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
To repel the three French and Italian divisions Dokhturov was now
obliged to send in Raievski’s second division. Once more the Russian
infantry poured into the ruins of Maloyaroslavetz, driving their
opponents before them and thrusting them down the slope towards the
bridge. But the head of Davout’s corps was at length arriving, and
Eugène accordingly sent in his last reserve, the Royal Guard of Italy.
Its six battalions finally turned the scale against the Russian 6th
and 7th Corps, which, still fighting furiously, were driven back upon
and through the ruins of the town. Davout’s corps artillery forced
the batteries on the east to retire; the entire artillery of the 4th
Corps was pushed to the front over the dead and dying to support the
infantry, while Compans’ and Gérard’s divisions crossed a temporary
bridge and took up positions, the former on Eugène’s left, the latter
to his right.
The French were masters of the blood-stained ruins of Maloyaroslavetz,
and that was all. While the battle was raging Kutuzov had stationed his
whole army just south of the town and commenced to entrench himself. He
relieved the 6th Corps by the 8th and the 3rd Division, and directed
Borozdin and Raievski once more to assault the dreadful ruins of
Maloyaroslavetz. Borozdin’s leading troops entered it, but were driven
out again, and, realising that the French hold was now too firm to be
shaken, the Russians finally withdrew; but their immense artillery
commanded every exit, and their skirmishers were everywhere close up to
those of their opponents. The 7th and 8th Corps and the 3rd Division
were in front line; the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th with the rest of the 3rd
in second and third, while the powerful cavalry covered both flanks as
far as the Luzha.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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