THE OPERATIONS IN NAPOLEON’S REAR DURING SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER
The result of the operations on the Düna and in Volhynia had been that
by the end of August, Wittgenstein was standing on the defensive at
Sivokhino faced by a considerably superior force under St. Cyr, while
in Volhynia Tormazov had been driven to cover behind the Styr. He also
was opposed by forces considerably larger than his own, but Admiral
Chichagov was now advancing fast from Moldavia, and within a few weeks
the scale would be turned heavily against the invaders. On August 28th
the Tzar and the Crown Prince of Sweden met at Abo. The result was the
treaty of Abo, which freed Count Steingell’s Russian army of Finland
for service against Napoleon. Reinforcements to the number of about
15,000 men, of whom 10,000 were St. Petersburg militia, were ordered to
join Wittgenstein.
To co-ordinate the movements of the widely scattered forces which
from Finland to Moldavia were converging upon the theatre of war an
elaborate plan of operations was worked out by Alexander and his
council. It was far too detailed, required an impossible exactness of
co-operation from the commanders, and assumed as complete the processes
of reinforcement which had often hardly commenced. In its main lines it
was as follows:--
[Illustration:
MARSHAL GOUVION ST. CYR
Commander of the 6th (Bavarian) Army Corps and victor of first battle
of Polotsk, Aug. 18th, 1812
From the picture by H. Vernet at Versailles]
Chichagov was to concentrate at Ostrog, in Volhynia, and reach Pinsk by
September 20th. He was to march upon and capture Minsk and then occupy
the line of the Berezina in conjunction with Wittgenstein, while
Tormazov held in check or drove back Schwarzenberg.
Wittgenstein, reinforced by 19,000 militia and 9000 regulars, was to
cross the Düna, supported by Steingell, attack St. Cyr in the rear and,
having beaten him, was to push on to co-operate with Chichagov.
Steingell, with 14,000 men of the army of Finland, was to go to Riga.
The Riga garrison, 20,000 strong (it was actually much less), was to
attack and contain Macdonald, while under cover of this demonstration
Steingell advanced on Polotsk to co-operate with Wittgenstein. Then,
while the latter moved on to effect a junction with Chichagov,
Steingell was to pursue St. Cyr towards Vilna.
General Ertel’s force at Mozyr was to move northward and join Chichagov
in the neighbourhood of Minsk.
The main object of the operations is clearly to bar Napoleon’s homeward
march from Moscow by a competent force. But the orders were too minute
in some respects and vague in others. They spoke of such events as
the defeat of Schwarzenberg by Tormazov as if they were certain to
materialise, were clogged with superfluous regulations of detail, and
took little account of the practical difficulties of organising and
moving troops in a country like Russia. The strategy in broad outline
was executed; no more could have been expected.
The efforts and intrigues of Andréossy, Napoleon’s Ambassador at
Constantinople, failed to induce the Turks to repudiate the Treaty of
Peace concluded at Bukharest; and thus Admiral Chichagov was, after
long delays, enabled to start his army for the north. He had under his
personal command five divisions of all arms commanded respectively
by General Count Langeron, Lieutenant-Generals Voïnov, Essen III and
Sabaniev, and Major-General Bulatov. In all there were 50 battalions,
56 squadrons, 17 batteries and 11 regiments of Cossacks. The troops
generally were of excellent quality and largely veterans, but the
units were weak. The total of regulars was perhaps 34,000, with 204
guns; there were also between 3000 and 4000 Cossacks. A division of
about 6000 men and 12 guns under Major-General Lüders, which had been
supporting the famous Serb chief, Black George, was following from the
west.
The original idea had been that the Army of the Danube should invade
the French possessions in Illyria; but this was soon abandoned.
Chichagov was much disappointed, but to penetrate through wild and
rugged Balkania would have certainly meant the destruction of his army.
Chichagov had been placed in charge of the Russian army of the Danube
and of the peace negotiations with Turkey by the express command of
Alexander, who was angry at the slowness of his predecessor Kutuzov.
The Admiral was also a strong advocate of the policy of arming the
Serbs against Napoleon and invading Illyria. The Tzar considered him
an able and energetic man, and he certainly should have known, for
Chichagov had been for some time Minister of Marine. Wilson, who
visited him at Bukharest, was much impressed with his ability, and
regretted that he had not been placed earlier in command.
