Eylau: Precis Des Travaux de la Grande Armée
Letter of a Prussian Officer to One of His Friends in Berlin.
Naumbourg, October 12, 1806.
The beginning of the hostilities with the French did so in a very-sad manner for the German troops; they forced a post of the left wing army corps of Hohenlohe, and a fatal combat took place with the corps of Tauenzein, and prince Louis-Ferdinand of Prussia who was left dead on the field. Not only the regiments of Zastram and a battalion of Bellet, the hussards green and brown, etc., but also the regiments Saxon Princes Jean, Xavier and Rechten have terribly suffered by yesterday afternoon, and all this night we saw only fugitives who ran after their regiments; it is believed that the French move in force on our left, to cut our communication to Leipsick. Their force must be 400,000 men commanded by the Emperor, who in this moment, must be in Gerau, about four miles from here. We detect some patrols already here. We have immense stores here, without finding a means to save them; one is in dreadful inquietude. God wants that the king, who cannot miss being attacked soon, should not let himself be beaten, because this would be an irrevocable misfortune. According to the last letters, the corps of the advanced guard of Blichert, moved on Hesse. The staff of the corps of Rüchel went there too; so that, except in Hameln, there are no longer any Hanoverian soldiers in the Hanoverian States. Currently there doesnt appear to be any other resources remaining to us to deliver the necessary decisive battle to Napoleon. In this sad situation, my fate does not mean anything, provided that the ending of the current crisis is happy; I still repeat to you, my friend, that our situation is sadder and less reassuring, etc.
– The courier, who brought these Bulletin s, arrived today at eight o’clock in the evening. One hour after, it was followed of a second courier, carrying two dispatches of Mgr. The Prince of Neufchâtel for S. A. S. Mgr. the Prince Arch-chancellor of the Empire.
These dispatches announced that, the 14th, H. M. the Emperor and King gained at Weymar a complete victory over the Prussians.
The details of this memorable day will not be long in being published.
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