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.