F R A 
that if the emperor Alexander, being in the neighbour¬ 
hood, would ratify the convention, lie was ready, on liis 
part, to do the fame. 
Much of myftery, however, feems to be attached to 
this affair at Holbrunn ; and^there muft have been un. 
queftionably fome mifunderftanding between the leaders 
of the Auftrian and Ruffian armies. The following offi¬ 
cial account of it was puhlifhed by prince Dolgorucki, 
adjutant-general of the Ruffian army : 
“ Having feen a vindication of count Noftitz’s condudt 
at Holbrunn, I feel it incumbent on me to point out its 
inaccuracy; for I cannot with patience behold any attempt 
to detract from the glory fo well earned on that occafion 
by prince Bagrathion, (Pangrazion,) and the five thou¬ 
fand Ruffians under his command. 
“ Count Noftitz, who commanded the Auftrians and 
the advanced ports of the RufTian rear-guard, withdrew 
himfelf and his troops in the midft of the engagement, in 
confequence of a tneflage from the French general Sebaf- 
tiani, informing him, that, as a feparate peace had been con¬ 
cluded between France and Auftria, he ought no longer 
to co-operate with the Ruffians. This feparation enabled 
the French army to take quiet poffeflion of the village of 
Schongraben, which lay about four hundred paces from 
their lines, and directly opportte the centre of the Ruffian 
polition. By this movement, the rear-guard of the Ruf¬ 
fians was placed in the utmort danger, fince the French 
had forty thoufand men to bear againft five thoufand Ruf¬ 
fians. Regardlefs, however, of this fuperiority, and in 
fpite of a fummons from the commander-in-chief of the 
'French forces, prince Bagrathion would lirten to no pro- 
pofals, but, with the unanimous confent of all the Ruflians 
under him, declared that every man of them was prepared 
rather to periffi, than to merit the cenfure of his fove- 
reign, by any conduct that might tarnirti the honour of 
his country. 
“ In order, however, to gain time, the conferences were 
protracted, with a view to cover the retreat of the Ruffian 
army, and a determination to hazard any extremity rather 
than furrender. In this rtate things remained during 
twenty-four hours. Prince Hohenlohe, who commanded 
the Auftrian forces under general Kutufoff, (Kutufow,) 
was incenfed, as every brave foldier mult have been, at 
the condudt of general Noftitz, and fent an order to co¬ 
lonel More to rejoin the Ruflian rear-guard, and to fup- 
port its operations. This was executed with the greateft 
bravery by the Auftrians, who did not, however, cover 
the retreat more effeClually than the Ruffian cavalry. As 
to general Noftitz, he remained fome days at the French 
head quarters, without having been prefect with the rear¬ 
guard, or taking any part in this glorious engagement, in 
which five thoufand men were oppofed to forty thoufand, 
and proved victorious. I appeal on the fubjeCt of this 
battle to the teftimony of tIre enemy himfelf. But the 
condudt of general Noftitz is well know'n to every indivi¬ 
dual of the armies that witnefled thefe occurrences. 
“Peter, Prince Dolgorucki.” 
In the mean time general Viallennes, commanding the 
cavalry of marefchal Davouft, entered Prefburgh ; upon 
which general count Palfy addrelfed to him the following 
letter: 
“ General, —His royal highnefs the archduke pala¬ 
tine, in his character of fupreme head of the military and 
civil departments in Hungary, has charged the under- 
figned to declare, that his highnefs having eftabliftied a 
cordon of militia, as guards, upon the weftern frontier of 
this kingdom, fupported by fmall detachments of cavalry, 
compofed of invalids and recruits, folely with a view to 
check the progrefsof the marauders in the Auftrian army, 
nothing hoftile is to be apprehended from them ; the faid 
detachments being ordered to retire, whenever the French 
troops (hall approach the frontier. Thus, in the circum. 
fiances in which thefe feeble detachments are placed, they 
can only be looked upon as piquets of obfervation. His 
royal highnefs has ordered the heads of the houfes of in- 
Vol. VII. No. 476. 
