Chapter VII The Second Battle of October 18th to 20th 1812

ven before the second battle of free themselves and took refuge Polotsk begins, a clash will behind the walls of the cemetery of E announce the ferocity of the Ropno. After a heroic defense, their future fighting: 300 Swiss grenadiers, ammunition exhausted, they charged mostly belonging to the 1st regiment, with the bayonet to break had been detached to Ropno to encirclement through the Russians observe the arrival of the ennemy. and join Polotsk. They arrived there, Around 7 pm on October 17th, they leaving half of them, either killed or were attacked by the infantry of too much wounded to support the Vlastov Vanguard (23rd and 24th Jäger), march towards Polotsk. Of the 150 who had taken advantage of the night survivors, 50 were also injured but and the proximity of the forest to supported by the other 100. They approach the enemy without being finally arrived in Polotsk despite the 3 seen. The Swiss, however, managed to miles they had to make.

First day: October 18th

In order to comply with the marshal could only order a precipitate Czar’s will, Wittgenstein’s plan was to and therefore hazardous retreat of his fix the French on the right bank of the forces behind the river and leave Dwina, while Alexseiev would pass Polotsk in the hands of the Russians. quietly on the left bank, near But things will go differently because Gorianoui, at the mouth of the Obol. of the heavy rains of the previous days. By setting the enemy on Polotsk, St. Cyr, meanwhile, was waiting Wittgenstein also wanted to protect for the arrival of the enemy on the Steinheil's advance on the left bank of right bank of the Dwina, from the the river. With this plan, Wittgenstein west, especially from the St. considered following the general Petersburg and Nevel road, as in the instructions received in September: he first battle of Polotsk. The violent will cut Gouvion St Cyr from the attack on the Swiss at Ropno Grande Armée. Threatened on both sides and on his rear, the French reinforced him in this opinion. In addition, as the autumn rains made the dirt roads tricky underfoot, the only roadd that could easily be taken by artillery and logistics were those of Nevel, St. Petersburg and Disna, all on the right bank of the Polota.

At 6:00 am, the 6th and 8th divisions were order of battle on the left bank of the Polota, but facing west, and thus protected behind the Polota, against an attack coming from the west. General Nicolas-Joseph Maison (1771-1840) The 6th division Legrand was on (lithography from Alois Senefelder, before 1834) He joined the army in 1789; was Captain in 1792, the right, relying on Redoubt distinguished himself at Jemmapes and Fleurus. He was #7. The 9th division Merle was wounded and left for dead near Mons in 1794. Recovered deployed on the right bank of from his injuries, he was employed at the division the Polota, in front of its Bernadotte in 1795. Then, employed in 1796 under cantonments. Merle had been General Jourdan, he distinguished himself and was appointed chief of battalion. Aide-de-camp of Bernadotte, ordered to withdraw as soon as he served in Italy in 1797-98. He was appointed Adjutant- the enemy appeared and set up Commandant, in the 1st Corps Bernadotte in 1805, where behind redoubts #4 and #5, he remained until 1808. He was at Austerlitz. Appointed occupied by the Bavarians. This General de Brigade in 1806, he served at Schleiz, Halle, 9th division was to be used to Lübeck. Chief of Staff of Bernadotte in November 1806, he served at Friedland in June 1807. He then served in Spain attract the Russians on these an was wounded in Madrid in December 1808. Employed redoubts. Gouvion St Cyr hoped in the 8th corps of Junot in Germany, he passed to the that cannonade from these division Legrand in 1810 and served in Russia. He redoubts would stop the distinguished himself at the first battle of Polotsk. General st th Russians with the help of the de division on August 21 , he commanded the 8 division in place of Verdier, wounded. He served brilliantly at the artillery unlimbered on the left second battle of Polotsk. He distinguished himself during bank of the Polota. the retreat under Ney. Commanded the 19th division of But Wittgenstein had the 5th Corps in Germany in 1813, he served at Bautzen, another plan: he decided to but was