Pfosen, and passed the Partha river. Gen. Sachen's corps, who supported gen. Langeron, very much distinguished itself in the presence of Bonaparte, who, it seems, according to the information of the prisoners, arrived from the other part of his army at five o'clock in the afternoon. The corps of gen. D'Yorck, which so conspicuously distinguished itself, had many of its most gallant leaders killed or wounded; among the latter are colonels Heinmitz, Kutzler, Bouch, Hiller, Lowenthal, and Laurentz; majors Schon and Bismarck. The momentary loss of these officers is serious, as they nearly all commanded bigades, from the reduced state of general officers in the Prussian army; and I have sincere regret in adding that his serene highness the prince of Mecklenberg Strelitz, who was distinguishing himself in a particular manner, having two horses shot under him, and whose gallant corps took five hundred prisoners and an eagle, received severe, but, I trust, not a dangerous wound. Among the Russians are gen. Chinchin, and several officers of distinction, killed and wounded; and I average gen. Blucher's whole loss between six and seven thousand men hors de combat. I can add little to the catalogue of the merits of this brave army, in endeavouring feebly, but I hope faithfully, to detail its proceedings. Your lordship will, I am persuaded, justly appreciate the enthusiasm and heroism by which its operations have been guided. It has fought twenty-one combats since hostilities recommenced. Your lordship is so well aware of the distinguished merit and very eminent services of general Gacisenau, that it is unnecessary for me on this fresh occasion to allude to them. I attached gen. Lowe to gen, i Blucher in the field; and being absent in the early part of the day with the prince royal, it is due to this very deserving officer to inform your lordship, I have derived every assistance from his reports. My aide-de-camp, captain Dur. ing, an officer of merit, has unfortunately. I fear, fallen into the 'enemy's hands. I shall now put your lordship in possession, as far as I am able, of the military movements of the grand army up to the 16th, and the disposition for the attack which was sent to the prince royal of Sweden and general Blucher, by prince Schwartzenberg, and which was to be made this day. The corps of general Guilay, prince Maurice Lichtenstein, Thieleman, and Platoff, were collected in the neighbourhood of Mai krasted, and were to move forward on Leipsig; keeping up the communication on one side with general Blucher's army; and on the other, these corps were to detach to their right, to facilitate the attack of the corps of general Mereveldt, and the divi sions Bianchi Weissenworf, on Zwackau and Connewitz, at which latter place the bridge across the Pleisse was to be carried. General Nostiltz's cavalry were to form on their right. In case of retreat, these corps were to retire towards Zeitz. The reserves of the Russian and Prussian guards were to move on Rotha, where they were to pass the Pleisse, and form in columns on its right bank. The reserves of the prince of Hesse Homberg, generals Mereveldt and Wittgenstein, were also to take post at this station. General Barclay de Tolly Tolly to command all the columns on the right bank of the Pleisse, generals Wittgenstein, Kleist and Kleinau, were to advance from their respective positions on Leipzig, the Russian guards forming their reserve. General Colloredo advanced from Borne, as reserve to general Kleinau. The retreat of these corps was to be on Chemnitz; generals Wittgenstein, Kleist, and Klei nau's, on Altenberg and Penig. The army of general Bennigsen from Colditz was to push on Grimma and Wurzen. The corps of count Bubna had been relieved before Leipzig by general Tolstoy. A very heavy firing continued all the day of the 16th from the grand army. A report arrived late at night to general Blucher, that Bonaparte had attacked in person the whole line of the allies, and forming his cavalry in the centre, succeeded in making an opening in the combined army before all its cavalry could come up: he was, however, not able to profit by it, as it appears he retired in the evening, and the allies occupied their position as before the attack. Of the details of the above I am as yet wholly ignorant. On the 17th all were ready to renew the attack on this side. The prince royal, who had his headquarters at Landsberg, and his army behind it, marched at two o'clock in the morning, and arrived at Brittenfeld with general Winzingerode's and general Bulow's corps towards mid-day on general Bulow's left. General Winzingerode's cavalry and artillery had moved forward in the night, near the heights of Fancha. No cannonade being heard on this side of the grand army (though general Blucher's corps was under arms) and as it was also understood general Bennigsen could not arrive until this day at Grimma, and part of the prince royal's army being still in the rear, it was deemed expedient to wait till the following day to renew the general attack. The enemy showed himself in great force in a good position, on the left of the Partha, on a ridge of some extent, which runs parallel to the river. There was some cannonading in the morning, and the enemy made demonstrations, and the hussars of Mecklenberg charged his advanced parties into the