D'Yorck, Kleist, and Sacken, were ordered to incline towards Winzingerode's infantry. The enemy approached under cover of the wood of Corbeny, and sent forth large bodies of skirmishers, supported by artillery, who were repulsed, and the skirmishing ceased with the night. Marshal Blucher now directed D'Yorck and Kleist to cross the river Delette, in the direction of Presle and Lemilly. The French began an attack with their whole force, calculated at sixty thousand men, against the point where General Winzingerode's infantry was posted; the cannonading became tremendous, but the enemy was resisted at all points: General Baron Sacken thought it expedient to make a retreat, which was admirably effected. The Russians lost about two thousand men; and the French suffered most dreadfully, four of their Generals, namely, Victor, Grouchy, La Salle, and Charpontras, were wounded.

Marshal Blucher having established his head-quarters at Laon, was attacked by Bonaparte on March 9, 1814, and repulsed with the loss of forty-five pieces of cannon, with baggage, and some prisoners. Before daylight the enemy began the attack under cover of a thick fog, and obtained possession of the villages of Lemilly and Ardon, which were close under the town, but the enemy were instantly driven from Lemilly. Count Worouzoff advanced with his infantry, and drove in the enemy's posts: the enemy was also driven by General Bulow from Ardon. The French now opened a battery of, at least, from forty to fifty pieces of artillery. Generals D'Yorck and Sacken, were sent to oppose the progress of the enemy, who, under the cover of this battery, was boldly leading a column of sixteen battalions of infantry forward; while pushing towards the village of Althies, Prince William of Prussia, who was advancing to the village at the same time, attacked and completely defeated the enemy, who precipitately took to flight, when forty-eight pieces of artillery were taken, with horses, baggage, and prisoners in vast numbers. The French were pursued as far as Corbeny, and the battle continued the whole of the day. A wood near the village of Clarcy was taken, and re-taken, four or five different times: near five thousand men were taken. The Cossacks,

under General Czerncheff, followed the fugitive army and took eight hundred prisoners.

After the important actions of the 9th and 10th of March, the corps of Lieutenant-general Count St. Priest, remained a short time at Rheims; the French were seen advancing in heavy masses of cavalry, and a numerous train of artillery: the advance of both armies were immediately engaged; a very vigorous attack was made on two Russian battalions, who were placed in advance, but they gallantly repelled the enemy. In the midst of a tremendous cannonade, Count St. Priest was struck from his horse by a cannon-ball, and carried off the field; the French, at length, obtained possession of Rheims. The allies lost in this engagement two thousand men. The remainder of Count St. Priest's corps joined Marshal Blucher, at Laon. The loss of the enemy was great. Bonaparte was present during the whole of

the action.

The news of the defeat of St. Priest, and of the capture of Rheims, determined Prince Schwartzenberg to abandon the idea of assuming the offensive. General Bianchi defeated two divisions of Marshal Augereau's army, near Macon, on March 11; when a great number of the French were killed or wounded, and five hundred prisoners, with a quantity of cannons, remained in the hands of the allies.

On March 21, the Prince Royal of Wirtemberg made an attack on Arcis, which was defended with great obstinacy; but the Prince, by his good and able dispo sitions, carried every thing before him, and the enemy sustained an immense loss of men, in killed and wounded.

After the unfortunate affair of the Count St.Priest, and the junction of his corps with Marshal Blucher, the latter marched, having crossed the Aisne to Rheims; the gates of the town were blown up, and the allied troops entered without resistance. The corps of Marshals Marmont and Mortier, arrived within two leagues of Vitry the advanced guard of the Prince Royal of Wirtemberg fell in with them soon after. The light cavalry division of Russian guards eminently distinguished themselves; they killed a great many of the enemy, wounded more, and took near a thousand prisoners, with ten pieces of cannon. The Austrian cuirassiers,

and the Wirtemberg cavalry, pursued the French to Sezame, taking above thirty pieces of cannon. Prince Schwartzenberg having arrived at Feu Champonoise, a cannonade was observed on the right, and soon after a body of infantry was seen moving upon the headquarters. The Emperor Alexander, and the King of Prussia, immediately directed a train of artillery, which belonged to the sixth corps, and which was passing at the time, to place itself in position against this corps. The cavalry which was in rear of this body, was soon after discovered to belong to the army of Marshal Blucher, which had been pursuing it the greater part of the day. Prince Schwartzenberg immediately brought up a considerable portion of cavalry from the corps that were pursuing Marshals Marmont and Mortier. The Emperor of Russia directed the advance of the Russian guns, when the whole body of the French infantry was surrounded; they were charged on all sides, under the immediate direction of the Emperor of Russia, the King of Prussia, and Prince Schwartzenberg; after a resistance which did honor to the valor of the enemy, the whole of the two columns, amounting to four thousand eight hundred infantry, with twelve pieces of cannon, were taken.

