Six Days' Campaign order of battle explained

Conflict:Six Days Campaign order of battle
Partof:the 1814 campaign in north-east France
Date:10–15 February 1814
Place:Northeastern France
Result:French victory
Combatant2:
Commander1: Emperor Napoleon
Commander2: Gebhard von Blücher
Strength1:30,000 men
Strength2:56,000 men
Casualties1:3,800
Casualties2:14,034–28,500
52–60 guns

The Six Days' Campaign saw four victories by the Imperial French army led by Napoleon over the Army of Silesia commanded by Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. Between 10 and 15 February 1814, the French inflicted losses of at least 14,034 men and 52 guns on the Army of Silesia. A second estimate listed 16,000 casualties and 60 guns. A third estimate reached as high as 20,000 casualties, but a calculation by historian George Nafziger suggested that Blücher may have lost 28,500 soldiers.

After their victory over Napoleon in the Battle of La Rothière on 1 February 1814, the two main Allied armies separated. Austrian Field Marshal Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg's Army of Bohemia marched west toward Troyes while Blücher's Army of Silesia moved north to Châlons-sur Marne and turned west along the Marne River, aiming for Meaux. Leaving 39,000 troops to watch the cautious Schwarzenberg, Napoleon assembled a strike force of 20,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry to deal with the more aggressive Blücher. By the evening of 8 February, the Army of Silesia was spread along a line of march 44miles long. Fabian Gottlieb von Osten-Sacken's 20,000 Russians led the column, followed by Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg's 18,000 Prussians, Zakhar Dmitrievich Olsufiev's 4,000 Russians, Peter Mikhailovich Kaptzevich's Russians and Friedrich Graf Kleist von Nollendorf's Prussians, the last two forces totaling 15,000 men.

Organization

Russian

The Russian forces were organized into army corps with infantry corps and cavalry corps subordinated to it. The full structure can be seen in the Sacken's Russian order of battle section. The Russian IX Infantry Corps, as shown in the Olsufiev's Russian order of battle section, and the Russian X Corps, as shown in the Kaptzevich's Russian order of battle section, both reported to their superior, General-Leutnant Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron. Since Langeron did not appear in the theater of operations until late February, they temporarily reported directly to Blücher.

In the Russian army, artillery batteries were organized with 12 pieces each. In 1805, Aleksey Arakcheyev introduced a new range of field artillery that consisted of 6- and 12-pounder cannons and 10- and 20-pounder licornes, a gun similar to a howitzer. An Allied order of battle from 1 January 1814 noted that Light Batteries were armed with 6-pounders. The same list stated that of five Position Batteries in one army corps, three had 12 guns, one had 11 guns, and one had seven guns. In the Russian 3rd Dragoon Division, Horse Battery Nr. 18 was armed with only 10 guns, but usually the specific number of guns in a battery was not stated.

Prussian

When the Prussian army was rebuilt after the disastrous War of the Fourth Coalition, its reduced establishment did not allow for the formation of divisions. Therefore, the next tactical unit below corps level became the brigade, which included both cavalry and artillery. Batteries were formed from six 6- or 12-pounder cannons and two 7- or 10-pounder howitzers. Artillery batteries that were not assigned to the brigades were posted to the corps reserve. By 1813, each corps incorporated four brigades and included a mix of regular and Landwehr units.

French

A French order of battle from 6 January 1814 showed 10 Young Guard Foot Artillery and one Old Guard Foot Artillery companies each armed with six 6-pounder guns and two howitzers. There were four Old Guard Foot Artillery companies armed with six 12-pounder guns and two howitzers. Six Old Guard Horse Artillery companies were each armed with four 6-pounder guns and two howitzers. Eight guns per foot artillery company and six guns per horse artillery company represented the standard French organization. However, at the Battle of La Rothière on 1 February, the Allies captured 50–60 French guns. Which artillery companies lost guns was not stated.

