Chapter One: The Convention of Bartenstein "M. Senot, our drum-major, was behind us at the head of his drummers. Someone came to tell him that his son had been killed. He was a youth of about sixteen, and belonged really to another regiment; but, as a favor, and out of respect for his father's position, he had been permitted to serve as a volunteer in the grenadiers of the guard. "So much the worse for him," cried M. Senot, "I told him he as too young yet to follow me. " And he went on with his duty with unshaken firmness. Fortunately, the report proved false. [1] "Every step we took today, our thoughts would always stray from the wind on the moor so wild to the words of the Captain's child: something the boy said in the circles we made with our fires. We talked on the pale afternoon: the clouds were like dark riders flying on the face of the moon. We spoke our fears to the Captain, and asked what his son could know: something the boy said when I awoke this morning. The sun's eye was as red as blood. The stench of burning corpses. Faces in the mud. Am I dead or am I living? I'm too afraid to know. I'm too afraid to look behind me at the feast of the crow. [2]> "The Winter Campaign of 1807 is a fine subject for study and reflection for any one who can appreciate the combinations of great men, and who takes delight in meditating upon them. [3] As the French survivors of Eylau would have said, it is far better to meditate than to participate. The rapidity of movement, the remoteness, the dark windy climate and the slaughter of Eylau shattered discipline. After the battle sixty thousand French troops were either sick or marauding, less than half thinking to report to hospital. Instead, they disappeared from the theater of operations, and lived off the countryside beyond the Vistula. The various constituents of Marshal Lefebvre's X Corps, making their separate ways to the investment of fortress Danzig, could not induce them to return to their units. Only the gendarmerie d'elite were "sufficiently respected to enforce obedience. " And this was the situation in an undefeated army! An army forced from the battlefield faces still greater hazards, and a pursuit "can aggravate these influences to such a degree as to produce the dissolution of armies." [4] To make a firm showing in Europe, Napoleon held on to the battlefield for ten days, while sending back the wounded, in preparation for a general retirement behind the Passarge, where supply was easier. Napoleon needed to oblige the enemy to keep quiet, in order to be so himself in his winter quarters; on the other hand, he had neither sufficient provisions nor ammunition to attempt an operation of any duration. [5] Napoleon pulled back from Eylau on the 18th of February. Until the 17th, the eve of the army's retirement into quarters, the elements were favorable; "the weather was still cold, but the temperature never fell more than two or three degrees below freezing." [6] The weather in March 1807 was the worst in the campaign (see EM Nr.1). This month saw no active campaigning except around Danzig, and the main military sources made no mention of weather conditions for this period. This shows the importance of consulting diplomatic as well as strictly military histories. The State of Supply Ney's unauthorized advance from his assigned winter quarters in the vicinity of Soldau (C-2531), and his explanation for this action, reveals the condition of the Polish countryside prior to Eylau. He described it as "void of supplies, and a 'veritable cemetery' ,[7] since most Poles had fled to the safe haven of Austrian Galicia, part of the former Kingdom of Poland. In quest of a richer countryside, and disregarding orders, Ney advanced across the line marked 'wheat' on the map, establishing his headquarters at Allenstein (C-3213) from 12 to 20 January. From there he dispersed his troops "all over the country at Bischofsburg (C-4110), Bischofstein (C-4002), Seeburg (C-3707), Wartenburg (C-3611), Guttstadt (C-2906), Queetz (C-2807, not shown), Gottkendorf (C- 3014, also not shown), Neidenburg (C-3127), Bartenstein (N-3930), Oertelsburg (C4319) and Mensguth (C4114). He had even, as far forward as Schippenbeil (N-4330), a battalion of grenadiers supporting his light cavalry still farther out. [8] Just one or two of these points is in the poorest crop area on the map. His tendency to continue this advance after reaching better country led the designer to conclude that "wheat" country might still not be the richest territory. But Ney also intended to try for Konigsberg, and so the chart was revised so that the wheat-growing territory is