CHAP. X. 1813. Allied attack began; but then it was formidable in the extreme. Slowly, and in an admirable order, their deep and massy columns descended the slopes, preceded Commence- by a numerous artillery, with the interstices between ment of the them filled up with light troops, which kept up an inces 19. storm of Dresden. sant fire on the works before them when they came within range. Wittgenstein, on the extreme right, moved between the Elbe and the Grosse Garten; Kleist, with his Prussians, kept up an incessant fire in that enclosure itself; Colloredo, with three divisions of Austrians, marched straight against the Moczinski Garden and the Dohna, Dippoldiswalde, and Freyberg gates in the centre, while the remainder of the Austrians observed Latour Mau1 Cath. 218, bourg's cuirassiers, in the plain on the extreme left. The 219; Thiers, fire from the intrenched camp and redoubts of Dresden 299; Lond. became very warm as they approached. The city was Odel. i. 252; soon enveloped in clouds of smoke, and the hissing proii. 166, 167. jectiles from the heights behind flew over the heads of the advancing masses.' xvi. 298, 112, 113; Tem. Ocul. 20. Stewart with the Austrians Two noble Britons, Sir Charles Stewart and Sir Robert Sir Charles Wilson, ever foremost where danger was to be confronted or glory won, were with the front of Colloredo's column, and among the first to enter the great redoubt before the Moczinski Garden, through the openings made in the palisades by the fire of the artillery.* "The troops," says Sir storms the great redoubt. * "Sir Charles Stewart and Sir Robert Wilson accompanied the storming party, and gallantly entered the redoubt."-CATHCART, 218. Sir Robert Wilson in his private diary gives the following very interesting account of this memorable storm led by him and Sir Charles Stewart: "About four o'clock the cannonade commenced against the enemy, and particularly the redoubt, with fury. In about a quarter of an hour some guns outside the redoubt, and between it and the town, were withdrawn. In another quarter of an hour the fire of the redoubt was much diminished. Count Colloredo perceiving the effect ordered his troops to advance. The distance was above an English mile over open ground. They moved forward; they increased their step; they pressed into a run, gave three cheers, and reached the ditch of the redoubt, which was stockaded in the most formidable mauner. While these brave men were endeavouring to tear down the palisades or climb over them to ascend the side of the redoubt-eighteen feet high, smooth, and almost as hard as stone-others drove the enemy by their musketry from the eight guns and out of the redoubt. At the instant of the huzza, Prince Lichtenstein and I could no longer restrain ourselves: we galloped down to the Charles, "moved forward in the most perfect order to the CHAP. assault. They approached, on all sides, close to the town, X. and the Austrians took an advanced redoubt with eight 1813. guns, in the most undaunted and gallant style. The work was of the strongest description, situated about sixty yards from the main wall, and nothing could surpass the gallantry with which it was stormed. When they carried the work, redoubt and animated the men to mount. Some by their bayonets had already loosened the cement in one or two places and reached the crest, but did not like to pass over the parapet, as the fire from the town wall, distant only fifty paces, was too heavy. I remembered what I owed to Austria, England, and myself. I dismounted, climbed over the palisades, with extreme difficulty reached the crest of the parapet, sprang on it, took off my cap and gave three cheers-Charles at my side (who would not leave me, though I repeatedly ordered him not to follow me, as I thought it not necessary to expose him), and then leapt into the battery. My cheers had been answered by all around me of all ranks, and instantly hundreds mounted and manned the redoubt. This being accomplished, I descended. Count Colloredo came up to me, gave me his hand, said various handsome things, and so did all the other generals. It was a satisfactory moment. I then asked Prince Lichtenstein's permission to bring up some guns to batter the wall in breach, and force one of the doors of the town which opened immediately behind the redoubt. "Having got up the guns and placed them at the distance of sixty paces, we were in hopes of obtaining an entrance; but the enemy, through the loopholes of the walls, killed all the artillerymen of the first six guns. We brought up then another battery of twelve, and while this, under a murderous fire, was battering in breach, Prince Lichtenstein received advice that the enemy was making a sally upon our left with the view of taking us in rear. Stewart, who had come up to the redoubt almost at the time I did, and who as usual made every effort to aid and assist, with his adjutant Colonel Cooke, and Captain Dering, who had shown most conspicuous courage, now accompanied me and Prince Maurice Lichtenstein, who galioped off to make dispositions for the retreat. After ordering forward some cavalry to support the infantry across the plain, we proceeded to another body of troops, and to our great surprise found their batteries and themselves facing our own position and receiving a heavy fire from the ground on which our army had been standing. Around us were at least thirty thousand men, some formed in squares, others in march to form, and a long column in movement. We rode up to the guns confused and amazed. It was then that I began to suspect our situation, and pressing up to Prince Lichtenstein, who at that moment had made the discovery, I said, 'We are not right here.' Prince Lichtenstein replied, ‘Follow me;' and I gave this answer to Stewart, who had just come up to me to express his surprise at our position; but he was not quite aware of its actual character. We darted along the column advancing from the town, occasionally calling to the soldiers on the way to clear to the right or left, many of whom were crouching from the shot which momentarily struck around and almost infallibly with effect, and then finding an opening turned to our right, and happily rejoined our own, after having been in the midst of Buonaparte's Guards for a quarter of an hour."