The Allied sovereigns in Leipzig (1)

Thomas Hartwell Horne (1780–1862)
An illustrated record of important events in the annals of Europe, during the last four years: comprising a series of views of the principal places, battles, etc. etc. etc. connected with those events…
London: printed by T. Bensley and Son, for R. Bowyer, 1816
Harley-Mason.bb.84, ‘Grand entry of the Allied sovereigns into Leipsic. 19th October, 1813’

At the conclusion of the battle the heads of the main continental Coalition nations met in the city of Leipzig: Tsar Alexander I of Russia, Emperor Franz I of Austria and King Frederick William III of Prussia, together with Crown Prince Charles John of Sweden (Jean Bernadotte). Horne’s text quotes extensively from the account of an eye-witness, Frederic Shoberl (1775–1853), who described the scene: ‘All the streets were thronged with the allied troops, who had fought, dispersed, and now met to congratulate one another on the important victory. Soon after the city was taken, the Sovereigns made their entry. The people thronged in crowds to behold their august and so long-wished-for deliverers. They appeared without any pomp, in the simplest officer’s uniform, attended by those heroes, a Blucher, Bulow, Platoff, Barclay de Tolly, Schwartzenberg, Regnier, Sanders, &c. &c. whom we had so long admired. The acclamations of the people were unbounded; ten thousand voices greeted them with huzzas and vivats…. Never did acclamations so sincere greet the ears of emperors and kings, as those which welcomed Alexander, Francis, Frederick-William, and Charles-John. They were followed by long files of troops, who had so gloriously sustained the arduous contest under their victorious banners.’

Extended captions