On the 4th December, the very day on which the armistice took place, the Archduke Ferdinand, who could not be made acquainted with it, and who had received orders to advance and observe the Bavarians that remained at Iglau, after the departure of Marshal Bernadotte: on this day, that prince attacked General Wrede (to keep him in check) with some troops, the remnant of his corps; with which he succeeded in driving him from Iglau. The Archduke Charles, obliged to retreat in consequence of the unheard of catastrophe that happened to the German army, arrived in Hungary, with his army quite entire, after having at Caldiero incapacitated the French army of Italy from doing him any mischief. It appears, then, that wherever their generals allowed the Austrian troops to fight, they fought well; and it would be a very rash, and a very false opinion, to impute the misfortunes of the war of 1805 to them. In that, as well as in all former instances, the Austrian army distinguished itself by its courage, its devotion to the cause, its constancy in supporting unheard of privations, and by its implicit obedience. It was at Ulm that these brave troops, victims to the conduct of M. Mack, were subjected to that heart-breaking fate which was the destruction of the German army. But, at Ulm, many regiments that had not fired a single shot were obliged to surrender, in consequence of the operations pursued, and in pursuance of orders given by that M. Mack, who talked of _burying himself in the ruins of Ulm; who always talked of death, yet feared to die_. THE END. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 17: _Note by a French officer._--It is too ridiculous to suppose that the Russian army, without artillery, without baggage, and without provisions, would have preferred a retreat by its flank (which exposed it to the danger of being surrounded by the French army) to that upon Olmutz: but, in the course of this day, it lost its line of operation, which was the high road to Olmutz, and nothing remained for it but to move upon Goeding; and it did not gain much by that; for, had it not been for the too great clemency of the Emperor, and the armistice, which was concluded, the remains of the Russian army would have been entirely destroyed; as may be perceived from what the Austrian officer lets fall a little farther on.--The loss of a battle is no proof of want of talent in a general: but the loss of his artillery and baggage, of his line of operations, and his retreat, are positive evidence that he is ignorant of the art of war.