A Circumstantial Narrative of the Campaign in Saxony, in the year 1813; written originally in German ... To which are subjoined the notes of M. Aubert de Vitry, editor of the French edition ... Translated by A. J. Kempe

Front matter

CAMPAIGN IN SAXONY A CIRCUMSTANTIAL NARRATIVE OF THE CAMPAIGN IN SAXONY, IN THE YEAR 1813. WRITTEN ORIGINALLY IN GERMAN, BY BARON VON ODELEBEN, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL OF ROYALSAXON CAVALRY, ADJUTANT ON THE GENERAL STAFF, KNIGHT OF THE ORDER OF ST. HENRY , AND MEMBER OF THE LEGION OF HONOUR, TO WHICH ARE SUBJOINED, THE NOTES OF M. AUBERT DE VITRY, EDITOR OF THE FRENCH EDITION. THE WHOLE TRANSLATED BY ALFRED JOHN KEMPE, LATE OFFICER OF INFANTRY. VOLUME II. LONDON : JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE- STREET. 1820. LONDON : Piialed by W. Clowes, Northnniberland-court. NARRATIVE, 8fC.

Chapter I

Battle of Leipsic. — Final Retreat of Napoleon and his Army upon Erfurt. \J N the 8th of October Napoleon went by way of Oschatz to Wurzen, and, on the 9th, to Eilen bourg. Since the passage of the Elbe, the ca valry under the orders of General Latour Mau bourg, had taken the direction of Leipsic, jointly with the army of the King of Naples, by making several zigzag marches. Having arrived in the neighbourhood of Duben, it took a share in the engagement with Prince Blucher ; afterwards re tired towards Eilenbourg, where the 7th corps tfarmee was posted, commanded by General Regnier. This, together with all the French corps, which acted in concert with him, was obliged, after the battle of Dennewitz, to with- VOL. II. B draw behind the Elbe; and, in the sequel, as far as the Mulde, where it would have been im possible for it much longer to make head against Blucher.

Napoleon endeavoured to re-animate the courage of his troops by an harangue. He told them, " that he was aware how many reverses the 7th corps cfarmee had experienced ; that he was come to repair those misfortunes, by putting himself at their head, in order to repulse the enemy beyond the Elbe ; that the project of the Prussians was to seize on Saxony, but that he would still protect it in concert with the King, his faithful ally ; that every one was at liberty to quit the service, who was no longer inclined to further his cause, and that the superior officers should express his sentiments to all who were at too great a distance to hear him, fye. 8rc3 This discourse was without effect. It was longer than those which the soldiers had been accustomed to hear on like occasions; he pro nounced it in a drawling manner, correcting him self by repetitions.

He was no longer recog nized in this tone ; in it was perceived the con straint of an unfortunate situation, to which he 1813. 3 was a stranger, and which obliged him to lavish vain words. To add to his misfortune, his ora tion was translated, by the grand equerry, Cau lincourt, into worse German than ordinary, to all the generals and officers of that nation, drawn up in front of their respective regiments. The Saxon troops, who knew the sad situation of their corps, and the calamities which bore upon their country, were now but little disposed to fight with energy for the interests of Napoleon. Their ill will had already begun to appear in the most decided manner; the prerogatives which the French daily arrogated to themselves, on every march, supplied new fuel for general indig nation. The strictest discipline had hitherto kept this body united to the French ; but so many circumstances, which did violence to their self-love, and the seducing prospect of contributingto deliver Germany from the French yoke, determined them, nine days later, to quit the ranks of the French army, during the battle of Leipsic, and to join the Allied Powers.

The French troops of the 7th corps were also solemnly harangued ; promotions were made in it, and decorations distributed. Such allurements E were still able to make an impression on the French, too susceptible of vain glory; it was, besides, indifferent to them, if they perished on the banks of the Niemen or the Rhine. But neither promises nor praises could efface in the breasts of those Germans, capable of pity, the image of the sufferings which they had had, for two years past, every where in their view, and which affected those whom the ties of nature rendered dearest to them. Discontent was de picted on the countenance of many. The unfortunate situation of affairs was better known to the army than at head-quarters, where the pre judice, which still continued to magnify the idea of Napoleon's ability, fettered the understand ings of the greater part of those who sur rounded him, or contributed to retain them in their error.