Battle of Champaubert

Napoleon with 30,000 men and 120 guns surprised Olsufiev south of Champaubert on the morning of 10 February. Unwisely, Olsufiev decided to fight it out, hoping for help from Blücher. By 3:00 pm the Russians were forced back through Champaubert. Too late, Olsufiev tried to retreat east to Étoges, but found both flanks enveloped by French cavalry. Olsufiev lost as many as 4,000 men out of 5,000 troops, or as few as 2,400 and nine guns out of a total of 3,700 men and 24 guns. Olsufiev and Prince Konstantin Poltoratsky ended the day as French prisoners. French losses were about 600.

Olsufiev's Russian order of battle

Corps! width=15%
Divisionwidth=20% Brigadewidth=20% Regimentwidth=10% Strength
ROWSPAN=15 IX Infantry Corps
Lieutenant General
Zakhar Dmitrievich Olsufiev
ROWSPAN=3 IX Corps ArtilleryROWSPAN=3 Not BrigadedPosition Battery Nr. 15 not present 12 guns
Light Battery Nr. 13 12 guns
Light Battery Nr. 24 12 guns
ROWSPAN=6 9th Infantry Division
General-major
Evstafi Evstafievich Udom II
ROWSPAN=2 General-major Konstantin PoltoratskyApsheron Infantry Regiment 486
Nacheburg Infantry Regiment 563
ROWSPAN=2 General-major Juschkov IIRiazsk Infantry Regiment 620
Yakutsk Infantry Regiment 533
ROWSPAN=2 Major Melnik10th Jäger Regiment 335
38th Jäger Regiment 472
ROWSPAN=6 15th Infantry Division
General-major
Peter Yakovlevich Kornilov
ROWSPAN=2 Lieutenant Colonel AnensurVitebsk Infantry Regiment 372
Kozlov Infantry Regiment 504
ROWSPAN=2 General-major Mussin-PushkinKolyvan Infantry Regiment 417
Kourin Infantry Regiment 417
ROWSPAN=2 Colonel Tuchanowski12th Jäger Regiment 447
22nd Jäger Regiment unknown

French Army order of battle

Commander-in-chief: Emperor Napoleon
Chief of Staff: Marshal Louis-Alexandre Berthier

The units available to fight at Champaubert were the 1st Old Guard Division, the Guard artillery, the 1st and 3rd Guard Cavalry Divisions, the 1st and 2nd Young Guard Divisions, both divisions of the VI Corps, both divisions of the I Cavalry Corps, and Cyrille-Simon Picquet's cavalry brigade.

After General of Division Pierre Decouz was killed at the Battle of Brienne, General of Brigade Jean-Jacques Germain Pelet-Clozeau temporarily commanded the 2nd Young Guard Division through the battles of 10–11 February. Then he was reassigned to lead a brigade in the 1st Old Guard Division.

Corps! width=15%
Divisionwidth=5% Strengthwidth=15% Brigadewidth=25% Regimentwidth=7% Strength
ROWSPAN=18 Old Guard
Marshal
Édouard Mortier
ROWSPAN=7 1st Old Guard Division
General of Division
Louis Friant
ROWSPAN=7 4,796ROWSPAN=2 1st Brigade
General of Brigade
Pierre Cambronne
1st Guard Foot Chasseur Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 1,265
2nd Guard Foot Chasseur Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 898
ROWSPAN=2 2nd Brigade
General of Brigade
Jean-Martin Petit
1st Guard Foot Grenadier Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 1,393
2nd Guard Foot Grenadier Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 1,044
ROWSPAN=3 Attached unitsGuard Sapper Battalion, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Companies 105
Guard Marine Battalion, 3rd Company -
Guard Engineering Train -
ROWSPAN=8 2nd Old Guard Division
General of Division
Claude-Étienne Michel

