U] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814- 



CHAPTER If. 



Napoleoii's Attempt to recover Soissons. — His Attack upon Blucher at 

 (Jraone. — The latter retreats to Laon and is there attacked. — French 

 repulsed. — Rheitns taken by the Russians and recovered by Napoleon. — 

 Schivartzenberg's Army at Arcis-sur-Aube . — Arcis taken by the Prince 

 of Wurtemberg. — Negociations at Chattillon broken off. — Lord Wel- 

 lington advances to Orthes. — Carries the French Positions, and passes 

 the Adour. — Citadel of Bay onne invested. — French retreat towards 

 Tarbes. — Marshal Beresford enters Bourdeaux, where the White 

 Cockade is hoisted, and the Duke of Angouleme is received. — French 

 driven from Tarbes. — Actions near Vitry. — Napoleon pushes bettveen 

 the Allied Armies — Thei/ unite and advance towards Paris. — French 

 defeated at Fere Champenoise.— Convoy taken. — Advance of the Allies. 

 — Marmont and Mortier enter Paris. — Force there. — Position of the 

 Allies before the Capital. — Schwartzenberg's Address to the Parisians. 

 — French march otit. — Attacked at Belleville, ^c. by the Allies. — 

 Armistice and Capitulation of Paris. — Entrance of the Allied Sove- 

 reigns. — Their Declaration. — Decrees of the French Senate. — Trans- 

 acliuns of Napoleon. — His Abdication. — Conditions. — State of the 

 French Nation. — Provisional Government, and French Constitution, 

 — Monsieur enters Paris. — Lord Wellington advances to Toulouse.— 

 Battle there. — Suspension of Hostilities. — Sortie from Bayonne. — 

 Transactions at Paris. — Decree of Monsieur. — Buonaparte^ s Depar- 

 ture from Fontainbleau. — Louis XVIII. lands in France. 



"Vl^E left Napoleon making a come up, determined onan attempt 

 " ' second advance against the to recover Soissons, which was de- 

 army commanded by Marshal Blu- fended by 10,000 Russian infantry 

 cher, the antagonist whose spirit of Langeron's corps. The attack 

 and enterprise appear to have ren- was made soon after day-light ; 

 dered him peculiarly an object of the French gained possession of the 

 alarm. This army effected its greatest part of the suburbs, and 

 junction with the corps of Win- twice assailed the town itself on 

 zingerode and Bulow, at Soissons, opposite sides with heavy columns, 

 on the evening of J/arch 3 ; and supported by the divisions of Mar- 

 the Field-marshal took a position mont and Mortier. They were 

 to the left, and in the rear of Sois- both times repulsed, but still re» 

 sons, with his right on the village tained possession of the suburbs, 

 ofLaffaux,and his left near Craone. whence they maintained a constant 

 On the 5th, Napoleon, with the fire till night on the troops posted 

 whole of his guards, the corps of on the walls of the town, the 

 Marmont and Mortier, and a con- Russians at the same time keep- 

 siderable body of cavalry, having ing another part of the suburbs. 