We have remarked, that military and theatrical scenes, of the kind we have just mentioned, were always the forerunners of some enterprise ; also, that when during the march Napoleon shrunk himself up in a corner of his carriage, one might be certain that some abortive attempt had ex cited his ill humour. The first mentioned prognos- 1813. 5 tic was realized on the 2d, 9th, and 10th of October. He hoped to have surprised Field-Marshal Blucher, and to have struck some important blow in his quarter; but at the approach of the grand army, the latter retired on the right bank of the Saale, towards Zerbig. The news of this movement might reach Napoleon whilst he was yet at Eilen bourg. He caused all his cavalry to defile before him, the cuirassiers of which were reduced at least one-half: full of vexation and ill-humour, he shut himself up in his carriage, and went to Duben.

Those three days, namely, (from the llth to the 14th, in the morning,) during which he remained at the little castle, surrounded by water, were, perhaps, the most tiresome he had passed for some campaigns. There was no military, no geographical object to afford him the smallest occupation ; and those about him were in the greatest embarrassment, not knowing what to do to tran quillize him *. On the 10th, several corps d'armee had already advanced towards the Elbe in various directions, * I myself saw the Emperor at this period, when he was wait ing for news from the Elbe, totally disengaged, seated on a sofa in his room, near a large table ; before him lay a sheet of white paper, on which he was scrawling large letters ; his geoand particularly towards Wittenberg and Dessau. Marshal Ney, who took possession of the last mentioned town, according to the French account, made eighty-five Cossacks prisoners there ; it was added that the remainder had been driven into the Mulde.

Another corps d'armee had passed the Elbe near Wittenberg, and had made demonstrations on the right bank. Napoleon testified some surprise, on learning that the army of the Prince Royal of Sweden had put itself in motion beyond the Mulde, below Dessau, from Radegast, towards Achen upon the Elbe ; he conceived that the object of this march was to cover Berlin. An attack on that side, which was defenceless, doubtless would have spread terror and confusion for the moment in Berlin, but could not, however, have produced any result for the preservation of the French army. Napoleon would have removed too far from the army of the King of Naples, which kept retiring upon Leipsic, and have left it at the discretion of the principal army of the Allies. There was as much difficulty to grapher, d'Albe, and another fellow-labourer, remained in a corner of the apartment, equally unoccupied with himself, waiting for his orders.

Such moments of his life deserve to be re marked, on account of their rare occurrence. 1813. 7 reach Hamburg from Berlin, unless those considerable garrisons had been withdrawn which occupied the places bordering upon the Elbe, the communication with these was continually cut off by a swarm of the enemy's troops. But Napoleon could not, as we have remarked, bear the idea of abandoning the Elbe ; that would be his point d'appui when he had gained a battle. No other resource remained for him than to keep his forces always concentrated under his own and the King of Naples' orders, and to risk some decisive blows. During these three days he had driven the enemy from the ground situated between the Mulde and the Elbe, from Torgau, beyond Dessau, and had pushed some light troops forward on the right bank of the Elbe, who might probably create some uneasiness, with respect to Berlin.

In the sequel of these operations all the troops marched incessantly through the little town of Duben, which had already suffered much in the preceding engagements that it had witnessed. This swarm of soldiers exhausted that miserable country to the last extremity. Every thing appeared to be di rected towards Leipsic, but no certain conse quence could be in 1 erre I from these perpetua^ marches and countermarches* The grand day was approaching, when the new political existence of Europe was about to be decided on the plains of Leipsic. Napoleon thought he was nearly secure on the northern and eastern sides. The army of King Joachim had retired through Roch litz, approaching Leipsic, and was briskly harass ed on the 14th of October, the anniversary of the battle of Jena. Napoleon set out early in the morning from Duben ; he had sent the rest of his cavalry in advance, and came about noon to Leip sic, where he had resolved to establish his head quarters, either in a suburb, or at Pfafendorff, which is close to the city, on the Duben road.

