Battle of Golymin
On December 14 (26), 1806, simultaneously with the battle of Pultusk, the battle of Golymin took place. The combined detachment of Prince Golitsyn and Dokhturov withstood the blow of the main forces of Napoleon (the corps of Augereau, Davout and Soult). Despite all the attacks, the French were unable to destroy the Russian detachment, which was able to get away from the enemy’s attack in perfect order and join the main forces of the Russian army.
The situation before the fight
During an attempt to organize a strike against the enemy, Field Marshal Kamensky sent the commander of the 4th division, Prince Dmitry Golitsyn, with the Kostroma Musketeer, Order Cuirassier and Pskov Dragoon Regiments, 18 battery guns to the city of Slubov as a reserve for the Bennigsen corps. Arriving in Slubovo, Golitsyn went to Novemyasto, where the field marshal's main apartment (headquarters) was supposed to be, but found no one except the wounded. The troops have already gone to Stregochin. The prince returned to Slubovo. He was ordered to stay in Slubov and watch the enemy.
On the night and morning of December 13 (25), the Dnieper Musketeer, Tauride Grenadier and Little Russian Cuirassier regiments, two squadrons of Sumy hussars, who had lagged behind their divisions, arrived in Slubovo. It soon became clear that Stregochin was occupied by the French, and an enemy also appeared on the road from Lopachin. Thus, the detachment of Prince Golitsyn found himself in the midst of enemies. Golitsyn decided to go to Golymin, where he hoped to link up with Dokhturov's division. They moved slowly, heavy guns bogged down in impassable mud. As a result, more than half of the guns had to be abandoned, having riveted them.
Dokhturov, having received an order from the commander-in-chief to go to Pultusk through Makov, sent a division to the main forces of the army. Only the Moscow Dragoon and Moscow Musketeer Regiments did not have time to act. Dokhturov stayed with them to wait for Golitsyn. On the morning of December 14 (26), Golitsyn's detachment arrived in Golymin. People and horses were completely exhausted by the hard road, so our troops were forced to stop for a rest. In total, the Russian detachment consisted of 16-18 thousand fighters.
Meanwhile, the French corps under the command of Augereau, Davout and Soult were on the march to Golymin, from where the French planned to turn to Makov in the flank and rear of our army. The thaw and rain turned the roads into a swamp, so the French also moved slowly. Augereau's corps was the first to reach the city, but not with all its strength, part of the army was still on the way.
Russian commander Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn (1771-1844)
Battle
Golitsyn raised troops. Prince Shcherbatov with the Kostroma regiment and 4 guns occupied the forest on the left flank. To the right, three squadrons of Pskov dragoons and order cuirassiers were located. In the center, in the first line, there were the Taurida Grenadier and Dnieper Musketeer Regiments, reinforced by dragoons and cuirassiers. In reserve was the Little Russian Cuirassier Regiment, two squadrons of hussars and two regiments of Dokhturov's division.
At first, the battle broke out in the forest, where the advancing French faced the Kostroma Infantry Regiment. At first, the regiment faltered, it consisted of recruits and had not yet been in battle. However, General Shcherbatov, with a banner in his hands, rushed to the attack and the soldiers followed the commander. Order has been restored. After that, the Kostroma residents fought courageously all day, not yielding to an experienced enemy.
Continuing the battle in the forest, the French troops turned to the left and, upon reaching an open area, came under attack from our guns. The French cavalry tried to capture the cannons, but the attack of our dragoons and cuirassiers overturned the enemy. Augereau needed to capture the Russian artillery, since with its strong fire it did not allow his corps to turn around on the plain for a decisive blow. He threw the 1st Infantry Division into the attack. However, this French attack was also repulsed. According to Augereau: "Russian buckshot and an impenetrable swamp forced the division to retreat."
Meanwhile, Augereau's corps was reinforced by stragglers and advanced columns of Davout's corps. Golitsyn reinforced the left wing of Prince Shcherbatov with two battalions from the Tauride Grenadier and Dnieper Musketeer Regiments. The Moscow Musketeer Regiment was moved from the reserve to replace them. The right flank was reinforced by the Moscow Dragoon Regiment. The Russian right wing was attacked by the French cavalry, but without success, then the Moscow dragoons and Little Russian cuirassiers counterattacked.