Wilson remarked that the Admiral’s ability might not necessarily be
equal to independent command, but, as a fact, Chichagov did quite as
well as any of the other Russian generals. His lack of experience made
him occasionally too slow; but his comments upon the plans submitted to
him show that he really possessed very sound military judgment. Above
all, he was of a remarkably independent temper, and did not shrink from
expressing his opinions. He criticised the elaborate Imperial plan of
operations with vigour and acumen, telling the Tzar bluntly that he
should act as if the orders were more definite than they actually were,
and would answer for his deviations from them!
Chichagov’s position in his own army was not too pleasant. The
military officers were sulky at being commanded by a seaman; his
second-in-command, the Frenchman Langeron, was bitterly hostile,
and in his memoirs loses no opportunity of attacking him. Even
Langeron, however, admits his remarkable probity and scorn of personal
profit--very rare virtues in a Russian of that period--and once or
twice, despite himself, has to remark upon his chief’s energy.
Chichagov left Bukharest on August 3rd, and on the 9th concentrated
his army at Fokshani. The weather was very wet, and the result was
the flooding of the rivers Putna and Sereth beyond Fokshani, which
destroyed the existing bridges and retarded their re-establishment, so
that it was not until the 17th that the Army of the Danube was able to
resume its march. The battle of Gorodeczna had been fought; Tormazov
was in full retreat for the Styr, and soon his anxious messages began
to reach the Admiral, who, in reply, hastened up to the rescue at a
pace, considering the difficulties, perhaps never equalled in war. The
weather was hot; the roads were almost non-existent; the army, after
the bad fashion of Russian forces, was encumbered with immense trains;
nevertheless the speed of its march was remarkable. From the Sereth to
Jassy, from Jassy to Choczim and Kamenetz-Podolski, thence for the Styr
by Staroï-Konstantinov and Zaslavl, it took its way, marching rapidly
but methodically, halting for one day in every six in order to rest and
close up its straggling columns. Every effort was made to hasten the
march, especially after passing the Dniester; weakened infantrymen were
carried in waggons, while the cavalry and artillery pressed forward
with all speed. On September 14th, as Miloradovich was withdrawing his
rear-guard from Moscow, Chichagov in person entered Ostrog; and on the
same day Voïnov’s division reached Krymniki-on-Styr to the support of
Tormazov. Langeron was at Dubno, one march behind Voïnov, Essen and
Sabaniev at Ostrog, while Bulatov had not yet passed Zaslavl. From
Fokshani to the Styr is a distance of over 450 miles, which had been
traversed by the leading divisions in 29 days, including 5 of rest--a
sustained average of over 15 miles a day and an actual marching average
of 19! The army reached the Styr in excellent order, ready to take the
offensive immediately.
At Dubno Chichagov was joined by two infantry regiments from the
Crimea. The united Russian armies now amounted to about 67,000 men,
including 18,000 cavalry and Cossacks, with over 300 pieces of
artillery.
Schwarzenberg had about 42,000 troops under his command, but some
thousands of them were raw Polish levies, and he possessed only 102
guns wherewith to oppose the immense park of his opponents. The marshy
and malarious country was causing much sickness among his troops. Very
likely also he was withheld by orders from Vienna, and the disaffection
among his subordinates must have counted for much. But, in fact, he
had not troops sufficient to force the passage of the Styr against an
army not very inferior to his own in numbers, and much stronger in
artillery. On September 15th, just as Chichagov was closing up to the
front, he wrote to Berthier and explained his difficulties. On the 17th
he made a demonstration along the river and became convinced that the
Army of the Danube had now joined Tormazov.
Chichagov, having relieved Tormazov from fear of being overwhelmed,
could now allow his troops to move more leisurely. For some days,
therefore, his divisions were merely quietly ranged along the Styr; and
the river was bridged. Schwarzenberg, realising that he was about to be
attacked, drew back his detachments and prepared to retreat as soon as
the Russians moved forward. Early on the 20th Lambert crossed the Styr
and surprised 14 squadrons of German and Polish cavalry, capturing 300
prisoners. On the 22nd the general advance of the Russians began.
