592 
A VISIT TO ASPERN AND WAG RAM. 
with equal skill and bravery at the other extremity of the French line. 
Recognising that the force at his disposal was too small to hold so 
extended a line as would be involved if Enzersdorf as well as Essling 
were occupied, he evacuated the former village on the approach of the 
Austrian column which had been directed upon it, and prepared to 
defend Essling with the Boudet division. 
This village is very similar in geueral character to that of Aspern, 
but about its centre, and projecting out beyond it so as to flank the 
whole of its front, there still stands a substantial three-storied granary 
which measures 120 by 60 feet, and is lighted by a considerable num¬ 
ber of windows in each story. The basement is secured by heavy iron 
doors which still show the marks of the fire they received eighty-two 
years ago. It was round this substantial keep that the French 
resistance during this and the following day centred, and it was never 
captured by their opponents. The fourth Austrian column of attack 
stayed its advance until the fifth had completed its circuit round 
Enzersdorf, and the battle had therefore been raging for some hours 
round Aspern ere the assault from both front and flank was launched 
on Essling. When at length, however, the storm broke it encountered 
the same steady resistance it had met with earlier in the day, and 
bravely as the Austrian columns advanced, their compact masses were 
received with such a shower of musket balls and grape shot that they 
were driven off, and compelled to fall back with heavy loss. 
Meanwhile the persistent attacks on Aspern in the early part of the 
evening had drawn the greater part of the French infantry to the 
defence of their left flank, and the interval between the two villages 
was occupied to a large extent by the Cuirassiers of Espagne and the 
light cavalry of Lasalle. The Austrian infantry, too, had been called 
away to where the struggle was fiercest, and their batteries, guarded 
by cavalry chiefly, had crept nearer and nearer, till their guns, many of 
which were of heavy calibre, were pouring most gallingand destructive 
fire on the French defences. These circumstances and the level 
unbroken surface of the ground seemed to offer cavalry an opportunity 
for action, and Napoleon thought he saw the moment when he might 
by a sudden rush of horsemen seize the Austrian guns, and rout their 
weakened centre. Bessieres was ordered, therefore, to try and gain 
possession of them, and to the light cavalry of the Guard was allotted 
the enterprise. But the well served fire of grape at such a short range 
was too much for them, and they were withdrawn after several gallant 
efforts, while the formidable Cuirassiers of the same corps dashed 
forward in their place. But as these magnificent horsemen came on, 
the infantry behind the guns were thrown into squares, and when the 
mighty mass surged through the batteries they found themselves help¬ 
less between the solid blocks of meu, who plied them on every side 
with a steady fire. 
Much the same scene was now enacted as took place six years later 
at Waterloo. The infantry were enveloped by this great sea of 
horsemen, the reserve cavalry of Lichtenstein which was moving up 
to their support was driven back, but, isolated though they were, the 
Austrian squares stood as firm as in later years did ours, and the 