In the mean time, the light troops of the enemy were making incursions in the neighbourhood of Leipsic, and the reports which Buonaparte received proba bly contributed to make him change his plan. He made the circuit of the city, without enteringit, and repaired to the road which leads from the suburb of Grimma toWurzen and Dresden, at that moment when the smoke of the cannonade was descried from Liebertwolkwitz, which indicated the sad situation of King Joachim ; the latter had been vigorously attacked near Magdeborn, beyond 1S13. 9 Liebertwolkwitz. "The King of Naples, as well as many of the French, convinced of the weakness of the cavalry, which became continually more per ceptible, confided in six regiments of the old troops of that arm, whose valour was approved, and which had just arrived from Spain, under the command of Marshal Augereau.

The King, with his ordinary boldness, put himself at their head, and wished to overthrow the brave Russian and Prussian combined cavalry. Indeed, accompanied by a small escort, he exposed his own person in such a manner, that an enemy's squadron, recog nising him by his splendid dress and the party which attended him, gave him chase. An officer at the head of the squadron, eagerly pursued the King, who, at the moment that his escort faced about, found himself in the rear, accompanied by a single horseman. In the enticing hope of making him prisoner, the officer, who was pursuing him with the greatest celerity, several times called out, " Stop, King ! stop !" At that moment his crown was in danger. The officer had al ready received a cut from the dragoon, and as he would not desist from his purpose the latter thrust his sabre through his body.

He fell dead*, and the next day his hof se was mounted by the faithful servant above-mentioned, from whose own mouth I have this relation, which has also been confirmed to me by other persons. The King made him his equerry on the spot, and promised him a pension from the city of Naples ; Napoleon gave him the decoration of the Legion of Honour. The personal devotion of the King was as useless as the experience of the veteran regiments from Spain. In this terrible affair they were so dispersed and cut to pieces by the superiority of the Russian and Prussian cavalry, that with them perished the new hope of Napoleon ; their exist ence was not even observed, so soon were they destroyed |- * By comparison of several circumstances, the distance of the place where a dead Prussian cavalry officer was found, and the personal description I received of him, the brave young man who pursued the King was a lieutenant, of the name of De Leppe, belonging to the 1st regiment of Neumark drao-oons, if the information I obtained be correct.

Besides this lieutenant, Major de Waldow, Captain de Waldow, and Lieutenant B. Richtofen, of the same regiment, perished in this affair. t In order to have a general idea of what passed in the me morable days which followed, I recommend to the indulgent readers of my Narrative the neat little map of the environs of Leipsic, for which we are indebted to Major Aster, formerly in the Saxon service. Its title is, The Circle of Leipsic, with the 1813. 11 While these affairs were passing near Liebert wolkwitz and Wachau, Napoleon had stopped in the open country, to the left of the great road leading from Eilenbourg and Wurzen. From the thunder of the artillery, and the reports which reached him, he made arrangements, as well as he could, for the grand catastrophe which was about to take place at Leipsic, the centre of continental commerce.

His breakfast was brought, and while he was dreaming of new schemes upon the map, the King of Saxony arrived with his wife and daughter, followed by some carriages. The King mounted his horse, Napoleon went on foot to the queen's carriage, and perhaps said something to remove her fears concerning the noise of the cannon, which was heard close at hand. Such an assurance could but increase her alarm, since it proceeded from the mouth of a man against whom all the world were waging hostilities, in the bosom of a country so pacific. The royal family entered the city, and Napo- Bailiffwicks of Skeuditz and Lutzen, published in 1813, by the assignees of Schreiber. This map, founded upon exact data, with the exception of a few trifling particulars, is excellent for a general view. leon remained in the open field*, until the cessa tion of the cannonade announced the end of that day's engagement, which was but the prelude of the granddecisive battle.

