FRA 
the French imperial guard in the attack, and took pri¬ 
soner prince Repnin, who commanded with admired bra¬ 
very the cavalry of the Ruffian imperial guard. 
Such is the narrative of this memorable day as pub- 
lifhed officially on the part of France. It is but fair, 
however, that the reader fiiould compare with it the ac¬ 
count of the fame battle, as given by the Ruffians : 
“ The French army, commanded by the emperor Napo¬ 
leon, was compofed of 120,000 men, and was very advan- 
tlgeoufly pofted, behind the lakes and villages of Men- 
nitz, Telnitz, Sokolnitz, and Kobelnitz. The Auflro- 
Ruffianarmy, about fixty thoufand ftrong, marched on the 
ift of December, 1S05, in five columns, from the pofttion 
near Hodjegitz, and the fame evening took a pofition op- 
pofite to the French army, in fuch a manner, that the firfl. 
divifion under count Buxhovden, was pofted only three 
hundred fathoms from the Frencli front; the fecond divi¬ 
sion under general Kutufow, was about the fame diftance 
in the rear, and behind that was the referve under the 
grand duke Conftantine. The cavalry , under Prince Leich- 
tenflein, was likewife in the fecond divifion. 
The fame night the above-mentioned generals received 
orders, in confequence of the difpofition made on the part 
of the Aufirians, to attack the French army at Seven in 
the morning, in five columns. The two generals in chief 
wifhed to make fome alteration, and were defirous of hav¬ 
ing cavalry attached to the columns ; but they received 
for anfwer, that fuch was the fixed arrangement for the 
difpofition and the attack. Accordingly, out of the firfl 
divifion were formed the firfl and fecond column, which 
compofed the left wing ; out of the fecond divifion, the 
third and fourth column ; and the referve formed the fifth 
column, or the right wing. On the latter was, befides, 
Stationed, the column of cavalry. This column was com¬ 
manded by prince Leichtenflein ; the 5th by the grand 
duke ; the 3d and 4th by general Kutufow, who placed 
himfelf at the head of the 4th ; and the ift and 2d by 
count Buxhovden, who led on the iff column. 
This column had already advanced by feven o’clock, 
in two aivifions, to the village of Telnitz, where it at¬ 
tacked the right wing of the French. The latter received 
it with a heavy fire of mufketry, which the Ruffians for¬ 
bore to return, till they had arrived at the next diflance. 
The conflidl was obflinate, and the firing tremendous. 
The Ruffians approached under an inceffant fire, and num¬ 
bers fell on both Sides. At length the Ruffians ruflied, 
with bayonets fixed, on the French front, which received 
them with firmnefs, and the carnage that Succeeded was 
truly dreadful. The French were driven back, but Soon 
received a firong reinforcement, and, in their turn, gained 
ground on the Ruffians ; on which the latter made a fe¬ 
cond defperate attack, and turned the French. The car¬ 
nage was redoubled, and the field of battle was inundated 
with human blood. The French were compelled jiot 
only to abandon the village, but likewife all the eminences 
and defiles beyond Telnitz, and were purfued by the vic¬ 
torious column. 
Meanwhile the fecond column, under lieutenant- 
general Langeron, had likewife driven back the French, 
near So'kolnitz ; and the firfl column prepared, as they ad¬ 
vanced, to turn this French force, with a view to relieve 
the fecond column. By eight o’clock the third, fourth, 
and fifth, columns had likewife advanced out of the line ; 
but they were influntly attacked by a far Superior force. 
The French forced the centre ; and, as the Auflro-Ruf- 
fian columns were at a great diflance from each other, and 
unprovided with cavalry, the three French divifions Suc¬ 
ceeded in penetrating between them, and turning them. 