the best for forage. Of course, the wheat itself represents the prime ingredient of the basis of the ration: Bread! The minimum portion intended for the French troops during active campaigning was 21 ounces of bread, providing about 2,100 calories, 78 grams of protein, 420 grams of carbohydrates, and 10.5 grams of fat. Today's nutritionists and the soldiers themselves would consider this barely adequate to maintain the body. Relays of purchased horses and wagons tried to improve the situation, bringing provisions across the frost-laden tracks from the Vistula to Osterode. These trains were joined by regimental caissons and country carts of every description pressed into temporary service. Napoleon ordered wines and spirits to be obtained in Germany and dispatched by water to Thorn, "to cheer the hearts of his soldiers." [9] In Paris, orders arrived to successively form battalions of the train. Instead of coming empty, these new military equipages were to bring shoes, boots, harness and gun-carriages manufactured in Paris. But the journey alone would take two months, meaning the first new military wagons could not arrive before the middle of May. [10] Reinforcements for the French Army To rebuild his shattered regiments, twelve infantry and four cavalry Provisional Regiments (or "March" Regiments) had been dispatched to the corps on the Passarge. Napoleon ordered Kellerman to increase the number to twenty infantry and ten cavalry. Some of these had already arrived and been reviewed, dissolved, and distributed among the regular forces. Others acted as fortress garrisons while they received further training. Napoleon formed foot detachments of all the dismounted cavalry and sent them into Silesia in quest of horses, in which that province abounded. [11] Aside from the drafts of recruits received since Jena and Auerstadt, by this time only seven infantry regiments had been called forward from France. Four of these were from Paris - lst Guard Fusilier, a Municipal Regiment, the 15th Light, and 58th Light. The ports furnished three - 15th Line from Brest, 34th Line from St. Lo, and the 19th Line from Boulogne. All but the first two were approaching Berlin enroute to the siege of Danzig, although some were diverted to put down a rebellion in Hesse, and to support Marshal Mortier's VIII Corps against Swedish Pomerania. In addition, the Army in Italy was required to relinquish the bulk of its cavalry regiments, five of mounted Chasseurs and four of Cuirassiers. Most of the above arrived in Germany in March. Nr. Type From Enroute Destination 15 Light Paris Nearing Berlin Siege of Danzig 58 Line Paris Nearing Berlin Siege of Danzig 15 Line Brest Nearing Berlin Siege of Danzig 19 Line Boulogne Nearing Berlin Arrived late March 34 Line St. Lo Nearing Berlin Arrived late March Four Cuirassier Italy Already Arrived With d'Espagne 19,23 Chasseurs Italy Already Arrived With X Corps 15 Chasseurs Italy Remounting In Hanover Two Chasseurs Italy Enroute - Three Line Braunau Arrived by May Isle of Nogath Diplomatic Moves After Eylau Napoleon sent General Bertrand to King Frederick William with an offer to restore all but about one-quarter of his dominions, the exceptions being Westphalia, Saxony, and Franconia. [12] In the end, the unfortunate grandnephew of the great Frederick finally gave up quite half. If Prussia hesitated for the moment, Austria meditated upon revenge for Austerlitz. The smoothly charming Baron von Vincent coaxed Talleyrand, at Warsaw, into believing in Austria's friendship. Napoleon was undeceived by the prince's assurances of Austrian neutrality, in light of the Austrian offer of mediation, which Napoleon regarded as nothing other than "a first step of Austria, a commencement of intervention in events." [13] "Austria fears us, but she hates us,' he wrote to Talleyrand. "She is arming to take advantage of any reverse. If we gain a great victory in spring, she will behave like M. d'Haugwitz after Austerlitz, and you will have been right. If the was is merely doubtful, we shall find her in arms upon our rear." [14] Footnotes [1] Study Folder, p. 19 [2] Sting, Ten Summoner's Tales [3] Thiers, History of the Consulate and Empire p. 439 [4] Thiers, p. 442 [5] Thiers, p. 443 [6] Thiers, p. 437 [7] Petre, Napoleon's Campaign in Poland, p. 133 [8] Petre, p. 131 [9] Thiers, p. 445 [10] Thiers, p. 451 [11] Thiers, p. 446 [12] Thiers, p. 448 [13] Thiers, p. 473 [14] Thiers, p. 471 Back to Art of War Issue #30 Table of Contents Back to Art of War List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Clash of Arms Games. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com