Russian troops under the command of Golitsyn and Dokhturov fought hard. The goal of our commanders in the current situation was to wait for darkness in order to quietly retreat before the superior forces of the French. Our troops were helped by the fact that the French artillery got stuck in the mud and fell behind. And those batteries that arrived in time for the battle did not have time to transfer from place to place in time. The roads were spoiled to such an extent that the guns simply sank in the mud. Therefore, the Russian detachment had an advantage in artillery. At 15 o'clock, unexpectedly for the Russians, reinforcements approached them - detachments of Count Palen and Chaplits cut off by the French during the movement.
The Palen detachment included: the 21st Jaeger Regiment, 8 squadrons of the Sumy Hussar Regiment and a company of horse artillery. The detachment under the command of Peter Palen was located on the extreme right wing. Not having received an order from the command, and finding that the rest of the troops were retreating, Palen also began to retreat towards Pultusk. But at Lopachin, the Russians stumbled upon the superior forces of the French. Having repulsed the attack of the enemy, and not seeing the possibility of going to Pultusk by this road, Palen moved to Tsekhanov. Along the way, the detachment had to repel a strong onslaught of the enemy. In Tsekhanovo, Palen met a detachment of Major General Yefim Chaplits - the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment with a mounted artillery company. Chaplitz was sent to reconnaissance by Buxhoeveden. The French cut off the detachment from the main forces, but Chapliz slipped away. From Tsekhanov, Palen and Chaplits went to Golymin.
The unexpected arrival of these reinforcements allowed our troops to hold out until evening. At dusk, our troops, without being defeated, began to withdraw. At this time, the advanced forces of Soult's corps came to the battlefield and Napoleon himself arrived, who ordered the offensive to continue. The French broke into Golymin after our retreating troops, where a bloody battle began in the dark, the soldiers fought in hand-to-hand combat, with bayonets and rifle butts. But, despite all efforts, the enemy failed to prevent the successful retreat of Golitsyn.
Results
In this battle, the Russians and the French lost about 1 thousand people each. Despite the double advantage of the enemy, the Russian troops under the command of Golitsyn held back the attacks of the main French forces during the day and only in the evening began to withdraw. The Russian regiments retreated in perfect order. The French did not pursue them. On December 15 (27), the detachment of Golitsyn and Dokhturov connected with the troops of Buksgevden in Makov. Thus, near Glymin and Pultusk, Napoleon's hopes of encircling and destroying the Russian army were dashed.
On December 15, Bennigsen began to withdraw troops to Ostrolenka. On December 17, our troops crossed the Narew. At the same time, Bennigsen and Buxgevden avoided each other until the question of who was in charge was decided. Then the troops of Bennigsen and Buksgevden moved to Novogrod, they walked along the left and right banks of the Narew. On December 19, Buxgevden arrived at Novogrod. A council of war was held here, which decided to send troops to the north, to the Prussian lands. On December 28, the troops reached Tykochin. On December 30, the Russian army headed for Johannesburg. On the march, an order came that appointed Bennigsen commander, and Count Buxgevden was appointed military governor of Riga.
The December battles had an impact on enemy morale. The French, in battles with the Russian vanguards, in the battles of Pultusk and Golymin, faced not with the Prussians who had fallen in spirit, but with fresh and staunch Russian regiments. For one year, the French army smashed the armies of Austria and Prussia, which were considered the strongest in Western Europe. The French believed in the lucky star of Napoleon, the invincibility of the French army under his command. However, the battles with the stubborn and furious Russian regiments shook their confidence. The French did not achieve a clear victory in any case, everywhere the Russians held the blow, went over to tough counterattacks and retreated in order. The Russian commanders, despite the inconsistency of the instructions of Field Marshal Kamensky, most often took responsibility, were not afraid to engage in battle with superior enemy forces. The glorious battles of December 1806 overshadowed the Austerlitz pogrom and showed the true strength of the Russian army.
As Mehring wrote: “Both sides were seized with an unpleasant feeling that opponents, invincible to each other, clashed here. The French troops had never fought in such a harsh and inhospitable area; the art of their shooters, who knew how to shoot down thin and long lines of hired troops with their well-aimed fire, was powerless against the strong, endless rows of Russian infantry masses standing one behind the other, accustomed to all the hardships of the northern climate; Napoleon was forced ... to return to the old method of war he had rejected, placing his troops in winter quarters and starting to take the fortresses that were in his rear.