It is rather characteristic of the Imperial orders that they provided
for no subordination of one general to another in the combined
operations which they contemplated. In the present instance no
trouble arose, as Chichagov and Tormazov agreed well together; and
when on the 24th orders arrived from Kutuzov for Tormazov to march
to reinforce the main army the latter quietly disregarded it. A few
days later came another order, this time directing Chichagov to go,
and Tormazov to remain to check Schwarzenberg. The Admiral declined
to abandon his comrade, and comments sarcastically upon these
contradictory directions. In any case, neither Chichagov nor Tormazov
could have reached Tarutino in time. At the end of September the
Imperial instructions were brought by the Tzar’s aide-de-camp, Colonel
Chernishev. Chichagov observes that their object was clearly to range
a strong force along the line of the Berezina; and, having despatched
his outspoken reply to his master, proceeded to attain the end in his
own way. At the same time Tormazov was called by Kutuzov to succeed
Bagration, leaving Chichagov in supreme command.
On the 22nd the Russian armies crossed the Styr, Schwarzenberg’s
outposts falling back before them. Schwarzenberg retired upon Luboml, a
little east of the Bug on the Lublin-Kovel road, where he concentrated
on the 28th. By the evening of the 29th Chichagov and Tormazov had
collected most of their forces in his front; but in the night he
evacuated his position and retreated towards Brest-Litovsk, sending
at the same time Siegenthal’s division to Pruzhani. Chichagov pursued
him with the bulk of his forces, only detaching Voïnov to follow
Siegenthal. On October 9th Chichagov reached Brest-Litovsk and called
in his detachments to give battle; but Schwarzenberg wisely decamped in
the night and retreated on Warsaw. He took up a position at Wengrow,
about 42 miles east of Praga, and awaited events, while Siegenthal fell
back to Bielostok. Chichagov, having driven Napoleon’s extreme right
wing across the Bug, halted at Brest-Litovsk with his main body in
order to prepare to carry out the instructions brought by Chernishev.
The losses in these operations were not very heavy. There had been a
good deal of skirmishing, but no general action; and it is unlikely
that Schwarzenberg’s army lost more than 3000 to 4000 men. The
diminution in the Russian forces must have been even less.
Chichagov now, according to various critics on both sides, committed a
great blunder. He remained halted for 18 days at Brest-Litovsk. But,
as Bogdanovich has justly pointed out, he was about to advance through
a country which, never rich, had been devastated by the passage across
it of several armies. He had to divide his army for its new operations,
leaving a competent force to observe Schwarzenberg, and to collect
supplies sufficient to feed his own corps. Besides, the Army of the
Danube had been marching and fighting for more than two months, and may
well have needed time wherein to repose and refit.
During the halt at Brest-Litovsk General Sacken joined the army from
the south, bringing with him about 4000 depôt troops, who appear to
have been drafted into the weaker units.
While the Admiral himself remained at Brest, preparing for the march
to the Berezina, he sent out detachments to overrun Warsaw and sweep
the country towards Minsk. The detachments sent towards Warsaw were
supported by Essen III’s division, which, on October 18th, came in
contact at Biala with Reynier and was driven back, with a loss of
several hundred men and a gun, upon Brest-Litovsk. On the other hand,
General Chaplitz on the 20th destroyed the new Lithuanian regiment of
Napoleon’s Guard at Slonim, only about 120 men escaping out of 600.
Chaplitz’s detachment was supported by Cherbatov’s (formerly Markov’s)
division. Eastward of Slonim there were very few invading troops to
cover the long line of communications, threatened on the south by
Russian forces at Bobruisk and Mozyr. The garrison of Bobruisk was
not strong enough to make effective sorties, but the force at Mozyr
had been gradually increased to about 12,000 men and over 30 guns.
To guard against the menace of this force and to observe Bobruisk,
Dombrowski’s infantry division and three regiments of cavalry had been
left by Poniatowski in August. Dombrowski’s whole force, even after
the junction of some Lithuanian levies, can never have exceeded 9000
men, and was barely sufficient, after garrisoning Mohilev, to observe
Bobruisk, much less to oppose any effectual resistance to Ertel. On
September 11th a column from Mozyr forced an Austrian detachment
to abandon Pinsk, while a second, under Ertel himself, defeated
Dombrowski’s Lithuanians on the 15th and threw some reinforcements into
Bobruisk. Then, however, he retired to Mozyr.
