It was during this retreat that the soldiers heard of the disastrous
battle of Waterloo, and the Emperor's abdication, which, to that
moment, I had carefully concealed from them. These events produced an
universal discouragement, and desertion soon found its way among them.
Fatal projects entered the minds even of those who were least carried
away by passion. Excited by malevolence, some wished to return to
their homes; others proposed to throw themselves as partisans into the
Vosges.
I was immediately informed of these intentions. I directly foresaw
what terrible consequences they might produce. I issued an order
of the day; it succeeded; their minds were tranquillized, but it
was not long before anxiety revived. When we reached Haguenau, the
... regiment, formerly so illustrious, loudly proclaimed the design
of quitting the army, and of repairing with its artillery into the
mountains. The cannon were already harnessed, and one battalion had
taken up its arms. I was informed of it; I rushed to the spot; I took
in my hand the eagle of the rebels, and placing myself in the midst of
them, “Soldiers,” I cried, “I learn that it is proposed among you to
desert us. In an hour's time we shall fight; do you wish the Austrians
to think that you have fled from the field of honour? Let the brave
swear never to quit their eagles or their general-in-chief. I grant
permission to the cowards to depart.” At these words, all exclaimed,
“Long live Rapp! long live our general!” Every one swore to die by his
standard, and tranquillity was restored.
We immediately began our march, and reached the Souffel, two leagues
in advance of Strasburg. The fifteenth division had its right on the
river Ill, its centre at Hoenheim, its left at Souffelweyersheim, and
extended to the road from Brumpt; the sixteenth occupied Lampertheim,
Mundolsheim, the three villages of Hausbergen, with its left resting
on the road from Saverne: lastly, the seventeenth was in columns on
the road from Molsheim, with two regiments of cavalry; two others
were placed in the rear of the fifteenth division at Bischeim. Such
was the situation of our troops on the morning of the 28th, when the
enemy attacked with impetuosity the village of Lampertheim, which was
occupied by a battalion of the 10th, under the command of General
Beurmann. This battalion alone sustained for a long time the attacks
of 8000 infantry, and the continued firing of six pieces of cannon.
However, as the number of the assailants was continually increasing,
it withdrew behind the river, and, conformably to its orders,
stationed itself at Mundolsheim.
The enemy's columns, from 40 to 50,000 men strong, advanced
immediately by the roads from Brumpt and Bishweiller. All these
arrangements, and the masses of cavalry which covered the first
of these roads, announced that their project was to separate the
divisions of Generals Rottembourg and Albert, in order to overwhelm
the latter. I did not mistake the design of the Allies, but I had not
the power of uniting my troops, which had deployed in an immense
plain, and were already engaged throughout the whole line. There only
remained one expedient; I adopted it immediately, fortunately it was a
most fatal one for the enemy. I closed the 10th regiment into columns,
in the very midst of the firing; I ordered the 32d to advance; and
I moved it _en echelon_ after having formed it into a square. The
rest of the division of Albert remained in reserve on the height of
Hiderhausbergen.
Defending the ground foot by foot, General Rottembourg changed
the front of his division, throwing his left wing into the rear,
and proceeded to cover the villages of Hoenheim, Bischeim and
Schittigheim, threatening the flank of the troops which were engaged
between these two divisions. This was according to his orders.
The 103d was placed on the road from Brumpt, and the 36th left
Souffelweyersheim to support it; but scarcely had it begun to march
when the Allies attacked the village. I immediately despatched a
company to defend this important position. Our soldiers advanced to
it, running, but our adversaries had taken possession of it before
they could arrive. Captain Chauvin supported with extraordinary
courage the fire of a cloud of sharpshooters, and thus gave time for
General Fririon to come up. This officer left a battalion and four
pieces of cannon to cover the road, and advanced in charging time with
the rest of his forces. General Gudin seconded this movement, and
manœuvred on the road from Bischweiller: the Austrians gave way, and
withdrew; but the reinforcements which they every moment received left
our troops no chance of maintaining their position. On the other hand,
the assailants had outflanked the 10th, and the moment had arrived
for effecting the movement which I had ordered. Consequently the 16th
division wheeled back its left wing perpendicularly to the rear, while
it preserved the head of Hoenheim, from whence our artillery raked
the enemy in flank and rear. At the same time the gallant General
Beurmann, attacked on every side and already surrounded, sallied
forth from Mundolsheim at the head of the 10th, and retreated without
disorder towards the division.
The Austrians on their side advanced on the road from Brumpt with
enormous masses of cavalry and infantry, supported by a formidable
artillery. They penetrated between the two divisions, and arrived
without obstacle on four pieces of cannon which had been continually
pouring discharges of grape-shot on their columns. They were
taken; but the enemy presented his flank to the troops of General
Rottembourg, and to two regiments of cavalry which were on his front.
I took advantage of this circumstance: put myself at the head of the
11th dragoons, and the 7th horse chasseurs. I made a rapid charge:
I routed the first line, penetrated the second, and overthrew every
thing that offered me any resistance. We made a dreadful slaughter of
the Austrian and Wurtemburg cavalry. At the same time the 32d came up
at the charge in close columns, and prevented them from rallying. They
were thrown back on their own infantry, whom they put to flight.
