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this sovereign of his own creation, his favourite fellow-soldier, connected with him by ties of kindred, should think it necessary for his own security to join the general confederacy against him. In the beginning of the year a treaty of alliance was concluded between the Emperor of Austria and the King of Naples, by the terms of which the Emperor engaged to keep at least 50,000 men in Italy, and the King 20,000, till the end of the war, to act in concert, and to be augmented in case of necessity; and the former guaranteed to the latter and his heirs the possession of the dominions actually held by him in Italy, and promised his mediation to induce the allies to accede to this guarantee. The King of Naples in consequence arrived at Bologna, whither Count

Bellegarde on Jan. 6, went to pay his compliments to him.

The French on the 4th quitted Verona, leaving a garrison in the old castle, and the Austrians on the same day entered the town. The Viceroy of Italy, Eugene Beauharnois, marched on the 7th with the flower of his troops on the side of Bozzolo on the Mincio, to oppose the passage of that river by the Austrians. A division and some battalions had already passed, when they were attacked by superior numbers. The whole of that day and the next passed in severe actions, in which the Austrians underwent considerable loss, but are represented as maintaining their ground. Their main army did not come up till the 9th, when it was established to the number of between 40 and 50,000 men on both banks of the Mincio.

CHAP.

CHAPTER II.

Napoleon's Attempt to recover Soissons.-His Attack upon Blucher at Craone.-The latter retreats to Laon and is there attacked.-French repulsed.-Rheims taken by the Russians and recovered by Napoleon.Schwartzenberg's Army at Arcis-sur-Aube.-Arcis taken by the Prince of Wurtemberg.-Negociations at Chatillon broken off.-Lord Wellington advances to Orthes.- Carries the French Positions, and passes the Adour.-Citadel of Bayonne invested.-French retreat towards Tarbes.-Marshal Beresford enters Bourdeaux, where the white cockade is hoisted, and the Duke of Angouleme is received.-French driven from Tarbes.—Actions near Vitry-Napoleon pushes between the Allied Armies.-They unite and advance towards Paris.-French defeated at Fere Champenoise.-Convoy taken.-Advance of the Allies. -Marmont and Mortier enter Paris.-Force there.-Position of the Allies before the Capital.-Schwartzenberg's Address to the Parisians. -French march out.-Attacked at Belleville, &c. by the Allies.Armistice and Capitulation of Paris.-Entrance of the Allied Sovereigns.-Their Declaration. Decrees of the French Senate.-Transactions of Napoleon.-His Abdication.-Conditions.-State of the French Nation.—Provisional Government, and French Constitution.— Monsieur enters Paris.-Lord Wellington advances to Toulouse.— Battle there.-Suspension of Hostilities.-Sortie from Bayonne. Transactions at Paris.-Decree of Monsieur.-Buonaparte's Depar ture from Fontainbleau.—Louis XVIII. lands in France.

WE

E left Napoleon making a second advance against the army commanded by Marshal Blucher, the antagonist whose spirit and enterprise appear to have rendered him peculiarly an object of alarm. This army effected its junction with the corps of Winzingerode and Bulow, at Soissons, on the evening of March 3; and the Field-marshal took a position to the left, and in the rear of Soissons, with his right on the village of Laffaux, and his left near Craone. On the 5th, Napoleon, with the whole of his guards, the corps of Marmont and Mortier, and a considerable body of cavalry, having

come up, determined on an attempt to recover Soissons, which was defended by 10,000 Russian infantry of Langeron's corps. The attack was made soon after day-light; the French gained possession of the greatest part of the suburbs, and twice assailed the town itself on opposite sides with heavy columns, supported by the divisions of Marmont and Mortier. They were both times repulsed, but still retained possession of the suburbs, whence they maintained a constant fire till night on the troops posted on the walls cf the town, the Russians at the same time keeping another part of the suburbs,

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and a few houses only separating the combatants. The contest was sanguinary, and the loss of the Russians is stated to have been more than a thousand in killed and wounded. Napoleon in the mean time was descried moving to his right; and on the forenoon of the 6th, he effected his passage of the Aisne; and at two in the afternoon, commenced an attack on the left of Blucher's position at Craone. Strong columns were observed at the same time marching by Corbeny towards Laon. The Fieldmarshal made proper dispositions to secure Laon and cover the communication with that city, and at the same time to support that part of the position which was threatened. The enemy was repulsed, and the firing ceased with the day. On the morning of the 7th, it was ascertained that the French had desisted from their march to Laon, and their further intentions were not clearly discoverable.

About eleven in the forenoon, however, they began an attack with their whole force against the point where Winzingerode's infantry was posted. A very severe action ensued, the result of which was, that Gen. Sacken found it necessary to execute that part of the disposition which provided for the retreat of the army towards Laon. This was effected with great order, not even a single dismounted gun being left in the enemy's possession. The loss in killed and wounded was however considerable; and that of the French could scarcely be inferior, from the admirable manner in whcih the Russian artillery was served.