From Riga on August 7th Essen again made a sortie and captured Schlock,
which was then retaken by the Prussians. On the 23rd Essen decided
to make a general attack upon the Prussians, who lay observing the
city, extended from Schlock to Thomsdorf on the Düna, a distance of 42
miles. A column under Lewis was to make the real attack upon Eckau,
while a detachment under Major-General Veliaminov demonstrated towards
Mitau, and Rear-Admiral von Müller with a flotilla of sloops attacked
Schlock. The Prussian posts at Dahlenkirchen on the Düna were driven
back, with some loss, by Lewis, but Veliaminov’s demonstration had
no results, though von Müller captured Schlock. On the 26th Grawert,
having collected his scattered detachments, drove Lewis back into Riga;
and Schlock and Dahlenkirchen were reoccupied. The losses in these
actions, combined with sickness, considerably weakened the garrison. On
the other hand, they proved that the Prussians were not strong enough
even to blockade the place. Macdonald sent a brigade of Grandjean’s
division to reinforce them, and prepared to bring up the rest of it at
need.
After this both sides lay inactive until September 18th, when there was
some more indecisive skirmishing about Schlock. The Prussians were now
commanded by Lieutenant-General Yorck, Grawert being invalided. Between
the 20th and 22nd, Count Steingell’s corps from Finland, which had
landed at Revel on the 10th, entered Riga. It had sustained some losses
by shipwreck, and part of the troops were detained by contrary winds,
so that Steingell had with him only a little over 10,000 men and 18
guns. Nevertheless, the force in Riga was now over 20,000 strong, and
an attempt could be made to execute the Tzar’s orders.
On the 26th accordingly Steingell with his own troops and a division
under Lewis moved out upon Dahlenkirchen. It was easily occupied, and
on the 27th Steingell advanced upon Eckau, where Yorck had collected
several regiments. His superiority in artillery enabled him to hold
Steingell in check until the arrival of Lewis, when he retired behind
the Aa, abandoning Bausk.
While Steingell was pushing back Yorck, Essen directed a column of 2000
men and 6 guns upon Mitau from Riga, while a flotilla came up the Aa.
Essen’s hope was to destroy the siege train, which, however, was not
there. He ordered Steingell to support the advance with 3000 men and 6
guns, under Colonel Ekeln. On the 28th Yorck, being not yet joined by
Hunerbein’s brigade (Grandjean’s division), ordered General Kleist to
abandon Mitau and come to reinforce him. This Kleist did, and on the
29th the Russians occupied the place without opposition. But meanwhile
Yorck, reinforced by Kleist and Hunerbein, took the offensive against
Steingell’s weakened force and began to drive it back. There was some
not very vigorous fighting along the Aa, as the result of which the
Prussians gained a foothold on the farther bank.
Hunerbein, coming from the right, had retaken Bausk, and on the 30th
Yorck made a general advance, driving Steingell back all along the
line. The fighting was not at all severe, Steingell merely gave way
deliberately before the advance of Yorck’s now superior columns. On the
other hand, Yorck was probably not anxious to do more than his strict
military duty required. Steingell retired towards Riga with no serious
loss and re-entered the lines on the 2nd of October, Essen at the same
time evacuating Mitau. The losses on neither side were heavy.
The result of the action was that Macdonald decided to come himself to
the support of Yorck. Leaving a Polish regiment in Dünaburg he marched
for Mitau with the rest of Grandjean’s division, but when he arrived
the Russians had retreated into Riga. The Marshal increased Hunerbein’s
brigade to 8 battalions, rearranged the positions of the troops, and
sent Grandjean with one brigade back to Illuxt, near Dünaburg. To
draw closer to Riga with his feeble forces was evidently impossible,
and week after week wore itself away without any fighting except some
occasional skirmishing at the outposts.
After his victory at Polotsk, on August 18th, St. Cyr had been
unable to follow in pursuit of Wittgenstein owing to his weakness
in cavalry fit for the purpose. Wittgenstein therefore was able to
withdraw unmolested behind the Drissa. On the 22nd Wrede made a strong
reconnaissance towards Sivokhino, but the Bavarians were repulsed by a
detachment under Colonel Vlastov with a loss of about 300 killed and
wounded and 150 prisoners.
Both sides now settled down into cantonments. Both had suffered very
severely and neither was in a state to resume hostilities. Wittgenstein
entrenched his position at Sivokhino, and his cavalry were able to
circumscribe the French foraging operations on the right bank of
the Düna. Wittgenstein also fortified his advanced base of Sebezh.
Meanwhile, St. Cyr threw up entrenchments round Polotsk. The troops
were distributed around the town, and, being largely in quarters or
in barracks and tolerably well supplied, were soon in good condition.
