Napoleon’s Eagles (Part 2)
Russia 1812

First Battle of Polotsk

by Kevin Birkett, FINS, Eire

17th and 18th August 1812

Looking up as the rising sun crested the tree-studded horizon Generalleutnant Bernhard Erasmus Deroy could clearly see smoke rising from the bivouacs of the Tsar’s green-coated infantrymen. To his left he could just make out the troops of Général de Division Claude Juste Alexandre Louis Legrand. Allowing his mind to wander he remembered another forest, Hohenlinden, in his native Bavaria some twelve years earlier.

Jumbo Map of Battle of Polotsk (slow: 157K)

On that day Legrand had been his enemy, now Bavarians and Frenchmen alike would be relying on each other in the struggle to come. Turning once again towards the sunrise little did he know that it would be his last.

Oudinot’s Frenchmen and Wittgenstein’s Russians had spent the past two weeks marching and counter-marching, each seeking to gain an advantage over the other. Eventually, believing himself to be outnumbered Oudinot tired of the endless manoeuvrings and retreated on Polotsk. Arriving on the 15th August he had been greeted by St. Cyr and his Bavarians who had hastened to the city to succour their comrades in arms. Unaware that his adversary had received reinforcements Wittgenstein had pursued the retreating French intent on recapturing the city on the Dvina. Late on the 16th the first clashes occurred between Wittgenstein’s advance guard and French outposts.

The city of Polotsk stands on a plain on the right bank of the Dvina surrounded by a dense forest. The city itself, which was largely of wooden construction, was surrounded by an earthwork fortification of some age having undergone a siege at the time of Peter the Great. Dissecting the plain, which was divided by a large number of little ditches between which vegetables were grown, and joining the Dvina just down stream of the city is the River Polota.

About one and a half miles north of the city and near the forest stood the Pressemenitza farm. Further south, on the right bank of the nearly dry Polota about one mile from the city walls, stood the Spass convent. This area of market gardens while not impassable for artillery and cavalry severely hindered their movement. However to the left of the city on the bank of the Dvina, there is a large area of level ground.

Unsure of what course to follow, and still believing the Russians to be superior in numbers, Oudinot had spent the night of the 16th/17th in mental turmoil, a state not helped by St. Cyr’s sullen replies of “Monseigneur le Maréchal...” in response to his queries. Dismissing the strength of his positions in the gardens and fearing that a retreat over Polotsk’s only bridge would lead to chaos he chose to withdraw the bulk of his troops over the Dvina while defending the course the of Polota with the remainder. Consequently he placed the Bavarians of the VI Corps to his north, with their right resting on the fortified Spass convent, to the left of the Germans he positioned Legrand’s division reinforced by some light cavalry.

Having brought up the remainder of his First Corps overnight, on the morning of the 17th Wittgenstein ordered the assault on the city to begin. Choosing to launch his attack through the gardens rather than across the level ground to the left of the city his initial target was the convent. This attack, which was pushed home with great determination, came under heavy fire from a grand battery of Bavarian guns that dominated the centre of the field.

Driven off in disorder the Russians reformed and advanced once again eventually capturing some of the convent buildings from Wrede’s Bavarians. To relieve pressure on his right, Oudinot brought reinforcements across the river and, leading the attack himself, assaulted the Russian centre. However the Russians easily repulsed the attack, wounding Oudinot in the process. Handing over command to St.Cyr, wounded himself, Oudinot took himself to the rear. The position St. Cyr inherited was truly dire. Berg had finally captured the burned out remnants of the Spass convent while in the centre Russian troops had pushed the French back to the outskirts of the Polotsk. Fortunately night intervened and St.Cyr was able to reorganise his hard-pressed forces.

Overnight St. Cyr readied himself and his command for what lay ahead. His first concern was to secure his line of retreat should that be necessary. The sick, wounded and baggage of the army were ordered to the left bank of the Dvina thereby clearing the streets and vital ap-proaches to the bridge. The bridge itself was strengthened and a second, for the use of infantry, constructed out of empty barrels and planks.

These measures completed, he then ordered the remainder of the army to re-cross the river and to secrete itself in the city and the valley of the Polota. Secure in their new positions the men of the II and VI Corps settled down to await the dawn and the inevitable Russian assault. Wittgenstein however did not renew his assault rather his troops could clearly be seen in their bivouacs, which were positioned in a semi-circle around St. Cyr’s troops. The reason for this became apparent when intelligence reach French headquarters that the Russians were only awaiting the arrival of reinforcements to recommence their attack.

Realising that his exhausted troops could not sustain a prolonged battle, and wishing to attack his adversary before reinforcements arrived, St. Cyr bided his time then with four hours of daylight remaining the order to advance was given. Issuing from their concealed positions, Wrede on the right then Deroy, Legrand and Verdier with Merle and the cavalry covering the plain on the left, the II and VI Corps attacked. Belching death and destruction the Franco-Bavarian battery established in the centre of St. Cyr’s line threw the Russians into confusion. Under cover of this bombardment Wrede, Deroy and Legrand stormed forwards driving the Russian front line back onto its second line.

Here the Russians rallied and counter-attacked, halting the Bavarian advance and slaying Deroy. Fortunately Wrede was on hand and taking command of the wavering Bavarians he once again led them forwards. To the left of Legrand, Verdier’s division too was taking casualties. Leading from the front Verdier was wounded causing his lead brigade to waver however before the Russians could take advantage of the situation Maison arrived with the second brigade and rallying the first resumed the offensive.

While these events were in progress on the right and in the centre, to the left of the French line the light cavalry brigades of Castex and Corbineau supported by the division of Doumerc had been successfully engaged with a mixed body of Russian cavalry in the plain that bordered the Dvina. Having driven the Russians back to the margins of the forest events in the centre intervened to forestall any further advance. Barely two hours had passed since the balls of the Franco-Bavarian grand battery had first torn into the Russian ranks nevertheless it was obvious to Wittgenstein that this battle was lost; the army would have to retire. However at this point an event occurred which, had Wittgenstein been prepared for it, may have turned the course of the battle.

Alarmed at the sight of their fleeing countrymen a squadron of the elite Chavalier-Garde Regiment made their way unseen around the left flank of Verdier’s division and fell on the troops in the rear. These troops, dispersed by victory and the quest for booty, fled at the sight of the giant Russian horsemen, rushing pell-mell to the rear with the cavalry in pursuit. St. Cyr, who was nearby, was thrown from his carriage, his wound having prevented him from riding, and was only saved from capture or worse by the simplicity of his uniform which allowed him to go unnoticed beneath the hooves of the Russian cavalry.

Despite the confusion it had caused this brave attempt to stem the tide of defeat that had overwhelmed the Russian forces ended in failure. Halted by musketry from Merle’s Swiss the Chavalier-Garde were taken in the flank by Berkheim leading the 4eme Cuirassiers and either captured or killed.

This episode having caused some disruption to the French advance, with night falling the Russians were able to make good their escape. Neither side could claim victory. The French lost around 2,000 dead and wounded plus a further 500 captured while the Russians lost approximately 3,000 men and another 1,200 taken prisoner. As a reward for his conduct during this battle St. Cyr was presented with the baton of a Maréchal d’Empire, the twenty-fourth person to receive the honour since 1804.

Napoleon's Eagles (Part 2) Invasion of Russia 1812

Napoleon's Eagles (Part 1) Invasion of Russia 1812

Napoleon's Eagles (Part 3) Invasion of Russia 1812

Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire # 79
Back to First Empire List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 2004 by First Empire.
This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com