But the Allies did not well second the elements which were fighting
for them. Instead of at once coming to the attack, they wasted
their time in miserable intrigues: there were proclamations on
proclamations, some for the magistracy, some for the inhabitants,
some for the soldiers. Some were excited to revolt, others to
desert: the brave Poles, the Westphalians, the Bavarians, were,
in turns, solicited, pressed, and menaced. This paper-war gave me
little uneasiness; I knew the fidelity of my troops; I had the
greatest confidence in them. I gave them a proof of it; as soon as
the proclamations reached us, I had them read at the head of the
regiments. This open conduct pleased them; they were grateful for it;
they only had the greater contempt for an enemy who seemed to hold
their honour more cheap than their courage, and they themselves often
brought to me these fine productions of Russian genius, without having
even read them.
The besiegers persisted in remaining inactive before the place: I
occasionally roused them from the lethargy into which they were
plunged. These gentlemen threatened us rather insolently with an
assault; they had even, towards the end of January, ordered a great
number of ladders in the villages of the Werder. I resolved to make
them see that we were not yet reduced so low. On the 29th I put
some troops in motion in the direction of Brantau; General Granjean
debouched from Stries with four battalions, a troop of cavalry, and
two field-pieces; he routed, in his excursion, some bands of Baskirs
and Cossacks: this was the prelude to a more serious action.
I knew that fresh troops had arrived before the place, and that they
were spread about in the Nerhung, and occupied in force Bohnsack and
Stries: I sent to reconnoitre them. General Detrées was charged with
this expedition. He routed, at first, every thing which presented
itself in his way; but his riflemen abandoned themselves too much
to the pursuit, and had nearly become victims of their rashness: a
cloud of Cossacks fell on them, and would have cut them to pieces if
Colonel Farine had not saved them. We were less fortunate at another
point: our advanced posts had orders to keep under arms, to observe
the movements of the enemy, but not to engage in action: Colonel
Heering, who commanded at Stolzenberg, could not contain himself;
he imprudently descended into the plain, and attacked the Cossacks
with thoughtless impetuosity; his troops, surprised in a defile,
could not withstand the shock of the cavalry, and were broken. This
piece of folly cost us 250 men. The enemy grew warm: this trivial
success had given them confidence. Towards three in the afternoon,
their columns presented themselves before Langfuhr, and succeeded in
establishing themselves there. Thirty men posted in front of this
village were taken prisoners: they had gone into a house, and had made
a long resistance; the ground was heaped with dead, but, seeing no
chance of relief, they were obliged to lay down their arms, for want
of ammunition. I immediately gave orders to retake this position:
General Granjean began to march with eight battalions, four pieces of
artillery, and some cavalry: the attack was completely successful; the
Russians were routed and put to flight. They endeavoured to return to
the charge, but, always broken, always overwhelmed by our cavalry,
they appeared at last decided on retreating. We were not slow in
following their example. The field of battle was nearly deserted, when
the Neapolitans left in Langfuhr were suddenly assaulted by swarms
of Cossacks, supported by a numerous infantry. General Husson and the
Commandant Szembeck came up rapidly with a Polish battalion, charged
the enemy with the bayonet, and made a dreadful slaughter of them.
This check calmed the petulance of the Allies; there was no more
question about ladders or assaults. On my side, I left them quiet: I
was not in a condition to give them frequent alarms. My troops were
exhausted: on their legs night and day, worn out by disease, pierced
with cold, badly clothed, still worse fed, they could with difficulty
sustain themselves:—nothing equalled their wretchedness but the
resignation with which they supported it. Soldiers with their noses
and ears frost-bitten, or wounds still open, cheerfully performed the
service of the advanced posts. When I saw them defiling on parade,
muffled up in furs, their heads wrapped in bandages, or walking with
the help of sticks, I was affected even to tears. I should willingly
have given some relief to men so unfortunate, but yet so constant: the
Russians did not suffer it. They had imagined that their proclamations
had produced all the effect they expected from them; that we were
fighting among ourselves, and that the people were in a state of
revolt: they resolved to profit by such a fine conjuncture, and to
take us.
It was now the month of March; on the 5th, at daybreak, they poured
like swarms on my advanced posts, they covered, they inundated all my
line, and spread themselves in multitudes in the villages which it
included. At the report of so sudden an attack, I gave the necessary
orders, and proceeded towards Langfuhr with the General of division
Granjean. We had scarcely gone a few steps when we heard the charge
furiously sounded: it was the chiefs of battalion Claumont and Blaer,
who were charging with the bayonet a column of Russians of 3 or 4000
men, and dispersing them. We doubled our speed in order to assist
them, but the attack had been so impetuous that we could not arrive in
time: we reached the village just as the acclamations of the soldiers
announced their victory. I hastened to congratulate them on this fine
feat of arms, which it really was, as less than 800 men had completely
routed four times their number of infantry and cavalry. They had even
nearly got possession of their cannon; three Neapolitan voltigeurs
were already cutting the traces of the horses that had been killed,
when they were charged in their turn and obliged to leave their prize.
