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my readers. Then came the great battle of Eylau duringwhich Murat repeatedly broke the Russian squares of in-fantry with terrible slaughter and captured a great part oftheir artillery. The Emperor having in an order of the dayattributed this victory mainly to the Grand Duke of Berg,Marshal Augereau, and General Lannes complained per-sonally to His Majesty of the injustice done to them. Atemporary coolness was the consequence.
The day after this great battle Murat pursued theRussians towards Konigsberg, the second capital of Prussia,and in conjunction with Marshal Soult made four thousandRussians lay down their arms before that city, from whichthey were cut off. Next day Konigsberg surrendered.
The French army now took up winter quarters for a shortperiod, during which some unsuccessful overtures weremade at negotiation, but nothing was concluded.
The 3rd of May the Russians assumed the offensive,having received immense reinforcements from their interior.Bernadotte was the first to be attacked in his entrenchmentsat Span den, but he repulsed the assailants. The Emperor ordered Murat, Ney, Davoust, and Lannes to march uponGuttstadt. Murat was the first to charge the Russian forcesin position, which consisted of fifteen thousand infantry andten thousand cavalry, being the rear guard of the grandRussian army in a movement of retreat. They were beatenand many prisoners taken by the French , the next day theRussian General, Bagration , received a reinforcement ofsixteen thousand cavalry and twelve thousand infantry,but he continued his retrograde march, every hour attackedby Murat until the whole Russian army became concentratedat Heilsberg, from which it moved to Friedlaud. This dayMurat had two horses killed under him, which made sixthat he so lost within a week or tw r o
At this great battle Murat did not assist as has been