bank of the Lahn, to join their advanced guard, and left the detachment on the left oppofite Altenbourg, and on the right at Aflar, near Hermanftein, as they had been at firft pofted, in order to fecure the flanks. In this very critical pofition his royal highness remained, answering the enemy's cannonade from a battery of twelve-pounders, and determined to attack as foon as the head of the Saxon column fhould have paffed Wetzlar.

The pofition that General Le Fevre occupied was compofed of a range of heights, which, from the broken ground in their front, are difficult of access. There was a projecting point of a wood that formed upon the face of these heights a falient angle to the rest of his line; and this wood, returning through the centre of the pofition, extended to the right and left behind each wing, to the Lahn and the Dille.

This falient point was ftrongly occupied with infantry, as well as the heights and village of Altenberg, and on the height above Hermanftein the principal part of the cavalry was formed, being fupported by infantry pofted in the wood in their rear; the artillery was distributed upon the spots most favourable for raking the face of the pofition. In this order General Le Fevre waited the arrival of the rest of his corps. Had it come up before the Archduke attacked, the Auftrians must have retired across the Lahn at Wetzlar. His royal highness, perfectly aware of this circumftance, refolved not to delay his attack a moment after the Saxon cavalry fhould have arrived: this did not happen_till feven in the evening, and the difpofition was then ipade in general as follows: three fquadrons of the Auftrian cavalry, regiment of Carachy, fupported by that of Naffau, were ordered to charge the left, and the Saxon cavalry the front of the heights above Herinanftein, while the Auftrian grenadiers attacked the enemy's center in the wood, the left wing was kept back. The regiment of Carachy advanced through the hollow ways and ravines, and, when arrived at the top of the height, charged the enemy with a degree of intrepidity that must do them immortal honour; but, as they were very much broken by the extreme badnefs of the ground, and as the French cavalry was numerous, and drawn up in perfect order to receive them, they were repulfed. The regiment of Naffau had, in the mean time, reached the fummit and formed; they therefore received the regiment of Carachy, which rallied under their protection, charged the enemy again with part of the regiment of Naffau on their flanks, and part as a fecond line, and, after as regular a fhock as could take place, they proved victorious.

This happened before the Saxon cavalry reached their point of attack, or the grenadiers had arrived at the wood; and the enemy, finding themselves taken in flank, and most vigorously purfued, retired; their first line with great precipitation abandoning the falient point of their center, and their defeated cavalry threw itself in diforder into the wood behind their infantry. Part of the regiments of Caráchy and Naffan followed them, cut to pieces a battalion which had formed where the road leading from Wetzlar to Greiffenftein enters the wood, and took feveral pieces of cannon; but upon endeavouring to continue the purfuit ftill further, they were received by the fecond line of French infantry, who gave them a fevere fire, and obliged them to return out of the wood to form again. However, they brought off VOL. V.

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all the cannon and ammunition waggons that they had taken. The enemy still kept the heights of Altenbourg, their line extending from thence towards Alfteden, on the Dille.

The Auftrian grenadiers now attacked and defeated the French infantry in the wood.

In the rear of the enemy's left flank, at the distance of about two English miles, lay the village of Barghaufen on the Dille. In the vicinity of that village the wood retires from the Dille in the form of a half circle, leaving a confiderable space of open ground; through this the road, by which the left of General Le Fevre's corps was obliged to retreat, paffes and enters the wood again over an height that affords an excellent pofition for infantry, not only from being fo immediately on the edge of the wood, but more especially as the foot of it is covered, in the greatest part of its extent, by a ravine that is very difficult to cross.

It was on this height that the enemy had formed three battalions, with a battery of artillery, to receive their troops that had been defeated by the Auftrian cavalry and grenadiers; and, at the fame time, finding that victory was declared in favour of the Auftrians, they retired their right from the heights of Altenbourg, forming the troops that had Occupied that wing of the pofition in the thick wood which was im mediately in their rear. Four fquadrons of Saxon cavalry, as if determined to emulate the exemplary conduct of the Imperial troops, together with a fquadron of the regiment of Carachy, advanced through that part of the wood which had been cleared by the grenadiers, and, without waiting for further fupport, and not accompanied either by cannon or infantry, defiled along the road, and fcrambled through the ravine under the enemy's fire, formed, and attacked the height which I have juft defcribed: after fuffering great lofs they broke the three battalions, cut down every man who could not fav e himself by flight in the wood, and took the cannon.