The effectives were increased by drafts and convalescents, but it is
doubtful whether there was any great rise in the numbers owing to the
diminution occasioned by constant petty skirmishing. The Bavarians were
apparently unable to recover from the blighting effects of the sickness
planted in their midst by their terrible hardships in July, and, though
they were at rest and better supplied than they had hitherto been,
their numbers continued to diminish. Maret and Hogendorp did their
best to forward supplies from Vilna, but bread was often scarce and
already, on October 7th, St. Cyr was writing to express his anxiety
at the difficulty of procuring forage. The numerical strength of St.
Cyr’s force by the middle of October appears to have been about 30,000
men--2nd Corps 21,000; Doumerc about 2200; 6th Corps perhaps 7000 or
8000.
Meanwhile, Marshal Victor, having crossed the Niemen on September 4th,
reached Smolensk on the 27th. On October 6th Napoleon gave him his
instructions. Besides his corps and the Saxon and Westphalian brigades
of Löw and Coutard he was given control of Dombrowski’s division. He
was informed that he was to act as the general reserve of the _Grande
Armée_, and would move to support either Schwarzenberg, St. Cyr, or
Napoleon, according to circumstances. Napoleon greatly underestimated
the pressure on his flanks. He says in the despatch that Chichagov is
only 20,000 strong, that his junction with Tormazov will only raise his
force to 40,000, and that Schwarzenberg can easily deal with him. As a
fact, both Schwarzenberg and St. Cyr were opposed by greatly superior
numbers. Even when the former had been joined by his reinforcements he
was still outnumbered by Chichagov, who might be further strengthened
by Ertel from Mozyr. On the north Wittgenstein and Steingell had
50,000 men against St. Cyr’s 30,000. To afford adequate support to the
wings Victor would have needed 80,000 men.
A few words must here be said upon the diplomatic situation. Prussia,
trodden into the dust by Napoleon’s iron heel, was in the last stages
of destitution, while Austria, though sorely humiliated, was still
independent, far less wasted, and, in addition, was more or less
afraid of a revival of Prussia. These circumstances are reflected in
the despatches of the Prime Ministers, the Prussian, Hardenberg, being
eager to take vigorous steps and inclined to believe in the rumours
of French defeats; while Metternich is pessimistic and obviously
playing for his own--or Austria’s--hand. He seems after the fall of
Moscow to have considered that Napoleon might win, and accordingly
a reinforcement of about 5000 men was despatched to Schwarzenberg.
Otherwise there were signs that Napoleon’s vassals were beginning to
falter at the never-ending drain of human life. Bavaria and Württemberg
sent drafts to refill the wasted ranks of their contingents; but the
King of Württemberg spoke of his uneasiness at receiving no news. The
Grand Duke of Baden professed himself unable to add to his treaty
contingent. In his growing anxiety Napoleon actually went to the length
of politely asking the King of Prussia to replace two weakened cavalry
regiments. He also directed that every reinforcement despatched was to
be stated in all newspapers at double its strength, so as to impose
upon the Russians should the tidings reach them!
After the failure of the sortie from Riga Count Steingell made up his
mind to waste no more time in attempting to execute the official plan
of operations, but to join Wittgenstein without delay. On October 5th
he left Riga, and proceeded by forced marches up the right bank of the
Düna. On the 15th he reached Druia, having marched over 180 miles in
ten days.
On October 10th Wittgenstein’s first column of reinforcement, over
5000 strong, arrived at Sivokhino. On the same day the 9000 men of the
second column reached Nevel, and on the 14th its junction with the main
force was practically complete. Wittgenstein had now under his hand
about 40,000 men, including 5000 cavalry and Cossacks, with 154 guns.
Wittgenstein distributed the militia battalions among the infantry,
one to each regiment, and his staff issued special orders as to how
these enthusiastic but raw troops were to act in battle. The effect was
excellent; and though the men were imperfectly clothed and equipped,
and almost untrained, they rapidly gained efficiency and cohesion.