surprised and defeated at Haynau on 26th May. provide the main attack on the He served at Leipzick on 16 October. In the campaign of France, he defended Courtrai in March 1814 as leader of left bank of Polota after crossing the 1st Corps of the army of the North. He followed Louis the river the day before at XVIII in 1815. Member of the council of war for Ney, he Jourevitchi. In their forward adjucated himself incompetent. Later, chief of the Morea march, the Russians repelled expedition, he was appointed Marshal of France in 1829. Castex’s cavalry and a battalion He rallied to Louis-Philippe, and was Minister of War in 1835-36. He was wounded a dozen times in his career.. of the 26th light infantry which guarded a ford at this place. This clash alerted the French and that’s why St the regiment of Sievesk was sent to Cyr was not totally surprised to be this sector as reinforcement and to attacked on the left bank of the Polota. cover the retreat on this point. The Moreover, he had protected this left other part of the vanguard (25th Jäger, bank, by some defensive constructions battalion of the Kexholm Regiment oriented to the east, including the and four pieces of the light battery redoubt called Tuileries (redoubt # 9), #45) took the main road towards as we have seen. Polotsk, which passed near the Wolowoi pond. The Mohilev and On the left bank of the Polota Perm regiments followed a little further to the left. A little more to the As soon as the alert was given of left, the other two squadrons of the the massive arrival of the Russians on Grodno hussars and Rodianov’s Polotsk by the northeast, St. Cyr Cossacks took a path to take the ordered to divisions Legrand and French line on its flank. It seems that Maison to make a half turn. The at that moment Marshal Gouvion St division Legrand continued to rely on Cyr went to Wolowoi Pond to better the redoubt #7, while Maison came to judge the situation and was then rely on the ‘Tuileries’redoubt. It was injured by a musket’s shot in his left th the Valaisan battalion of the 11 light foot. regiment which had to occupy this The rest of the Russian forces redoubt. At the outset, the two followed behind these first units and divisions left their artillery facing the leaving the Gromy wood, the Russians west to support the Swiss against the were able to deploy their artillery: the enemy who was to arrive by the roads position battery #5 unlimbered of Nevel and St. Petersburg. opposite the ‘Tuileries’ redoubt, The first contact on the left bank another battery on its left, and the of the Polota occurred between the light battery #27 on a height in front little French post in Gromy and the of the Russian line and to the left of vanguard of Balk which repulsed the other two batteries. easily the French and pursued them into the wood between Gromy and the Wittgenstein, then wishing to th th French line, formed by the 6 and 8 recognize the enemy’s right wing, divisions. made his way to the road This Russian vanguard divided along the Dwina, accompanied by the in two groups at the approach of this Kaluga regiment and the Guard th enemy line. The 26 Jäger, two squadrons. Seeing this troop squadrons of the Grodno hussars, half movement, the excellent chef of the horse battery #3 formed the d’escadron Curély, at the head of two right and advanced against the French light squadrons (one from the 20th line by the road which bordered chasseurs à cheval and one from the Polota. Near the village of Amernia (or 8th chevau-légers) did not hesitate to Hamernia), the Russians were charge the Russian left and put the repulsed by the men of Legrand and disorder in the enemy who just began to emerge from the wood. He even hussars and those of the Guard. Curély provisionally took possession of the 12 took refuge behind the two squadrons guns of light battery #27. According to of the 14th cuirassiers, the only other Russian prisoners, Wittgenstein French cavalry in this sector. Nearly would have been a moment in the half of the men who took charge of hands of the French, who did not Curély were missing and the light recognize him. Very quickly, however, battery #27 was freed. the French cavalry was brought back The Russian reserve of Beguiczef