followed by:
Charles-Joseph Christiani
ROWSPAN=8 3,878
6 guns
ROWSPAN=2 General of Brigade
Jean Louis Gros
Fusilier-Chasseur Regiment 1,366
Fusilier-Grenadier Regiment 688
ROWSPAN=4 General of Brigade
Charles-Joseph Christiani
Flanqueuer-Chasseur Regiment 1,042
Flanqueuer-Grenadier Regiment 285
Velites of Turin 333
Velites of Florence 164
ROWSPAN=2 Artillery
Captain Eggerlé
1st Young Guard Company
4 6-pounder guns & 2 24-pound howitzers
73, 6 guns
Guard Train Detachment 81
ROWSPAN=3 ArtilleryROWSPAN=3 1,464ROWSPAN=3 Not BrigadedGuard Foot Artillery, 7 companies 459
Horse Artillery, 4 companies 319
Train and pontooneers 686
ROWSPAN=8 Young Guard
Marshal
Michel Ney
ROWSPAN=4 1st Young Guard Division
General of Division
Claude Marie Meunier
ROWSPAN=4 4,133ROWSPAN=2 1st Brigade
General of Brigade
Jean Étienne Clément-Lacoste
1st Voltiguer Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 657
2nd Voltiguer Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 940
ROWSPAN=2 2nd Brigade
General of Brigade
Guillaume-Charles Rousseau
3rd Voltiguer Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 1,263
4th Voltiguer Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 1,144
ROWSPAN=4 2nd Young Guard Division
General of Division
Philibert Jean-Baptiste Curial
ROWSPAN=4 2,840ROWSPAN=2 1st Brigade
General of Brigade
Jean-Jacques Pelet
5th Voltiguer Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 680
6th Voltiguer Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 633
ROWSPAN=2 2nd Brigade
General of Brigade
Auguste Julien Bigarré
7th Voltiguer Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 717
8th Voltiguer Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions 670
ROWSPAN=13 Guard Cavalry
General of Division
Étienne de Nansouty
ROWSPAN=5 1st Guard Cavalry Division
General of Division
Pierre de Colbert
ROWSPAN=5 2,582ROWSPAN=5 Brigades unknown2nd Éclaireur Regiment -
2nd Chevau-léger Lancer Regiment -
Guard Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment -
Guard Horse Grenadier Regiment -
Guard Dragoon Regiment -
ROWSPAN=5 2nd Guard Cavalry Division
General of Division
Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes
ROWSPAN=5 3,535ROWSPAN=5 Brigades unknown1st Guard Lancer Regiment 680
Guard Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment 667
Guard Dragoon Regiment 800
Guard Horse Grenadier Regiment 954
Gendarmes d'Elite Regiment 434
ROWSPAN=3 3rd Guard Cavalry Division
General of Division
Louis Laferrière-Levêque
ROWSPAN=3 2,164ROWSPAN=2 1st Brigade
General of Brigade
Jean Dieudonné Lion
Guard Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment 542
Guard Dragoon Regiment 735
ROWSPAN=1 2nd Brigade
General of Brigade
Louis-Michel Letort de Lorville
Guard Horse Grenadier Regiment 887
ROWSPAN=6 I Cavalry Corps
General of Division
Jean-Pierre Doumerc

