Part 1: Introduction

In the two days' battle of Dresden, August 26th and a 27th, 1813, the artillery, especially that of the French, played a prominent part, and during the second day a large share of the fighting fell to it. From the Memoirs of General Marbot an incident which we imagine to be unique in the annals of war may perhaps be noted in these pages, although it is rather curious than valuable to us.

Heavy rain fell during the second day of the great battle, and the muskets of the infantry were in many cases rendered useless by the wet. A division of French Cuirassiers found itself opposed to a strong Austrian division of infantry formed up in square to receive them. The General at its head called on the division to surrender, and drew the attention of its leader to the fact that not a musket of his command could fire a shot. The Austrian retorted that he was more than a match for the horsemen with his bayonets alone. "Then I will mow you down with my artillery" replied the Frenchman. "You have none, for they are all stuck fast in the mud!" "But, if I show you the guns in rear of my leading regiment will you surrender." "Certainly, for we should have no means of defending ourselves."

After this extraordinary altercation the French General brought up a battery of six guns to within thirty paces of the square, the gunners laid the guns upon it, and stood with lighted port- fires ready to open fire; and then, the requirements of honour being, we presume, satisfied, the Austrian General and his division laid down their arms!

The rain had so much interfered with the movements of the cavalry, and had, as we have seen, so greatly paralysed the fighting powers of the infantry that, according to Marbot, to the artillery fell the principal r6le in that day's battle, although their mobility was much circumscribed owing to the condition of the ground. Napoleon, ever fertile in resources, however overcame this difficulty, and enabled his guns to do particularly good service by doubling their teams from the Commisarlat wagons which were in the town; and, as Marbot says, " Aussi nos pieces de campagne firent-elles un grand ravage, et ce fut un de leurs boulets qui frappa Moreau."

More Achievements of Field Artillery Part II

Introduction
Leutzen
Bautzen
Gross Beeren
Dresden
Hanau

Achievements of Field Artillery The Era of Napoleon: Part I

Introduction
Eylau
Wagram