General Rottembourg, on his side, pushed forward his right wing, and
opened on the enemy, who defiled in confusion before his columns,
a most destructive fire of artillery and musquetry; in an instant
the field of battle is covered with the slain, and the immense army
of the Prince of Wurtemburg is routed. The defeat was so complete
that baggage, which was two leagues in the rear, was attacked and
plundered, and the Prince himself lost his equipages. The confusion
extended itself as far as Haguenau, and would have gone still farther
if 30,000 Russians, who came up from Weissembourg, had not by their
presence encouraged the fugitives. The night which came on, and the
risk that there would have been in adventuring against forces so
superior to our own, prevented us from profiting by our successes. We
could not retake our artillery, the enemy had made haste to remove it
to his rear.
It cost him very dear to keep it. He had from 1500 to 2000 men killed,
and a still more considerable number wounded. On our side there were
about 700 killed and wounded. Of this number were two Captains of
light artillery, Favier and Dandlau, both wounded in defending their
cannon, and Colonel Montagnier, who performed such signal service on
this occasion.
The enemy's General revenged himself for this defeat by
devastation. The day after the battle he set on fire the village
of Souffelweyersheim, under pretext that the peasants had fired on
his troops. This was not the fact, and the name of the Prince of
Wurtemburg will remain for ever sullied by an action which plunged a
multitude of families into misery.
Whether the vigour with which we had repulsed all their attacks had
given them a distaste for making new ones, or from some other motive,
our adversaries remained some days without undertaking any thing. I
took advantage of this repose to provision Strasburg, and to fortify
myself in my positions. I also had time to give to all commanders of
places, who were under my command, the most precise instructions.
Meantime the allied army continued to increase; fresh corps arrived
every day to swell its numbers: very soon 70,000 men deployed before
us, and pressed us on every side. Flags of truce came one after the
other, without having any marked object in view. I proposed to the
enemy's General a suspension of arms, during which I might send an
officer to Paris, and receive orders from the government. The Prince
of Wurtemburg refused, without however renouncing the system of
communication that he had adopted.
It was about this time that he sent for the pastor of Wendenheim, a
respectable man and an excellent patriot. “Are you acquainted,” he
said to him, “with General Rapp?”—“Yes, my Lord.”—“Will you undertake
a mission to him?”—“Assuredly, if its object is in no respect contrary
to the interests of my country.”—“Well then, go, and tell him that
if he will deliver up Strasburg to me for the King of France, wealth
and honours shall be showered on him.”—“My Lord, General Rapp is an
Alsacian, and consequently a good Frenchman; never will he consent to
dishonour his military career. I consequently beseech your Highness
to entrust some one else with this message.” At these words the
venerable pastor bowed and departed, leaving the Prince astonished
and confused at having proposed in vain this piece of meanness.
Nevertheless, his Highness was not discouraged. On the 3d of June, he
despatched General Vacquant to me, with a flag of truce, to demand
of me in the name of the King of France the surrender of Strasburg.
In order to inspire more confidence, the Austrian officer wore an
enormous white ribband and the decoration of the lily. I asked him
whether he came from the King; he replied that he did not. “Well
then,” I said to him, “I will not give up the place till my soldiers
shall have eaten the thighs of Austrians, as those I had at Dantzic
ate those of Russians.” Importuned by the insignificant communications
which the commander of the allied forces was every day sending me, I
endeavoured to penetrate into his motives. With this object a general
_reconnoissance_ was made on the 6th on the Austrian positions.
Our soldiers took some posts of cavalry, cut others to pieces, and
returned to the camp, after having made all the enemy's army get under
arms.
Having heard, two days after, a heavy cannonade in the direction of
Phalzburg, I resolved to make a second reconnoissance, as well to make
myself precisely acquainted with the forces that I had before me,
as to hinder the Prince of Wurtemburg from detaching troops against
that place. Albert's division and the cavalry marched against the
entrenched camp, which the Austrians had formed all the way from the
strong position of Oberhausbergen to Hiderhausbergen. The attack
commenced at three o'clock in the morning: it was impetuous, and
crowned with the most complete success. The enemy's cavalry were
repulsed and put to flight by the brigade of General Grouvel; the
principal villages were taken at the point of the bayonet, and the
entrenchments carried by force. Several officers were taken in their
beds, and others at the very moment they were rushing to arms. Some
generals escaped in their shirts, and owed their safety only to the
darkness which protected them.
The 10th light infantry, commanded by the gallant Colonel Cretté,
displayed in this affair the same valour as at the battle of the 28th.
The 18th, under the orders of Colonel Voyrol, one of the most intrepid
officers in the French army, made itself master of the village of
Mittelhausbergen, where he withstood for a long time numerous forces,
and incessant attacks on every point.
The signal for retreat having been given, General Albert ordered the
57th to form in _echelon_ towards the attack on the right, and the
32d towards that on the left. We retired in the best order. The
enemy endeavoured to disturb us; he attacked our troops. The 57th
received him without wavering, and opened a fire at musquet-length
which disorganized his columns. Twice the allied cavalry returned to
the charge, twice was it repulsed with loss. General Laroche, who led
it on, was wounded, and fell under the feet of the horses; he would
have perished if the French had not come to his assistance. “Friends,”
cried he, “I once served in your ranks, save me.” He was immediately
taken up, and restored to his own men. A troop of cuirassiers had
nearly surprised the 18th in its retrograde movement, but the chief
of the staff, Colonel Schneider, having skilfully opposed to it
a battalion that he had by him, broke their shock, and saved the
regiment from an inevitable defeat.
The Allies, convinced that they could not succeed in cutting us off,
left us peaceably to continue our march. Our troops returned to their
camp, after having accurately ascertained the immense superiority of
the forces that they had to contend with. Both parties entered into
cantonments. A military convention was signed a few days afterwards,
and hostilities ceased throughout all Alsace.