followed by:
Étienne de Bordesoulle
ROWSPAN=2 1st Light Cavalry Division
General of Division
Christophe Antoine Merlin
ROWSPAN=2 704ROWSPAN=1 1st Brigade
General of Brigade
François Isidore Wathiez
6th, 7th & 8th Hussar Regiments
1st, 3rd, 5th & 8th Chevau-léger Lancier Regiments
16th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment
272
ROWSPAN=1 2nd Brigade
General of Brigade
Claude Raymond Guyon
1st, 2nd & 3rd Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments
6th & 8th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments
9th & 25th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments
432
ROWSPAN=2 2nd Heavy Cavalry Division
General of Division
Étienne de Bordesoulle
ROWSPAN=2 1,196ROWSPAN=1 1st Brigade
General of Brigade
Nicolas Marin Thiry
2nd & 3rd Cuirassier Regiments
6th & 9th Cuirassier Regiments
11th & 12th Cuirassier Regiments
614
ROWSPAN=1 2nd Brigade
General of Brigade
Joseph Alexandre Félix de Laville
4th, 7th & 14th Cuirassier Regiments
7th & 23rd Dragoon Regiments
28th and 30th Dragoon Regiments
582
ROWSPAN=2 Attached ArtilleryROWSPAN=2 170
6 guns
ROWSPAN=2 Not Brigaded1st Horse Artillery Regiment, 3rd Company 77, 6 guns
1st (bis) Train Battalion, 2nd Company
8th (bis) Train Battalion
93
ROWSPAN=5 II Cavalry Corps
General of Division
Antoine de Saint-Germain
ROWSPAN=2 2nd Light Cavalry Division
General of Division
Sigismond Frédéric de Berckheim
ROWSPAN=2 977ROWSPAN=1 3rd Brigade
General of Brigade
Jean-Baptiste Dommanget
5th & 9th Hussar Regiments
11th & 12th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments
2nd & 4th Chevau-léger Lancer Regiments
117
ROWSPAN=1 4th Brigade
General of Brigade
Jean-Baptiste Jamin de Bermuy
6th Chevau-léger Lancer Regiment
4th, 7th & 20th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments
23rd & 24th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments
860
ROWSPAN=2 2nd Heavy Cavalry Division
General of Division
Antoine de Saint-Germain
ROWSPAN=2 665ROWSPAN=1 3rd Brigade
General of Brigade
Amable Guy Blancard
1st Carabinier Regiment
2nd Carabinier Regiments
1st Cuirassier Regiment
390
ROWSPAN=1 4th Brigade
General of Brigade
Louis Charles Sopransi
5th & 8th Cuirassier Regiments
10th & 13th Cuirassier Regiments
275
ROWSPAN=1 Corps Artillery
Lieutenant Colonel Graillat
ROWSPAN=1 270
4 guns
ROWSPAN=1 Not Brigaded1st Horse Artillery, 1st Company
5th Horse Artillery, 5th Company
1st (bis) Train Battalion
270, 4 guns
ROWSPAN=5 Independent CavalryROWSPAN=5 Cavalry Division
General of Division
Jean-Marie Defrance
ROWSPAN=5 896ROWSPAN=2 General of Brigade
Cyrille-Simon Picquet
10th Hussar Regiment -
1st Gardes d'Honneur Regiment -
ROWSPAN=3 General of Brigade
Philippe Paul, comte de Ségur
2nd Gardes d'Honneur Regiment -
3rd Gardes d'Honneur Regiment -
4th Gardes d'Honneur Regiment -
ROWSPAN=21 VI Corps
Marshal
Auguste de Marmont
ROWSPAN=9 3rd Infantry Division
General of Division
Joseph Lagrange
ROWSPAN=9 4,868ROWSPAN=4 General of Brigade
Joseph Antoine René Joubert
1st & 15th Line Infantry Regiments -
16th & 62nd Line Infantry Regiments -
70th & 121th Line Infantry Regiments -
1st Marine Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions -
ROWSPAN=5 General of Brigade
Pierre Pelleport
2nd Marine Regiment, 1st–4th Battalions -
3rd Marine Regiment, 1st–3rd Battalions -
4th Marine Regiment, 1st–3rd Battalions -
23rd Line Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion -
37th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st & 3rd Battalions -
ROWSPAN=9 8th Infantry Division
General of Division
Étienne Pierre Ricard
ROWSPAN=9 2,917ROWSPAN=5 General of Brigade
Jean-Louis Fournier
2nd & 6th Light Infantry Regiments, 2nd Battalions -
4th Light Infantry Regiment, 7th Battalion -
9th & 16th Light Infantry Regiments -
40th Line Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion -
50th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion -
ROWSPAN=4 General of Brigade
François-Louis Boudin de Roville
22nd & 69th Line Infantry Regiments -
136th & 138th Line Infantry Regiments, 1st Battalions -
142nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalions -
144th & 145th Line Infantry Regiments, 1st Battalions -
ROWSPAN=3 Corps ArtilleryROWSPAN=3 775
30 guns
ROWSPAN=3 Not Brigaded3rd Foot Artillery, 6th, 23rd & 25th Companies
4th Foot Artillery, 2nd & 11th Companies
5th Foot Artillery, 13th–16th & 27th Companies
8 12-pound cannons
13 6-pound cannons & howitzers
266, 21 guns
1st Horse Artillery, 2nd Company
3rd Horse Artillery, 7th Company
5th Horse Artillery, 8th Company
9 6-pound cannons & howitzers
156, 9 guns
3rd, 8th (bis), & 12th Train Battalions, 1 company each
4th Train Battalion, 1st & 4th Companies
9th (bis) Train Battalion, 1st & 5th Companies
353
ROWSPAN=9 VII Corps
Marshal Nicolas Oudinot
not present
ROWSPAN=9 7th Division
General of Division
Jean François Leval
ROWSPAN=9 4,500ROWSPAN=4 General of Brigade
Pierre Armand Pinoteau
10th Light Infantry Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions -
3rd Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion -
5th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion -
130th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st & 4th Battalions -
ROWSPAN=3 General of Brigade
Jacques Montfort
17th Light Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion -
101st Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion -
105th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions -
ROWSPAN=2 Divisional Artillery2 Foot Artillery Companies -
1 Horse Artillery Company -