Napoleon, completely baffled by the manoeuvres of the victorious allies, was in a desperate situation; his die was cast, and the present crisis exhibited the hero of Lodi and Marengo, in so different a point of view to what he had been hitherto considered, as filled the world with astonishment, and plainly pointed out the finger of God.t

Bonaparte, after the numerous losses he had sustained, hoped to prevent the junction of Marshal Blucher with Prince Schwartzenberg. On the evening of March 21, he put the whole of his army in motion for Vitry; and on the following day the advanced corps arrived at that place. It was garrisoned with between three and four thousand Prussians. Marshal Ney endeavored by every menace to obtain a surrender, but the Prussian commander braved every threat, and the French commander was obliged to cross the Maml: this river Bonaparte passed on the 23d and 24th, and took the direction of St. Dizier.

+ Romans, xi. 33,

The allies having crossed to the right of the Aubo, were resolved, with an united force of, at least, 200,000 men, to penetrate to the capital of the French empire. His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Russia, by two extraordinary marches, established his head-quarters with those of the Field-marshal, at Vitry. On the 24th, a very brilliant capture of several pieces of cannon, and fifteen hundred men, was made by General Angeranski, of the cavalry guard. On the 25th, the combined army marched to Fere Champenoise. Generals Czerncheff and Winzinzerode entered Vitry: so ignorant was the enemy of this circumstance, that Marshal Marmont's advance was within a very short distance of Vitry, without knowing that it was in the possession of the allies. General Reuske drove the French back; and the Russian cavalry under the Archduke Constantine, made a brilliant charge on the enemy, taking eighteen cannon, and many pri

soners.

After the allied troops had passed through Champenoise, a detached column of the enemy of five thousand men, under the command of General Ames, was marching to join Napoleon with the grand army. This detachment had an immense convoy, with one hundred thousand ratios of bread, and ammunition. Marshal Blucher dispatched General Basitchicoff, and General Kirt, with bodies of cavalry against them, and the French were driven upon Champenoise, as the grand army was advancing; they were immediately attacked, and, after a stubborn resistance, were obliged to surrender. General Ames, with six other Generals, five thousand men, twelve cannon, and the whole of the invaluable convoy, were taken.

The grand army crossed the Marne on March 28, 1814. The army of Silesia now advanced on the great road of Soissons to Paris. Count Langeron was on the right, near the village of La Vilettes. Generals D'Yorck and Kleist, moved from the road of Meaux, into that of Soissons, to make room for Prince Schwartzenberg's army; and Generals Sacken and Wouzou were in their

rear.

On the 28th, in the evening, a very sharp affair occurred at Clarge, between General D'Yorck, and the enemy's rear; the ground they were posted on was very favorable for defence: General D'Yorck lost some hundreds of

men, but the enemy were driven back at all points. The sixth corps passed at Tuport, and reached Bondy at night, and the heights of Panten. The fifth corps

crossed at Meaux, and remained on the left of the Marne, having their cavalry at Cressy and Colomius. The army now had its right towards Montmartre, and its left near the wood of Vincennes.

The following address was now issued in the form of a proclamation, by Prince Schwartzenberg,† to the inhabitants of Paris :

"Inhabitants of Paris,

"The allied armies are before Paris. The object of their march towards the capital of France, is founded on the hopes of a sincere and lasting reconciliation with France. The attempts made to put an end to so many misfortunes, have been useless, because there exists in the very power of the government which oppresses you, an unsurmountable obstacle to peace. What Frenchman is there not convinced of this truth? The allied Sovereigns wish in good faith, a salutary authority in France, which may cement the union of all nations, and of all governments with her: it is to the city of Paris that it has fallen, under the present circumstances, to accelerate the peace of the world. The wish of this city is looked for with that interest, which a result of such importance must inspire. Let her declare herself, and from that moment the army before her walls becomes the support of her decisions. Parisians! You know the situation of your country; the conduct of Bourdeaux, the friendly occupation of Lyons, the evils brought upon France, and the real dispositions of your fellow-citizens. You will

+ This celebrated General is a nobleman of one of the first families of Austria. He is a direct descendant of the house of Savoy; his grandfather having married a Princess of Lichtenstein, who was a granddaughter of the King of Sardinia. He derives his title from a princi pality of that name in the German empire, of which he is Sovereign Prince; he also possesses very considerable estates in Bohemia. He commenced his military career at an early period of his life. He was Ambassador to Bonaparte's court, and gave a grand jete at Paris, in celebration of the marriage of Napoleon to the daughter of his Sovereign. His Highness commanded the Austrian contingent in the Russian campaign he afterwards returned to Paris in his former character as Ambassador; and was appointed Generalissimo of the armies when the Emperor Francis joined the coalition. Prince Schwartzenberg was born in 1769.