His quarters had been prepared in the summer house of Mr. Vetter, at the village of Reudnitz, which is on the road above-mentioned, and close to the city. Here all those who composed the imperial household were huddled together, several of the neighbouring houses being half pillaged. On the 1 5th of October, early in the morning, the King of Naples arrived at the Emperor's quarters, and gave him an account of the affair which had taken place on the preceding day. Towards noon both mounted their horses, and proceeded to Liebertwolkwitz, on the road to Lausigt and Rochlitz. On the right of that village, leaving Leipsic, is an inconsiderable eminence, but rather remarkable, compared with the sur rounding country ; this eminence forms an angle nearly of four degrees, and extends itself, in a ridge of moderate elevation, almost without inter ruption, within a short distance of the bed of the * Not, as many wicked wags have reported, near the gallows, but on the other side of the road. 1813. 13 river Pleiss, at Delitz.

This hill commands the neighbourhood within shot of heavy artillery. On the left side of Liebertwolkwitz, a much more considerable and steeper hill rises, insulated, and generally called the Swedish Redoubt. Napo leon repaired to the first of these two heights. From that point he gave the necessary orders for the battle of the following day, after having passed several hours at the watch-fire, conversing with Berthier, the King of Naples, and other marshals. It appears that the reports which had been re ceived were not sufficient to ascertain if the grand army of the Allies had really beaten the King of Naples. From that post a flag of truce was sent to the enemies' advanced posts, announcing that the Prince of Neufchatel wished to speak to the Prince of Schwartzenberg. The flag of truce was not received ; he is said to have returned with this laconic answer, " that the Prince of Schwartzen- " berg was not there, and it was then no time for " negotiation."

The troops were in sight of each other ; the advanced posts were only a musket-shot distant ; nevertheless, the great masses of the allied army were not discernible. One of the enemy's generals was observing the position of the French army, from the small eminence extending towards Gossa ; all was tranquil, no attack took place on either side. In the afternoon Napoleon mounted his horse, and repaired to the quarters of Prince Poniatow sky, who commanded his own corps d'armee, with the right wing, which rested on Dœlitz and Mark leeberg. Napoleon caused all the points on the Pleiss, where bridges might be established, to be pointed out to him, with every peculiarity of that marshy ground, interspersed with meadows and bushes. Afterwards he repaired to the line, in the direction of Lieberwolkwitz.

The corps of Marshals Victor and Augereau were in the centre under the immediate orders of the King of Naples. The corps of General Lauriston was posted near Liebertwolkwitz, forming a hook, in the direction of Zuckelhausen, and resting on the village of Liebertwolkwitz. Here a military solemnity took place. Three regiments received at the same time new eagles, with the ceremony which has already been relat ed*. Berthier, Caulincourt, and one of the marshals, stood godfathers to these children devoted to the * See Vol. I. page 186. 1813. 15 shower of balls they were to receive on the following day. Every thing portended a battle. Napoleon returned through Zuckelhausen and Zweinaundorf, to Reudnitz, where the other wing of his army extended. The corps of Marshals Ney, Marmont, and General Regnier, those of Marshals Macdonald and Oudinot, viz., the 3d, 6th, 7th, 1 1th, and 12th, had not yet come up.

I do not know if the 1 2th corps, commanded by Marshal Oudinot, Duke ofReggio, took a share in the battle of Leipsic. Besides those ofwhich wehave spoken, the 2d corps, commanded by Marshal Victor; the 4th, under the orders of General Bertrand, which was after- Wards employed in covering the retreat ; the 5th, commanded by General Lauriston ; the 8th, by Prince Poniatowsky, fought on the following days. As well as I can remember, the 9th, 10th, and 13th, had not been renewed during the campaign. The 1st, commanded primarily by Van damme, and afterwards by Count Lobau, as well as the 14th, under the orders of Marshal Gouvion St. Cyr, remained behind for the defence of Dresden. It excited much surprise, that Napoleon should have concentrated his forces in so disadvan tageous a position, and that he should have accepted a decisive battle on the eastern side of the plains of Leipsic, having in his rear the city and marshy grounds, divided by numerous canals, over which there were but few bridges.

In case of a reverse he plunged himself in the midst of a thousand difficulties, there being several roads for entering the city, and but one for leaving it. But let it be considered, that the choice of the field of battle was no longer his, and that the skill of the Allies had forced him to take up that position. If he had placed himself beyond the Parthe, the Elster, the Pleiss, and the Luppe, he would have found himself in the midst of im mense plains, where the enemy's cavalry might annoy his army, by surrounding it. In this case he must have abandoned Leipsic, a city on which he set so much value, especially since it had be come the asylum of the Sovereign. It is well known that his obstinacy would not allow him to yield an inch of ground without being forced ; and, in this case, he would have been obliged to abandon the whole province, and retreat behind the Saale.