N C E, 881 
valids, feminaries, penfioners, &C. &c. to remain at their 
ports, perfuaded that the commander of the French troops 
will not refufe them the proteCfion neceftary; and that 
lie will alfo intereft himfelf in the prevention of any ex- 
celfes which might be committed by the French detach¬ 
ments that might enter Hungary, especially as they will 
meet with no kind of oppofition. In confequence of ftich 
a declaration, the underfigned may have to treat with the 
commandant of the French troops, relative to feveral very 
interefting objects. He alfo folicits a rendezvous, upon 
parole, in a veil'd in the middle of the Danube. He ac¬ 
cordingly waits an anfwer from the general; and has the 
honour to be, his very humble fervant, 
“ Leopold, Count Palfy.” 
The Anfzocr of Marefchal Davoajl to General Count de Palfy. 
“General, — I have fubmitted the letter you fent the 
commandant of my light cavalry, to his majefty’s infpec- 
tion. His majefty has charged me to inform his highnefs 
the archduke palatine, by your favour, that he is ready 
to agree to the neutrality of the Hungarian nation, if, 
upon his part, the archduke will recal the Hungarian 
troops, difcontinue the levy cn mafe, and continue to fup- 
ply Vienna with provifions; and, in fine, conclude a con¬ 
vention between the Hungarian nation and the emperor 
of the French, tending to maintain a good underftanding 
between the two countries. I have been authorifed to 
let any officer pafs, whom his royal highnefs the archduke 
may choofe to fend to my fovereign, to treat with him 
upon thefe preliminaries. I am happy in the opportunity 
of performing any good office agreeable to your compa¬ 
triots ; and to fecure the well-being and tranquillity of a 
people fo eftimable in many re'fpeirts as the Hungarian 
nation. L. Davoust.” 
Prince Murat, ‘having been informed that the Ruffian 
generals, immediately after their propofition for a conven¬ 
tion, were marching with a part of their army towards 
Znaim, and that from all appearances the other party 
were about to follow them and efcape, caufed it to be 
fignified to them, that the emperor had not ratified the 
convention, and that if they moved, he ftiould of courfe 
attack them. This being perfifted in, prince Murat ad¬ 
vanced towards the enemy, and attacked them on the 
16th, at four o’clock, which brought on the battle of 
GunterfdorflF, in which a part of the Ruffian army was 
routed, loft twelve pieces of cannon, and 2000 prifoners; 
2000 more lay dead on the field of b-ttle. Were it not 
for the night, few would have efcaped. There were 
frequent obftinate attacks with the bayonet. Some bat¬ 
talions of Ruffian grenadiers (hewed great intrepidity. 
General Oudinot, and his two aides-de-camp, Demangeot 
and Lamotte, were among the wounded. After this ren¬ 
contre the emperor Napoleon advanced his head-quar¬ 
ters to Znaim on the 17th, at three o’clock. The rear¬ 
guard of the Ruffians were obliged to leave their fick at 
Znaim, with a gonfiderable quantity of flour and oats. 
The Ruffians retreated towards Brunn. 
General Baraguay d’Hilliers made an incurfion into Bo¬ 
hemia as far as Pilfen, and obliged the archduke Ferdi¬ 
nand to quit his polition. He took fome magazines, and 
fulfilled the objedt of his million.—Kuffsteincapitulated. 
After the adtion of Gunterfdorff the Ruflians retreated 
in great hafte. General Sebaftiarti fpeedily followed with 
his brigade of dragoons. The extended plains of Moravia 
facilitated his purfuit: on the 18th of November he cut 
off feveral corps in their flight, and made 2000 prifoners. 
Prince Murat entered Brunn on the fame day in purfuit 
of the enemy, who immediately evacuated the town and 
the fortrefs, though well built, and in a ftate to ftand a 
regular fiege. The emperor advanced his head quarters 
to Pohorlitz. Marefchal Soult took his ftation with a 
body of troops at Mefleritfch j marefchal Lafnes on the 
other fide of Pohorlitz. In Brunn was taken fixty pieces 
of cannon, a great quantity of corn and meal, and confide- 
rable magazines of clothing. 
10 P The 