Map 12: Position of the forces in the clash on the left bank of the Polota, at Polostk in October 18th.le 18 octobre 1812 (author collection) by the squadrons of the Grodno arrived then and was immediately deployed: the converged cuirassiers, cavalry. The Russian artillery followed the two battalions of the converged and unlimbered in front of the new grenadiers of the 14th division and the position which was leaned on the 2nd battalion formed by the depots of redoubt freshly conquered. the 1st grenadiers division were placed Twice, the French cavalry behind the batteries, in the center of charged bravely at the center to delay Russian line. On the right, the Guard the advance of the enemy, but, in infantry regiment deployed behind numerical inferiority, they were the 25th Jäger. The 1st battalion of escorted by the Russian cavalry ( depots of the 1st grenadiers division dragoons, converged cuirassiers and took place more to the right, in squadrons of the guard). This cavalry, support of the Russian right however, was taken to task by the manhandled by the men of Legrand. French artillery, and retreated outside The rest of the reserve remained the effective fire of the French guns. under the protection of the Gromy wood. At the same time as the attack For the moment, the French against the division Maison and the effectively contained the Russian ‘Tuileries’ redoubt, a second Russian troops. column assaulted Legrand’s position The situation changed when, in near Redoubt #7. This attack was the center, Russian skirmishers, provided by the 26th Jäger, the apparently provided by opolochenia, converged grenadiers of the 5th advanced against the ‘Tuileries’ division, the Sievesk Regiment and the redoubt, through the pond of Polotsk Regiment Battalion about Wolowoi. Other troops were ordered (2,500 infantrymen). The redoubt was to follow this enthusiastic movement taken and recovered three or four of Russian militiamen and the redoubt times, but finally the French line held was stormed. A French counter-attack out until evening. quickly repulsed the enemy, but the Perm regiment and the 3rd depot However, at the end of the day, battalion of the 1st grenadier division the French retreated to took the redoubt yet again. Taking entrenchments prepared in advance, advantage of this success, Rüdiger, at under cover of their artillery. the head of the 25th Jäger, the Guard Wittgenstein preferred to stop his infantry regiment, two squadrons of attack and he was even obliged to Grodno Hussars, advanced again evacuate the ‘Tuileries’ redoubt, too against Legrand and was able to exposed to French artillery. He deploy to the right of the ‘Tuileries’ ordered Diebitsch to form a screen of redoubt, onwards the pond. Beguiczef skirmishers all along the line facing followed Rüdiger with the converged the French line. He pulled back all his grenadiers under his command. forces and settled himself with his And lastly, to the left of the staff at Gromy for the night. ‘Tuileries’ redoubt, Berg also advanced with the Kaluga regiment andthe According to Gouvion St Cyr, make the junction between his forces the Russians were 30,000 in this part and those of Jachwill. of the battlefield, against two low On this side of the Polota, it was divisions (3,900 for the 6th and 4,200 general Merle who was opposed to the for the 8th). In fact, the Russian Russians. He had under his command strength was about 20,000 men: 15,300 6,400 infantrymen (about 5,800 in his infantry, 2,600 cavalry and 1,200 9th division and 600 Bavarians in the gunners serving 74 guns. The French redoubts) as well as 400 gunners were outnumbered at two to one. serving about 30 pieces of cannon. The They were about 10,000 men: 8,200 defense of the position was based on infantry, 500 cavalry and 1,200 two redoubts (# 4 and # 5) built at this gunners serving 56 guns. location and occupied by Bavarian It can be said that this day ended artillery (4 batteries). 