GENERAL HISTORY. 



[13 



and a few Viouses only separating 

 the combatants. The contest was 

 sanguinary, and the loss of the 

 Russians is stated to have been 

 more than a thousand in killed and 

 wounded. Napoleon in the mean 

 time was descried moving to his 

 right ; and on the forenoon of the 

 6th, he effected his passaue of the 

 Aisne ; and at two in the afternoon, 

 commenced an attack on the left 

 of Biucher's position at Craone. 

 Strong columns were observed at 

 the same time marching by Cor- 

 beny towards Laon. The Field- 

 marshal made proper dispositions 

 to secure Laon and cover the com- 

 munication with that city, and at 

 the same time to support that part 

 of the position which was threat- 

 ened. The enemy was repulsed, 

 and the firing ceased with the day- 

 On the morning of the 7th, it was 

 ascertamed that the French had 

 de>isted from their march to Laon, 

 and their further intentions were 

 not clearly discoverable. About 

 eleven in the forenoon, however, 

 they began an attack with their 

 whole force against the point where 

 Winzingerode's infantry was post- 

 ed. A very severe action ensued, 

 the result of which was, that Gen. 

 Sacken found it necessary to exe- 

 cute that part of the disposition 

 which provided for the retreat of 

 the army towards Laon. This was 

 effected with great order, not even 

 a single dismounted gun being left 

 in the enemy's possession. The 

 lossin killed and wounded was, how- 

 ever, considerable ; and that of the 

 French could scarcely be inferior, 

 from the admirable manneriuwhich 

 the Russian artillery was served. 



On March 9, Napoleon with his 

 concentrated forceattacked Blucher 

 in hia position at Laon, where the 



elevated ground on which the city 

 is situated was occupied by the 

 corps of Gen. Bulow, whilst the 

 remainder of the Field-marshal's 

 army was posted on the plain below, 

 to the right and left of the town. 

 Before day-light the French ad- 

 vanced under cover of a thick fog, 

 and obtained possession of two vil- 

 lages which may be regarded as the 

 suburbs of the place. When the 

 fog cleared up they were observed 

 to be in force behind the villages, 

 with columns of infantry and ca- 

 valry on the causeway towards 

 Soissons. They were soon repulsed 

 from the nearest villages, and Blu- 

 cher ordered the cavalry from the 

 rear to advance and turn their left 

 flank, whilst a part of Bulow's 

 corps was ordered to drive them 

 from the other village. During 

 these operations, about two in the 

 afternoon, a column of the enemy, 

 consisting of sixteen battalions of 

 infantry, with cavalry and cannon, 

 was descried advancing along the 

 causeway from Rheims. General 

 D'Yorck, with Sacken to support 

 him, were directed to oppose them, 

 and here the battle became most 

 general and decisive. The French 

 opened a battery of forty or fifty 

 pieces of artillery, and were con 

 fidently moving forward on a pas 

 de charge, when they were met by 

 Prince William of Prussia, and 

 overthrown. Their retreat soon 

 became a flight, in which they lost 

 baggage, cannon, and prisoners. 

 The pursuit continued as far as 

 Corbeny. On the right, no other 

 advantages were gained than the 

 expulsion of the French from the 

 villages. The attack on the right 

 was renewed on the next day, the 

 loth, and continued during the 

 whole of it. The French at one 