It is true, that he might have secured his retreat, by establishing bridges, and taking all the 1813. 17 precautionary measures to which he had been accustomed during this war; but it may be supposed that he deceived himself, that he thought till the last " every thing to be possible ;" that his retreat would be more easy in passing through a city, watered by so many rivers, and that he would be very secure in it, by means of his infantry. I cannot, indeed, be persuaded, that Napoleon would have accepted a battle on the eastern side of Leipsic, had he been apprized of the armies which threatened the rear of his position. On the night of the 15th of October, he was not aware if the enemy would advance from the side of Mersebourg, or what were his numbers ; neither did he know whether there were considerable masses on that side, or only light troops.

He was in the greatest embarrassment. At the same time he was not informed of the march of the armies commanded by General Benningsen until it was too late to form any other plan. Finally, the fol lowing particulars will be sufficient to shew, that Napoleon would not have fought on the 18th of October, if the choice had been in his power. On the 16th of October, early in the morning, he repaired to the position which he had visited VOL. II. c on the preceding day. The King of Naples received him on the same heights near Liebert wolkwitz. Napoleon, having alighted, observed for some moments with the little opera-glass which he always had with him, the manner in which the enemy's columns drawn up for the attack were formed, and towards which the King of Naples had excited his attention. The horses were brought.

Napoleon with his suite slowly withdrew from the hill, and at that instant (nine o'clock by my watch) three guns, fired at regular intervals, an nounced on the side of the Allies the beginning of the battle. The balls flew over the Emperor's suite, and occasioned the regiments of cuirassiers in the rear and the imperial guard some loss. A cannonade of unexampled fury was heard on both sides all along the line, and continued for five hours without intermission, in such a manner that the earth literally shook. The veteran French soldiers affirmed that they never had witnessed so concentrated a fire. From the beginning of the action the Russians and Austrians attacked with courage and ardour, under the orders of Klenau, Kleist and Prince Eugene de Wurtem berg; they took possession of Liebertwolkwitz, 1813. 19 Wachau, and Markkleeberg, and made the whole French line draw back.

Napoleon found him self obliged to retire a little with his guard*, and several soldiers who were near him fell victims to the dreadful shower of bullets. The greatest coolness and tranquillity reigned as far as his influence could extend. A little ground had been lost ; Marshal Victor's corps d'armee had been obliged to yield to the attacks of Klenau, and to abandon to the latter for the moment Liebert wolkwitz. But the Duke of Tarentum, Macdo nald, advanced at the same time, coming from Holzhausen, and marched directly towards the Swedish redoubt, one of the principal points of the position. Napoleon directed, through the medium of his adjutants, the fire of the artillery placed on the heights of Liebert wolkwitz, and these villages were re-taken. The artillery thundered in the centre, and the fire of musketry was continually kept up on the two wings.

Two French columns advanced from Wachau, towards Gossa and Crœbern, but they met with such resistance that they were obliged to retire. About three o'clock Macdonald advanc- * Near the sheep-walk of Meusdorf. C ed from the extremity of the left wing, to the place whence, according to the order of battle on the preceding day, near Zuckelhausen, in form of a hook, the enemy's position had been observed. This general caused the Swedish redoubt to be carried at the point of the bayonet. This was doubtless, a decided advantage. Napoleon appeared serene and contented ; he had already informed the King of Saxony, " that the battle had " begun, at the moment when the enemy was " about to debouch ; that we had made 2,000 " prisoners: that the cannonade was continued " because appearances were favourable."

When the redoubt was in his power, he again sent to the King, to inform him " that all was going " on well ; that we had taken some villages and " heights." A short time after he added, " Let " the bells in the city and its environs be rung, in " order to acquaint the whole army with our " success." Napoleon was still in rear of the centre, near Meusdorf. At that moment, he caused fifty pieces of cannon, belonging to the reserve artillery of the young guard, to advance towards the first line, on the right of Liebertwolkwitz, where the 1813. 21 King of Naples commanded. This artillery, which, according to the affirmation of the French, had struck the decisive blow in all the preceding battles, once more shook the ground ; the enemy's return to this fire appeared to become weaker and weaker.