The night now came on, and put an end to this very brilliant affair. Nothing could surpass the steadinefs and intrepidity with which the Auftrian and Saxon troops executed his royal highness's mafterly and decifive manœuvres.

The lofs of the Auftrians and Saxons amounted to about five hundred men, including feveral officers; that of the French, judging from the number left dead on the field, and from the accounts given by deferters and prifoners, and by the inhabitants of the country through which they paffed in their retreat, must have been very great. It is reported that General Le Fevre, who commanded in perfon, was wounded badly in

the arm.

Having failed in his attempt to make himself mafter of this important pofition, General Jourdan determined to raise the blockade of Ehrenbreitftein, and recrofs the Rhine. Four of the fix divifions which compofed his army have directed their march towards Neuwied, the two others towards Seigbourg, Cologne, and Duffeldorf.

On the 10th the Archduke marched in pursuit of General Le Fevre to Grieffenftein, where he was joined by General Kray, who had croffed the Lahn that morning at Lehun.

On the 17th his royal highnefs marched to Renderode; the advanced guard pushing on to Altenkirchen, and on the 18th to Hackenbourg, The corps at Limbourg, Naffau, and Weilburg, croffed the Lahn, and

purfued

purfued General Jouraan by Montabauer and Thierdorf, whilft the partizan corps on the right advanced to the Sieg. But, notwithstanding the utmost diligence has been made ufe of by the Auftrians, no affair of confequence has taken place fince the 15th, as the enemy have retired on all fides with the utmost precipitation.

Intelligence is just received that Marshal Wurmfer's pofts in the front of Manheim were attacked on the 14th inftant, and that his Excellency defeated the enemy, and took from them several cannon.

Head Quarters of his Royal Highness the Archduke Charles

of Auftria, Hackenbourg, June 20.

I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship that his Royal Highnefs the Archduke's advanced corps, commanded by General Kray, marched yesterday morning, at day-break, in purfuit of that part of the enemy's army which, after uniting at Altenkirchen, was retiring, under the orders of General Kleber, towards Siegburg,' on the Sieg, with the intention of proceeding from thence to Cologn and Duffeldorf.

men.

General Kleber found himself under the neceffity of halting that day on the heights that lay between Kirpen and Ukareth, on the great road to Siegburg, in order to give time for his referve, ammunition, and baggage, to pass the Sieg: he, therefore, occupied the very advantageous pofition that these heights afford with about twenty-four thoufand The front of both his wings, as well as his flanks, were covered by two deep ravines, that could only be paffed at a very few points. The approach to his center was about three hundred yards broad, and ran along a ridge that connected this pofition with the heights of Kirpen, and in which the two ravines above mentioned take their fource. At the village of Kirpen there is another range of advantageous heights, parallel to thofe where the enemy was pofted; their right (looking towards Ukareth) terminates in a deep ravine their left on a plain oppofite to the enemy's center. This plain is bounded on its left by a fmall wood that extends towards the ravine, which covered the enemy's right wing, leaving the approach to their center clofe on its right. From this wood a long range of inclosures and small copfes, intermixed with two villages and feveral scattered houses, extend in a parallel direction to the right of the enemy's pofition, nearly on a line with the heights of Kirpen.

On the Altenkirchen fide of Kirpen, about feven hundred yards from the latter, is a third range of heights, which take exactly the same direction as those I have just described, their right being covered by a deep ravine, their center and left falling gradually into a plain that is bounded by Kirpen, and by the inclofures and fmall villages above

mentioned.

General Kray's corps confifted of about eleven thousand men, viz: thirty-two fquadrons of light cavalry, two battalions of grenadiers, fix battalions of fufileers, two battalions of Sclavonian light infantry, with a corps of riflemen, and a proportionate number of heavy and horfe artillery.

The Auftrian huffars fell in with a large patrole of the enemy at the village of Weyerbusch, and drove it back to Kirpen; there they came up with General Kleber's pofts, which they immediately forced back towards his pofition, and General Kray's advanced guard, confifting of

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one Sclavonian light infantry, one Walloon battalion, with feveral fqua drons of light cavalry, and fome horfe artillery, formed upon the heights of Kirpen.