In military terms, already at the first stage of the war, the advantages of the new organization of the Russian army were quite clearly revealed. With the transition to the divisional system in 1806, the division commander had 15-20 thousand people in his hands, and the division could conduct an independent battle for 1-2 days before reinforcements arrived. This was a surprise to Napoleon.
The prospect of a protracted war did not suit Napoleon, so he made an attempt to start peace negotiations, but failed. Opponents dispersed to winter quarters. On December 18, Napoleon left for Warsaw. The French emperor, not daring to pursue the Russian army in the winter, decided to establish himself on the Vistula, bring up reinforcements from France and prepare for a further campaign. Corps Lanna is located between Narew and Bug; Corps Davout in Pultusk; Soult's corps - at Makov; Augereau's building - near Vyshgorod; Neya - at Mlava; Bernadotte - at Elbing. The German troops of the Confederation of the Rhine and the Polish formations recruited by Napoleon concentrated at Thorn, they were intended for the siege of Danzig and Graudenz. Napoleon expected to stay in Warsaw until spring, where he had a thriving romance with Walewska, but already in early January he learned that the Russian troops had begun to move, and hastily left for the army. As a result, active hostilities soon continued.
European capitals closely followed the clash between the Russian and French armies. Vienna showed particular interest in the campaign. The Vienna court was divided into two parties. Part of the Austrian elite, including Emperor Franz and the Chief Minister of the Stadion, wanted a break with Napoleon. The Austrians were eager for revenge for previous defeats. However, the Austrians were afraid of the power of Napoleon's empire, they feared that the war would go on on Austrian territory and their estates would be threatened with ruin. The Peace Party was led by Generalissimo Archduke Karl, who wanted to complete the military reforms so that Austria would be well prepared for war. In general, the Austrians were inclined to believe that the conflict between Russia and France was beneficial to Austria. Napoleon, who will exhaust his strength in the struggle, will not be up to Austria. The weakening of Russia was also beneficial to Austria. The Russians at that time entered into another war with Turkey, and Russia's activity in the Balkan direction worried the Austrians and affected their strategic interests. Thus, the war between Russia and France suited Vienna. The Austrians negotiated with both the Russians and the French, promised, bargained and waited for someone to take. Therefore, the attempts of Russian diplomacy to persuade Austria to their side were fruitless.
The situation before the fight
During an attempt to organize a strike against the enemy, Field Marshal Kamensky sent the commander of the 4th division, Prince Dmitry Golitsyn, with the Kostroma Musketeer, Order Cuirassier and Pskov Dragoon Regiments, 18 battery guns to the city of Slubov as a reserve for the Bennigsen corps. Arriving in Slubovo, Golitsyn went to Novemyasto, where the field marshal's main apartment (headquarters) was supposed to be, but found no one except the wounded. The troops have already gone to Stregochin. The prince returned to Slubovo. He was ordered to stay in Slubov and watch the enemy.
On the night and morning of December 13 (25), the Dnieper Musketeer, Tauride Grenadier and Little Russian Cuirassier regiments, two squadrons of Sumy hussars, who had lagged behind their divisions, arrived in Slubovo. It soon became clear that Stregochin was occupied by the French, and an enemy also appeared on the road from Lopachin. Thus, the detachment of Prince Golitsyn found himself in the midst of enemies. Golitsyn decided to go to Golymin, where he hoped to link up with Dokhturov's division. They moved slowly, heavy guns bogged down in impassable mud. As a result, more than half of the guns had to be abandoned, having riveted them.
Dokhturov, having received an order from the commander-in-chief to go to Pultusk through Makov, sent a division to the main forces of the army. Only the Moscow Dragoon and Moscow Musketeer Regiments did not have time to act. Dokhturov stayed with them to wait for Golitsyn. On the morning of December 14 (26), Golitsyn's detachment arrived in Golymin. People and horses were completely exhausted by the hard road, so our troops were forced to stop for a rest. In total, the Russian detachment consisted of 16-18 thousand fighters.
Meanwhile, the French corps under the command of Augereau, Davout and Soult were on the march to Golymin, from where the French planned to turn to Makov in the flank and rear of our army. The thaw and rain turned the roads into a swamp, so the French also moved slowly. Augereau's corps was the first to reach the city, but not with all its strength, part of the army was still on the way.
