THE BATTLE OF WAGRAM.
"At length!" exclaimed the Archduke John, joyously, holding up the
letter which a courier of the generalissimo had just brought him
from the headquarters of Wagram. "At length a decisive blow is to be
struck.--Count Nugent, General Frimont, come in here! A courier from
the generalissimo!"
So saying, the archduke had opened the door of his cabinet, and
called the gentlemen who were in the anteroom.
"A courier from the generalissimo," he repeated once more, when the
two generals came in.
"Your highness's wish is fulfilled now, is it not?" asked Nugent.
"The generalissimo accepts the assistance which you offered to him.
He permits you to leave this position with your troops and those of
the Archduke Palatine and re-enforce his own army?"
"No, he does not reply to my offer. It seems the generalissimo
thinks that he does not need us to beat the French. But he writes to
me that he is about to advance with his whole army, and that a
decisive battle may be looked for. He says the enemy is still on the
island of Lobau, busily engaged in erecting a TETE-DE-PONT, and
building a bridge across the Danube."
"And our troops do not try to prevent this by all means!" cried
General Frimont, vehemently. "They allow the enemy to build bridges?
They look on quietly while the enemy is preparing to leave the
island, and do not prevent him from so doing?"
"My friend," said the archduke, gently, "let us never forget that it
does not behoove us to criticise the actions of the generalissimo,
and that our sole duty is to obey. Do as I do; let us be silent and
submit. But let us rejoice that something will be done at length.
Just bear in mind how long this inactivity and suspense have lasted
already. The battle of Aspern was fought on the 22d of May, to-day
is the 3d of July; and in the mean time nothing has been done. The
enemy remained quietly on the island of Lobau, nursing his wounded,
reorganizing his troops, erecting TETES-DE-PONT, and building
bridges; and the generalissimo stood with his whole army on the bank
of the Danube, and took great pains to watch in idleness the busy
enemy. Let us thank God, therefore, that at last the enemy is tired
of this situation, that he at length takes the initiative again, and
brings about a decision. The generalissimo informs me that the
enemy's artillery dislodged our outposts yesterday, and that some
French infantry crossed over to the Muhlau. The generalissimo, as I
told you before, advanced with his troops, and hopes for a decisive
battle within a few days."
"And yet the generalissimo does not accept the assistance which your
imperial highness offered to him?" asked Count Nugent, shaking his
head.
"No, he does not. The generalissimo orders me, on the contrary, to
stay here at Presburg and operate in such a manner against the corps
stationed here, that it may not be able to join Napoleon's main
army. Well, then, gentlemen, let us comply with this order, and
perform at least our humble part of the generalissimo's grand plan.
Let us help him to gain a victory, for the victory will be useful to
the fatherland. We will, therefore, form a pontoon-bridge to-day,
and make a sortie from the TETE-DE-PONT. You, General Frimont, will
order up the batteries from Comorn. You, General Nugent, will inform
the Archduke Palatine of the generalissimo's orders. Write him also
that it is positive that the enemy is moving all his troops to
Vienna, and that all his columns are already on the march thither.
Tell him that it is all-important for us to detain him, and that I,
therefore, have resolved to make a sortie from the TETE-DE-PONT, and
request the Archduke Palatine to co-operate with me on the right
bank of the Danube. Let us go to work, gentlemen, to work! We have
no time to lose. The order is to keep the enemy here by all means;
let us strive to do it!"
And they went to work with joyous zeal and untiring energy; all
necessary dispositions were made for forming a pontoon-bridge, and
preventing the enemy from joining Napoleon's main army. The Archduke
John superintended every thing in person; he was present wherever
difficulties were to be surmounted, or obstacles to be removed. In
his ardent zeal, he did not hesitate to take part in the toils of
his men, and the soldiers cheered enthusiastically on seeing him
work so hard in the midst of their ranks.
