The Battle of Borodino

Revisiting Napoleon's Bloodiest Day

5: Semenovskaya

by LTC Villahermosa and Matt DeLaMater
artwork by Mark Churms and Steven Palatka

After the fall of the fleches, from approximately 10:00 a.m. onward, the Russian left was on the verge of collapse. Both sides in this sector now focused on the area around the razed village of Semenovskaya, a small elevated position which would amount to something of a last stand for the 2nd Army of the West, where the 2nd Grenadier Division awaited the French. It was supported by several regiments of Russian Guard infantry, and by the 4th Cavalry Corps to their right. Further in reserve stood the elite 1st and 2nd Cuirassier Divisions.

The French attack was guided by Friant's 2nd Division, which assaulted directly toward Semenovskaya. Supporting Friant on the left rode Latour-Maubourg's 4th Reserve Cavalry Corps, led by Lorge's 7th Cuirassier Cavalry division of Saxons, Westphalians and Poles. Nansouty's 1st Reserve Cavalry Corps, coming in on the French right, was repulsed by the fierce fire of the Russian Life Guard infantry drawn up in six supporting battalion squares.

The French allies had more success on the left. A Saxon account relates the attack of the Saxon heavy cavalry of Lorge's division:

"Directly in front of the village [the burned out ruins of Semenovskaya], covering the point at which we had scaled the slope, was a strong square made up of several infantry battalions and a strong battery. To our left, covering the right flank of the village, and beyond it, were several more such squares set up in chessboard fashion....

The trumpeter of the famed Saxon Garde du Corps, in the traditional reverse colors of the regular troopers. Interestingly, the Saxon's considered the loss of a trumpet as the equivalent of losing a French Eagle.

"The [Saxon] Garde du Corps at once charged the nearest enemy square; the [Saxon] Zastrow Cuirassiers followed as fast as they could. The first square was cut down and the battery next to the redoubt taken despite furious Russian resistance. Without reforming, the wild chase went on towards the other infantry squares to the left and rear who thought they were covered by the burning ruins of Semenovskaya and who directed a violent hail of musketry against us.

But nothing could stop us, so mad were we; we charged straight on through the burning ruins towards the Russians who awaited us with leveled bayonets. It was here that our losses mounted as several riders and their horses crashed through the charred floor timbers and into the many storage cellars below. Scarcely through this peril, we found ourselves in the midst of the enemy infantry and at once began a bloody butchery, fought by both sides with bitter fury. The bayonets emptied several of our saddles but we extracted a threefold revenge with our swords. Scarcely was one square cut down than we came upon the next and so the murderous work went on." (Lt. von Meerheim, quoted from Digby Smith's new book Borodino].

Although Friant's initial infantry attack failed to take the village, he reformed and mounted a second attack in the wake of the considerable damage done by Latour-Maubourg's cavalry. Murat helped rally the retiring 15th Light Regiment of Friant's division in an oft- quoted episode in which the regiment's Colonel - Dufour - inspired his men by shouting "Alright, Let's go and get ourselves killed."

In fact, this attack, in conjunction with the rest of Friant's division, succeeded in driving the exhausted Russian Grenadiers from their position. Friant's men seized the plateau, forming square to repel Russian cavalry assaults.

The battle's critical moment had apparently arrived. A gaping hole had been torn in the Russian line. If the vaunted French Imperial Guard held in reserve were unleashed, the great victory the Emperor had sought was within his grasp. Rather than throwing in a massive attack, however, Napoleon complained that his view was unclear. To the disgust of Ney and many others, Napoleon refused to send in the Guard. At one point, Napoleon did order the Young Guard infantry forward, then changed his mind and canceled the attack. Finally, Napoleon ordered 60 guns of the Guard artillery forward to bolster Friant's position. Duffy describes the ensuing action:

"While Murat's cavalry held off the Russian horse by a series of brilliant charges, Sorbier's gunners unlimbered and opened a devastating enfilade fire against Tolstoy's infantry which was still moving to its assigned position [to the rear in support of the area from behind the Great Redoubt and stretching toward Semenovskaya]."

It was about noon when Semenovskaya was secured, but the opportunity passed. Events around the Great Redoubt, and further on the French left, now occupied the Emperor's attention.

More Battle of Borodino

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