8] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, ISlt. 



according to the language of the 

 French papers, it was \n a few days 

 in the condition of aiarching to 

 renew its connection with the 

 grand army. In the mean time 

 fclen. Winzmgerode had carried by 

 assault the town of Soissons, in 

 which he made prisoners of two 

 generals and about three thousand 

 men, and took thirteen pieces of 

 cannon. He moved thence to 

 Rheims, from which it was his in- 

 tention to join Blucher at Chalons. 

 While these events were taking- 

 place upon and near the Marne, 

 Prince Schvvartzenberg was co- 

 operating with tlie army of Silesia, 

 by an advance uj)on Paris in the 

 direction of the Seine. On Feb. 

 11, the Prince Royal of Wurtem- 

 berg summoned the commandant 

 of Sens to surrender, and upon his 

 refusal, forced the barricades, and 

 entered the place. He then di- 

 rected his force on Pont-sur-Yonne, 

 whence he marched to Bray. Count 

 Hardegg, on the 9i.li, attacked the 

 rear of the enemy between Ro- 

 milly and St. Hillaire, and drove 

 it with some loss towards Nogent. 

 Schwartzmberg having on the 

 next day retomioitered Nogent, 

 directed another attack upon this 

 reai'-guard, in consequence of 

 which it was obliged to retire into 

 the town, and Hardegg pursuing 

 the enemy thither, est;iblished Iiim- 

 helf in a part of the place. Witt- 

 genstein having been directed to 

 assemble his corps near Pont-sur- 

 Seine, and Wrede to advance from 

 Kogent towards lira}, the enemy 

 abandoned the left bank of the 

 Seine, and destroyed the bridges 

 over that river. Schwartzenberg 

 then determined to push these 

 corps, and that of the Prince of 

 Wurtemberg, to Provins and Vil- 

 Jeiuix, ready to advance, if neces- 



sary, ujion Napoleon's rear, or to 

 protect the movemenis of that part 

 of the army which v.as to act ou 

 the left of the Seine, towards Fon- 

 tainbleau. On the ICtli, the Aus- 

 trian corps under Hardegg and 

 Thurn, and the Cossacks olPlaloii', 

 had succeeded in reducing Fon- 

 tainbleau, where they took a gene- 

 ral, some cannon, and prisoners. 

 But the allied arms on this side 

 also were now to experience a re- 

 verse. Napoleon having succeeded 

 in driving back Blucher, in pur- 

 suance of his plan, turned his force 

 against Schvvarlzenberg ; and on 

 Feb. 17 fell with a large body of 

 cavalry upon the advanced guard 

 of Wittgenstein's corps, which 

 was posted at Nangis, under tiie 

 command of Count Pahlen. The 

 result of the action was, that this 

 advanced guard was beaten back 

 with a considerable loss of men and 

 artillery ; and in consequence, 

 Schwartzenberg thought it pru- 

 dent to withdraw the greater part 

 of his army across the Seine. He 

 still, however, kept possession of 

 the bridges over tl-it river at Mon- 

 tereau. Bray, and Nogent. On the 

 18th, tlie two former posts were 

 vigorously attacked, but without 

 effect ; and th.e Prince of Wurtem- 

 berg, wiio commanded at flion- 

 tereaii, not only repulsed three at- 

 tacks, but took prisoners and can- 

 non. Late in the evening, how- 

 ever, the enemy renewed the as- 

 sault with such an augmented force, 

 that the prince was driven across 

 the river, and so closely pressed, 

 that he had not time to destroy tlie 

 bridge. He retreated towards 

 Bray, and a considerable part of 

 the French force passed the river 

 after him. The final result was, 

 that Schwartzenberg withdrew the 

 grand army from its positions on 