Battle of Montmirail

On 11 February, Napoleon marched west through Montmirail with 10,500 men, consisting of the Old Guard, Étienne Pierre Sylvestre Ricard's division, and 36 guns. The French faced Fabian Wilhelm von Osten-Sacken's 18,000 Russians (with 80 or 90 guns)[1] and Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg's 18,000 Prussians. Sacken tried to force his way to the west, but Yorck's troops were delayed. By 4:00 pm, Napoleon's strength rose to 20,000. The French defeated Sacken's corps while Marshal Édouard Mortier repelled Yorck's belated attack. Sacken lost 2,000 killed and wounded plus 800 men, 13 guns, and six colors captured. The Prussians sustained 900 casualties while the French lost 2,000. French Generals Claude-Étienne Michel and François-Louis Boudin de Roville and Prussian General Otto Karl Lorenz von Pirch were wounded.

Sacken's Russian order of battle

General-Leutnant Fabian Wilhelm von Osten-Sacken

Corps! width=19%
Divisionwidth=19% Brigadewidth=23% Regiment
ROWSPAN=4 Reserve ArtilleryROWSPAN=4 General-major Alexey Petrovich Nikitin
ROWSPAN=4 Not BrigadedPosition Battery Nr. 10
Position Battery Nr. 13
Position Battery Nr. 18
Light Battery Nr. 28
ROWSPAN=14 VI Infantry Corps
General-Leutnant
Alexei Grigorievich Scherbatov (sick)
General-major
Alexander Ivanovich Tallisin II
ROWSPAN=6 7th Division
General-major
Nikolay Gregoryevich Scherbatov II
ROWSPAN=2 Colonel KritschinikovMoscow Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Pskov Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=2 Colonel AugustovLibau Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Sophia Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=2 Colonel Dietrich11th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
36th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=6 18th Division
General-major
Bernodessov
ROWSPAN=2 Lieutenant Colonel BlagovenzenkoDnieper Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Vladimir Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=2 General-major HeidenreichKostroma Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Tambov Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=2 General-major Metcherinov28th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
32nd Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=2 VI Corps ArtilleryROWSPAN=2 Not BrigadedLight Battery Nr. 19
Light Battery Nr. 24
ROWSPAN=15 XI Infantry Corps
General-major
Ivan Andreievich Lieven III
ROWSPAN=7 10th Division
General-major
Andrey Andreevich Zass I
ROWSPAN=3 General-major
Josif Karlovich Sokolovsky
Yaroslavl Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Kursk Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Bieloserk Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
ROWSPAN=2 Colonel Achlestischev8th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
39th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=2 Lieutenant Colonel Selivanov
Attached from 16th Division
Kamchatka Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Okhotsk Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=6 27th Division
General-Leutnant
Maxim Fyodorovich Stavitsky
ROWSPAN=2 Colonel LewandowskyOdessa Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Vilna Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=2 Colonel AlexejevSimbirsk Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Tarnopol Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=2 Colonel Kalogruivoff49th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
50th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=2 XI Corps ArtilleryROWSPAN=2 Not BrigadedLight Battery Nr. 34
Light Battery Nr. 35
ROWSPAN=19 Cavalry Corps
General-Leutnant
Ilarion Vasilievich Vasilshikov
ROWSPAN=4 2nd Hussar Division
General-major
Sergei Nicholaevich Lanskoi
ROWSPAN=2 General-major
Ivan Mikhailovich Vadbolsky
Akhtyrsk Hussar Regiment, 6 squadrons
Marioupol Hussar Regiment, 5 squadrons
ROWSPAN=2 Colonel
Dmitri Vasilievich Vasilshikov II
White Russia Hussar Regiment, 4 squadrons
Alexandria Hussar Regiment, 5 squadrons
ROWSPAN=5 3rd Dragoon Division
General-major
Semyon Davydovich Pandschulishev
ROWSPAN=2 General-major
Pavel Nicolaevich Ushakov II
Smolensk Dragoon Regiment
Kurland Dragoon Regiment
ROWSPAN=2 General-major
Andrey Semyonovich Umanets
Tver Dragoon Regiment
Kinburn Dragoon Regiment
ROWSPAN=1 Not BrigadedHorse Artillery Battery Nr. 18, 10 guns
ROWSPAN=8 Cossacks
General-major
Akim Akimovich Karpov II
ROWSPAN=8 Not BrigadedKarpov II Don Cossack Regiment
Semintschikov IV Don Cossack Regiment
Lukovken II Don Cossack Regiment
Kuteinikov IV Don Cossack Regiment
Grekov I Don Cossack Regiment
St Petersburg Opolchenie Cossack Regiment
4th Ukrainian Cossack Regiment
2nd Kalmuck Regiment
ROWSPAN=2 Cavalry Corps ArtilleryROWSPAN=2 Not BrigadedHorse Artillery Battery Nr. 6
Horse Artillery Battery Nr. 7