Russian commander Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn (1771-1844)
Battle
Golitsyn raised troops. Prince Shcherbatov with the Kostroma regiment and 4 guns occupied the forest on the left flank. To the right, three squadrons of Pskov dragoons and order cuirassiers were located. In the center, in the first line, there were the Taurida Grenadier and Dnieper Musketeer Regiments, reinforced by dragoons and cuirassiers. In reserve was the Little Russian Cuirassier Regiment, two squadrons of hussars and two regiments of Dokhturov's division.
At first, the battle broke out in the forest, where the advancing French faced the Kostroma Infantry Regiment. At first, the regiment faltered, it consisted of recruits and had not yet been in battle. However, General Shcherbatov, with a banner in his hands, rushed to the attack and the soldiers followed the commander. Order has been restored. After that, the Kostroma residents fought courageously all day, not yielding to an experienced enemy.
Continuing the battle in the forest, the French troops turned to the left and, upon reaching an open area, came under attack from our guns. The French cavalry tried to capture the cannons, but the attack of our dragoons and cuirassiers overturned the enemy. Augereau needed to capture the Russian artillery, since with its strong fire it did not allow his corps to turn around on the plain for a decisive blow. He threw the 1st Infantry Division into the attack. However, this French attack was also repulsed. According to Augereau: "Russian buckshot and an impenetrable swamp forced the division to retreat."
Meanwhile, Augereau's corps was reinforced by stragglers and advanced columns of Davout's corps. Golitsyn reinforced the left wing of Prince Shcherbatov with two battalions from the Tauride Grenadier and Dnieper Musketeer Regiments. The Moscow Musketeer Regiment was moved from the reserve to replace them. The right flank was reinforced by the Moscow Dragoon Regiment. The Russian right wing was attacked by the French cavalry, but without success, then the Moscow dragoons and Little Russian cuirassiers counterattacked.
Russian troops under the command of Golitsyn and Dokhturov fought hard. The goal of our commanders in the current situation was to wait for darkness in order to quietly retreat before the superior forces of the French. Our troops were helped by the fact that the French artillery got stuck in the mud and fell behind. And those batteries that arrived in time for the battle did not have time to transfer from place to place in time. The roads were spoiled to such an extent that the guns simply sank in the mud. Therefore, the Russian detachment had an advantage in artillery. At 15 o'clock, unexpectedly for the Russians, reinforcements approached them - detachments of Count Palen and Chaplits cut off by the French during the movement.
The Palen detachment included: the 21st Jaeger Regiment, 8 squadrons of the Sumy Hussar Regiment and a company of horse artillery. The detachment under the command of Peter Palen was located on the extreme right wing. Not having received an order from the command, and finding that the rest of the troops were retreating, Palen also began to retreat towards Pultusk. But at Lopachin, the Russians stumbled upon the superior forces of the French. Having repulsed the attack of the enemy, and not seeing the possibility of going to Pultusk by this road, Palen moved to Tsekhanov. Along the way, the detachment had to repel a strong onslaught of the enemy. In Tsekhanovo, Palen met a detachment of Major General Yefim Chaplits - the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment with a mounted artillery company. Chaplitz was sent to reconnaissance by Buxhoeveden. The French cut off the detachment from the main forces, but Chapliz slipped away. From Tsekhanov, Palen and Chaplits went to Golymin.
The unexpected arrival of these reinforcements allowed our troops to hold out until evening. At dusk, our troops, without being defeated, began to withdraw. At this time, the advanced forces of Soult's corps came to the battlefield and Napoleon himself arrived, who ordered the offensive to continue. The French broke into Golymin after our retreating troops, where a bloody battle began in the dark, the soldiers fought in hand-to-hand combat, with bayonets and rifle butts. But, despite all efforts, the enemy failed to prevent the successful retreat of Golitsyn.
Results
In this battle, the Russians and the French lost about 1 thousand people each. Despite the double advantage of the enemy, the Russian troops under the command of Golitsyn held back the attacks of the main French forces during the day and only in the evening began to withdraw. The Russian regiments retreated in perfect order. The French did not pursue them. On December 15 (27), the detachment of Golitsyn and Dokhturov connected with the troops of Buksgevden in Makov. Thus, near Glymin and Pultusk, Napoleon's hopes of encircling and destroying the Russian army were dashed.