The unfortunate effect of the elaborate and too minute Imperial plan
of operations now became evident. Steingell had acted upon his own
judgment in marching to reinforce Wittgenstein; but he felt himself
obliged to act upon his master’s orders as far as possible, and so
crossed the Düna at Druia to operate on the left bank. He was thus
completely separated from Wittgenstein, and the latter could only
endeavour to remedy the strategic defect by bridging the river nearer
Polotsk. As he had no pontoons the operation was likely to prove a
lengthy one. He ordered his chief of engineers, Colonel Count Sievers,
to construct a bridge at Desna, detailing as his escort 4 battalions of
infantry and a regiment of cavalry--2500 men and 4 guns.
So far as there was any concerted plan of operations on the part of
the Russian commanders, it appears to have been that Wittgenstein was
to attack Polotsk and Steingell to cut off St. Cyr’s retreat. It was
clear that the French general might choose to hold Polotsk merely by
a rear-guard, and destroy Steingell’s small force by concentrating
upon him the bulk of his own army. To obviate this, Wittgenstein must
attack Polotsk speedily and vigorously. Even so the outlook was not
altogether promising. Polotsk was fortified; and St. Cyr was quite
strong enough to hold it against the 37,000 men of whom Wittgenstein
disposed after deducting Sievers’ detachment.
Wittgenstein distributed his numerically strong but rather incoherent
force into three large divisions of all arms, commanded respectively
by Lieutenant-Generals Prince Iachvil and Berg and Major-General
Beguichev, besides a flank detachment under Major-General Alexiev. On
the 16th he began his march upon Polotsk, while Steingell was moving
from Druia.
[Illustration:
COUNT WITTGENSTEIN
Commander of the 1st Russian Army Corps in 1812]
St. Cyr did not believe that he could hold his own unaided against the
united Russian forces; but determined to defend Polotsk if Wittgenstein
should dash his head against its entrenchments. He detached Corbineau
with his cavalry brigade and three weak Bavarian battalions to observe
Steingell, passed his trains, escorted by Doumerc and Castex, across
to the left bank of the Düna and posted the rest of his forces in the
entrenchments which he had caused to be thrown up. Polotsk itself was
covered by a palisaded parapet. Across the western part of the town a
second palisaded parapet had been carried from the Polota to the Düna,
covering the two bridges of rafts which had been thrown across the
river. On the western bank of the Polota, north-west of the town were
three redoubts, and to the north the Roman Catholic cemetery had been
entrenched. On the east of the Polota the exterior chain of defence
was less complete. Three redoubts and an outlying battery were under
construction, but not yet finished. Below the town batteries had been
thrown up to flank the entrenchments on the western side. The passage
of the Polota had been rendered as difficult as might be, and at the
village of Struria above Polotsk the ground near the river had been
flooded by damming up a brook.
Merle’s division held the entrenched western side of the town, and the
first of the Polota redoubts. Wrede’s Bavarians defended Nos. 2 and
3, the cemetery, Spas, and the line of the Polota. On the east side of
the Polota stood Legrand, while Maison continued the line to the Düna.
On the right flank were four squadrons of cavalry, all that St. Cyr had
retained. Struria was occupied by a detachment of Bavarians.
On the 18th Steingell had not yet reached Desna; the bridge was
scarcely commenced; and Wittgenstein decided to assault St. Cyr’s
position. He rightly directed the weight of his attack upon the French
right and right centre, where the entrenchments were still incomplete.
Prince Iachvil was ordered to contain Merle and Wrede, while Berg and
Beguichev assailed Legrand and Maison.
The French outposts were driven back by the advance of the Russians;
but when Berg and Beguichev assailed the main French line they could
make little headway. The combat swayed backward and forward; the
Russian militia behaved with splendid bravery; but the French troops,
aided by their entrenchments, everywhere held their ground; the single
redoubt carried by the Russians could not be held in the face of the
furious fire poured into it from the entrenchments before Polotsk.
Wittgenstein apparently lost his head; and though he had at first,
according to Russian authorities, merely intended a demonstration, he
had by the evening employed nearly the whole of Berg’s and Beguichev’s
divisions in vain attempts to force the French right.
[Illustration: SECOND BATTLE OF POLOTSK
October 18th-19th, 1812]
About 4 p.m., apparently on the hypothesis that St. Cyr had weakened
his left to withstand the attack on his right, Wittgenstein ordered
Iachvil to assault in earnest the western works. The attempt was
hopeless, and could not for a moment have succeeded. Such advantage as
the Russians gained was due to a rash counter-attack made by a Swiss
regiment and a battalion of Croats. They suffered very heavily and were
driven back upon the works, the Croats being mostly captured. But this
was all that Iachvil could achieve, though his militia fought with
fanatic fury. At nightfall St. Cyr’s position was practically intact;
and the Russians had certainly lost far more heavily than the French.
