1813.

CHAP. dorf, and keeping his own under Souham in reserve. XI. He was with reason very apprehensive of the Saxons, who formed a large part of Reynier's force, consisting of no less than eleven battalions of infantry, three squadrons of cavalry, and three batteries of artillery, and who openly threatened to desert when the Allies approached. For this reason, he placed the division Durutte close behind, professedly to support, really to coerce them. They were, however, in secret communication with the leading officers of Bernadotte's staff; and no sooner did they see the ensigns of that general than they deserted in a bodythe cavalry first, next the infantry, and at last the artillery. The division Durutte having made some movements as if to restrain them, the gunners turned their pieces at once on their former comrades, and having thus checked their advance, got clear off. Marshal Marmont, seeing them approaching so near to the enemy's lines, at first thought they were carried away by their military ardour, and hastened to the spot to restrain them. But he was soon undeceived upon seeing that the Allies did not fire, and hearing the loud cheers with which they were received in the hostile ranks. This unparalleled event, so frightful a breach of military faith, yet so natural in men constrained 605, 606; to fight against their country, occasioned a great gap in 335 Marm. the French line of defence in this quarter, and pushed to Odel. ii. 24. extremities the brave and faithful men who, against forces triple their own, still sought to maintain it.1 *

1Theirs,xvi.

Cath. 334,

v. 292, 293;

53.

tween Ney,

This important event rendered an immediate retreat of Action be the troops in advance near Paunsdorf necessary. Reynier's Marmont, corps, now reduced to the single division of Durutte, Blucher, and threatened on the right by Bubna from the Grand Army, with whom they had been long engaged, and on the left by Bulow from that of the Prince Royal, which was coming

Bernadotte.

"Huit jours auparavant, l'Empereur, passant en revue les Saxes, leur avait dit que ceux qui ne voulaient plus combattre pour nous étaient libres de quitter le service."-ODELEBEN, ii. 24; BIGNON, xii. 406. If this be true, it aggravates much the guilt of the Saxon defection.

up, was compelled to give ground and retire to Sellers-
hausen. Ney no sooner heard of the disaster than he sent
Delmas's division from his own corps to reinforce Durutte,
while Marmont, to keep abreast of the retrograde move-
ment, drew back his right, but maintained his left in Schön-
feld, which was held as resolutely as Probstheyda at the
other extremity of the field. The contest for the possession
of this beautiful village was most desperate. Seven times
it was taken by Blucher, who assaulted it with Langeron's
veterans, and as often it was retaken by the dauntless
grenadiers of Lagrange, who were intrusted with the
defence. At length Ney reinforced the defenders by the
division Ricard, from Souham's corps, and the village, the
theatre of so much bloodshed, remained in the hands of
the French. But in other parts of this portion of the field
of battle they were not equally successful. Sir Charles
Stewart, who was with the Prince Royal's staff, persuaded
him to send Captain Bogue with the English rocket brigade,
which had recently arrived from Woolwich, to aid in the
attack of the enemy's squares, which, after abandoning
Sellershausen, were slowly and steadily retiring in the plain
between it and Schönfeld. This was the first time that
this formidable weapon of modern war had been seen in
Europe, and the effect was almost like magic.
"After
the first fire, the square," says Sir Charles, "delivered
themselves up as if panic-struck." The results would have
been still more serious but for the timely arrival of a large
body of the artillery and cavalry of the Guard, which,
despatched by Napoleon, arrived at the gallop, and, by
their rapid fire and headlong charges, arrested in some
degree the progress of the victors. Orders now arrived
from headquarters to suspend the advance at all points,
and continue the battle only by a general cannonade. This
was immediately obeyed everywhere excepting at the vil-
lage of Schönfeld, which Blucher commanded Langeron

It was brought into use by the Duke of Wellington at the passage of the
Adour, in February 1814.

CHAP.

XI.

1813.

CHAP.

XI.

1813.

335, 336;

293, 294;

at all hazards to retake at the point of the bayonet. The brave Russian led on the attack, and after a desperate struggle it was finally carried at six at night, and remained in their hands till morning. On other points 1 Cathcart, the cannonade continued with the utmost violence, till Marm. v. darkness, by preventing any further aim, put an end to the Thiers, xvi. conflict, and Bernadotte established his headquarters at Lond. 172, Paunsdorf during the night; while Blucher, whose army was reduced to half its number by the detachment of LanDie Grosse geron's corps to the Prince Royal, after an obstinate conflict to the north of the Partha, drove the enemy entirely into Leipsic, and his troops passed the night in the suburbs close to the walls.1

605, 606;

173; Bout.

137, 138;

Chron. i.

896, 897;

Jom. iv.

474, 475.

54.

Close of

the battle, and its results on both sides.

