596 
A VISIT TO ASPERN AND WAGRAM. 
who are launched against such a formation. The scene of the previous 
day was once more re-enacted, the Cuirassiers in vain endeavoured to 
find an opening in their enemy's array, were again and again driven 
off with heavy losses, and the progress of the terrible column was 
arrested. In truth Lannes, in penetrating so far, had exposed the 
sides of his columns to a murderous cannonade from the hostile 
batteries to the right and left, while the Austrian squares also plied 
their unweildy masses with a fire to which the nature of the formation 
prevented any adequate reply. Once the triumphant onset of the 
column was stopped hope began to die away in the hearts of the 
French. They had been fighting hard for two hours. It was perceived 
that they were not properly supported, and ominous whispers were 
exchanged that a disaster had occurred in rear. The swollen river and 
the devices of the Archduke had indeed done their work. The long 
bridge to Kaiser Ebersdorf had snapt in twain and the greater part of 
Davout's corps was cut off and left behind on the southern bank of 
the Danube. The sinister rumours were soon confirmed by a message 
from Napoleon telling the Marshal to fall back on Essling. If he 
could no longer reckon on Davout's support, an advance of the centre, 
unsupported by a similar movement from Essling, would become an 
eccentric manoeuvre in place of being but a portion of a comprehensive 
plan of attack. So far from any offensive movement, Napoleon would 
now be fortunate if he could sustain himself where he was, and secure 
a safe retreat across the river for his army. 
Lannes fell back slowly before the troops he had just driven, suffer¬ 
ing immense loss, because he had not enough confidence in the raw 
levies he commanded to order them to deploy. St. Hilaire was mortally 
wounded during this retreat, and the Austrian artillery, reforming their 
terrible line of batteries, poured a most destructive fire into the masses 
before them. Encouraged by the change of fortune in the centre, the 
Austrian columns renewed their attacks on Aspern and Essling with 
fresh vigour and rising hope, and these two posts were taken, retaken, 
and disputed inch by inch with a gallantry on either side it is impossi¬ 
ble too highly to praise. Essling was five times in the Austrians' 
grasp, but the great granary ever remained inaccessible to them, and 
five times had they again to relinquish their hold. Nor did their 
utmost efforts in the centre produce more decisive results. The Arch¬ 
duke seeing a crowning victory almost in his grasp brought up his last 
reserves and hurled them on the more or less disordered mass of 
French crowding the narrow peninsula which led to the entrance to the 
Lobau. At the same moment Rosenberg's troops succeeeded in gaining 
possession of the greater part of Essling, and the Austrians tightened 
the girdle of fire which now enveloped the French on all sides. The 
brave Lannes, superior to all the other Marshals on the field of battle, 
had fallen mortally wounded, and the situation of the French army 
became most critical. But Bessieres's cavalry, in spite of all it had 
suffered, once more sacrificed itself to stem the tide of victory. 
Massena and General Mouton were fortunately equal to the occasion. 
The former, whose services gained him the title of Prince of Essling, 
sometimes on foot, sometimes on horseback, seemed everywhere, and 