On December 15, Bennigsen began to withdraw troops to Ostrolenka. On December 17, our troops crossed the Narew. At the same time, Bennigsen and Buxgevden avoided each other until the question of who was in charge was decided. Then the troops of Bennigsen and Buksgevden moved to Novogrod, they walked along the left and right banks of the Narew. On December 19, Buxgevden arrived at Novogrod. A council of war was held here, which decided to send troops to the north, to the Prussian lands. On December 28, the troops reached Tykochin. On December 30, the Russian army headed for Johannesburg. On the march, an order came that appointed Bennigsen commander, and Count Buxgevden was appointed military governor of Riga.
The December battles had an impact on enemy morale. The French, in battles with the Russian vanguards, in the battles of Pultusk and Golymin, faced not with the Prussians who had fallen in spirit, but with fresh and staunch Russian regiments. For one year, the French army smashed the armies of Austria and Prussia, which were considered the strongest in Western Europe. The French believed in the lucky star of Napoleon, the invincibility of the French army under his command. However, the battles with the stubborn and furious Russian regiments shook their confidence. The French did not achieve a clear victory in any case, everywhere the Russians held the blow, went over to tough counterattacks and retreated in order. The Russian commanders, despite the inconsistency of the instructions of Field Marshal Kamensky, most often took responsibility, were not afraid to engage in battle with superior enemy forces. The glorious battles of December 1806 overshadowed the Austerlitz pogrom and showed the true strength of the Russian army.
As Mehring wrote: “Both sides were seized with an unpleasant feeling that opponents, invincible to each other, clashed here. The French troops had never fought in such a harsh and inhospitable area; the art of their shooters, who knew how to shoot down thin and long lines of hired troops with their well-aimed fire, was powerless against the strong, endless rows of Russian infantry masses standing one behind the other, accustomed to all the hardships of the northern climate; Napoleon was forced ... to return to the old method of war he had rejected, placing his troops in winter quarters and starting to take the fortresses that were in his rear.
In military terms, already at the first stage of the war, the advantages of the new organization of the Russian army were quite clearly revealed. With the transition to the divisional system in 1806, the division commander had 15-20 thousand people in his hands, and the division could conduct an independent battle for 1-2 days before reinforcements arrived. This was a surprise to Napoleon.
The prospect of a protracted war did not suit Napoleon, so he made an attempt to start peace negotiations, but failed. Opponents dispersed to winter quarters. On December 18, Napoleon left for Warsaw. The French emperor, not daring to pursue the Russian army in the winter, decided to establish himself on the Vistula, bring up reinforcements from France and prepare for a further campaign. Corps Lanna is located between Narew and Bug; Corps Davout in Pultusk; Soult's corps - at Makov; Augereau's building - near Vyshgorod; Neya - at Mlava; Bernadotte - at Elbing. The German troops of the Confederation of the Rhine and the Polish formations recruited by Napoleon concentrated at Thorn, they were intended for the siege of Danzig and Graudenz. Napoleon expected to stay in Warsaw until spring, where he had a thriving romance with Walewska, but already in early January he learned that the Russian troops had begun to move, and hastily left for the army. As a result, active hostilities soon continued.
European capitals closely followed the clash between the Russian and French armies. Vienna showed particular interest in the campaign. The Vienna court was divided into two parties. Part of the Austrian elite, including Emperor Franz and the Chief Minister of the Stadion, wanted a break with Napoleon. The Austrians were eager for revenge for previous defeats. However, the Austrians were afraid of the power of Napoleon's empire, they feared that the war would go on on Austrian territory and their estates would be threatened with ruin. The Peace Party was led by Generalissimo Archduke Karl, who wanted to complete the military reforms so that Austria would be well prepared for war. In general, the Austrians were inclined to believe that the conflict between Russia and France was beneficial to Austria. Napoleon, who will exhaust his strength in the struggle, will not be up to Austria. The weakening of Russia was also beneficial to Austria. The Russians at that time entered into another war with Turkey, and Russia's activity in the Balkan direction worried the Austrians and affected their strategic interests. Thus, the war between Russia and France suited Vienna. The Austrians negotiated with both the Russians and the French, promised, bargained and waited for someone to take. Therefore, the attempts of Russian diplomacy to persuade Austria to their side were fruitless.
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