empires, took place between the Emperor Francis II. and Napoleon;
it passed at a little distance from the village of Nasedlowitz,
near a mill, by the side of the high-road, and in the open air. The
conversation of these two sovereigns lasted some time, when the
Emperor of Germany returned to Czeitsch, which he reached in the
evening, and immediately set about informing his ally of the result
of the interview.--For this purpose, an Austrian general was to be
sent immediately to Hollitsch; and General Savary, aid-de-camp to the
Emperor Napoleon, was named by his sovereign, in the first instance
to attend the Emperor Francis II. and afterwards to accompany the
general that should be sent to Hollitsch. In case his Majesty, the
Emperor of all the Russias, should consent to the conditions of the
armistice, General Savary was empowered to countermand the march of
Marshal Davoust's corps, and was afterwards to accompany the Austrian
general, to acquaint the corps of M. de Merveldt with the suspension of
arms. General Stutterheim, who was with the rear-guard of the corps,
near which the interview took place, was charged by his sovereign
with this commission. It was twelve o'clock at night before these two
generals reached Hollitsch, where they had the happiness of obtaining
immediate access to the presence of the Emperor Alexander, who received
them with kindness, and threw no obstacle in the way of the armistice.
Upon this they again departed immediately to find out the corps under
M. de Merveldt, and to countermand that under Marshal Davoust: the
former they fell in with at two o'clock in the morning, retiring upon
Goeding. M. de Merveldt, we have already seen, was charged with the
protection of the left flank of the Russian army; but the whole force
under his orders did not exceed 4,000 infantry and 500 cavalry, which
made it impossible for him to impede the march of the right of the
French army. The two generals succeeded in falling in with Marshal
Davoust at Josephsdorf, at about four o'clock in the morning. General
Gudin's advanced guard was at Neudorf. According to the agreement
between the Emperor Francis II. and Napoleon, all the troops remained
in the exact situation in which they were found upon the cessation of
hostilities being made known to them. The following day Prince John
de Liechtenstein returned to Austerlitz (which was the head-quarter of
the Emperor Napoleon) for the purpose of negociating the boundary to
be observed by the respective armies during the continuation of the
armistice which preceded the peace concluded between Austria and France.
On the 4th December, the very day on which the armistice took place,
the Archduke Ferdinand, who could not be made acquainted with it, and
who had received orders to advance and observe the Bavarians that
remained at Iglau, after the departure of Marshal Bernadotte: on this
day, that prince attacked General Wrede (to keep him in check) with
some troops, the remnant of his corps; with which he succeeded in
driving him from Iglau.
The Archduke Charles, obliged to retreat in consequence of the unheard
of catastrophe that happened to the German army, arrived in Hungary,
with his army quite entire, after having at Caldiero incapacitated the
French army of Italy from doing him any mischief.
It appears, then, that wherever their generals allowed the Austrian
troops to fight, they fought well; and it would be a very rash, and a
very false opinion, to impute the misfortunes of the war of 1805 to
them. In that, as well as in all former instances, the Austrian army
distinguished itself by its courage, its devotion to the cause, its
constancy in supporting unheard of privations, and by its implicit
obedience. It was at Ulm that these brave troops, victims to the
conduct of M. Mack, were subjected to that heart-breaking fate which
was the destruction of the German army. But, at Ulm, many regiments
that had not fired a single shot were obliged to surrender, in
consequence of the operations pursued, and in pursuance of orders given
by that M. Mack, who talked of _burying himself in the ruins of Ulm;
who always talked of death, yet feared to die_.
THE END.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 17: _Note by a French officer._--It is too ridiculous to
suppose that the Russian army, without artillery, without baggage, and
without provisions, would have preferred a retreat by its flank (which
exposed it to the danger of being surrounded by the French army) to
that upon Olmutz: but, in the course of this day, it lost its line of
operation, which was the high road to Olmutz, and nothing remained
for it but to move upon Goeding; and it did not gain much by that;
for, had it not been for the too great clemency of the Emperor, and
the armistice, which was concluded, the remains of the Russian army
would have been entirely destroyed; as may be perceived from what
the Austrian officer lets fall a little farther on.--The loss of a
battle is no proof of want of talent in a general: but the loss of his
artillery and baggage, of his line of operations, and his retreat, are
positive evidence that he is ignorant of the art of war.
An army, so commanded, never could make head against a French army in
so great and difficult a warfare. The emperor took advantage of the
faults committed by the enemy, who would have committed yet greater
errors had the emperor retired behind Brunn: the latter would have
been in greater force; and had already planned new combinations, in
the course of which, the general who possessed most experience, and
the greatest genius for the art of war, must naturally have taken his
adversary at a disadvantage.]
TO THE OFFICERS OF THE BRITISH ARMY.
T. Goddard takes this opportunity of returning thanks to his numerous
Military Friends for the liberal encouragement he has already
experienced, and begs leave to assure them, that such attention shall
be paid to their future favours as will, he trusts, ensure to him a
continuance of that patronage and preference he has already met with.
He has also the honour to inform them, they can at any time be
immediately supplied with every Publication connected with the finance,
interior management, economy, and discipline of the army. Printed
Review, Inspection, and Monthly Returns for Cavalry and Infantry;
Returns of Arms, Clothing, and Appointments; Attestations, Furloughs,
Discharges, Regimental and Orderly Books, Paymasters Account Books,
and Stationary of every description, for home or foreign service.
Regulations, Instructions, &c.
General and Staff Officers supplied with Boxes of Stationary, fitted up
in the most convenient and portable manner, with every article allowed
by the King's Regulations.
* * * * *
New and correct forms of Staff Contingent Accounts, with all the
required Certificates printed.
* * * * *
The following publications are particularly recommended:
* * * * *
The AIDE-DE-CAMP, or STAFF OFFICER'S ASSISTANT, containing correct
statements of the pay, allowances, and contingencies granted to every
officer when employed on the staff in Great Britain.
* * * * *
INSTRUCTIONS for OFFICERS EMPLOYED ON, or EMBARKING FOR FOREIGN
SERVICE; containing his Majesty's Regulations, together with forms
and complete directions for stating and certifying claims for losses
of personal baggage, camp equipage, chargers, and bat horses, whether
lost, or shot for the glanders. Necessaries of Non-commissioned
Officers and Private Soldiers, Regimental Clothing and Appointments,
&c. &c. &c. To which are added all the new Regulations relative to the
Increased Pay, Allowances, and Passage Money of Men and Officers, both
at Home and on Embarking for Foreign Stations, with a variety of other
necessary information.
* * * * *
A CHART, shewing the comparative Rank of every Officer in the Army,
Navy, Marines, Ordnance, Artillery, Engineers, Medical Department,
Militia, Volunteers, &c. &c. &c. &c.
* * * * *
An OFFICER'S LAST LEGACY to his Wife and Family; being a complete
Collection of the Rules, Orders, Regulations, and Instructions,
relative to the Pension and Allowances granted by Government to the
Widows and Orphans of Officers dying in his Majesty's Service, whether
belonging to the _Army_, _Navy_, _Artillery_, or _Marines_.
Together with correct Tables of the Pensions, as increased from the
25th of June, 1806; as also of the King's Bounty to the Widows and
Relations of Officers Killed in Action or Dying of their Wounds, and
Forms of the Applications, Affidavits, and Certificates, necessary for
obtaining the same, &c. &c. &c.
Marchant, Printer, 3, Greville-Street, Holborn.
[Transcriber's Note: Original spelling, including probable inconsistencies,
has been retained.]