Fortune was less favourable to us in other points: General Franceschi
supported himself with difficulty in advance of Alt-Schottland, he
gave ground, defending it, however, foot by foot: he followed his
instructions, and saved time. The brave Colonel Buthler came in
haste to his assistance. Scarcely had the Bavarians arrived at the
first houses of the village, when they rushed with impetuosity on
the enemy, repulsed him, charged him with the bayonet, and succeeded
in preventing his advance; but while they were making a resistance
on one side, the Russians threatened them on the other. After three
unsuccessful attacks, they had at last triumphed over the fine
resistance of the chief of battalion Clement, and had made themselves
masters of Stolzenberg: they were already debouching from this
village, and were about to take us in flank. This movement should
have been decisive; I hastened to prevent it. I gave orders to the
sixth Neapolitan regiment to occupy on the right a small hill which
strengthened our position. General Detrées conducted the attack,
charged, and took the summit; the enemy hastily attempted to retake
it, but could not succeed. Quite covered with bruises, with his
clothes full of holes from bullets, Colonel Dégennero opposed an
invincible resistance, and forced them to retreat. In the mean time,
General Bachelu, with four battalions under his orders, mounted
the heights on the right of Schidlitz: on a sudden he rushes on the
Allies, attacks them in flank, and overthrows them. In vain they
endeavour to fortify themselves in the houses; our voltigeurs, led on
by Lieutenant Bouvenot and the sub-officer Tarride, break through the
window-frames, destroy the doors, kill, take, or disperse all that
they meet, and get possession of one piece of artillery: a Russian
General animated his troops to defend it, but the impulse was given;
three brave fellows, the sub-lieutenant Vanus, the Quarter-masters
Autresol and Hatuite, rush furiously upon it, and get possession of it.
It was three o'clock in the afternoon, and the Allies still occupied
Schottland and Ohra; notwithstanding his courage, the chief of
battalion Boulan had not been able to dislodge them. I resolved to
try a second time a manœuvre which had so well succeeded;—I turned
them. While I led on a false attack by the head of Schottland, General
Bachelu masked his march, and went towards Ohra; he was followed by
three battalions of infantry, a hundred and fifty horses and a light
battery. Our troops boiled with impatience; as soon as they heard
the charge begin, they uttered cries of joy, sprang forwards against
the enemy, broke his ranks, and completely routed him. He rallied,
and returned to the charge; but the grape-shot was redoubled: the
bayonet carried disorder among his ranks. He flies, he endeavours to
escape through every outlet, but finds none that are not intercepted.
Necessity rouses his courage, he rallies, debouches, and rushes on us.
The confusion becomes terrible. He struggles to escape from disgrace,
our soldiers to consummate the victory; on either side, they press
on; they attack with fury. An adjutant-major of the 29th of the line,
Delondres, rushed into the middle of the Russians; a few brave fellows
followed him: death and confusion waited on his steps; but soon
overpowered by their number, exhausted by large wounds, he is obliged
to lay down his arms: but his spirits return; he recovers himself;
indignation gives him strength: he attacks his escort, takes it, and
comes to bear a part in the victory: it was no longer disputed. Our
troops, who had come forth at the noise of the firing, had ranged
themselves in front of Ohra, and commenced a destructive firing, which
overpowered the enemy:—he gave way, broke his ranks, and only escaped
death by invoking the clemency of the conqueror.
In a moment the streets were heaped with the dead. Five hundred men
laid down their arms: most of them belonged to that army of Moldavia
which we had almost destroyed at the passage of the Beresina.
The enemy fled in every direction. In the Nerhung, at Neufahrwasser,
every where, he expiated by defeat the success which he had gained
by surprise. Major Nongarède had only to shew himself, to disperse
clouds of Cossacks who were skirmishing without success with some
weak Neapolitan posts which we had in the rear. Some detachments of
dragoons gave chase to the Russians who had ventured in front of
Saspe, and took Brasen.
We again occupied the positions that we held before the attack:
unfortunately they had cost us dear. We had 600 men _hors de combat_;
it is true that most of these soon recovered from their wounds. Of
this number was Major Horadam, Colonel d'Egloffstein, and General
Devilliers, who will be found to figure so often in this narrative.
The enemy had suffered more; 2000 of their troops lay on the dust, we
had between 11 and 12,000 prisoners in our hands, and one piece of
artillery.
This day was one of the most glorious of the siege: it was a fresh
example of what courage and discipline may effect. Under the walls of
Dantzic, as at the passage of the Beresina, worn out by want or by
disease, we were still the same; we appeared on the field of battle
with the same ascendancy, the same superiority.