While the battle was proceeding, Steingell was approaching by the left
bank of the Düna, but was only able to reach the Uchach, 7 or 8 miles
west of Polotsk, by the evening of the 18th with his advance-guard. De
Chambray criticises him for his slowness; but as he only crossed the
Düna on the 16th, and then had nearly 50 miles of bad road to traverse
in order to reach Polotsk, the stricture appears unjust. On the 19th
Steingell informed Wittgenstein that he was at hand. The bridge at
Desna was hardly commenced, and had St. Cyr been a little stronger
the position of the Russians would have been even more serious than
it was. Wittgenstein’s army had obviously been badly shaken by the
fierce fighting of the day before; for he made no attempt to renew the
attack until Steingell could join in from the south. This threw an
awkward responsibility upon the commander of the weak Finland corps,
and exposed him to the risk of destruction should St. Cyr decide to
hold Polotsk only as a _tête de pont_ and concentrate a superior force
on the left bank of the Düna. To the writer it seems that St. Cyr might
have abandoned his outlying works, and left the inner and continuous
line to be held by about 14,000 men, while with the remaining 14,000
(allowing for losses) he attacked and defeated Steingell, who had
scarcely 10,000 actually in hand. This, however, he did not do; and as
the precise strength of the entrenchments is a matter of doubt he was
perhaps right. He detached one regiment from each of his divisions,
and sent them under General Amey to reinforce Corbineau. A Cuirassier
regiment was also directed to the Uchach. Steingell’s advance-guard,
only four battalions under Colonel Turshaninov, naturally halted
before this accumulation of force and waited for the main body, while
Steingell apparently was listening for the sound of Wittgenstein’s guns
before advancing on Polotsk. The French containing force took up a
fairly strong position among woods and broken ground, and effectually
checked the advance of the Finland corps. St. Cyr, however, made up his
mind that he was not strong enough to contend at the same time with
both Russian forces, and in the evening began to evacuate Polotsk.
Iachvil noted the withdrawal of troops and opened fire on his front,
the Russian centre and left taking up the ball. The Russians were too
late to molest the evacuation of the outer works, but they pushed
forward against the inner line round the town. The houses everywhere
took fire, partly ignited by the Russian howitzers, partly, as it
would seem, burned by the French to clear the front of some of their
works, which would otherwise have been masked. The Russian infantry
attacks were everywhere repulsed; and during the evening Legrand’s
and Maison’s divisions and the Bavarians defiled through the town and
crossed the bridge, covered by Merle’s Swiss and Croats. At midnight
the Russians entered Polotsk; but the battle was far from its end.
Merle and his gallant regiments disputed every inch of the streets
with splendid valour, repeatedly repulsing the headlong charges of the
Russian infantry. By 2.30 p.m. the whole French army was safe on the
left bank of the Düna, and the bridges were destroyed. St. Cyr, as he
directed the battle, was severely wounded in the foot, and disabled
for the rest of the campaign. He had perhaps committed an error in not
merely holding the inner works at Polotsk and thus concentrating a
superior force on Steingell; but the steady and successful retreat did
him much honour. It seems clear that he was throughout master of his
operations; and that Wittgenstein could only press the withdrawal very
slightly. The honours of the fighting rested chiefly with the gallant
Swiss regiments of Merle’s division, whose conduct in the rear-guard
was truly admirable.
