The Military Career of General Francois-Etienne Kellermann
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2006 The Military Career of General François- Êtienne Kellermann: Cavalryman of the Empire from 1813 Through 1815 Michael A. Bonura Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES THE MILITARY CAREER OF GENERAL FRANÇOIS-ÈTIENNE KELLERMANN: CAVALRYMAN OF THE EMPIRE FROM 1813 THROUGH 1815 By MICHAEL A. BONURA A Thesis submitted to the Department of History In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2006 Copyright © 2006 Michael A. Bonura All Rights Reserved The Members of the Committee approve the Thesis of Michael A. Bonura defended on 7 April 2006. ________________________ Donald D. Horward Professor Directing Thesis ________________________ Jim Jones Committee Member ________________________ Jonathan Grant Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT As everyone knows, a project of this size is the product of more than a single person, and many have helped me along the way. First and foremost I would like to thank Dr. Donald Horward, my major professor, who mentored me on the path to Napoleonic scholarship. It was his love of the field and dedication to his students in the Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution that kept him directing this thesis well after his retirement. He put his own projects aside to work through two drafts of this manuscript. My debt to him is great and I can only hope that my role as a teacher and my future work on Kellermann will reflect his confidence in me. A special thanks goes out to Dr. Ben Weider and Dr. George Knight. Their generosity made it possible for me to travel to France to conduct research in the archives in Paris that was necessary to write this thesis. I would also like to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Jim Jones and Dr. Jonathan Grant. Both shared their love of history and unique skill with me throughout my graduate school experience. I could not have pulled this project together without their help and guidance. From improving my writing to showing me two different approaches to the classroom and lectures, they have made me a better historian. There are two other people whose help and friendship was invaluable to the completion of this thesis and the Masters degree. Chris Pignatiello spent long hours and numerous phone calls ensuring that my admissions packet was complete. She provided moral support through the entire thesis process. Debby Perry gave advice and guidance through my academic decisions that often required her to go above and beyond the call of duty. Without her looking out for me, and my program of studies, I would not be in the advantageous position that I am today. This thesis would not have gotten off the ground but for Special Collections at The Florida State University. I would like to thank the head of Special Collections, Dr. Lucy Patrick and her staff especially Chad Underwood, Alice Motes, and Michael Matos. They made the Napoleon Collection accessible and easy to use and did everything in their power to help with my research. Conducting research overseas is a difficult prospect, and Paris required all the help I could get. I would like to thank Victor-André Masséna, Prince d’Essling for making personal calls to the Archives Nationales to enable me to access the Massena Papers. In addition, the Fondation Napoléon was a home away from home in Paris. Many thanks to Thierry Lentz and iii Peter Hicks for providing help in translating difficult materials and guidance to the archives in Paris. Of my peers at Florida State, I would like to thank Kenny Johnson, Jolynda Chenicek, Jeff Greceffo, Jack Sigler, Joe Horan, and Tim Fitzpatrick. They helped with papers, classes, research, and the library and made my graduate school experience a pleasure. Before I left West Point as a Cadet, there were three officers that inspired me to excellence both in the Army and as a historian. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Col James Wheeler, LTC Kevin Farrell, and LTC Chris Kolenda. They continue to inspire me in my endeavors. I would also like to thank my fiancé Kimberlee. Without her love and support this never could have happened. She kept me motivated and gave irreplaceable technical support throughout. Along with her mother Sandra, they kept me working when I wanted to do any variety of other things. And last, I would like to thank my parents for setting me up for success early in my life. I would like to thank my mother for being there when I need her. She let the sky be the limit early in my life and there has been no goal too far out of reach ever since. I hope this thesis and the degree that it represents makes her happy every day as she sees the bound copy in her living room. And I would like to thank my father, who although he is no longer with us, continues to provide me with strength, inspiration and example. I hope this Thesis makes him proud. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures............................................................................................................................vi Abstract ....................................................................................................................................vii INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1: THE SPRING CAMPAIGN OF 1813.................................................................11 LÜTZEN...............................................................................................................................18 BAUTZEN............................................................................................................................23 CHAPTER 2: THE LEIPZIG CAMPAIGN...............................................................................34 OPERATIONS AT ZITTAU.................................................................................................36 BATTLE OF LEIPZIG..........................................................................................................45 CHAPTER 3: THE 1814 CAMPAIGN .....................................................................................50 THE ATTACK AT MORMANT ..........................................................................................52 PURSUIT TO BAR-SUR-SEINE..........................................................................................56 DEFENSE AT BAR-SUR-AUBE .........................................................................................58 NAPOLEON’S OFFENSIVE................................................................................................64 CHAPTER 4: QUATRE BRAS ................................................................................................70 THE ADVANCE NORTH FROM CHARLEROI .................................................................75 NEY’S ATTACK AT QUATRE BRAS ................................................................................78 KELLERMANN’S CHARGE...............................................................................................81 CHAPTER 5: WATERLOO .....................................................................................................90 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................107 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................................109 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH...................................................................................................115 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Rippach and Lutzen....................................................................................................18 Figure 2: Torgau, Herzberg, and Kalau......................................................................................23 Figure 3: Königswartha.............................................................................................................25 Figure 4: Bautzen......................................................................................................................27 Figure 5: Zittau .........................................................................................................................38 Figure 6: Stolpen to Dresden.....................................................................................................42 Figure 7: Chemnitz and Altenburg ............................................................................................44 Figure 8: Mormant, Coulommiers, and Nangis ..........................................................................52 Figure 9: Nogent, Troyes, and Bar-sur-Seine.............................................................................56 Figure 10: Bar-sur-Aube ...........................................................................................................59 Figure 11: Provins and Sezanne.................................................................................................63 Figure 12: St. Dizier..................................................................................................................65 Figure 13: Charleroi..................................................................................................................73