There were many interesting incidents on that memorable day of 4 [16] October] and I want to describe one of them. Before noon, while our corps commanded by General Yermolov was still idle, our general decided to observe the actions on the left flank, where General Rayevskii’s troops were under heavy attack and could barely hold their ground. He took me with him and we rode there, about half a verst away. Having witnessed the action and talked to courageous Rayevskii, we turned back to our positions. The Guard cavalry was moving to the left of us, by threes to the right, and presented a long but thin line. The French, meanwhile, were deployed in squadron columns. Yermolov noted our mistake and told me, ‘Look, the French will soon charge and rout them.’ He had hardly finished when the French cavalry indeed charged. The entire Russian line shook and then fled. Thus, we found ourselves in the middle of our fleeing cavalry and the pursuing French, but were a bit to the left and so had some open space in front of us. We soon saw several French cavalrymen, who noticed us too and galloped in our direction. We immediately spurred our horses and, thanks to their agility, quickly outdistanced them. It is well known that the French horses moved awkwardly. The general had his hat blown off by the wind and I managed to dismount, pick it up and then ride away. We soon reached a small dam on the creek, which separated us from the czar and his entire suite, and encountered the Life Guard Cossacks, the czar’s escort, that were dispatched to support our cavalry. These good lads routed the French at once and our cavalry recovered.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
N. Muromtsev - An Episode from the Battle of Leipzig, 1813
The entire [Allied] army proceeded to one point, Leipzig. Napoleon, trying to prevent our concentration, attacked the Russian, Austrian and part of the Prussian armies on 4 [16] October. The French attack was swift and vigorous and an intense fight began at all points. In the middle, there was the village of Gossa, which we all called ‘red roof’. The Prussian troops were constantly sent against it during the day, but were repulsed with heavy casualties because the French were deployed as tirailleurs. In the afternoon, [general Alexey] Yermolov was ordered to seize this village by assault. The French were fortified behind its stonewalls and it was very difficult to dislodge them. Yermolov then commanded the Russian and Prussian Guards. He deployed the regiments in columns on both flanks and in the centre and marched with a drumbeat, having scattered the Guard Jägers as skirmishers in front of him. Observing our flanking columns, the French had to retreat pursued by the Jägers. There was a large stone house (it was the ‘red roof’) in the middle of the village and, as the Jägers rushed in, fierce fighting broke out; all the windows and mirrors were smashed to pieces. The French were finally driven out of the village. Corpses were taken out of the house and several of us, aides-de-camp, occupied it with out general [Yermolov].
There were many interesting incidents on that memorable day of 4 [16] October] and I want to describe one of them. Before noon, while our corps commanded by General Yermolov was still idle, our general decided to observe the actions on the left flank, where General Rayevskii’s troops were under heavy attack and could barely hold their ground. He took me with him and we rode there, about half a verst away. Having witnessed the action and talked to courageous Rayevskii, we turned back to our positions. The Guard cavalry was moving to the left of us, by threes to the right, and presented a long but thin line. The French, meanwhile, were deployed in squadron columns. Yermolov noted our mistake and told me, ‘Look, the French will soon charge and rout them.’ He had hardly finished when the French cavalry indeed charged. The entire Russian line shook and then fled. Thus, we found ourselves in the middle of our fleeing cavalry and the pursuing French, but were a bit to the left and so had some open space in front of us. We soon saw several French cavalrymen, who noticed us too and galloped in our direction. We immediately spurred our horses and, thanks to their agility, quickly outdistanced them. It is well known that the French horses moved awkwardly. The general had his hat blown off by the wind and I managed to dismount, pick it up and then ride away. We soon reached a small dam on the creek, which separated us from the czar and his entire suite, and encountered the Life Guard Cossacks, the czar’s escort, that were dispatched to support our cavalry. These good lads routed the French at once and our cavalry recovered.
There were many interesting incidents on that memorable day of 4 [16] October] and I want to describe one of them. Before noon, while our corps commanded by General Yermolov was still idle, our general decided to observe the actions on the left flank, where General Rayevskii’s troops were under heavy attack and could barely hold their ground. He took me with him and we rode there, about half a verst away. Having witnessed the action and talked to courageous Rayevskii, we turned back to our positions. The Guard cavalry was moving to the left of us, by threes to the right, and presented a long but thin line. The French, meanwhile, were deployed in squadron columns. Yermolov noted our mistake and told me, ‘Look, the French will soon charge and rout them.’ He had hardly finished when the French cavalry indeed charged. The entire Russian line shook and then fled. Thus, we found ourselves in the middle of our fleeing cavalry and the pursuing French, but were a bit to the left and so had some open space in front of us. We soon saw several French cavalrymen, who noticed us too and galloped in our direction. We immediately spurred our horses and, thanks to their agility, quickly outdistanced them. It is well known that the French horses moved awkwardly. The general had his hat blown off by the wind and I managed to dismount, pick it up and then ride away. We soon reached a small dam on the creek, which separated us from the czar and his entire suite, and encountered the Life Guard Cossacks, the czar’s escort, that were dispatched to support our cavalry. These good lads routed the French at once and our cavalry recovered.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Major General Prince Sherbatov on Challenges Russian army experienced in 1814
In 1814, the Russian armies posed to invade France had been on campaign for more than year and a half. Many regiments were understaffed and both officers and rank-and-file were fatigued. Although reinforcements had been continually raised and delivered, these men were oftentimes hastily trained and unprepared for the rigors of war. Writing to General Barclay de Tolly on 25 January, Major General Prince Sherbatov, thus, explained widespread problems that he had to deal with in his detachment.
I have suffered for a very long time now without troubling Your Excellency with my reports on the conditions in the detachment entrusted to me. But the responsibility, laying heavily on my shoulders, compels me to write you.
My detachment consists of four regiments, of which only two are dependable enough to be employed against the enemy or on various missions. These regiments are Yagodin II’s Cossack and 4th Uralskii regiments: the former consists of just 330 men, including 80 men who have arrived just one month ago and are still too young, weak and inexperienced; the latter regiment has only 150 men. The other two regiments, Teptyarskii and 3rd Orenburgskii are worthless and incapable of undertaking anything, especially the latter unit. I considered using this unit [3rd Orenburgskii] to maintain a flying mail service but they cannot perform even this simplest of tasks. I dread deploying them on outpost or patrol duties, and have reprimanded them on several occasions; overall, I find them impossible to employ in anything. Their regimental commander, Major Stelnov [?] is weak and incompetent, soldiers themselves are indifferent and indolent, and officers are illiterate. [Thus] an enemy spy, who was captured and placed under this regiment’s guard yesterday, has escaped unmolested tonight.
These regiments complicate my mission and deprive me of important means of carrying out instructions that you have entrusted to me. I consider it my duty to inform you of these circumstances.
[RGVIA f. 846, op.16, d. 4120/1]
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