 

 as usual, widely differs in the re- 

 lations of the opposite parties, but 

 that the stroke was severe, cannot 

 be doubted. On the 12th, the 

 French advancing againstBlucher's 

 army, were encountered by Sack- 

 en's corps and three brigades of that 

 of D'York, and a severe engage- 

 ment of several hours ensued, iii 

 which Napoleon in person com- 

 manded, at the head of his old 

 guards and other detached corps. 

 The result was, that both armies 

 retained their positions, and Napo- 

 leon, instead of returning to Mont- 

 mirail, bivouacked on the ground. 

 On the next day Sacken was at 

 Chateau-Thiery, and it appears 

 that he and D'Yorck afterwards 

 quitted that place, and retired be- 

 hind the 31arne. The French ac- 

 count of this action speaks of a 

 great capture of cannon and pri- 

 soners by the Emperor, with whom 

 the advantage evidently rested. 

 Blucher, at tliis time, was posted at 

 Bergeres, whilst Marmont, with 

 the bth French corps, had taken the 

 position of Etoges. On Feb. 13, 

 Blucher determined upon attack- 

 ing Marmont, and for that purpose 

 theadvanced guard of Kleist'scorps 

 was sent forwards ; but, on its ap- 

 proach, Marmont gradually re- 

 treated, keeping up a brisk fire, 

 and was pursued chiefly by the 

 Cossacks, beyond the village of 

 Champ-aubert. The Field-marshal 

 halted there for the night, and the 

 enemy bivouacked in front of Fro- 

 nientiers. 



On the morning of the 14th, it 



