Napoleon could never trust his allies. Completely beaten, they submitted
to the conqueror; and yet they hated as deeply as they feared him, and
therefore took advantage of every opportunity to rupture the peace of
Europe, and attack his power. No wonder that he lost patience, and
treated their representations, when humbled, with contempt. These old
legitimates proved themselves as false as they were imbecile, and they
deserved the contempt of a man who was an Emperor by nature. After the
peace of Tilset, Napoleon turned his attention to Spanish affairs, and
placed his brother Joseph upon the throne of Spain. The Spaniards
immediately took up arms to restore Ferdinand VII. to the crown of his
ancestors, although they had long suffered from the misrule of the
Bourbons. They resisted the armies of France, and being aided by the
English, threatened the invaders with a terrible overthrow. This
spectacle caused the faithless house of Austria to break all its
engagements. Once more the Austrian Emperor resolved to make an effort
to destroy the dominion of Napoleon. He collected an army of one hundred
and fifty thousand men, which was placed under the command of the brave
and skilful Archduke Charles.
Napoleon collected an army much inferior in number to that of the enemy,
and with his usual rapidity advanced to the attack. The Empress
Josephine accompanied him as far as Strasburg, and there watched the
event of the campaign, although its termination was destined to be so
melancholy for herself.
The Archduke Charles’s plan was to act upon the offensive. His talents
were undoubted, his army greatly superior in numbers to the French, and
favorably disposed, whether for attack or defence; yet, by a series of
combinations, the most beautiful and striking, perhaps, which occur in
the life of one so famed for his power of forming such, Buonaparte was
enabled, in the short space of five days, totally to defeat the
formidable masses which were opposed to him. Napoleon found his own
force unfavorably disposed, on a long line, extending between the towns
of Augsburg and Ratisbon, and presenting, through the incapacity, it is
said, of Berthier, an alarming vacancy in the centre, by operating on
which the enemy might have separated the French army into two parts, and
exposed each to a flank attack. Sensible of the full, and perhaps fatal
consequences, which might attend this error, Napoleon determined on the
daring attempt to concentrate his army by a lateral march, to be
accomplished by the two wings simultaneously. With this view he posted
himself in the centre, where the danger was principally apprehended,
commanding Massena to advance by a flank movement from Augsburg to
Pfaffenhoffen, and Davoust to approach the centre by a similar
manœuvre from Ratisbon to Neustadt. These marches must necessarily be
forced, that of Davoust, being eight, that of Massena between twelve and
thirteen leagues. The order for this daring operation was sent to
Massena on the night of the 17th, and concluded with an earnest
recommendation of speed and intelligence. When the time for executing
these movements had been allowed, Bonaparte, at the head of the centre
of his forces, made a sudden and desperate assault upon two Austrian
divisions, commanded by the Archduke Louis and General Hiller. So
judiciously was this timed, that the appearance of Davoust on the one
flank kept in check those other Austrian corps _d’armee_, by whom the
divisions attacked ought to have been supported; while the yet more
formidable operations of Massena, in the rear of the Archduke Louis,
achieved the defeat of the enemy. The victory, gained at Abensberg, upon
the 20th of April, broke the line of the Austrians, and exposed them to
farther misfortunes. The Emperor attacked the fugitives the next day at
Landshut, where the Austrians lost thirty pieces of cannon, nine
thousand prisoners, and much ammunition and baggage.
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[Illustration: MARSHAL LANNES.]
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On the 22d of April, Napoleon manœuvred so as to bring his entire
force, by different routes upon Eckmuhl, where the Archduke had
collected full one hundred thousand men. Here, perhaps, was one of the
most splendid triumphs of military combination ever displayed. The
Austrians were attacked on all sides about two o’clock in the afternoon.
They fought with stubborn courage, and the Archduke displayed great
bravery. But nothing could avail against the overwhelming attack of a
scientific adversary, and about dusk the Austrians were completely
defeated. All the Austrian wounded, a great part of their artillery, and
twenty thousand prisoners, remained in the hands of the French, and many
more prisoners were taken during the pursuit. Davoust, whose services
were conspicuous on this occasion, was created Prince of Eckmuhl.