- WILSON'S Private Diary, ii. 91-94. X. 1813. however, they were exposed to a galling fire from the enemy, owing to the want of pioneers to destroy the inner palisades, through which they could not penetrate further. The enemy fled from it only to shelter themselves behind new defences; manning the thick walls of the town, in which it was impossible without a long and continued fire of heavy artillery to make a breach. The French, with the means of resistance which a strong town affords, now held in check the troops which had so gallantly carried and entered the outworks. The artillery, though brought up to within a hundred paces of the wall, was unable to batter it or make any material impression. On the right, Kleist made great progress in the Grosse Garten, from which he entirely expelled the enemy; but there too it was for the like reason found impossible to 1 Sir Chas. carry the success further. It was now becoming dark, Stewart to and it was known that in the course of the day the enemy reagh, Aug. had received great reinforcements. Schwartzenberg, therefore, gave the signal to retreat, and the gallant Austrians retired from the redoubt they had won." Lord Castle 31, 1813, MS. 21. Napoleon's In effect Napoleon had been so much strengthened since Sortie of the assault began that the balance now inclined to his Guards. side. The danger was extreme when the Austrians carried the great redoubt in front of the Moczinski Garden, but in other quarters affairs for the French wore a much more favourable aspect. At the barriers of Pilnitz and Pirna the commanders felt so much confidence that they threw open the gates of the barriers, and the Old Guard, despite the order of Napoleon forbidding the use of that reserve, advanced to the outside, and exchanged vollies within pistol-shot with the Russian grenadiers. The same thing was done at the barrier of Freyberg on the French right centre; while in the extreme right the formidable cuirassiers of Latour Maubourg remained in undisturbed possession of the plain of Frederickstadt. But meanwhile vast reinforcements were every hour arriving to the beleaguered garrison. During the whole X. afternoon the passage of troops over both the stone СНАР. bridge and those of boats from the right bank was incessant. By nine o'clock the whole Young Guard had 1813. arrived, and the heads of Marmont's corps were beginning to cross the bridge. Being now at the head of 60,000 1 Thiers,xvi. men, which were incessantly and rapidly increasing, Na- Lond. 114; poleon deemed himself strong enough to resume the offen- Fain, ii.270, sive. He ordered the gates to be thrown open, and 253, 254; 30,000 of the best troops in the French army commenced ii. 169, 170. a sally.1 271; Odel. i. Tem. Ocul. attended by cess. The weather, which for some days previously had been 22. serene and intensely hot, now suddenly changed; the Which is atmosphere was filled with clouds, and ere long the rain great sucbegan to fall in torrents. Regardless of the storm, the dense masses of the Young Guard rushed furiously out from the barriers of Pilnitz and Pirna, led by Ney and Mortier, while a rapid and well-sustained fusilade from the windows and walls adjoining the gates covered the sally, and checked the fire of the enemy. Little anticipating so vehement an onset when they expected only a stubborn resistance, the Allies first hesitated, and then fell back. This was the turning-point of the fight; instantly the scales turned, and soon became overcharged against the Coalition. Rapidly issuing from the barriers, and forming in line outside the houses, the French Guards soon began to gain ground on the enemy. At all points they were successful; for the Allied troops, deeming the day gained, and being in disorder within or close to the works, were in no condition to repel such an attack. One division of the Young Guard, with loud cheers, regained the blood-stained redoubt of Moczinski; the others drove the Prussians from the suburb of Pirna, dislodged them from the Grosse Garten, and rolled back the Russians from the barrier of Pilnitz. While at the other extremity of the line, on the French right, Teste had made a similar sally with his division from the gate of Freyberg; and Murat, joining him with his cuirassiers, had CHAP. X. 1813. advanced into the plain beyond. It was no easy matter to draw off the troops in presence of such pursuers without serious loss; and in the great redoubt, in particular, the pressure was extreme. By the skill and coolness of Prince John of Lichtenstein, who commanded there, the retreat from the covered work was effected with a surprising degree of order. Sir Charles Stewart's gallantry here again brought him into imminent danger. “I was fortunate enough," says he, "with Prince John of Lichtenstein and my aide-de-camp, to gallop through a French column, and we were in the rear of their batteries before we were aware of our danger. In this extremity our only chance was to dash through, trusting to our being not discovered in the mêlée, which in the obscurity of the evenLond. 114 ing occurred." At length, after darkness had fairly set 119; Thiers, in, the Allies drew off at all points, and regained the 302; Fain,ii. ground they had occupied before the attack commenced, after sustaining a loss of 5000 men, while the French, who fought chiefly under cover, were not weakend by more than half the number.1 1 Wilson, ii. xvi. 300 270, 271; Bout. 29; St Cyr, iv. 161-166. 23. Forces on both sides day. During the night which followed, and in the midst of a terrific storm of rain, the expected reinforcements conon the next tinued to arrive to the French army in Dresden; and by daybreak on the following morning the whole corps of Marmont and Victor were on the ground. These, with the Guard's reserve cavalry and Teste's division, formed a mass of 120,000 men, of whom 20,000 were admirable cavalry. The strength of this force, great as it was, was much increased by the unity of direction by which it was governed, the enthusiastic spirit by which, from the success of the preceding day, it was animated, and its favourable situation, backed by a fortress, proved to be impregnable to a coup-de-main, in its rear, which afforded the means of passing any number of troops unobserved from one quarter to another, so as to give every facility to a sudden and unforeseen attack upon an unguarded point of the enemy's line. The Allies were in somewhat greater |