St. Cyr being now for the moment in safety, reinforced the force
facing Steingell with another French regiment and placed Wrede in
command. At 4.30 a.m. on the 20th he fell unexpectedly upon Steingell,
whose advance-guard, surprised in its bivouacs, was seized with a panic
and dispersed. Buturlin says that 1800 men of 2 regiments of Chasseurs
were captured, but as this would appear to be almost their whole
strength, and they figure later as at least 2 battalions strong, this
is doubtless an exaggeration. Steingell’s main body was not closely
supporting the unlucky vanguard, and on its dispersal he hastily
collected the remainder of his troops and retreated on Desna, where he
crossed the Düna, while Wrede, having disposed of him, rejoined the
main body of the French army. Besides St. Cyr, Legrand, the senior
divisional commander, was wounded, and the temporary charge of the 2nd
and 6th Corps devolved upon Merle. On the 21st he finally retreated
from before Polotsk. Wittgenstein, hampered by lack of engineers and
bridging material, could not establish a passage over the Düna until
the 23rd. Only a detachment of cavalry under Colonel Rüdiger forded the
river and skirmished with Merle’s outposts. To make the best of things
Wittgenstein detached a division of all arms under General Sazonov to
Desna to reinforce Steingell. The latter thereupon on the 23rd repassed
the Düna, detached Major-General Vlastov with a force of 8 regular
battalions, 1 militia battalion, 3 squadrons of Hussars, a regiment
of Cossacks and 12 guns--about 5000 men in all--to observe Dünaburg,
and with the rest of his force moved once more up the left bank of the
river. On the same day Wittgenstein completed a bridge at Polotsk and
began to cross. He had just been joined by two battalions of Novgorod
militia, which he left with another militia battalion, 2 batteries,
a detachment of regulars and some cavalry and Cossacks to garrison
Polotsk.
Merle retreated from before Polotsk in 3 columns, Legrand’s division
moving on Bechenkowiczi, Wrede, with the remains of the 6th Corps
and Corbineau’s cavalry, on Glubokoië to cover the road to Vilna, the
remainder of the 2nd Corps and Doumerc’s Cuirassiers on Chasniki by way
of Uchach and Lepel.
Martinien’s lists, probably not quite complete, show 238 officers of
the 3 “combatant” arms, almost all of the 2nd Corps, killed and wounded
during the three days’ fighting round Polotsk. The French loss would
therefore have been in the region of 5000. The number of unwounded
prisoners was apparently about 1000. The French lost also 1 gun. The
Russians only admit a loss of 3000 killed and wounded, but, seeing
the character of the fighting, and that the French were acting on the
defensive and covered by entrenchments, this estimate is certainly far
too low. Probably, allowing for Steingell’s losses, 8000 would not be
too low a figure. Among the wounded were Major-Generals Balk, Hammen
and the Prince of Siberia; and Privy Councillor Bibikov and Chamberlain
Mordvinov, who commanded militia battalions.
Marshal Victor cannot long have had Napoleon’s instructions in his
hands when he was called upon to act upon them. On reaching Smolensk
he cantoned his corps between that place and Orsha. His troops
appear to have maintained good discipline; and a commencement was
made of establishing order in the vicinity. Some officers, at least,
succeeded in instilling confidence into the villagers and obtaining
supplies by regular methods; and more might have been done had the
9th Corps remained longer in the district. Upon learning from St.
Cyr of the large reinforcements which were joining Wittgenstein,
Victor sent Dändels’ German division to Vitebsk, and four battalions
to Bechenkowiczi to watch the line of the Düna. Then he heard of the
abandonment of Polotsk; and it was clear that he must assist the
overmatched army of St. Cyr. He accordingly directed Dändels upon
Bechenkowiczi; and with the rest of his corps moved towards Chasniki.
The result of the operations about Polotsk therefore had been that
the French had been forced to abandon the line of the Düna, and that
to sustain them Napoleon’s sole powerful reserve had to be diverted
to sustain the retreating 2nd and 6th Corps. Only the small force
at Smolensk was now available to reinforce the retreating army of
the centre; and there was hardly anything to oppose the advance of
Chichagov on the Berezina. On October 25th Napoleon was 70 miles
south-west of Moscow, just about to retreat on Smolensk, with the Grand
Army of Russia on his left flank able to reach his goal before him.
Wittgenstein was advancing from the Düna towards the Berezina, but was
faced by an equal or superior force, and might be kept from the main
line of communications. Chichagov was at Brest-Litovsk, ready to march
on Minsk, with nothing in his front but feeble detachments.
Therefore, in the last days of October, the focus of operations became
the Berezina near Borisov. Upon it were converging: (1) Napoleon,
nearly 400 miles distant, with an equal or superior enemy attending him
on the flank and able to reach Smolensk before him; (2) Wittgenstein,
90 miles away, with an equal French force in his front; (3) Chichagov,
262 miles distant, with hardly anything to oppose him. Schwarzenberg
was in rear of Chichagov, and watched by a force at least able to
seriously hamper any attempt at pursuit made by him. So the curtain
rose upon the last act of the great tragedy, as from every side
Napoleon’s armies and those of his enemies set their faces towards
the Berezina, soon to acquire a terrible renown in the history of the
world.