Yorck's Prussian order of battle

The 1st Brigade under General-major Otto Karl Lorenz von Pirch and the 7th Brigade under General-major Heinrich Wilhelm von Horn were engaged. The only Prussian artillery present were the two batteries attached to the 1st and 7th Brigades. The remainder of the artillery was unable to get forward because of poor condition of the roads. The 8th Brigade was sent back to hold Château-Thierry in case of an attack by Marshal Jacques MacDonald.

Corps! width=20%
Brigadewidth=8% Strengthwidth=35% Regiment
ROWSPAN=38 I Corps
General of the Infantry
Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg
ROWSPAN=8 1st Brigade
General-major
Otto Karl Lorenz von Pirch
ROWSPAN=4 3,5051st East Prussian Grenadier Battalion
Silesian Grenadier Battalion
Leib Grenadier Battalion
West Prussian Grenadier Battalion
ROWSPAN=1 339Foot Jägers
ROWSPAN=1 4,82613th Silesian Landwehr Regiment, 4 battalions
ROWSPAN=1 728East Prussian National Cavalry Regiment, 4 squadrons (+148 Jägers)
ROWSPAN=1 966-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 2
ROWSPAN=5 2nd Brigade
Oberst
Friedrich Wilhelm von Warburg
ROWSPAN=2 4,7771st East Prussian Regiment, 3 battalions
2nd East Prussian Regiment, 3 battalions
ROWSPAN=1 197Foot Jägers
ROWSPAN=1 469Mecklinburg-Strelitz Hussar Regiment, 4 squadrons (+46 Jägers)
ROWSPAN=1 946-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 1
ROWSPAN=6 7th Brigade
General-major
Heinrich Wilhelm von Horn
ROWSPAN=1 2,688Leib Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
ROWSPAN=1 278Foot Jägers
ROWSPAN=2 4,5895th Silesian Landwehr Regiment, 2 battalions
15th Silesian Landwehr Regiment, 2 battalions
ROWSPAN=1 492Brandenburg Hussar Regiment (+200 Jägers)
ROWSPAN=1 1146-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 3
ROWSPAN=5 8th Brigade
General-major
Prince Wilhelm of Prussia
ROWSPAN=2 4,726Brandenburg Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
12th Reserve Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
ROWSPAN=1 2,10212th Silesian Landwehr Regiment, 2 battalions
ROWSPAN=1 3822nd Leib Hussar Regiment (+84 Jägers)
ROWSPAN=1 976-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 15
ROWSPAN=8 Reserve Cavalry
Oberst
Georg Ludwig von Wahlen-Jürgass
ROWSPAN=3 2,031 Line
318 Jägers
Henkel's Brigade: Lithuanian Dragoon Regiment
Henkel's Brigade: 1st West Prussian Dragoon Regiment
Katzler's Brigade: Brandenburg Uhlan Regiment
ROWSPAN=3 1,341Katzler's Brigade: 1st Neumark Landwehr Cavalry Regiment
Bieberstein's Brigade: 5th Silesian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment
Bieberstein's Brigade: 10th Silesian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment
ROWSPAN=2 3276-pounder Horse Artillery Battery Nr. 1
6-pounder Horse Artillery Battery Nr. 2
ROWSPAN=6 Reserve Artillery
Oberst
von Schmidt
ROWSPAN=5 52212-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 1
12-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 2
6-pounder Horse Artillery Battery Nr. 3
6-pounder Horse Artillery Battery Nr. 12
Park Column Nr. 15
ROWSPAN=1 133Pioneers