Early in the morning of the 5th of July the bridge was completed,
the TETE-DE-PONT was fully armed, and every thing was in readiness
for the sortie. The Archduke, who had not slept all the night long,
was just returning from an inspection of the preparations, when a
courier galloped up to him in the middle of the bridge. On beholding
the archduke, he jumped from his horse, and handed him, panting and
in trembling haste, a letter from the generalissimo.
"You have ridden very rapidly? You were instructed then to make
great haste?" asked John.
"I rode hither from Wagram in ten hours, your imperial highness,"
said the courier, breathlessly; "I was instructed to ride as rapidly
as possible."
"You have done your duty faithfully. Go and rest."
He nodded kindly to the courier, and repaired to his head-quarters
to read the letter he had just received from his brother.
This letter revoked all orders which had been sent to him up to this
time. The archduke had vainly offered his cooperation and that of
the Archduke Palatine four days ago. At that time not even a reply
had been made to his offer; now, at the last moment, the
generalissimo called impetuously upon his brother to hasten to his
assistance. He demanded that the Archduke John should set out at
once, leave only troops enough to hold the TET-DE-PONT, and hasten
up with the remainder of his forces to the scene of action.
When the archduke real this order, a bitter smile played round his
lips. "See," he said, mournfully, to General Frimont, "now I am
needed all at once, and it seems as if the battle cannot be gained
without us. It is all-important for us to arrive in time at the
point to which we are called so late, perhaps too late. Ah, what is
that? What do you bring to me, Nugent?"
"Another courier from the generalissimo has arrived; he brought this
letter."
"You see, much deference is paid to us all of a sudden; we are
treated as highly important assistants," sighed the archduke. He
then unfolded the paper quickly and read it.
"The generalissimo," he said, "informs me now that he has changed
his plan, and will not give battle on the bank of the Danube, but
take position in the rear of Wagram. He instructs me to make a
forced march to Marchegg, advance, after resting there for three
hours, to Siebenbrunn, and take position there. Very well,
gentlemen, let us carry the generalissimo's orders into effect. At
one o'clock to-night, all must be in readiness for setting out. We
need the time between now and then to concentrate the extended lines
of our troops. If we are ready at all earlier hour, we shall set out
at once. Make haste; Let that be the password to-night!"
Thanks to this password, all the troops had been concentrated by
midnight, and the march was just about to begin when another courier
arrived from the generalissimo, and informed the archduke that the
enemy was advancing, and that it was now the generalissimo's
intention to attack him and force him to give battle. The Archduke
John was ordered to march as rapidly as possible to Siebenbrunn,
whither a strong corps of the enemy had set out.
The Archduke John now advanced with his ten thousand men with the
utmost rapidity toward Marchegg. The troops were exhausted by the
toils and fatigues of the last days; they had not eaten any thing
for twenty-four hours; but the archduke and his generals and staff-
officers always knew how to stir them up and induce them to continue
their march with unflagging energy. Thus they at length reached
Marchegg, where they were to rest for three hours.
But no sooner had they arrived there than Count Reuss, the
generalissimo's aide-de-camp, galloped up on a charger covered all
over with foam. The count had ridden in seven hours from Wagram to
Marchegg for it was all-important that the archduke should
accelerate his march. The battle was raging already with great fury.
The generalissimo was in urgent need of the archduke's assistance.
Hence, the latter was not to rest with his troops at Marchegg, but
continue his march and advance with the utmost speed by Siebenbrunn
to Loibersdorf. At Siebenbrunn he would find Field-Marshal
Rosenberg; he should then, jointly with him, attack the enemy.
"Let us set out, then, for Loibersdorf," said John, sighing; "we
will do all we can, and thus avoid being charged with tardiness. Up,
up, my braves! The fatherland calls us; we must obey it!"
But the soldiers obeyed this order only with low murmurs, and many
remained at Marchegg, exhausted to death.