Then Napoleon repaired to that com manding point, whence he perceived the enemy's lines drawn up in the best order and immoveable composure. The right wing of the enemy rested on the wood of the university, and the left on the causeway of Borna, behind Wachau. The French lines extended, on that side, from Liebertwolkwitz to Markkleeberg. On a sudden a furious attack commenced on the last-mentioned village, upon the right flank. It was so warm, and was#carried on in the midst of such dreadful cries, that Napoleon was struck with it, and again retired some hun dred paces, to the place where the old guard was posted, which was obliged to make a manœuvre, in order to form large squares, their front turned towards Markkleeberg. Prince Poniatowsky sus tained the attack with firmness ; Napoleon resumed his tranquillity ; he was informed of the cap ture of many Austrian prisoners of the Somariva regiment of body guards, which had been sur rounded in that affair.

In the mean time, the struggle still continued round the village of Markkleeberg ; the attacks on that side were perpetually renewed. It became necessary to send considerable reinforcements thither, in order to retain possession of the village. At night-fall, after a most tremendous fire of nine hours, the extreme left of the French army rested, as it had done some hours before, on the Swedish redoubt, the centre on the height near Wachau, and the right wing at Markkleeberg. The position of the Allies was almost parallel to that of the French, except that the centre of the former, placed in front of Guldengossa, seemed rather to form a saliant angle. The King of Naples passed the night at Wachau ; Napoleon established his bivouac in a dried .up fish-pond, near the old tile manufactory, at a short distance from the road leading to Rochlitz ; as usual, his five tents were pitched on that spot, and the guard encamped round him.

Before he had chosen this situation, General Meerfeld, who had just been made pri soner, was brought before him. Napoleon con- 1813. 23 versed with him for some time in the most affable manner. In the night, this same general was called by the Emperor, who despatched him on a mission to the Austrian head-quarters, whence he returned on the following morning. Napoleon passed a very uneasy night. Nansouty and other generals were called while he was in bed. The artillery continued to fire from time to time, till an advanced period of the night, upon the right wing ; and it was uncertain if other attacks had not taken place in the neighbourhood of Markklee berg. All were waiting in the greatest anxiety, which was still augmented by the want of news from the side of Leipsic. Eutritzsch, and Schoen feld, where Marshal Marmont's corps was, had already been assailed, and a renewal of the attack was expected on the following day.

Some information had been received concerning the army of the Crown Prince of Sweden ; nevertheless, in spite of such unfavourable prospects, Napoleon could not resolve to quit the field of battle in the engage ment of the 17th of October. He looked upon the battle of the 16th as gained ; and, indeed, the French might call themselves victorious on Mar shal Macdonald's side ; if, in order to be so, it was sufficient to have advanced a wing of the army for the space of half a league, and to have pur chased the advantage of maintaining their first position by a loss of artillery and men, equal to that of the enemy, and probably greater. But he had caused his pretended triumph to be celebrated by the ringing of bells, and all possible demon strations of joy. Greater results appeared, there fore, justly to be expected, in spite of the insur mountable obstacles which he encountered in his position, and the peculiarities of the country ; for, by advancing only a few leagues, he would have drawn swarmsof enemies upon his rear.

If, on the day subsequent to the battle, he had abandoned the scene of his imaginary victory, every one would have said he was beaten. To advance was not less difficult. Ammunition began to fail, and the troops experienced a dearth of provisions, which, with the exception of a few potatoes, became every day scarcer in the country occupied by the enemy. By advancing, Napoleon would have exposed Leipsic, which might have been taken and spoiled. On Sunday, therefore, the 17th of October, he obstinately determined not to quit his position, 1813. 25 lest he should appear to be conquered. It was sufficient that he remained master of the field of battle during a whole day, to justify a retreat in the eyes of his nation and army ; that retreat might be attributed, in the sequel, to some plausible motive.