French order of battle

At Montmirail, Napoleon had the 1st and 2nd Old Guard Divisions, the 1st and 2nd Young Guard Divisions, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Guard Cavalry Divisions, Defrance's Cavalry Division, and Ricard's division. Marshal Marmont took position at Étoges with Lagrange's division and the I Cavalry Corps with orders to observe Blücher. Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes led either the 2nd Guard Cavalry Division or the 3rd Young Guard Division; it is unclear.

Battle of Château-Thierry

After being beaten by Napoleon's army at Montmirail, the corps of Sacken and Yorck withdrew toward Château-Thierry. When the Allied rearguard tried to hold off the French pursuit, Marshal Ney scattered the cavalry protecting the Allied left flank. The Prussian infantry escaped across the Marne River, but the French trapped a Russian brigade on the right flank and forced it to surrender. For the loss of 600 killed and wounded, the French inflicted 1,250 casualties on the Prussians and 1,500 casualties on the Russians. The French captured nine guns and many wagons. The Allies retreated to Fismes while the French repaired the broken bridge. The next day, Marshal Mortier led the pursuit with the divisions of Christiani, Colbert, and Defrance. The French captured 300–400 stragglers while as many as 2,000 more were turned in by groups of French farmers, who were infuriated by Allied plundering during the previous week.

French order of battle

On the morning of the battle, Saint-Germain reinforced Napoleon with 2,400 horsemen belonging to the II Cavalry Corps. Marshal MacDonald had destroyed the Trilport bridge over the Marne, which was on the direct route from Meaux to Montmirail. Therefore, the marshal sent Saint-Germain on a detour through Coulommiers to reach the main army. As on the previous day, Marmont's 4,000 soldiers continued to watch Blücher.

Battle of Vauchamps

Napoleon found that Blücher drove Marmont's force from Étoges and decided to move against the Prussian field marshal. The French emperor left Château-Thierry at 3:00 am on 14 February for a rendezvous with Marmont. That morning, Blücher advanced west to Vauchamps where he ran into stiff resistance. Blücher decided to retreat after seeing the French cavalry defeat the Allied cavalry and discovering that he was facing Napoleon in person. The 25,000 French enjoyed a numerical advantage over the 20,000 Allied soldiers. By the end of the day, the French inflicted 7,000 casualties on their enemies and captured 16 guns; French losses were only 600. The losses include the remnant of Olsufiev's corps which lost 600 men and all its remaining artillery.

Kaptzevich's Russian order of battle

Corps! width=19%
Divisionwidth=19% Brigadewidth=23% Regiment
ROWSPAN=13 X Infantry Corps
General-Leutnant
Peter Mikhailovich Kaptzevich
ROWSPAN=3 X Corps ArtilleryROWSPAN=3 Not BrigadedPosition Battery Nr. 39
Light Battery Nr. 3
Light Battery Nr. 56
ROWSPAN=5 8th Infantry Division
General-major
Alexander Petrovich Urusov II
ROWSPAN=3 Colonel SchenschenArchangel Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
Schusselburg Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
Old Ingremannland Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
ROWSPAN=2 Colonel Suthof7th Jäger Regiment, 2 battalions
37th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=5 22nd Infantry Division
General-major
Pavel Petrovich Turchaninov I
ROWSPAN=3 General-major SchapskoyOlonetz Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Viatka Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
Staroskol Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=2 General-major Vassilshikov29th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
45th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
ROWSPAN=4 IX Infantry Corps
1,500 reorganized survivors
ROWSPAN=4 General-major
Evstafi Evstafievich Udom II
ROWSPAN=4 Brigades unknownTemporary battalion 1
Temporary battalion 2
Temporary battalion 3
Light Batteries Nrs. 13 & 24