The troops continued their march with restless speed, and mute
resignation. The archduke's face was pale, his flashing eyes were
constantly prying into the distance, his breast was panting, his
heart was filled with indescribable anxiety, and he exhorted his
troops incessantly to accelerate their steps. Now they heard the
dull roar of artillery at a distance; and the farther they advanced,
the louder and more terrific resounded the cannon. The battle,
therefore, was going on, and the utmost rapidity was necessary on
their part. Forward, therefore, forward! At five o'clock in the
afternoon they at last reached Siebenbrunn. But where was Field-
Marshal Rosenberg? What did it mean that the roar of artillery had
almost entirely died away? And what dreadful signs surrounded the
horizon on all sides? Tremendous clouds of smoke, burning villages
everywhere, and added to them now the stillness of death, which was
even more horrible after the booming of artillery which had shaken
the earth up to this time. Where was Field-Marshal Rosenberg?
An officer galloped up at full speed. It was a messenger from Field-
Marshal Rosenberg, who informed the archduke that he had been
repulsed, that all was over, and that the day was irretrievably
lost.
"I have been ordered to march to Loibersdorf," said the archduke,
resolutely; "I must comply with my instructions."
And he continued his march toward Loibersdorf. Patrols were sent out
and approached Wagram. The fields were covered with the dead and
wounded, and the latter stated amid moans and lamentations that a
dreadful battle had been fought, and that the Austrians had been
defeated.
The archduke listened to these reports with a pale face and
quivering lips. But he was still in hopes that he would receive a
message from the generalissimo; hence, he remained at Loibersdorf
and waited for news from his brother. Night came; profound stillness
reigned all around, broken only now and then by dull reports of
cannon and musketry fired at a distance, and there was no news yet
from the generalissimo!
One of the patrols now brought in a French officer who had got
separated from his men, and whom the Austrians had taken prisoner.
The archduke sent for him, and asked him for information regarding
the important events of the day.
The officer gave him the required information with sparkling eyes
and in a jubilant voice. A great battle had been fought during the
previous two days. The French army had left the Island of Lobau on
four bridges, which Napoleon had caused to be built in a single
night by two hundred carpenters, and had given battle to the
Archduke Charles at Wagram. A furious combat had raged on the 5th
and 6th of July. Both armies had fought with equal boldness,
bravery, and exasperation; but finally the Archduke Charles had been
compelled to evacuate the field of battle and retreat. The Emperor
Napoleon had remained in possession of the field; he had gained the
battle of Wagram.
Large drops of sweat stood on the archduke's forehead while he was
listening to this report; his eyes filled with tears of indignation
and anger; his lips quivered, and he lifted his eyes reproachfully
to heaven. Then he turned slowly to General Frimont, who was halting
by his side, and behind whom were to be seen the gloomy, mournful
faces of the other officers.
"The generalissimo has lost a battle," he said, with a sigh. "This
is a twofold calamity for us. You know that we could not come
sooner. We arrived even at an earlier hour than I had promised. You
will see that the whole blame for the loss of the battle will be
laid at our door, and we shall be charged with undue tardiness. This
pretended tardiness will be welcome to many a one. A scapegoat is
needed, and I shall have to be this scapegoat!" [Footnote: The
archduke's own words.--See Hormayr's work on "The Campaign of 1809,"
p. 286.]
The Archduke John was not mistaken; he had predicted his fate. He
was really to be the scapegoat for the loss of the battle. In the
proclamation which the Archduke Charles issued to his army a few
days afterward at Znaym, and in which he informed it that he had
concluded an armistice with the Emperor Napoleon, he deplored that,
owing to the too late arrival of the Archduke John, the battle had
not been won, despite the admirable bravery which the troops had
displayed at Wagram, and that the generalissimo had been compelled
thereby to retreat.
The Archduke John did not defend himself. He lifted his tearful eyes
to heaven and sighed: "Another battle lost, and this battle decides
the fate of Austria! Now Prussia will not ally herself with us, for
we did not strike the second blow which the king demanded, and she
will look on quietly while Austria is being humiliated! O God, God,
protect Austria! Protect Germany! save us from utter ruin!"