iietery. 
A. D. 1807. 
surrender 
ef Dantzic. 
648 
upwards of 60,000 troops; and Bonaparte ordered 
strong reinforcements from France and 6 
In the mean time, the siege of Dantzic was prosecu- 
ted with great vigour, anc it was obstinately defended. 
consisted of 16,000 men, On the 24th 
The garrison 
of April the bombardment ; and in one night 
three attempts were made by French to gain the 
citadel, but they were ineffectual. As the relief of this 
place was an object of great importance to the allies, 
they resolved to attempt it: the Russians first advan- 
ced for that purpose, but they failed, and suffered a very 
severe loss. The Prussians next endeavoured to pene- 
trate to Dantzic, but they were soon obliged to abandon 
their en i ap recta! pw boca ray ing a 
ing prepared for the assault, the governor, (his garrison 
bein reduced to 9000 men and there hang no hope 
of relief,) agreed to surrender. This conquest was of 
great importance to Bonaparte, as Dantzic strengthen- 
ed the left wing of his army, while the centre was ’sup- 
ported by Thorn, and the right = Praga. 
As Bonaparte found that the forces of Russia were 
more formidable than he expected, he endeavoured to 
reduce the number of his enemies, by detaching Swe- 
den from the allies ; but not succeeding, the war against 
that power was carried on in Pomerania with such vi- 
gour and effect, that the Swedish general to an 
armistice, which, however, was to be submitted to his 
Swedish Majesty. He did not approve of it, and-re- 
solved to take the command of the army himself. As 
soon as he landed in Pomerania, he directed his thoughts 
to the fortifications of Stralsund, which the French 
were at that time besieging. His army consisted of 
about $0,000 Swedes, and 4000 Prussians. But we 
must suspend our account of his operations, till we 
bring the nartation of the contest between the French 
and Russians to a close. ; 
Bonaparte, after the battle of Eylau, and the fall of 
Dantzic, resolved to his positions, that he 
might be able to resist the attack of Russians, who 
now seemed di to become the assailants. On the 
5th of June, the Russians did attack them, and gained 
some advantages. On the 8th, Bonaparte arrived and 
took the command. He immediately ordered an attempt 
to be made to recover the positions they had lost ; the 
French were successful, and not only regained their po- 
sitions, but forced the Russians to fall back. From the 
5th to the 12th of the month, there had been constant 
engagements, in which the loss was very considerable 
on each side, On the 138th, Bonaparte had pushed the 
Russians back to Friedland. Here, on the 14th, the 
anniversary of the battle of Marengo, he determined to 
attack them. The battle lasted from five in the morn- 
ing till seven at night, At the close of the day, near- 
ly all the French force fell on the centre of the Rus- 
sians: It gave way, and they lost the battle. Their 
loss was very great, and they were pursued as far as the 
Niemen, where they were joined by large reinforce- 
ments from Russia. In ey ee of this, the Rus- 
sian general resolved to hazard another battle, and cros- 
sing the Niemen, stationed his army on a great plain to 
the right of the town of Tilsit, The fall of Konin 
was the immediate consequence of the battle of Fried- 
land, the garrison evacuating it, and joining the Russian 
army. 
While Bonaparte was advancing towards ‘Tilsit, an 
overture was made by the Russian general Bennin 
to the Duke of Berg, for an armistice, On the 22d of 
June, it was oapad ; and, on the 24th, an interview 
took place between Bonaparte and the Emperor of Rus- 
4 
dered to be assembled at Bayonne. 
FRANCE. 
sia, on a raft on the 
betw 
formed out of the provinces conquered. i 
the head of which Jerome was to be Fi 
the kings of Holland and Naples, ; 
of the Rhine, were acknowledged; and ia 
Prussia agreed i i 
peek aA ee Waa dope weak | 
vourite object of Bonaparte, by means of which, and 
the exclusion of British commerce i 
he foolishly hoped to reduce Britain to a compliance 
with his terms. i guts 
The of Tilsit was not immediately followed by 
the cessation of meee Vath er ee 
but as Bonaparte now no other enemy against 
whom to direct the immense force he 
north of Europe, it was not to be expected th: 
could long resist him. The King of Sweden finding 
that his ~ ‘now for the defence of Pomerania were una- 
coast. 4) LRh wit tote 
During the absence of from France, a mes- 
sage was communicated to the'senate in the month of 
March, stating, that it was to anti the 
conscription of 1808 ; but that the conscripts would be 
permitted to remain in France for six months, to be 
trained and disciplined, after which would be lia- 
Nie toihe Cle) ae eres is is the first 
instance of the anticipation e conscription, a mea- 
sure which was afterwards frequently resorted to, Ve- 
soon after Bon “s return to Paris, he addressed 
the legislative body and the tribunate on the situation of 
the empire, the conquests which France had atchieved, 
and his desire for a maritime peace. This a Ty 
As the Dutch bore impatiently the loss of their com- 
merce, and as Louis was disposed to commiserate.them, 
Bonaparte obliged him to issue very severe decrees 
against the introduction of British goods ; and in order 
to shew to the world what a mere puppet of a king Se 
was, the strong fortresses of the Maese, the great 
warks of ‘Holland within 
the limits of the latter. He next 
sion of Portugal, and an army « 
against France, were taken with 
40,000 ‘was or- 
This, however, was 
for the present productive of no \ ree pore <3 
= wing m the Prince Regent of Portugal to’ 
razils. ; a 
Although pam ty had long shewn himself 
the willing instrument of parte, and the resoure 
of that country were entirely at his mee BF Ft 
he had proved his devotion in such a dr ' 
to himself, by engaging in a war with Britain, that had 
nearly comp the ruin of his ki »—yet Bona- 
The ambition of. his 
Tuteca not content. of ) 
and relations on the thrones of Europe had 
seized him; and though Joseph Bonaparte was made 
king of Naples, yet he resolved to remove him to Spain, 
and place Murat, who me —— his 
lace. His designs on Spain had another object. While 
ns remained under her" imbecile government, 
that government was sufficiently sed to act. 
his guidance, yet the resources of the kingdom were in 
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