520 
ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIELD ARTILLERY. 
bravery of the French troops that they so nearly achieved success as 
they did, and that the breaking of their bridge alone held them off 
from victory. As it was, however, they were driven back into the 
Lobau, and narrowly escaped total destruction. But Napoleon showed 
himself greater in disaster and more fertile in resource than even he was 
in the flush of conquest. He collected a powerful army in the strong 
entrenched camp which the island formed, and at the'commencement 
of July was ready to make another effort. 
In order to deceive his antagonist, for weeks past he had been pre¬ 
paring batteries (opposite the place marked A. on the plan), where he 
BATTLE OF WAG-RAM; 5th and 6th July, 1809. 
A Point of Napoleon’s first passage from the Lobau previous to battle of Aspern. 
B Point of passage previous to battle of Wagram. 
C Point of passage of main channel of Danube. 
had originally crossed, and the spoils of the Arsenal of Vienna placed 
a large number of powerful guns at his disposal, with which he hastened 
to arm his works. More than 100 heavy pieces, therefore, bristled 
along the northern shore of the island. It is necessary to note the 
existence and position of these guns, for they will play an important 
part in the great battle which we are going to deal with. 
On the night of the 4th of July a furious cannonade from these 
batteries entirely deceived his adversaries, while the whole French 
army slipped across from the eastern side of the island in front of 
Enzersdorf, and on the morning of the 5th the Austrians found their 
left completely turned, all their elaborate preparations between Aspern 
and Essling rendered useless, and their enemy in superior numbers 
across the Danube and preparing to sweep round their left flank. They 
fell slowly back to the Wagram plateau, and the evening found them 
drawn on a vast arc, stretching from Neusiedel, by Wagram and 
Saiiring, to Hagenbrunn. The Emperor that evening tried to force 
their line between Wagram and Baumersdorf, but his effort was 
repulsed. Early next morning he had intended to renew the attack. 