By the effect of these successes, the situation of the French was rendered to the last degree perilous; and it was universally felt in both armies that another such day would complete the destruction of their whole force. They had fought in a semicircle, nearly a league within that on which they had stood during the battle of the 16th, but even that interior circle had now been broken in at several points, and at all considerably forced back. It was true that in the centre Probstheyda and Stötteritz still remained in the hands of their invincible defenders, but on each flank much ground, and many important positions, had been lost. On the Allied left, Dolitz was in the hands of

* Marmont says that Schönfeld finally remained in the hands of the French. "Pendant ce temps," says he, "les attaques sur Schönfeld succédaient, et le beau et grand village fut pris et repris sept fois. Jamais l'ennemi ne parvient à s'en emparer complètement. Les troupes de ma deuxième division et un détachement de la troisième eurent la gloire de cette defence héroïque. Elles comptaient pour rien le nombre de leurs ennemis et soutenirent le combat près de huit heures. A la fin de la journée, mon artillerie étant entièrement demontée, ou sans munitions, et l'ennemi s'étant tellement rapproché avec la siennes, qu'il n'y avait plus moyen d'y tenir, mes troupes firent un léger mouvement en arrière; mais l'artillerie du troisième corps étant venue à notre secours ainsi que la division Ricard, le village de Schönfeld fut repris une huitième fois, et ainsi finit cette malheureuse mais glorieuse journée."-MARMONT, V. 294. Sir Charles Stewart, who was on the spot, says it was finally taken just before dark by Langeron (LONDONDERRY, 173); and Sir George Cathcart says the same. "When Bulow attacked Paunsdorf, Langeron carried Schönfeld, and Ney retired upon his position towards Reudnitz."-CATHCART, 336.

CHAP.

XI.

1813.

the Austrians, and the French right had been forced back a league to Connewitz; while, on the Allied right, Sellershausen, Paunsdorf, and Schönfeld had been conquered by their forces; the line had been forced back two miles; and Blucher, from beyond the Partha, in their rear, was at the gates of Leipsic. Nothing in modern war had been scen like the fire of artillery which followed the suspension of the infantry attacks along the whole line. Two thousand guns, of which 1300 were on the side of the Allies, and 700 on that of the French, were on either line hurried to the front, and without moving kept up an incessant fire with the utmost vigour till dark. The scene is thus described by an eyewitness: "The cannonade and skirmishing of advanced posts in all quarters did not cease till after dark, and at the time the Emperor left the ground the conflagration of thirteen villages or large farms marked the field of battle. Along this line, from Connewitz to Schönfeld, which formed a semicircle of about six English miles, the three great armies of the Allies were for the first time united and placed in juxtaposition, as well as in contact with the enemy, along their whole front. Now also the Allied chiefs, for the first time, became confident that a complete and signal defeat must on the following day reward their exertions, and decide the final issue of the Cathcart, campaign in their favour. Blucher, convinced that a general Thiers, xvi. pursuit would be the order for the next day, caused the 603-607; corps of D'York to commence its march on Halle and 36; Fain, ii. 430; Merseburg. The whole army bivouacked for the night on Marm. v. the ground on which they had fought; the Prince Royal Grosse made Paunsdorf his headquarters, and the Emperor of 897-900. Russia and King of Prussia retired to sleep at Rötha.”1

337, 338;

Odel. ii. 34

296; Die

Chron. i.

55.

Napoleon on

the evening

Napoleon, on his side, felt the necessity of a retreat, and towards evening he had given orders to that effect. Bertrand, with the aid of the two divisions of the Guard after th under his orders, had succeeded in driving Giulay, who was opposed to him in the meadows beyond the Pleisse, before him, and opened the road to Weissenfels; and

battle.

CHAP.

XI.

1813.

towards evening the baggage and carriages of the army began to defile in that direction. Blucher, who got word of what was going on, immediately sent intimation to Schwartzenberg that the enemy were preparing a retreat, and dispositions were made in all the Allied armies to renew the conflict on the following morning, and complete the destruction of the enemy. Till eight o'clock Napoleon remained in his position on the Thonberg, surrounded by his marshals. Little was said in the sad and melancholy circle. The troops had fought with surpassing heroism and devotion, but there was no concealing the fact that they had been overpowered, and that, if they remained where they were another day, total ruin might be anticipated. The position of the enemy threatening to surround them on either side; the dreadful circle of bivouac fires. which bounded the horizon on the east, south, and north; the dead and the dying who lay around them, told but too plainly at what a price the position had been maintained during the day. But the statement of the engineer and artillery officers was still more alarming. They reported that above 200,000 cannon-shot had been expended in the two preceding battles; that only 16,000 remained; and that it was impossible to renew the contest without 30,000 additional troops, and some hundred caissons of ammunition. Neither could be obtained; for the last sabre and bayonet had been brought up during the day, and the grand park of ammunition which had been deposited at Torgau, and had set out to join the Grand Army, had been unable to penetrate through Blucher's army, and been obliged to retreat to that fortress. During this conference, big with the fate of Europe, Napoleon, overcome with fatigue, and having already taken his resolution, fell asleep in his chair, his head sunk on his breast, his hands negligently hanging by his side. His generals kept a respectful silence, but after a quarter of an hour he awoke with a start, and said, "Am I awake, or is it a dream?" Soon, however, recovering his recollection, he gave directions for