Kleist's Prussian order of battle

Corps! width=20%
Brigadewidth=30% Regimentwidth=10% Strength
ROWSPAN=26 II Corps
General-major
Friedrich von Kleist
ROWSPAN=1 9th Brigadeno units present -
ROWSPAN=4 10th Brigade
General-major
Georg Dubislav Ludwig von Pirch
2nd West Prussian Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions -
7th Reserve Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions -
8th Silesian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment, 4 squadrons -
6-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 8 8 guns
ROWSPAN=5 11th Brigade
General-major
Hans Ernst Karl, Graf von Zieten
1st Silesian Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions -
10th Reserve Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions -
Silesian Schützen Battalion, 2 companies -
1st Silesian Hussar Regiment, 4 squadrons -
6-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 9 8 guns
ROWSPAN=4 12th Brigade
General-major
Prince Augustus of Prussia
2nd Silesian Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions -
11th Reserve Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions -
7th Silesian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment, 4 squadrons -
6-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 21 8 guns
ROWSPAN=3 Cavalry Brigade
Oberst
Karl Georg Albrecht Ernst von Hake
Silesian Cuirassier Regiment, 4 squadrons -
Silesian Uhlan Regiment, 4 squadrons -
6-pounder Horse Artillery Battery Nr. 8 8 guns
ROWSPAN=2 Cavalry Brigade
General-major
Friedrich Erhard von Röder
East Prussian Cuirassier Regiment, 4 squadrons -
Brandenburg Cuirassier Regiment, 4 squadrons -
ROWSPAN=7 II Corps Artillery
Oberst Johann Carl Ludwig Braun
12-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 3 8 guns
12-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 6 8 guns
6-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 11 8 guns
6-pounder Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 13 8 guns
6-pounder Horse Artillery Battery Nr. 9 8 guns
6-pounder Horse Artillery Battery Nr. 10 8 guns
Howitzer Battery Nr. 1 -

French order of battle

Hearing about Blücher's advance to Champaubert, Napoleon ordered Ricard's division to rejoin the VI Corps. He reorganized Marshal MacDonald's infantry into the XI Corps and sent it south to face Schwarzenberg's Allied army. Napoleon directed the following troops eastward to face Blücher: Friant's 1st Old Guard Division, Ney's two Young Guard divisions, Nansouty's 2nd and 3rd Guard Cavalry Divisions, and Saint-Germain's II Cavalry Corps. Jean Francois Leval's infantry division was marching north from Sézanne. The fighting ended before Leval's soldiers arrived on the field.

Notes

Footnotes
Citations

References

. David G. Chandler . Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars . New York, N.Y. . Macmillan . 1979 . 0-02-523670-9 .

. George Nafziger . The End of Empire: Napoleon's 1814 Campaign . Helion & Company . Solihull, UK . 2015 . 978-1-909982-96-3 .

. Jean-Jacques Germain Pelet-Clozeau . Horward, Donald D. . The French Campaign in Portugal 1810-1811 . 1973 . 1811 . Minneapolis, MN . University of Minnesota Press . 0-8166-0658-7 .

. Francis Loraine Petre . Napoleon at Bay: 1814 . London . Lionel Leventhal Ltd. . 1994 . 1914 . 1-85367-163-0 .

. Gunther E. Rothenberg . The Art of War in the Age of Napoleon . 1980 . Bloomington, Ind. . Indiana University Press . 0-253-31076-8 .

. Digby Smith . The Napoleonic Wars Data Book . 1998 . London . Greenhill . 1-85367-276-9 .

Notes and References

  1. If Sacken had 12 guns for each of his 11 batteries, he would have had 132 guns available at Montmirail, instead of the 80–90 guns given by the sources.