suburbs of Leipsig, and took three cannon and some prisoners of the hulans of the guards. The state of our affairs is such, that the most sanguine expecta tions may be justly entertained, under the protection of Divine Providence, which has hitherto so conspicuously favoured us in the glori ous cause in which we are engaged. CHARLES STEWART, lieut. gen. Leipsig, October 19, 1813. My lord, Europe at length approaches her deliverance, and England may triumphantly look forward to reap, in conjunction with her allies, that glory her unex ampled and steady efforts in the common cause so justly entitle her to receive. I wish it had fallen to the lot of an abler pen to detail to your lordship the splendid events of these two last days; but in endeavouring to relate the main facts, to send them off without a moment's delay, I shall best do my duty, postponing more detailed accounts until a fresh opportunity. The victory of general Blucher, upon the 16th, has been followed, on the 18th, by that of the whole of of the combined forces over the army of Bonaparte, in the neighbourhood of Leipsig. The collective loss of above a hundred pieces of cannon, sixty thousand men, an immense number of prisoners, the desertion of the whole of the Saxon army, also the Bavarian and Wurtemberg troops, consisting of artillery, cavalry, and infantry, many generals, among whom are Regnier, Vallery, Brune, Bertrand, and Lauriston, are some of the first fruits of this glorious day. The capture, by assault, of the town of Leipsig this morning, the magazines, artillery, stores of the place, with the king of Saxony, all his court, the garrison, and rear-guard of the French army, all the enemy's wounded (the number of which exceed thirty thousand), the narrow escape of Bonaparte, who fled from Leipsig at nine o'clock, the allies entering at eleven; the complete deroute of the French army, who are endeavouring to escape in all directions, and who are still surrounded, are the next objects of exultation. The further result your lordship can best arrive at from an account of our military position. It will be my endeavour to give you as succinct and clear an account as I am able, first, of the general and combined operations determined upon by the grand army; and, secondly, to describe what immediately came under my own observations, namely, the movements of the prince royal and general Blucher. My dispatches up to the 17th have detailed the position of the allied armies up to that date. It being announced by prince Schwartzenberg that it was the intention of their majesties, the allied sovereigns, to renew the attack on the 18th, and the armies of the North and Silesia being directed to co-operate, the following general disposition was made: I must here observe, that the attack on the 16th, by the grand army, occurred in the neighbourhood of Liebert Wolkowitz. The country being particularly adapted for cavalry, a very sanguinary and hard combat ensued with this arm, and an artillery, exceeding in number six hundred pieces, between the opposed armies. Two solitary buildings, which the enemy had occupied with several battalions of infantry, and which formed nearly the centre of the enemy's position, were attacked by the Russian infantry, and, after several repulses, carried with amazing carnage. The whole of the enemy's cavalry under Murat, were then brought forward; they made a very desperate push at the centre of the allied position, which for a short period they succeeded in forcing. Το To oppose this powerful cavalry, six regiments of Austrian cuirassiers charged in columns. Nothing could surpass either the skill or the desperate bravery of this movement; they overthrew all before them; destroying, I am told, whole regiments, and returned to their ground with many prisoners, having left seven hundred dragoons within the enemy's line. Many officers were killed and wounded. General Latour Maubourg, who commanded the enemy's cavalry, under Murat, lost his leg. Both armies remained nearly on the ground on which the contest commenced. While the grand army was to commence their attack on the morning of the 18th, from their different points of assembly, on the principal villages situated on the great roads leading leading to Leipsig, the armies of the North and Silesia were jointly to attack from the line of the Saale, and upon the enemy's position along the Partha river. General Blucher gave to the prince royal of Sweden thirty thousand men, infantry, cavalry, and artillery, of his army, and with this formidable reinforcement the northern army was to attack from the heights of Faucha, while general Blucher was to retain his position before Leipsig, and use his utmost efforts to gain possession of the place. In the event of the whole of the enemy's forces being carried against either of the armies, they were reciprocally to support each other and concert further movements: that part of the enemy's force which for some time had been opposed to the prince royal of Sweden and general Blucher, had taken up a very good position on the left bank of the Partha, having its right at the strong point of Faucha, and its left towards Leipsig. To force the enemy's right, and obtain possession of the heights of Faucha, was the first operation of the prince royal's army. The corps of Russians under general