General Kleber, who could easily difcover General Kray's ftrength, immediately determined upon attacking part of the infantry of his right wing, advanced into the wood that bounded the plain below the heights of Kirpen, and into the inclofures and villages that extended from thence between the two pofitions; and the cavalry of that wing marched in the rear of the infantry, ready to advance and attack General Kray's left, as foon as the latter (viz. the infantry) fhould have eftablished itfelf along the edge of the plain. A finall part of the infantry of this left wing advanced through the ravines against General Kray's right, in order to prevent his detaching from thence, whilft his. principal body of cavalry, fupported by nine battalions of infantry, and a great proportion of heavy artillery, marched from his center against the heights of Kirpen. The Auftrian cavalry, which was. pofted near Kirpen, attacked the French cavalry, as they were forming. at the head of the ridge before defcribed, but partly from the fire which they received in their left flank from the wood, and partly from the very great fuperiority of numbers, they were repulfed.

However, the battalion of Walloons and Sclavonian light infantry, kept their ground, the cavalry rallied under their protection, and in this fituation the advanced guard waited the enemy's attack. The French cavalry, as foon as its formation was completed, advanced against the heights of Kirpen, and, fupported by a part of their infantry, drove back the Auftrian cavalry, the Sclavonian battalion, and the artillery, all of whom retired behind the line of the pofition in the rear. The Walloon battalion, commanded by Colonel Brady, stood firm, repulfed the repeated and combined attacks that were made upon it, and at laft, finding itfelf furrounded, began its retreat through the village towards the pofition, which it effected in a manner that deferves to be reprefented as an example of bravery and difcipline which may be equalled, but can never be furpaffed. The French were now mafters of the village and heights of Kirpen; their right wing had esta. blished itfelf on the edge of the inclotures, and in the villages that border the plain, and their left extended from Kirpen in a parallel line to the Auftrians, with whofe right it was already engaged in a diftant mufquetry fire.

General Kray formed his advanced guard again behind his center, as a referve, and remained upon his pofition, to receive the formidable attack that the enemy were now preparing to make upon him.

General Kleber brought a great quantity of artillery on the height. of Kirpen, and formed two principal attacks; the one with two lines of cavalry, fupported by his right wing of infantry, against General Kray's left, and the other with nine battalions of infantry, fupported by a large body of cavalry againft the center, hilft the left wing advanced fufficiently to keep the Austrian right in check.

The enemy now attacked General Kray's left wing, and defeated his cavalry, as their great fuperiority of numbers gave them an opportu nity of gaining its flank. But the battalion and the battery, which oc cupied a height on the left of the infantry pofition, changed their. front, and kept up fuch a heavy fire on the flank of the French ca. valry, as checked their purfuit The Auftrian, cavalry rallied under.,

the

the protection of this able manoeuvre, and returning to the charge, fupported by four fquadrons of Saxons who had just arrived, drove back the French into the villages and defiles from which they had advanced, and decided the affair on that fide.

Whilft this was going on, the nine battalions, and the cavalry that were formed at Kirpen, advanced against the center of the Auftrian pofition, fupported by a moft formidable fire of artillery. This point. was occupied by three battalions and fome fquadrons of cavalry in the first line, to which the advanced guard that had been obliged to abandon Kirpen formed, as has been before obferved, a fecond line. Thefe moft gallant troops allowed the French to approach them within a hundred paces, without firing, except from their cannon. The first line of infantry then gave a general difcharge, and charged with their bayopets. This decifive movement produced the defired effect; the French gave way; General Kray's cavalry pursued them into the village, and the Auftrians proved finally victorious. They were not, however, in fufficient force to profit of this victory in the manner they might otherwife have done, elpecially as the enemy's broken troops were received by a strong referve, and their right ftill remained in the villages and inclosures which they had taken poffeffion of in the beginning of the action; General Kray was, therefore, obliged to content himfelf with forcing the enemy to abandon the heights of Kirpen: in the evening, General Kleber retired his right wing into his pofition; but a battalion at the extremity of his left, that had advanced to turn the right of the Auftrians, was completely cut off.

Thus, my Lord, ended an affair, which, though lefs important than that of the 15th, near Wetzlar, because the object of contention was not of fuch magnitude, may with juftice be filed equally brilliant; particularly when we confider that the French had more than double the force of the Austrians.

General Kray loft between five and fix hundred men. The enemy had above feven hundred taken prifoners, left feveral hundred dead on the field, and, according to all reports, had a very great number wounded.

General Kleber retreated last night, as foon as it was dark, across the Sieg, at Siegbourg, from whence he is directing his march towards Duffeldorf, and General Jourdan has recroffed the Rhine, with all the reft of his army, at Neuwied.

Downing Street, June 1.

Difpatches have been this day received from Colonel Graham, dated at the head quarters of General Beaulieu, Cagliano, near Rovoredo, June the 13th and 14th, by which it appears, that nothing material had occurred in that quarter fince the 31st of May.

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