gh their cleft spaces of dead and dying our cuirassiers dashed
in, sabring all before them. In vain the infantry tried to form again:
successive discharges of grape, followed by cavalry attacks, broke
through their firmest ranks; and at last retreating, they fell back
under cover of a tremendous battery of field-guns, which, opening their
fire, compelled us to retire into the wood.

Nor were we long inactive. Bernadotte's division was now engaged on our
left, and a pressing demand came for cavalry to support them. Again we
mounted the hill, and came in sight of the Russian Guard, led on by the
Grand-Duke Constantino himself,--a splendid body of men, conspicuous for
their size and the splendor of their equipment. Such, however, was the
impetuous torrent of our attack that they were broken in an instant; and
notwithstanding their courage and devotion, fresh masses of our dragoons
kept pouring down upon them, and they were sabred, almost to a man.

While we were thus engaged, the battle became general from left to
right, and the earth shook beneath the thundering sounds of two hundred
great guns. Our position, for a moment victorious, soon changed; for
having followed the retreating squadrons too far, the waves closed
behind us, and we now saw that a dense cloud of Austrian and Russian
cavalry were forming in our rear. An instant of hesitation would have
been fatal. It was then that a tall and splendidly-dressed horseman
broke from the line, and with a cry to "Follow!" rode straight at
the enemy. It was Murat himself, sabre in hand, who, clearing his way
through the Russians, opened a path for us. A few minutes after we had
gained the wood; but one third of our force had fallen.

"Cavalry! cavalry!" cried a field-officer, riding down at headlong
speed, his face covered with blood from a sabre-cut, "to the front!"

The order was given to advance at a gallop; and we found ourselves next
instant hand to hand with the Russian dragoons, who having swept along
the flank of Bernadotte's division, were sabring them on all sides.
On we went, reinforced by Nansouty and his carabineers, a body of nigh
seven thousand men. It was a torrent no force could stem. The tide of
victory was with us; and we swept along, wave after wave, the infantry
advancing in line for miles at either side, while whole brigades of
artillery kept up a murderous fire without ceasing. Entire columns of
the enemy surrendered as prisoners; guns were captured at