Winzingerode, and the Prussians under general Bulow, were destined for this purpose, and the Swedish army were directed to force the passage of the river at Plosen and Mockau. The passage was effected without much opposition; general Winzingerode took about three thousand prisoners at Faucha, and some guns. General Blucher put his army in motion as soon as he found the grand army engaged very hotly in the neighbourhood of the villages of Stollintz and Probestheyda, and the infantry of the prince royal's army had not sufficient time to make their flank movement before the enemy's infantry had abandoned the line of the river, and retired over the plain in line and column, towards Leipsig, occupying Somerfelt, Paunsdorff, and Schonfeldt, in strength, protecting their retreat, A very heavy cannonade and some brilliant performances of general Winzingerode's cavalry marked chiefly here the events of the day, except towards the close, when general Langeron, who had crossed the river and attacked the village of Schonfeldt, met with considerable resistance, and at first was not able to force his way. He, however, took it, but was driven back; when the most positive orders were sent him by general Blucher, to reoccupy it at the point of the bayonet; which he accomplished before dark. Some Prussian battalions of general Bulow's corps were warmly engaged also at Paunsdorf, and the enemy were retiring from it, when the prince royal directed the rocket brigade, under captain Bogue, to form on the left of a Prussian battery, and open upon the columns retiring. Congreve's formidable weapon had scarce accomplished the point of paralysing a solid square of infantry, which after one fire delivered themselves up (as if panic struck), when that gallant and deserving officer, captain Bogue, alike an ornament to his profession, and a loss to his friends and country, received a shot in the head, which deprived the army of his services. Lieutenant Strangways, who succeeded in the command of the brigade, received the prince royal's thanks for the services they rendered. During the action, twenty-two guns of Saxon artillery joined us from the enemy, and two Westpha lian regiments of hussars and two battalions of Saxons: the former were opportunely made use of on the instant against the enemy, as our artillery and ammunition were not all forward; and the prince royal addressed the latter by an offer, that he would head them immediately against the enemy, which they to a man accepted. The communication being now established between the grand attacks and that of these two armies, the grand duke Constantine, generals Platoff, Milaradovitch, and other officers of distinction, joined the prince royal, communicating the events carrying on in that direction. It seems the most desperate resistance was made by the enemy at Probethede, Stelleritz, and Counevitz; but the different columns bearing on these points, as detailed in my former dispatch, finally carried every thing before them. General Bennigsen taking the villages upon the right bank of the Reuts chove, having been joined by general Bubna from Dresden, general Tolstoy having come up and relieved the former in the blockade of that city, and general Guilay manœuvring with twenty-five thousand Austrians upon the left bank of the Elster, general Thielman and prince Maurice Lichtenstein's corps moved upon the same river; and the result of the day was, that the enemy lost above forty thousand men in killed, wounded, and prisoners, sixty-five pieces of artillery, and seventeen battalions of German infantry, with all their staff and generals, which came over en masse during the action. The armies remained upon the ground, on which they had so bravely conquered, this night. The prince royal had his bivouac at Paunsdorff; gencral Blucher's remained at Witteritz, and the emperor's and the king's at Roda. About the close of the day, it was understood the enemy were retiring by Weissenfels and Naumburg; general Blucher received an order from the king of Prussia to detach in that direction. The movement of the prince royal's army completely excluded the retreat on Wittenberg, that upon Erfurt had long since been lost to them; the line of the Saale alone remains; and as their flanks and rear will be operated upon during their march, it is difficult to say with what portion of their army they may get to the Rhine. This morning the town of Leipsig was attacked and carried, after a short resistance, by the armies of general Blucher, the prince royal, and general Bennigsen, and the grand army. Marshals Marmont and Macdonald commanded in the town; these, with marshals Augerean and Victor, narrowly escaped with a small escort. Their majesties the emperor of Russia, and the king of Prussia, and the crown prince of Sweden, each heading their respective troops, entered the town at different points, and met in the Great Square. The acclamations and rejoicings of the people are not to be described. The multiplicity of brilliant achievements, the impossibility of doing justice to the firmness that has been displayed, the boldness of the conception of the commanderin-chief, field-marshal the prince Schwartzenberg, and of the other experienced leaders; together with the shortness of the time allowed me for making up this dispatch, will plead, I hope, a sufficient ex cuse |