[15] Note by a French officer.—General Legrand had only one of his brigades with him; the other, commanded by General Levasseur, was posted in reserve, in front of the rivulet, and of the village of Hobesnitz, from whence it marched on the flank and rear of the enemy, when he attempted to retake the heights of Pratzen; it was this unforeseen movement which greatly contributed to the defeat of that column. Levasseur's brigade fought during the remainder of the day, in conjunction with the divisions of St. Hilaire and Vandamme.
[16] Note by a French officer.—The first column had no longer the means of resuming the offensive. The reserve, composed of 20 Battalions of grenadiers, had reached the heights in rear of the divisions St. Hilaire and Vandamme. (The Emperor, with the cavalry belonging to the guards, was already descending from the chapel of St. Anthony.) The rear of the column was exposed to Marshal Davoust and General Legrand. Marshal Bernadotte, alone, had 18 Battalions, not one half of which had burnt priming, and the remainder had been but little engaged.
The French would have gained the victory with 25,000 men less than they had, which is a subject of reflection for military men, and sufficiently shows the influence which the being well commanded has over the operations, of war.
The 3d and 4th of December.
The Austro-Russian army had experienced so many difficulties in regard to its subsistence, on the line of operations it had followed previous to these offensive movements, that it was abandoned, during the retreat, in order to direct its march upon Hungary. The allies quitted the position of Hodiegitz at 12 o'clock at night, and marched upon Czeitsch, where they arrived on the morning of the third of December. The column under General Dochtorow arrived at Niskowitz, on the road to[17]Hungary, where it found General Kienmayer then forming the rear-guard of the allies. This Russian column continued its march, for the purpose of rejoining the army at Czeitsch; but lost a considerable number of men during the night, who had straggled and lost themselves in the woods and villages. The Austrian cavalry, which had protected the retreat of these wrecks of the left wing of the combined army, and which was a part of the corps under M. de Kienmayer, halted at Niskowitz. Lieut.-General Prince Bagration was a league in rear of this Austrian corps, occupying the heights of Urschutz. Between Niskowitz and Urschutz is a large wood, under cover of which, the French had it in their power to surround and cut off the corps under M. de Kienmayer, which was thus too much pushed forward. He therefore remained in this position no longer than was necessary to give time to the stragglers of the army, and to some baggage to fall back upon Urschutz, and to obtain some knowledge of the enemy's movements. As soon as the French, who had entered Austerlitz in the morning, began to advance, General Kienmayer fell back upon General Bagration, and in front of Saruschitz formed the support of that Prince's corps. A detachment of O'Reilly's light cavalry, and some Cosacks, were sent to Stanitz, to watch that road. The corps under M. de Merveldt had received orders to retire from Lunenbourg, in the direction of Goeding, to observe the country on the left, and principally the two roads of Auspitz and Nicolsbourg.
On the third of December, the French army advanced in the following manner: The cavalry, under Prince Murat, which had pushed forward detachments upon Rausnitz and Wischau (on the evening of the same day on which the battle was fought) pursued that route, and made immense booty: it advanced beyond Prosnitz, and then sent out strong detachments upon Kremsir.
Marshal Lannes at first took the same road, and then moved by his right, to gain the right of the allies by Butschowitz and Stanitz. Marshals Soult and Bernadotte, the imperial guards, and the grenadiers of the reserve, were posted on the route towards Hungary, as soon as the Emperor Napoleon had received information of the direction taken by the allied army; they advanced, however, but slowly; probably with a view to give time to the extreme right of their army to gain ground on the left of the allies.
Marshal Davoust marched upon the left flank of the Austro-Russian army, by the route of Nicolsbourg, (in which was the division of Gudin,) and by that of Auspitz, in which was the remainder of that corps; these two roads unite within half a league of Goeding.
Prince Bagration had placed some out-posts in the wood of Urschutz. The French, about two o'clock in the afternoon, began to reconnoitre it, obtained possession of the wood, and established themselves on the skirts of it. A trifling affair ensued, which lasted about two hours, and which terminated by General Bagration maintaining his post, which, however, he evacuated that evening, retiring towards Czeitsch; General Kienmayer posted himself in his front, upon the heights of Nasedlowitz, pushing forward his out-posts in the direction of Urschutz.