APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 3Sl 



Ino farther occasion to expose the 

 army to hazard by crossing the 

 Danube, for which no sufficient pre- 

 paration had been made, and which 

 must have been effected in the face 

 of the enemy, and under local cir- 

 cumstances of the greatest disadvan- 

 tage. By the surrender of Vienna 

 the army had also lost a point of 

 Support on which to rest its military 

 operations. 



In this situation of affairs the 

 archduke resolved to collect his 

 array at the foot of the hill Bisam- 

 berg, and allow it a few days of rest, 

 ■which, after so many forced 

 marches, it urgently wanted. The 

 cavalry, for the convenience of 

 water, was posted along the Russ, 

 a small rivulet, which is concealed 

 by ground covered with bushes ; and 

 the advanced guards pushed for- 

 ward to the Danube, in order to 

 observe the movements of the 

 enemy, and prevent his passing the 

 river, which he had already attempt- 

 ed to do from Nussdorf, to what is 

 called the Black Lake, but with so 

 little success, that a battalion of his 

 advanced guard was taken. The 

 chain of the outposts extended on 

 the left side as far as the March, 

 and on the right to Krems ; this 

 place and Presburg were occupied 

 by some battalions. 



The head-quarters of the arch- 

 duke were, on the 16th of May, at 

 Ebersdorf, near the high road lead- 

 ing to Brunn. — On the 19th theout- 

 posts reported that the enemy had 

 taken possession of the great island 

 of Lobau, within about six English 

 'miles of Vienna: that his num- 

 bers increased there every hour, and 

 that he seemed to be employed in 

 throwing a bridge across the great 

 arm oflheDanubebehind the island. 

 Froin the top of the Bisambcrg, the 

 whole of the opposite country ap- 



peared to be enveloped in a cloud 

 of dust, and the glitter of arms evin- 

 ced a general movement of troops 

 beyond Summering,towardsKaiser- 

 Ebersdorf, whither, according to 

 later accounts, the emperor Napo- 

 leon had removed his head-quarters, 

 and was by his presence hastening 

 and promoting the preparations for 

 passing the river. On the following 

 morning, at day-break, the arch- 

 duke resolved to reconnoitre the 

 island, and employ for this purpose, 

 part of the advanced guard, under 

 the command of field-marshal lieu- 

 tenant count Klenau, supported by 

 some regiments of cavalry. — The 

 isle of Lobau forms a convenient 

 place of arms, which is about six 

 English miles long, and four and a 

 half broad, and being separated by 

 the large arm of the Danube from 

 the right bank, nothing prevents the 

 building of a bridge, v/hich is con- 

 cealed by ground covered with 

 bushes; and the great extent of the 

 island affords iheadvantage of send- 

 ing troops and ordnance from so 

 many points of it, that the passage 

 across the smaller arm to the large 

 plain of Marchfield, may be made 

 good by force of arms. — It wassoon 

 perceived by the strength of the 

 enemy's columns which advanced 

 upon the island, and placed their 

 cannon so as to support the second 

 passage, that he meditated a serious 

 attack. The advanced guard sus- 

 tained a tolerably warm engage- 

 ment, and the cavalry routed the 

 first division of the enemy, which 

 debouched from the low grounds 

 on the edge of the river, late in the 

 evening; upon which the arch- 

 duke, whose intention was not to 

 prevent the passage of the enemy, 

 but to attack him the following day, 

 retreated with hiscavalryto Ander- 

 klaa, and ordered the advanced 



troops 