300 Bavarian with a French victory in this sector of infantry had been deployed in each the battlefield: the French have indeed redoubt, in support of the gunners. All resisted all enemy attacks and the Bavarians were under the orders of Russians have settled for the night, on general Vincenti. On paper, Merle their starting line of the morning. The could count on the artillery of the 6th losses are difficult to estimate because and 8th divisions, placed in the same they are poorly known and there are point as the Bavarian artillery during no separate counts between the 18th the first battle of Polotsk. But and the other two days of fighting. following the Russian offensive on the left bank of the Polota, this artillery On the right bank of the Polota will be recalled by Legrand and Maison who needed it. On the right bank of the Polota, The 9th Division was deployed in Prince Jachwill, after having forced echelon at the edge of the woods in the gap of Ropno in the night, the north-west of Polotsk and had deployed his forces on the plateau ordered to retreat as soon as Jachwill opposite Polotsk. The soldiers stayed advanced. Merle had then to deploy with the weapon almost all the day his troops behind the redoubts #4 and because Jachwill was ordered to attack #5 and under trench protection #10 only at 4 pm! (these entrenchments used the hollow The vanguard under Vlastov was road along the Polota that Legrand in the front line (3,100 infantry, 800 took on the second day of the first cavalry and 6 guns), followed by battle of Polotsk). But it was not Sazonov’s forces (6,000 infantry, 300 counting on the desire of the Swiss to horsemen and 800 gunners serving 64 do battle! The Candras brigade does guns): a total of about 11,000 men. To not obey the withdrawal order when these forces of Prince Jachwill, we the Russians appear. On contrary, his must add the detachment of Colonel two regiments (the 1st and 2nd Swiss) Stolypin (1,700 men, including 360 marched toward the enemy, soon cavalry) whom Wittgenstein sent to followed on his left by the Amey brigade (4th Swiss and 3rd Croatian provisional). The frustration of never efficiency, and then immediately having been engaged since the charged with the bayonet. The beginning of the campaign and having Russian infantry turned back in front to retreat without fighting was the of this "furia svizzero", but soon cause of this disobedience. turned and it was a general melee. The First, the 1st and 2nd Swiss Swiss, in numerical inferiority, deployed in line of battle marched retreated again, but without haste, at toward the enemy, regularly the normal pace, without being let delivering fire by platoon. But the down. Russians, supported by the cavalry of A charge of the Russian cavalry the second line, obliged the Swiss to was received by fire at closed range retreat. Suddenly the Swiss stopped, which put it in disorder. But the Swiss

Map 13: Position of the forces in the clash on the right bank of the Polota at Polotsk, on October 18th (author collection) opened fire again, with formidable was obliged to form squares, because of the increasing number of enemy severely bombarded on their right by cavalry. The Russian artillery took the Bavarian artillery placed on the advantage of it, to fire on the two other side of the Dwina. regiments which formed only a combined mass. In the same way, the According to Gouvion St Cyr, Russian light infantry, who had Prince Jachwill’s infantry left 1,500 advanced on the left flank of the Swiss, killed on the ground that day. But the opened fire on them. All this put 1st and 2nd Swiss also suffered disorder in the ranks of the valiant enormously: they lost 1,100 killed and Swiss infantry. The Russian Guard wounded of the 1,800 they were in the cavalry squadron depot took morning. 300 volunteers of the various advantage of this disordby a charge: regiments of Merle division took the Swiss found their salvation by advantage of the withdrawal of the taking refuge in the entrenchments Russians to make a new exit in the #10 on the steep banks of the Polota. plain to bring back the wounded: they The Swiss suffered enormously picked up back 250 men who were from their enthusiasm: Colonel transferred in the ambulances. Dulliker, commander of the Twenty Swiss of the 3rd regiment converged voltigeurs, was killed; managed at the same time to liberate Colonel Castella, commander of the 300 Bavarian prisoners made by the 2nd Swiss, had two horses killed under Russians in the attack. him and was himself wounded. The In the end of the day, Vlastov eagle of the same regiment was almost occupied the ruins of Prissminitza taken by the enemy, and the two with the help of Stolypin, but Spass regiments were close to destruction remained in the hands of the French, despite their courage. relying on the redoubt built on the site Fortunately, the events did not of the monastery. leave