On March 9, Napoleon with his concentrated force attacked Blucher in his position at Laon, where the

elevated ground on which the city is situated was occupied by the corps of Gen. Bulow, whilst the remainder of the Field-marshal's army was posted on the plain below to the right and left of the town. Before day-light the French advanced under cover of a thick fog, and obtained possession of two villages which may be regarded as the suburbs of the place. When the fog cleared up they were observed to be in force behind the villages, with columns of infantry and cavalry on the causeway towards Soissons. They were soon repulsed from the nearest villages, and Blucher ordered the cavalry from the rear to advance and turn their left flank, whilst a part of Bulow's corps was ordered to drive them from the other village. During these operations, about two in the afternoon, a column of the enemy, consisting of sixteen battalions of infantry, with cavalry and cannon, was descried advancing along the causeway from Rheims. General D'Yorck, with Sacken to support him, were directed to oppose them, and here the battle became most general and decisive. The French opened a battery of forty or fifty pieces of artillery, and were confidently moving forward on a pas de charge, when they were met by Prince William of Prussia, and overthrown. Their retreat soon became a flight, in which they lost baggage, cannon, and prisoners. The pursuit continued as far as Corbeny. On the right, no other advantages were gained than the expulsion of the French from the villages. The attack on the right was renewed on the next day, the 10th, and continued during the whole of it. The French at one

time had pushed to the village of Semilly, close to the walls of Laon, whence they were driven by a battalion of Prussians. They bivouacked on the field, but in the morning began a retreat on the road to Soissons, pursued by the advance guard of the allies. The absence of the corps of D'Yorck, Sacken, and Kleist, which were pursuing the remainder of the column which had advanced from Rheims, prevented any further active operation. The result of the actions of these days, was the capture by the allies of forty-eight pieces of cannon, and between five and six thousand prisoners, and the retreat of the French at all points. Napoleon in person was their commander in the attack on the right and centre, and Marmont and Arrighi were those of the advance from Rheims.

On March 12, the Russian general St. Priest marching from Chalons surprised Rheims. On the very next day Napoleon marched for its recovery. Between ten and eleven in the forenoon, the advanced posts of the allies on the side of Soissons were driven in, and the enemy were seen advancing in heavy masses of infantry and cavalry. St. Priest moved his troops to a position upon high ground on each side the causeway leading to Soissons, and the advance of the two armies were immediately in action. The Russians for a considerable time supported with great steadiness the attacks of the enemy in still increasing numbers, till St. Priest was struck from his horse by a cannon ball, and carried from the field. The consequence was the retreat of his whole corps through the town of

Rheims to Berri-au-Bac, with the loss of eight guns and two thousand men. It afterwards joined Blucher's army in the neighbourhood. Napoleon, who had entered Rheims, left it on the 16thwith the greatest part of his army, taking the road to Epernay. On the 18th Blucher put his troops in motion, and passed the Aisne on the 19th, the Prussians taking the road to Fismes, and the Russians to Rheims. The latter, having blown open the gates of the town, re-entered it without opposition. The intelligence of Blucher's success at Laon, induced Prince Schwartzenberg on the 15th to move his head-quarters to Pont sur-Seine, with the intention of commencing offensive operations; but the farther intelligence of the defeat of St. Priest's corps, and the re-occupation of Rheims by the French, induced him to suspend his movements. He took different posts on the Seine and Aube; and on the 21st, his army was placed in a concentrated position before Arcis-sur-Aube. At this time the French had a considerable force at Arcis, and large masses of infantry and cavalry before it. The dif ferent columns of Schwartzenberg's army having joined, the two armies stood in order of battle before each other till the afternoon, when the French were seen filing off on the other side of the Aube, and taking the direction of Vitri, leaving a powerful rear-guard in possession of Arcis. At this instant the Prince of Wurtemberg made an attack upon Arcis with three corps of the army, whilst dispositions were made for passing other corps to the right bank of the Aube. The attack was resisted

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by the enemy with great obstinacy. but the Prince at length carried every thing before him, and the French in abandoning Arcis, left the field covered with their killed and wounded.

Some severe actions had during this time been taking place on the side of Lyons, between the corps of the Austrian General Bianchi, and Marshal Augereau. The town of Bourg was thrice taken and retaken, and suffered greatly; and the principal part of Maçon was burnt down.

Lord Castlereagh, the British Plenipotentiary at Chatillon, announced that the negociations were broken off on the 18th.

We are now to revert to the motions of the army under Lord Wellington, which were becoming continually more important to the general cause. The difficulties attending advance in a country full of strong posts, intersected by rapid streams, destitute of good roads, and in the face of a vigilant and active enemy, necessarily rendered this army later in commenc ing its operations than those of the other allies had been, but the character of its great commander could not brook inaction a moment longer than such necessity demanded. The combined troops were left on Jan. 18 with their posts on the Gave (or rivulet) of Oleron. On Feb. 21 his Lordship ordered the sixth and light divisions to break up from the blockade of Bayonne, and made other dispositions for a general movement of the army. On the 24th, Lieutenant-Gen. Sir Rowland Hill and Lieut.-Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, with the divisions under their command, passed the Gave D'OleVOL. LVI.

ron at different places, and Fieldmarshal Sir William Beresford attacked the enemy's posts on the Gave de Pau, and obliged them to retire. The two above-mentioned commanders then marched towards Orthes, near which the French ar my was assembled on the 25th, having destroyed all the bridges on the river. Several divisions of the combined army marched up and crossed at different points, when the enemy was found in a strong position, with his right on the height on the road to Dax, and his left on those above Orthes, and in that town, opposing the passage of Sir. R. Hill. A general attack of the enemy's centre and both flanks was then ordered, which succeeded in part after a vigorous resistance; but the nature of the ground rendering the first plan of attack impracticable in another point, the General ably altered it in the midst of the action, and attacking the enemy's right posted on the heights at the same time by their right and left, dislodged them and secured the victory. The French at first retired in admirable order, taking advantage of the many good positions which the country afforded. Being however closely pushed, and losing many men, their retreat at length became a direct flight, and they were thrown into the utmost confusion. The pursuit continued till dusk, and was resumed the next day, when Lord Wellington passed the Adour. His Lordship does not pretend to estimate the enemy's loss, but mentions the capture of six cannon and a great many prisoners, and that the whole country was covered with their dead, and the desertion was immenge. A very large ma[C]

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