On the 25th of July, Murat proceeded towards Ostrowno with his cavalry.  At the distance of two leagues from that village, Domon, Du Coetlosquet, Carignan, and the 8th hussars, were advancing in column upon a broad road, lined by a double row of large birch trees.  These hussars were near reaching the summit of a hill, on which they could only get a glimpse of the weakest portion of a corps, composed of three regiments of cavalry of the Russian guard, and six pieces of cannon.  There was not a single rifleman to cover their line.

The colonels of the 8th imagined themselves preceded by two regiments of their division, which had marched across the fields on the right and left of the road, and from the view of which they were precluded by the bordering trees.  But these corps had halted; and the 8th, already considerably in advance of them, still kept marching on, persuaded that what it perceived through the trees, at 150 paces’ distance, in its front, were these two regiments, of which, without being aware of it, it had got the start.

The immobility of the Russians completed the error into which the chiefs of the 8th had fallen.  The order to charge seemed to them to be a mistake; they sent an officer to reconnoitre the troop which was before them, and still marched on without any distrust.  Suddenly they beheld their officer sabred, knocked down, made prisoner, and the enemy’s cannon bringing down their hussars.  They now hesitated no longer, and without losing time to extend their line under the enemy’s fire, they dashed through the trees, and rushed forward to extinguish it.  At the first onset they seized the cannon, dispersed the regiment that was in the centre of the enemy’s line, and destroyed it.  During the disorder of this first success, they observed the Russian regiment on the right, which they had passed, remaining motionless with astonishment; upon this they returned, and attacking it in the rear dispersed it.  In the midst of this second victory, they perceived the third regiment on the enemy’s left, which was giving way in confusion, and seeking to retreat; towards this third enemy they briskly returned, with all the men they could muster, and attacked and dispersed it in the midst of its retreat.

Animated by this success, Murat drove the enemy into the wood of Ostrowno, where he seemed to conceal himself.  That monarch endeavoured to penetrate the wood, but a strong resistance obstructed the attempt.

The position of Ostrowno was well chosen and commanding; those posted there could see without being seen; it intersected the main road; it had the Duena on the right, a ravine in front, and thick woods on its surface and on the left.  It was, moreover, in communication with magazines; it covered them, as well as Witepsk, the capital of these regions, which Ostermann had hurried to defend.