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POSITIONS OF THE PRUSSIAN AND FRENCH ARMIES.

[1806.

Augereau, Murat, Bessières, Lefebvre,-commanders who were formed in a school of warfare which, utterly disregarding the routine of the parade ground, and the systematic and slow manoeuvres of a past time, rapidly concentrated large masses for the attack of an enemy, indifferent to the amount of carnage in their own ranks so that the opposing force was annihilated. The ancient duke had some notions that he had discovered the secret of French success. He was for advancing against Napoleon's legions, and boldly attacking them. But time was an important element in these calculations. The Prussians, before they moved to attack, were holding councils of war; discussing plans; attempting to negotiate; and, as a preliminary to pacific overtures, desiring the haughty emperor immediately to withdraw his troops beyond the Rhine, and to commence his retreat on the 8th of October. Napoleon replied by an instant march into Saxony, after issuing a proclamation to his soldiers which concluded by saying that the Prussians would find that the hostility of " the great people" was more terrible than the tempests of the ocean.

The Prussian armies were posted on the Saale, in the vicinity of Erfurt, Gotha, and Eisenach. The outposts of the Prussians and French were close to each other on the 8th of October. Battles of separate divisions had been fought, as the Prussians advanced to meet their antagonists. They were compelled to relinquish the offensive system, which was incompatible with the tardiness and irresolution of their commanders. All that bravery could do would be done. All that patriotism could do would be stimulated into chivalrous enthusiasm, when the beautiful queen of Prussia rode from rank

Bona

to rank of the soldiery, and exhorted them to fight for their country. parte sneered at the queen in one of his bulletins: "We seem to behold Armida in her madness setting fire to her own palace." But something, without which patriotism and bravery are of little avail, was wanting to Prussia. On the night of the 13th of October the Prussian watch-fires extended for six leagues. The fires of the French under Napoleon spread over a small space, of which the central fires lighted up the summit of the Landgrafenberg on which Napoleon bivouacked. On the morning of the 14th of October he attacked that portion of the Prussian army which, under