The fire was every where brifk, and the Ruffian guards 
advanced, with fixed bayonets, and without firing Scarcely 
a Single (hot, againft not only the French infantry, but 
likewife their cavalry. They cut down, without mercy, 
all that oppofed them; but, at length, they were obliged 
to yield to Superior numbers ; and, about twelve, the 
army retreated towards Aufterlitz. The column of ca¬ 
lf C E. 88 3 
valry did Scarcely any thing ; and the van, under prince 
Bagrathion, (Pangrazion,) never came into adtion at all - 
On the retreat of the allied army, three firong divifion* 
of the Frencli were immediately Sent to the Support if 
the right wing. Thefe, consequently attacked the left 
wing of the Ruffians, in the rear; their fecond column 
was partly routed, and partly formed a junction with the 
firfl column, which the French had already purfued to¬ 
wards Chlapanitz, the head-quarters of the French.. 
The Situation of this column, which had fought with 
fuch valour and diflindtion, now became extremely criti¬ 
cal. It was defected by the reft of the army, w ithout 
hope of Succour, Surrounded by a powerful French army, 
of which three divifions, with a firong body of cavalry, 
were already in its rear, and menaced this ifolated column 
with utter deftrudtion—circumflances, which produced a 
convidtion, that a column. Scarcely ten thoufand Strong, 
exhaufted and weakened by a conflidl of eight hours, had 
no other means of refeuing itfelf, but by a capitulation. 
Though the Situation of thefe troops was fo eminently 
perilous, (bill they continued under the condudl of their 
veteran leader (general Buxhovden) to bid defiance to 
every danger. It excited the utmoft aflonifliment to be¬ 
hold, with what refolution they withstood the attacks 
of the French, and with what fortitude they met every 
emergency. 
It was not till near four o’clock that they evinced any 
difpofitions for a retreat. The Frencli redoubled their 
attacks on every quarter, and a tremendous fire was main¬ 
tained on both (ides. The Ruffians were under the necef 
fity of paffing through the village of Urfd, which was al¬ 
ready occupied by French troops. Through thefe they 
were obliged to open a way ; the battle was renewed, and 
both parties fought mod defperately with the bayonet. 
The French, however, were compelled to yield to Ruffian 
intrepidity ; the latter pafled through the village amidlt 
an inceffant fire, deployed beyond the canal, broke down 
the bridges; and, foon after four o’clock, the battle 
ceafed. The brave Frencli, even with their Superiority, 
■were tired of purfuing a corps which obliged them to pur- 
chafe every Step they made with fo much blood. Both 
Sides complained of the calmnefs of the wind ; in confe- 
quence of which the clouds of fmoke that filled the at- 
mofphere, were fo thick, that the men were unable to fee 
each other at the diftance of twenty paces. 
Generals Kutufow and Buxhovden were Slightly wound¬ 
ed ; major-generals Berg, baron Mcller, Ellen the firfl, 
Effen the fecond, Sacken, Miller, Wimpfen, and Frebif- 
chewfky, were dangeroufly wounded, and taken prifoners. 
Many ftaff and fuperior officers and privates were killed, 
taken, and wounded, It is confidently dated, that the 
French loft more than ten thoufand men.” 
This was the laft Itrugg^e of the emperor of Auftria for 
the preservation of his dominions. His plans had all along 
proved extremely injudicious.: his armies were by far too 
much disjointed to afford each other any kind of co-ope¬ 
ration; their movements were uniformly lax and ill-con¬ 
certed ; their divifions were conflantly driven to make 
head againft very fuperior numbers, and lienee the Aus¬ 
trian army was taken throughout at a disadvantage, and 
deflroyed piecemeal by the Superior policy of Napoleon, 
who kept the divifions of his army in perpetual unifon 5 
was alive to every advantage of time and place ; and by 
the Singular activity of his fcouts, and the medium of 
private information, lie contrived often to take his adver¬ 
sary by furprife, without allowing him time to att upon 
the offenSive. Thus completely foiled, the unfortunate 
Francis II. was under the necefiity of Suing for an armi- 
ftice, as a prelude to that peace which was to difinem- 
ber the faireft provinces in his empire. Prince John of 
Leichtenflein was di(patched on tiie 5th of December to 
the head-quarters of the victorious Napoleon, when, after 
an interview of two hours, an armiftice was Signed by 
prince John and marefchal Berthier, as a foundation fo,r 
negotiations on which a peace might be forthwith con¬ 
cluded.. 
