His design was to occupy Willensberg, to the rear of the great Russian camp at Mohrungen; thus cutting off the new enemy’s communications with his own means of resource, in the same manner which had proved so fatal to the Austrians at Ulm, and the Prussians at Jena.  But Bennigsen, having learned the plan from an intercepted despatch, immediately countermarched his army with masterly skill, and thus involved Napoleon in a long series of manoeuvres, not to be executed in such a country at that dismal season without the extremity of hardship.  The Russians themselves, inured as they were to northern climates, and incapable of even dreaming that a soldier could seek safety in flight, were reduced to the border of frenzy by the privations of these long marches.  Their commissariat was wretched:  the soldiers had often no food, except such frozen roots as they could dig out of the ground; and, tortured with toil and famine, they at length demanded battle so vehemently, that, against his own judgment, General Bennigsen consented to grant the prayer.  He selected the town of Preuss-Eylau, and a strong position behind it, as his field of battle; and—­after two skirmishes, one at Landsberg, the other nearer the chosen ground, in the former of which the French, in the latter the Russians, had the advantage,—­the whole army reached Preuss-Eylau on the 7th of February.

In the confusion of so great a movement, a division designed by Bennigsen to occupy the town itself, misunderstood the order, and evacuated it at the approach of the enemy’s van.  The French took possession of the place accordingly, and—­General Bennigsen commanding it to be regained, as soon as he learned the mistake that had occurred—­the whole day was spent in severe fighting within the town, which was taken and retaken several times, and at the fall of night remained in the hands of the French.  On either side the loss had been very great, and Napoleon coming up in person, perceived that the contest must needs be renewed at daybreak.  The night was clear, and he could trace the enemy’s line darkening the whole of an admirably selected position, between which and the dearly contested town, a level space covered with snow, and two or three small frozen lakes, glittered in the mingled light of an unclouded moon and innumerable watch-fires.

The great battle of PREUSS-EYLAU was fought on the 8th of February.  At dawn of day the French charged at two different points in strong columns, and were unable to shake the iron steadiness of the infantry, while the Russian horse, and especially the Cossacks under their gallant Hetman Platoff, made fearful execution on each division, as successively they drew back from their vain attempt.  A fierce storm arose at mid-day:  the snow drifted right in the eyes of the Russians; the village of Serpallen, on their left, caught fire, and the smoke also rolled dense upon them.  Davoust skilfully availed himself of the opportunity, and turned their flank so rapidly, that Serpallen was lost,