indifferent the 3rd Swiss in charge of the defense of the city of Thus, the French, or rather the Polotsk. This regiment had been Swiss, had brilliantly resisted the reinforced by its battalion stationed assaults of the Russians despite a until then in Kozianoui and by 300 balance of forces of more than two new recruits having joined the day against one, like on the other bank of before. Helped by the artillery the Polota. deployed on the ramparts of the city, by the two redoubts (in particular the On other areas of the battlefield redoubt #4 whose guns had been removed to put them on line), the 3rd The reports of the cavalry that Swiss advanced forward and managed Gouvion St Cyr had sent downstream to repel the Russians. and upstream of Polotsk, on the left Finally, because of the nightfall, bank of the Dwina, were reassuring. Russians stopped their attack and they But wrongly ... even had to return under the protection of the woods, being Downstream from Polotsk, enough to cause the withdrawal of St Corbineau had stopped on the bank of Cyr in the south bank of the Dwina. the Uzacz river, because his horses, wrote St Cyr, were very tired. He had Losses met four or five squadrons of Russian hussars supported by three or four It is difficult to estimate the infantry companies. It was thought, losses of this first day of this battle. It on the French side, that they were is certain that they were high, men from the Bedriagua detachment, especially for the Swiss. The 1st Swiss and no one on the French side lost 33 of its 50 officers present on imagined that they could be men October 18th; the 2nd regiment, 42. belonging to the Steinheil Corps. These two regiments together were Indeed, if Corbineau had pushed his scouting a little further, he would have seen all the forces of Steinheil, who were arriving on the Uzacz. Upstream of the Dwina, on the road to Oula, Doumerc had found nothing alarming either, while the concerns of St Cyr were focused on this point. Indeed, because of the attacks that had occurred near Gorodok the previous days, the French staff worried about the possible passage of Russian forces on the left bank of the Dwina, between Vitebsk and Polotsk, which would cut Polotsk of the Grande Armée. We saw that it was the original Russian plan General de Division Jean-Pierre wanted by the Czar, which was Doumerc (1767-1847) abandoned by Wittgenstein, due to (Unknown date. Probably around 1810's) the difficulty to set foot enough men on the south bank of the Dwina. The 1,800 strong on the morning of the hope of Wittgenstein was that the 18th; they were reduced to 700 men at crossing of Alexseiev’s forces on the the end of the day. The 3rd Croatian left bank of the Dwina would be provisional lost 10 officers, but it seems, for the two days of battle.

Second day: October 19th

The night of October 18th to 19th morning of the 19th, the Russians was calm on the battlefield. On the moved only to correct the location of some units in order to create a kind of contact with an enemy force hermetic semicircle around Polotsk. estimated at 5,000 infantry and 12 Wittgenstein went to Gorianoui, squadrons of cavalry: it could not be about 15 miles from Polotsk, where Bedriagua, but necessarily Alexseiev was. He wanted to see by reinforcements from Riga. himself the possibility or the difficulty To the testimony of the staff of crossing the Dwina. His orders to officer, general Corbineau was the forces positioned in front of vigorously repulsed by the Russians. Polotsk were to wait either for the These would soon reach Polotsk by arrival of Steinheil or the French the south bank of the Dwina if nothing withdrawal, to resume the offensive. was attempted to slow them down. Jachwill was ordered to fire all his Gouvion St Cyr decided to discreetly artillery as soon as he saw Steinheil’s remove a regiment from each of the vanguard on the left bank of the three divisions of the II Corps: the 19th Dwina. Thus alerted, all the Russian line regiment for the 6th division, the forces had to advance against the 37th line (combined with the 124th) for town. the 8th division and the 2nd Swiss for St Cyr took advantage of the the 9th division: about 3,000 men. Russian inaction to lead his wounded, They were able to go covertly on the

