Champagne Anyone?

Drinking Episodes in 1814

by Andrew Field, UK

4th February 1814. The Army of Silesia under the command of Field Marshal Blücher and the Army of Bohemia under the command of Field Marshal Schwarzenburg have commenced the invasion of France to force the end of the First Empire. Their joint forces, having defeated Napoleon's small army at the battle of La Rothiére on the 1st February, separate to follow different paths to Paris. Whilst the Army of Bohemia cautiously follows Napoleon's retreating forces, Blücher sets off along the line of the Marne in pursuit of Marshal Macdonald's weak and isolated corps. Having had his cavalry rear guard beaten at La Chaussée on the 3rd, Macdonald resolves to defend the small town of Châlons, which lies on the River Marne in the Champagne Region of France, to try and buy some time for his hard pressed forces. A little after 5.00 am on the 4th Feb, the cavalry patrols of General von KatzIer's advance guard of General von York's 1st Prussian Corps make contact with the French vedettes before Châlons. The town is well suited to defence, lying on the River Marne and surrounded by a water-filled ditch and a high wall. In the path of the Prussian advance is the small suburb of Saint-Memmie that lies outside the walls and is only separated from the town by a large ditch. Towards 10.00 am, von KatzIer's advance guard reach the outskirts of the town. After a demand to surrender the town is refused he orders two battalions of fusiliers and several light companies to seize the suburb of Saint-Memmie. These succeed in this task but on reaching the ditch before the town are subject to such heavy artillery and musket fire that they are forced to withdraw a little whilst still retaining possession of the suburb. York, having joined his advance guard, decides to await the arrival of his main body to avoid useless casualties. A second call to surrender having been refused the town is bombarded in preparation for an assault the next day. Whilst the bombardment is underway the General establishes his headquarters in a farm a short distance from Saint Memmie and a duty officer is sent to procure some wine for dinner. In his absence there is a noticeable reduction in the sound of gunfire and the anxiety level rises when the duty officer returns empty handed and with a concerned expression. He announces to the headquarters that the troops in Saint Memmie are all dead. York immediately dispatches his Chief of Staff, Colonel Valentini, to investigate. As he rides into the suburb he sees many Prussian soldiers lying motionless in the streets, but rather than dead, they are all dead drunk and surrounded by mounds of empty champagne bottles! After their withdrawal into the suburb the soldiers had been quick to discover the champagne filled cellars of the houses. Immediate steps are taken to relieve the drunken advance guard with General Horn's brigade. Such is the effect of an estimated 50,000 broken bottles that it is hardly possible for cavalry or artillery to travel through the streets. During the night Macdonald agrees to evacuate the town early the next morning and it is subsequently occupied by the Prussians. York musters Katzler's troops and berates them for their behaviour the day before. Holding the officers responsible for allowing the break down in discipline he warns against a repeat and the pursuit of Macdonald continues once the bridge over the Marne is repaired. Editorial note: Apologies for the out of period graphic ... Drunk Revolutionary Hussar was all I had! Another Episode The Brandenburg Uhlan Regiment under command of Lt Col von Stutterheim are sent along the main road from Châlons towards Paris, with Major Count Schmettow's 2nd Squadron forming the advance guard. About 10 miles from Châlons, at the village of Aulnay, they encounter the French rear guard; two French cavalry regiments are drawn up to the left of the road. Too weak to attack them with a single squadron and whilst awaiting the arrival of the rest of the regiment, Schmettow sends forward his skirmishers to engage those of the French. As his men move cautiously forward the French outposts are seen to lower their carbines and sheath their sabres. Reaching into their saddle holsters the French cavalry produce bottles of champagne which they wave at their Prussian counterparts as an invitation to be their guests. The Uhlans, who had developed a taste for champagne at Châlons, were quick to accept the French hospitality and both parties were soon toasting each other! It was only with the greatest of trouble that the Prussian commander was able to persuade his men to return. The French cavalry retired a little later and established themselves in the village of Plivot that evening. Reinforced by the rest of his regiment, Schmettow attacked them and chased them from the village. So ended two curious episodes in February 1814 and an incident of fraternisation that was otherwise unknown in a campaign marked by a mutual hatred between French and Prussian troops. Reference Weil. La Campagne de 1814. Vol 2. Paris 1892. Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire # 70 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com