The Austro-Bavarians had taken up their position in the woods near
Hainau before the Emperor approached the Maine. He came up with them on
the morning of the 30th, and his troops charged on the instant with the
fury of despair. Buonaparte cut his way through ere nightfall; and
Marmont, with the rear, had equal success on the 31st. In these actions
there fell 6000 of the French; while the enemy had 10,000 killed or
wounded, and lost 4000 prisoners; and these losses would have been far
greater, but for the ready wit of a patriotic miller, who, watching the
tide of battle, suddenly let the water into a mill-stream, and thus
interposed a seasonable obstacle between the French cavalry and some
German infantry, whom they had been driving before them; a service which
was munificently rewarded by the King of Prussia later.
The pursuit had been entrusted to the Austrians, who urged it with far
less vigor than the Prussians, under the fiery guidance of Blucher,
would probably have exerted. No considerable advantage, therefore,
followed the battle of Hainau. The remains of the French host at length
passed the Rhine; and the Emperor having quitted them at Mentz, arrived
in Paris on the 9th of November.
Thus terminated the campaign in Saxony.
[Illustration: THE BATTLE OF HAINAU.]