insurrections; and every means was adopted to maintain the country on the borders of the Elbe.

The first serious affair which occurred between the hostile armies was at Luenberg, on the 2d of April. The French were attacked on all sides by a corps of Russians under General Dornberg, and a body of Cossacks under Baron de Tettenborn; their general, Morand, was mortally wounded, and his whole army, consisting of about 3000 men, and 12 cannon, were taken: not a man escaped to carry off the news of this defeat. This was followed by the defeat of Beauharnois by General Wittgenstein. He intended to make a dash at Berlin, but was intercepted by the Russians, and driven across the Elbe with the loss of above 2000 men.

Bonaparte hastened the march of his troops from all parts of his empire to the scene of action. He had drawn a number of veterans from Spain to organize and discipline his army: 1211 officers, 6000 serjeants and corporals, and 16,000 privates, are stated to have been drafted for this service. They were replaced by new levies.

6

Not satisfied with the enormous conscription which the senate had granted, Bonaparte caused a plan to be presented for increasing the French force to 800,000 men, in consequence of the war with Prussia. Count Defermont concludes the report thus: By giving your sanction to this plan, gentlemen, you ensure the defence of our coasts and our ports; and thus the empire will have an army of 400,000 men on the Elbe, one of 200,000 in Spain, and 200,000 men, partly on the Rhine, partly in the 32d military division, and in Italy. And it is in the view of such forces that our enemies conceive the ridiculous idea of dismembering the empire, and to allow our departments to be given as indemnities in their political calculations. This struggle is the last; Europe will take a definitive situation, and the events of the winter of 1813 will, at least, have been of advantage to France, by causing her to know her friends and her foes; the extent of her own

means, the devotion of the people, and their attachment to the imperial dynasty.'

The French emperor now prepared for his departure. Being seated on the throne, and surrounded by the princes and grand dignitaries, he received a deputation and address from the legislative body. His reply is in the usual strain, but curious when compared with subsequent events. Called by Providence,' he says, and the will of the nation, to form this empire, my steps have been gradual, uniform, analagous to the spirit of events, and to the interests of my people. In a few years this great work will be finished,, and every thing which exists completely consolidated. All my designs, all my undertakings, have but one object-the prosperity of the empire, which I will for ever render independent of the laws of England. History, which judges of nations as it judges of men, will remark with what calmness, what simplicity, and what promptitude, great losses have been repaired; one may judge of what efforts the French would be capable, if the question was to defend their territory, or the independence of my crown. Our enemies have offered the King of Denmark our departments of the Elbe and the Weser, in compensation for Norway. In consequence of this project, they have formed plots in those countries. Denmark rejected those insidious proposals, the intent of which was to deprive her of her provinces, and draw her, in exchange, into an eternal war with us. I will quickly place myself at the head of my troops, and confound the fallacious promises of our enemies. In my negociation, the integrity of the empire neither has, por shall be called in question. Immediately that the laws of war shall leave us a moment's leisure, we will recal you to the capital, as well as the great men of our empire, to assist at the coronation of the empress, our well-beloved spouse, and of the hereditary prince, the King of Rome, our dearly-beloved son. The thought of this great solemnity, at once religious and political, touches my heart; it shall hasten the epoch to satisfy the wishes of France.'

Shortly after the empress received a deputation from the same body, with an address on her being appointed REGENT OF FRANCE. The sentiments, style, and manner of her reply, shew to whom she was indebted for this composition.→→→→ "Gentlemen. The emperor, my august and well-beloved husband, knows what love and affection my heart contains for France. The proofs of devotion which the nation daily gives us, increase the good opinion which I had of the character and grandeur of our nation. My heart is much oppressed at seeing that happy peace distant, which alone can render me content. The emperor is heavily afflicted at the numerous sacrifices which he is obliged to demand of his people; but since the enemy, in place of giving peace to the world, will impose shameful conditions upon us, and every where preaches civil war, treason, and disobedience, it is necessary the emperor should have recourse to his always victorious arms, to confound his enemies, and save civilized Europe and its sovereigns from the anarchy with which they are threatened.'