The second battle of Polotsk, October 18-19th (Peter von Hess) convoys, baggage and a herd of oxen left bank of the Dwina using the steep on the left bank of the Dwina. banks of the Polota to hide their movement. At noon, these regiments, At about 10:00 am, an aide-de- under the command of general Amey, camp of general Corbineau arrived to were assembled behind old Polotsk on warn St Cyr and rectify the falsely the left bank of the Dwina. They took reassuring report of the day before. the road to Roudnia to join Corbineau, Indeed, general Corbineau was now in soon followed by the 7th cuirassiers of general Lhéritier, brought back to retreated from Bononia, because of Polotsk. Steinheil advance, reformed in the The Russians saw the woods near Ekimania (about 2-3 miles movements on the left bank of the from Polotsk) and were able to stop Dwina, but they believed in fresh the Russians. reserves, and not in units that had left With the protection of the fog the north bank stripped. and then the darkness, the artillery At around 2 pm, Corbineau’s began its withdrawal, followed by the aide-de-camp returned to St Cyr, division Legrand, then the Bavarians announcing that the enemy seen on of redoubts #4 and #5. The division the banks of the Uzacz was the Maison followed and finally the Steinheil Corps, 10 to 12,000 men division Merle. strong, and that the small force Unfortunately, around 8 pm, opposed to it, was completely routed. soldiers of the division Legrand, Shortly thereafter, convoys of sick and reluctant to abandon their wounded from units opposed to cantonments to the Russians, set fire to Steinheil arrived on Polotsk. The them, alerting Wittgenstein of the Russians on the right bank of the withdrawal. As a result, 60 Russian Dwina enjoyed seeing this convoys. howitzers and heavy pieces fired on Their joy increased when they saw the Polotsk. At 8:30 pm, the city was in Bavarian artillery on the left bank of flames and everyone saw like in broad the Dwina, which had done so much daylight. Seeing the damage that the harm to them the day before, turning Russian artillery did to the houses of against the Russian troops which the city, Gouvion Saint-Cyr sent a would soon arrive from Roudnia: It parliamentarian so that the hospitals was 3 pm. were not the target of the Russian It was at this moment that guns. Gouvion St Cyr decided to abandon Polotsk and go on the left bank of the Finally, at 11 pm, the Russian Dwina. Urged by several generals to infantry reached the old ramparts of withdraw immediately (especially general Aubry, chief of his artillery), the Marshal refused: he hoped for a saving haze which would conceal from the eyes of the Russians the withdrawal of the troops. Without it, it was necessary to wait until at least 4:30 pm and beginning of darkness before he can start to retreat. But precisely, a providential haze was formed, which allowed to hide the troop movements that began a little before 4 pm. Fortunately for the Franco-Bavarians, the troops who Polotsk on three points. The divisions Testimony of Colonel Ameil, Maison and Merle, each on their side leader of the 24th chasseurs a cheval of the Polota, were on the rearguard “There were four Swiss regiments and managed to contain the enemy. in the French army in Russia. ... There was The 4th Swiss, assisted by the 11th light a bias against these units, and General infantry regiment, repulsed the first Merle, perhaps, led to it. Unhappy to assault bayonet; the 123rd line put a command foreigners, he affected not to brave face by repelling a second rely on them for a day of action. It resulted that these troops were always in assault. The 1st and 3rd Swiss as well as reserve, therefore, in a humiliating the Croatian provisional regiment, position. [...] These Swiss troops, whose colonel was killed on this however, behave well. They were occasion, also heroically defended the disciplined, leave barely the service, retreat of the II Corps, before don’t abandon themselves in foraying. themselves crossing the Dwina. Till then, the Swiss troops had At 2 pm on October 20th, the been regarded with indifference. Their countenance and valor in Polotsk (i.e. the Russians were the masters of a city of second battle, particularly the retreat in Polotsk consumed by the flames. The the streets of Polotsk) became the model th 4 Swiss, which remained the last unit of the Army Corps. Marshal Gouvion St. of the II Corps on the right bank of the Cyr treated these troops with great Dwina, defended its retreat, street by respects and consideration. The Swiss street, then crossed the Dwina by the troops distinguished themselves several last of the three still passable bridges, times when the II corps was in retreat to join the IX Corps, which Marshal Victor, and blew it up. Only one French gun duke of Belluno, brought from . will remain in the hands of the [...] On November 28th, they took part in Russians. the bloody battle which the III Corps* According to the Russians, the supported in the woods of Borisov to French would have had more than cover the passage of the Berezina. 