Napoleon's Russian Campaign of 1812Foord, Edward (Edward A.)
History
Napoleon's Russian Campaign of 1812
Foord, Edward (Edward A.)
Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Military leadership; Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815 -- Campaigns -- Russia
At 3 a.m. Frimont’s Austrian cavalry and Trautenberg’s infantry at
Gorodeczna were demonstrating against weak detachments, while nearly
the whole Russian army had faced to the left and rear. Tormazov,
considering that the extension of the hostile line afforded an
opportunity for piercing it, developed a fierce attack by Cherbatov’s
infantry upon Sahr’s Saxon brigade, which was driven back, barely
saving its artillery from capture by the Russian dragoons. To
extricate it General Bianchi led forward Lilienberg’s brigade, while
Schwarzenberg, now at Poddubno, ordered Hesse-Homburg’s across the
stream, and Siegenthal sent forward part of his division. By these
combined efforts the advance of the Russians was brought to a stand and
finally converted into a retreat. The brigades of Lilienberg and Sahr
moved forward together, Hesse-Homburg joining in on the left, Lecoq’s
Saxon division prolonging the line to the right, while Zechmeister,
reinforced by Froelich’s Austrian and Gablenz’s Saxon cavalry,
renewed his attacks on Lambert. The latter had hitherto held his own
with considerable success, but was now driven back and forced to seek
shelter behind Markov’s line. Night ended the conflict, and under cover
of darkness Tormazov rallied his detachments and retreated on Kobrin,
covered by a rear-guard, under Lambert. At Teveli, 7 miles from the
battle-field, Chaplitz rejoined and took over rear-guard duty from
Lambert.
[Illustration: BATTLE OF GORODECZNA
Fought between Napoleon’s detached right wing (Austrians and Saxons)
under Prince Schwarzenberg against the Russian Army of Volhynia]
The Russian loss appears to have been about 3000 men out of a total of
about 18,000 actively engaged: of these perhaps 500 were prisoners.
That of the allies was probably a little less. Schwarzenberg estimated
the loss of the Austrians at about 1300, of whom 865 were in Bianchi’s
division. Reynier only admitted 931 casualties.
Tormazov did not stay his retreat at Kobrin, but continued on his way
southward, intending to make for the Styr and stand on the defensive
behind it. His resolution was undoubtedly wise. With Chaplitz’s
and Khovanski’s troops he had in hand 30,000 men, and might abide
the chances of another battle. But his force was too small to rout
Schwarzenberg’s, and a heavy defeat might leave Admiral Chichagov, who
was at last on the way from Bukharest, too weak to face Napoleon’s
right wing. On the other hand, by retreating on Lutsk he would lessen
the distance between himself and the Admiral, would be in closer
communication with his base at Kiev and Sacken’s reserves, and his
position behind the marshy Styr might well induce the cautious Austrian
general and his half-hearted or openly disaffected lieutenants to call
a halt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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