Having completed his arrangements, the Emperor Napoleon set out from St. Cloud, to take the command of his armies, on the 15th of April, at one o'clock in the morning. He passed through Mentz on the 17th, and proceeded with equal rapidity to the head-quarters, where he was preceded by his guards.

Before we proceed to detail the various important operations of Bonaparte during this campaign, it will be proper to revert to the state of preparation in which he found his opponents on his arrival at head-quarters.

The Emperor of Russia had established head-quarters at Kalisch, being a central position, in order to give time for receiving recruits and convalescents, and for supplying the troops with necessaries, which were much wanted, at the close of a campaign of unexampled and uninterrupted series of military operations and marches for eleven months. At the same time, Alexander enforced the most rigid and strict

discipline; and treated the Poles with peculiar favour and forbearance. Though in possession of the keys of Warsaw, he would not permit a single soldier to enter within its walls. He afterwards visited the King of Prussia at Breslaw, and, as detachments of his army had penetrated to Hamburgh and Dresden, the whole combined army were concentrated at Dresden.

On the 29th of April Bonaparte put his army in motion; and, after several smart affairs, drove the advanced posts of the allies from all the positions they occupied upon the left bank of the Saale, and thus effected a junction with the army of the Mein. The Emperor Alexander and the King of Prussia, at the same time, put their armies in motion to occupy the plains of Lutzen, where they intended to offer battle; but they were anticipated by the rapidity of the movements of Bonaparte's army, who seized all the commanding positions, where he immediately threw up entrenchments.

Bonaparte seems now to have calculated with some certainty upon the destruction of the allied army, which he proposed to effect on the 5th of May. General Lauriston, whose corps formed the extreme of the left, was ordered to march upon Leipsic, which movement he expected would carry confusion and disorder into the allied columns. But here he was most unexpectedly anticipated by the allies, who commenced the attack about nine o'clock in the morning of the 2d. The Prince of Moskwa commanded the centre; the Viceroy of Italy the left; and the Duke of Ragusa the right. General Bertrand received orders to debouch upon the rear of the allies, while Bonaparte himself, with his guards, supported the centre.

About eleven the hostile armies were generally engaged; and one of the most dreadful cannonades known in the annals of warlike operations took place, and continued until ten o'clock in the evening, when night terminated the battle.During this cannonade the fire of musketry was nearly uninterruptedly kept up: repeated attacks were made on both

-sides with the bayonet, the village of Kaia being repeatedly taken and retaken. The battle embraced a line of two leagues, covered with fire, smoke, and clouds of dust. The Prussians were principally engaged. Blucher and D'York entered into action with an ardour and energy which was participated by their troops. Early in the morning, General Winzingerode, who commanded the allied army, took about 1000 prisoners, ten cannon, and a few ammunition waggons, which were all the trophies he gained. Indeed few prisoners were made on either side; for the animosity during the fight was so great, that quarter was seldom given. Towards the close of the battle Bonaparte's centre appears to have been broken, but he soon repaired this disaster by advancing with bis guards, preceded by a battery of 10 pieces of artillery. By this movement he regained the village of Kaia, and remained master of all his commanding positions.

Both armies claimed the victory, and exaggerated the loss of their opponents. It is however certain that Bonaparte's army was superior in point of numbers, although he was deficient in cavalry, and that he remained in possession of all the advantages he enjoyed when the battle commenced. On the other hand, it must be admitted, that Winzingerode occupied his former position between Pegau and Lutzen the day after the battle; nor did Bonaparte think proper to leave his entrenchments, and attack the allies. Perhaps the loss was nearly equal, and may be estimated at about 15,000 killed and wounded on each side. The Prussians lost the Prince of Hesse Homburg, and an unusually large number of officers, General Blucher was also wounded, but slightly.Bonaparte's loss in officers, during these sanguinary conflicts, was likewise great. The first cannon-ball that was fired at Lutzen killed Marshal Bessieres, Duke of Istria; it pierced his groin, and killed him instantly. He had, since the first Italian campaigns, that is, for sixteen years, commanded the emperor's guard, and had great experience in managing ca