1,000 prisoners (not counting those General de brigade Candras was killed at made the day before), lost a gun and a the head of the brigade. General de brigade Amey was made General de considerable number of food and division for the conduct of the Swiss at provisions. Polotsk. As he is a very mediocre man, it may be said that he owed this favor to the In any case, these last fights bravery of his troops.” were expensive for the II Corps: the 4th * in fact, long before the Berezina, the III Swiss, for example, lost 35 officers and Corps no longer existed! It was the debris of the II Corps which formed the core of the forces which 400 men. The untransportable covered the passage. It was Ney who command wounded were left in the hands of the these forces, instead of Oudinot, wounded. Russians, the others were sent to 8,000 men hors de combat. Balk, the Wilna. prince of Siberia and Hamen were

wounded. The French, according to According to the diary of the 1st the same diary, have lost 6,000 men, Russian Corps, the Russian losses for including 2,000 prisoners. the two days of combat amounted to

Third day: Clash at Bononia on October 20th

Gouvion St Cyr, who was practically no men to command, who wounded on October 19th, quickly took lead of the forces engaged against took the necessary actions against Steinheil. Steinheil, who, on October 20th, had In his letter to Marshal Berthier become the only immediate danger. of October 20th, St Cyr said he had He would have liked to give command reinforced the units under Amey’s of the forces opposed to the Russians orders by two new regiments who had to general Legrand, but this officer passed the Dwina during the night. was too exhausted; he had also And in his memoirs, he wrote that it received two severe concussions the was the Legrand division who passed day before, especially when his horse the Dwina first, and made that its was killed under him. Maison and regiments had a fex hours to restore. Merle had just arrived from the left So perhaps it was the 26th light bank of the Dwina, as exhausted as infantry and 128th line regiments

Map 14: Struwnia bridgehead held by the Bavarians (author collection) their men and Legrand. It was which joined Amey’s forces, because therefore von Wrede, who had these two regiments have indeed lost an officer each on November 20th point where the Uzacz flows into the according to Martinien. It was in any Dwina. Finally, Grundler was in case, general Grundler who was general reserve, with like we wrote, placed at the head of these probably the 26th light infantry and reinforcements sent to Amey and von the 128th line regiments. Wrede. Steinheil, who thought attacking later in the morning, was On the 20th, at 4:00 am, von surprised by von Wrede’s attack, Wrede gathered the forces at his which reached the Russians in the disposal: the 19th, 37th, and 124th line woods in front of the Uzacz and the regiments; the 2nd Swiss; what Bononia gap. The 2nd and 3rd Jäger remained of the Bavarian brigade regiments which formed the vanguard Ströhl; the 7th cuirassiers; the brigade of the Russians, were jostled and Corbineau and 18 guns: about 4,000 or retreated with difficulty behind the 4,500 men, to which we must probably th add the forces under Grundler, which 28 bulletin of the Grande Armée arrived a little late (26th light infantry « Smolensk, November 11, 1812: and 128th line regiments: about 1,300 General Wittgenstein, having been men). Von Wrede in a letter to reinforced by the Russian division from Berthier dated October 30th, Finland, and by a great number of troops th mentionned a detachment of the 11th from the militia, attacked, on the 18 of October, Marshal Gouvion St. Cyr; he was