The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Vol. 3 (of 4) — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Vol. 3 (of 4)
John Stuart Mill · en
The first shock occurred on the morning of the tenth, in the
neighborhood of Heilsberg; for Bennigsen had sent a considerable
number of his troops back over the river to feel the enemy. The
Russians were slowly driven across the plain, fighting fiercely as
they went, until by six in the evening they reached the heights near
the town, which had been intrenched. Here they turned, and for five
hours hurled back one advancing French column after another until
eleven o'clock at night, when, fortunately for the attacking
troops,--so at least thought Savary, who was with them,--it grew too
dark, even near the summer solstice and in those high latitudes, to
fight longer. Next morning Napoleon woke after his bivouac and looked
to see his enemy gone, as at Pultusk and Eylau. But this time a
repetition of that pleasant experience was denied him. His losses had
been so serious the day before that he spent the eleventh in
manoeuvers, further concentrating his army before Heilsberg, and
despatching Davout to throw himself between Lestocq and Bennigsen,
thus turning the latter's right and checking the former, if all went
well. This movement determined the character of the whole campaign. It
had the desired effect, and on the morning of the twelfth the trenches
in front of him were empty. The Russians had stolen away, and for two
days they steadily retreated down the Alle in the general direction
of Koenigsberg, until on the evening of the thirteenth they reached
Friedland.
Bennigsen had expected to retreat still farther, hoping to reach
Wehlau, and cross to the right bank of the Pregel for a strong
defensive position before Koenigsberg. Lestocq with the Prussians was
well forward on the extreme right toward that place. But at three in
the morning of June fourteenth the head of Lannes's column appeared
before Friedland, and the Russian commander, supposing he had to do
with a single division, turned, and crossing to the left bank of the
Alle, passed through Friedland in order to meet his enemy in the open.
His evident intention was to follow the Napoleonic plan of
overwhelming the attacking divisions one by one as they arrived. His
right wing was stationed in the rear of the hamlet of Heinrichsdorf,
his left rested on a forest known as the Sortlack. When his
arrangements were completed it was nine o'clock in the morning. What
information he had is unknown, but what he did remains inexplicable.
Starting to seize Heinrichsdorf, he was, after a short conflict,
repulsed; for Lannes had stretched his line far to the left for the
same purpose, and had been reinforced by Mortier's vanguard. Bennigsen
withdrew about noon to his first position, and stood there in idleness
for three long hours, exchanging useless volleys with his foe. Having
his entire force already on the field, he remained absolutely inactive
while the enemy formed their line. In respect to his having massed his
forces before the French could form, his position was exactly parallel