On the 23d, the Austrians made an attempt to cover the retreat of their
army, by defending Ratisbon. Six regiments occupied the town, and seemed
determined upon a vigorous defence. The Emperor himself came up to order
the attack. Ratisbon is situated on the Upper Danube, across which it
communicates with its suburb Stadt-an-Hop, by a bridge a thousand German
feet in length. It is one of the oldest towns in Germany, and has an
antique aspect. Its streets are narrow and irregular, and its houses,
although lofty, are old fashioned and inconvenient. Many have tall
battlemented towers, loop-holed for musketry, etc. Among the most
striking public buildings are the cathedral, an old Roman tower, and the
bishop’s palace. The ramparts are dilapidated, and scarcely useful for
defence.
The French soon effected a breach in the ancient walls, but again and
again were they repulsed by a tremendous fire of musketry. At length
there was difficulty to find volunteers to renew the attack. Such a
storm of death appalled even brave men. But nothing could daunt the
impetuous Lannes. His courage was of the kind that rose with the danger.
He rushed to the front, seized a ladder, and fixed it against the wall.
“I will show you!” he shouted, “that your general is still a grenadier!”
In spite of the tremendous fire, the troops followed the example of
their glorious leader, for whom there were never laurels enough—scaled
the walls, and continued the fight in the streets of the town, which was
set on fire.
A detachment of French, rushing to charge a body of Austrians, which
still occupied one end of a burning street, were interrupted by some
wagons belonging to the enemy’s train. “They are tumbrils of powder,”
cried the Austrian commanding, to the French. “If the flames reach them,
both sides perish.” The combat ceased, and the two parties joined in
averting a calamity which must have been fatal to both, and finally,
saved the ammunition from the flames. At length the Austrians were
driven out of Ratisbon, leaving much cannon, baggage, and prisoners, in
the hands of the French.
In the middle of this last _melee_, Bonaparte, who was speaking with his
adjutant, Duroc, observing the affair at some distance, was struck on
the foot by a spent musket-ball, which occasioned a severe contusion.
“That must have been a Tyrolese,” said the Emperor, coolly, “who has
aimed at me from such a distance. These fellows fire with wonderful
precision.” Those around remonstrated with him for exposing his person;
to which he answered, “What can I do? I must needs see how matters go
on.” The soldiers crowded about him in alarm at the report of his wound;
but he would hardly allow it to be dressed, so eager was he to get on
horseback, and show himself publicly among the troops.
That night the Emperor fixed his quarters in Ratisbon, and the
watch-fires of his victorious troops illumined the air for miles around.
There was much revelry that night. A glorious, decisive campaign of five
days had prostrated the foes of the Emperor, and why should not the
soldiers rejoice? The following proclamation was issued by the Emperor:
“Soldiers—You have justified my expectations; you have made up for
numbers by your courage; you have gloriously marked the difference which
exists between the soldiers of Cæsar and the armies of Xerxes.
“In a few days, we have triumphed in the three battles of Tann,
Abensberg and Eckmuhl, and the affairs of Peissing, Landshut and
Ratisbon. One hundred pieces of cannon, fifty thousand prisoners, three
equipages, three thousand baggage wagons, all the funds of the
regiments, are the result of the rapidity of your your courage.
“The enemy intoxicated by a perjured cabinet, appeared to have lost all
recollection of us; they have been promptly awakened; you have appeared
to them more terrible than ever. But lately, they had crossed the Inn,
and invaded the territory of our allies; but lately they had promised
themselves to carry the war into the bosom of our country. Now,
defeated, dismayed they fly in disorder; already my advance-guard has
passed the Inn; before a month we shall be at Vienna.”
As Sir Walter Scott says: “It was no wonder that others, nay, that he
himself, should have annexed to his person the degree of superstitious
influence claimed for the chosen instruments of Destiny, whose path must
not be crossed, and whose arms cannot be arrested.” When before had
Europe witnessed such a campaign? So much glory was enough to intoxicate
even Napoleon, and we have yet to see that his deep draught of the
nectar was fatal.
[Illustration]
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[Illustration: BATTLE OF ESSLING. Page 275.]
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[Illustration]