light infantry under his command. repulsed by that Marshal and General th Would not it be rather the 26 light Wrede, who took more than 3,000 infantry? prisoners, and covered the field of battle The Bavarian general organized with his dead. On the 20th, Marshal his forces in three columns and a Gouvion St. Cyr, having been informed reserve. The left was under Amey and than Marshal the Duke of Belluno, with his th consisted of the 2nd Swiss, the 124th 9 corps, was advancing to reinforce him, repassed the Dwina, and marched to meet Line and three squadrons of cavalry. him, in order, on having effected a junction He took the road to Roudnia and with him, to fight Wittgenstein, and oblige aimed turn the Russian right flank. him to repass the dwina. Marshal Gouvion The center, commanded by von St. Cyr bestows the highest eulogiums Wrede himself, consisted of the 19th upon his troops. The Swiss division and 37th line supported by the distinguished itself by its sang froid and bravery. Colonel Gueheneuc, of the 26th Corbineau cavalry brigade (minus the th regiment of light infantry, was wounded. three squadrons under Amey), the 7 Marshal St. Cyr received a ball in the foot; cuirassiers and 15 guns (9 of 6pdrs and Marshal the Duke of Reggio has arrived to 6 of 12pdrs). He took the road to replace him, and he has retaken the Bononia. The right-hand column command of the 2nd corps. consisted of what remained of the river. These two regiments lost 1,800 Bavarian Ströhl Brigade, thirty light men, most of them prisoners, at the th cavalrymen (from the 8 chevau- beginning of the clash. The diary of légers regiment) and three guns. He the 1st Russian Corps even speaks of a had to march along the Dwina to the loss of nearly 3,000 men in Steinheil’forces, this October 20th, French; 10.000 killed and wounded which seems excessive. and 2.000 prisoners for the Russians Despite the support of his (prisoners whom the French took with artillery, Steinheil failed to hold his them in their retreat). position against von Wrede, who was We will see that the same diary of the reinforced by Amey. This general had 1st Russian Corps claims the taking of just arrived, alerted by the sound of 4,000 prisoners between Polotsk and the cannonade. The Russian finally Czarnicki, during the pursuit of the withdrew up to Disna. Wittgenstein, enemy. who had seen the action from the In fact, by cross-checking all opposite bank of the Dwina, decided these sources, we can calculate the to send Sazonov to Disna with 12,000 loss of 8,000 Russians and 6,000 men to join and support Steinheil. French. Von Wrede had received order So, there were still between not to pursue the enemy, but to settle 38,000 and 40,000 combat capable on the Uzaca with all the Bavarians, Russians, but it is now their turn to supported by the Corbineau brigade. leave troops on their roads to hold key The other units had to rejoin their positions. On the evening of the 20th, respective division the following day. there remained about 12,000 men in Those under the command of La the II Corps. Most infantry units will Mothe, on the east sector, had be amalgamated because of the evacuated the Struwnia bridgehead as weakness of the battalions, if not of 20 October, because of already been done. For instance, when misunderstooding an order of St Cyr. they left Polotsk on October 21st, the In previous days, he had twice pushed four Swiss infantry regiments will be back the Russians, who wanted to reduced to less than 2,000 men. seize the bridge over the Dwina. The Bavarians were less than Finally, it was on October 20th 2,000 men at Roudnia on October 21st. that, after having verbally passing his They were still a little over 3,600 four orders and his command to Legrand, days before. St Cyr left Polotsk and battlefield to Fortunately for the French, heal his wound. Marshal Victor is not too distant with his IX corps (about 25,000 men on The losses of these three days of October 10th). fighting around Polotsk were heavy for both belligerents. According to the diary of the 1st Russian Corps, there Placed on the Napoleon Series: March 20 would have been on the French side, 6,000 victims (including 2,000 prisoners) for the two days; nearly 11,000 on the Russian side (8,000 for Wittgenstein and 3,000 for Steinheil). Nafziger gives 7,000 killed and wounded and 2,000 prisoners for the