CHAPTER VII ESSLING

1 Tout nous présageait. — The chapter opens on the second day of the battle of Aspern-Essling. May 22, 1809. Wheu the Freuch reached Yienna on the llth, they fouud the bridge broken, and the opposite bank guarded by the army of the Archduke Charles. Opérations for gettiug across were begun at two points — one a little above the town, the other below it. At the first point mistakes were made at the outset, and the bridge-building' above Vienna was reduced to a feint. The other attempt, under cover of the large island of Lobau, had been successful. On the evening of the 20th, Masséna's four divisions of infantry, followed by three divisions of cavalry, passed over and occupied the villaires of Aspern and Essling. There was some delav in briuging Lannes's corps from the sham bridge higher up, and it was with great difficulry that Masséna made good the defence, when attacked on the 21st. During the night Lannes's corps, a fourth cavalry division and the Guard crossed. Davout was still on the right bank ; but the French were now in sufficient force to take the offensive. and began to do so on the 22nd.

2 Masséna et le général Baudet. — Masséna with three of his divisions — Legrand, Carra Saint-Cyr. Molitor — was at

n on the left His fourth division, Boudet, was on the right at Essling, and was, for the présent, added to the command of Lannes, whose di\ision occupied the space between the two villages. The cavalry, under Hessières, formed the second line in the centre, and the Guard were in reserve. The forward movement had besrun with Lannes from the centre ; the wings were now following. Lannes

182 NOTES [chap. vu.

vvas commanding a magnificent corps, including three divisions of Oudinot's grenadiers : Bessières had also been put under his orders.

21 Un officier autrichien. — Marbot gives some reason for supposing that tbe destruction of tbe bridge was due to the inspiration of tbis Austrian officer, and not to any deliberate order from the Archduke. The question must remain in some doubt.

36 notre grand pont. — The great bridge was from the right bank to the island of Lobau — or rather to an intervening small island that divided the bridge into two lengths. The first section measured nearly 500 yards long, the next about 350. The bridge over the smaller arm of the river, between Lobau and the left bank, was about 120 yards.

48 conçut l'espoir. — Tbe position of the French through the long summer day must hâve been terrible. The Archduke Charles bas the crédit of having been the first to inflict a direct check upon Napoléon in person ; but he ought to bave done more than this. If Napoléon had been in the Archduke's position, he would hâve brought his enemy to utter disaster. Charles had proved himself by far the best of the Austrian gênerais ; and some of his campaigns — notably the brilliant one in 1796, when he ruined the French armies of the Rhine — -will compare with those of any gênerai. But in the présent war, having lost the opening moves on the Upper Danube, he never quite recovered himself. Nothing is more instructive than the way in which Napoléon turned to account the next six weeks, while the Archduke made little use of them.

50 la division Saint-HUaire. — This division belonged to Lannes's corps. The gênerais commanding the grenadier divisions were Demont, Claparède, Tharreau.

92 le point faible. — There was, however, a thick wood on the right between Essling and the river. No doubt the Archduke sbould bave varied his attacks : the opportunity was worth any sacrifice.

131 un grenier d'abondance. — Tins Government gi-anary was large, and was built of stone. In Aspern the church and churchyard were defensible positions, but not so good.

CHAT, vil.] ESSLIXG 183

144 des masses énormes de cavalerie. — Xapoleon says that the Austrians were in the habit of sparing their cavalry too much : hère was an exception.

163 l'intrépide général Mouton. — He had already distinguished himself in the présent eampaign at the capture of Landshut Count Lobau commanded one of the corps at Waterloo.

195 au camp du Mirai. — The camp was close to Toulouse. Marbot's father commanded there in 1793 : he had Augereau as well as Lannes under him.

325 le feu ne dura pas longtemps. — Next morning Lannes was taken across to Ebersdorf, where he lingered for a week, faithfully nursed by Marbot. Since the death of Desaix at Marengo, Napoléon had had no such loss. Hasty in temper, and outspoken even to the Emperor himself, Lannes was warm-hearted and generous. As a soldier he knew neither fear nor fatigue ; quick and resourceful in action, he scorned difficulties and was ready for every emergeney. It was in the action at Dego, in the opening of the Italian campaign of 1796, that Xapoleon first noticed him. Since tlien he had been rapidly promoted and constantly employed. He was one of the group of famous soldiers boni in 1769.

329 il pouvait du moins, i.e., he could hâve done this after the French had evacuated the left bank.

389 Peu de jours après. — The Austrian army invading Xorth Italy was under the command of the Archduke John, who began by beating Eugène at Sacile, some forty miles north of Venice. This was on the 16th April, six davs before Eckmiihl. The French fell back to the line of the Adige. It iras during the retre.it that Macilonald, who had been in a sort of disgrâce and uuemployed for the last five years, joined Eugène by order of Xapoleon, and took an important share in the command. The news of Landshut and Eckmîihl had the same effect now as the news of Ulm had in 1305. The Austrian army was at once recalled. The army of Italy followed, and gained several advantages over the Archduke John, who ultimately took to the eastern road and reached Kôrmond on the Raab, while Eugène, having told off Macdonald to reduce Grâtz, passed the Som-