Defense of Danzig 1813

Capitulation and Sources

by A. Ricciardiello, Poland

In Rapp's report he wrote that if he had more food and 8000 more men he could have held out to the end of May 1814. As it was from the 27th April, they were reduced to eating a slaughtering the few remaining horses and the majority of this meat went to the hospitals. Up to this period 2,500 horses had been eaten to supplement the usual diet of bread and aquavita garnished with about 26,000 cats and dogs, and seasoned with the powder from approximately 231,000 projectiles.

With the cold season returning and the conditions in the city and his declining troop numbers. Rapp decided after calling a council of war that to continue would be fruitless. At 9 pm 28th November hostilities ceased.

The terms of the surrender allowed the garrison to leave with baggage up until the 1st January 1814 if not relieved before then. The officers were permitted their weapons, a platoon of the Imperial Garde and a battalion of 600 were to leave with 2 six pounders replete with caissons. A further 25 cavalrymen were to leave mounted and armed.

The agreement clearly states that the garrison was to be accompanied, and to be prisoners of war (paroled) in France. They were not to retake arms against the allies for a year and a day unless exchanged as prisoners of war.

On the 14th December 2000 Russians were released and as Rapp was getting everything else ready. Wurtemberg informed Rapp that Alexander of Russia would not ratify the terms, and that he should consider the treaty as if it never was. Accompanying this came the proposal that they would be prisoners in Russia.

Rapp was devastated. In a council of war it was suggested to try and break out, or continue the defence, even though there was virtually no food left. For many of the men it was all over, most of the desertions, (as implied in a report by Carabinier Infantry officer) occurred in between the two capitulation signings. In the end a second agreement was signed on the 29th December.

The Poles and Germans left on 30th December the rest at 10am on 2nd January. With new habits and the honours of war they marched onto the glacis of the fortress to be temporarily billeted as prisoners beyond the city walls.

Sources

Comando del Corpo di Stato Maggiore. (ufficio storico). Gli Italiani in Germania nel 1813. Reprint by. Ermanno Albertelli. 1993.
Nafziger. G. Wesolowski. M.T., Devoe.T., Poles and Saxons of the Napoleonic Wars. Emperor's Press. 1991.

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