How the Dons defeated the Beauharnais Corps

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How the Dons defeated the Beauharnais Corps
Cossacks attack the retreating French. Drawing by Atkinson (1813)


During the retreat of the French army to Smolensk, Russian troops inflicted a number of defeats on the enemy. At Dorogobuzh, Miloradovich attacked Ney's corps, army partisan detachments captured Augereau's brigade near Lyakhovo, and Platov's Cossacks attacked the Beauharnais corps near the Vop River.



General situation


After the Vyazemsky battle (The defeat of the best French corps near Vyazma) The Russian army was advancing towards Yelna. There was a possibility that the French would leave the Smolensk road in order to retreat through an area not devastated by the war. The enemy could go through Dorogobuzh, Yelnya and Mstislavl to Mogilev. Therefore, Kutuzov's army was preparing to push the enemy back to the big Smolensk road. Miloradovich's vanguard, Platov's Cossacks and army partisan detachments continued to pursue the enemy from the rear and flanks.

Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov strengthened the southern flank. The Tula governor with the militia were instructed to go to Roslavl, the Kaluga militia, reinforced by the Don Cossacks and cavalry, to Mstislavl. Count Gudovich with the Chernigov and Poltava militias was to advance to Belarus. Ertel's detachment moved from Mozyr to Bobruisk. Chichagov's army was to march on Minsk and Borisov in forced marches. That is, Mikhail Illarionovich was going to intercept the demoralized, weakened enemy army. The southern flank of the Russian army played an important role in this operation.

On October 28, 1812, the French army reached Smolensk. After the battle near Vyazma, it was already a poorly organized, demoralized crowd, and not an army. The level of discipline and order in most parts and formations fell to the critical level. Looting, looting, lack of supplies, the onset of winter - the temperature dropped to minus 10-12, fear of an enemy attack, and especially partisans (peasants did not take prisoners, unlike regular troops), decomposed most of the army.

Black ice and starvation finished off a significant part of the remaining horses. Cannons and carts had to be abandoned. The fallen horses became part of the soldiers' diet. The parking lots of divisions and corps turned into cemeteries, many froze and did not wake up. Many soldiers lagged behind their units. They left the wounded, the sick, others themselves lagged behind, hoping for captivity, shelter and food.

The Russian troops did not even have to take them prisoner. They were just vagrants. Many were killed by the peasants, others froze to death, and others became "ball-spooners" (from the French cher ami - "dear friend", an appeal for help, mercy, etc.).

Smolensk seemed to the Europeans a promised place, where they could eat normally and rest in the field of a heavy march and all the upheavals experienced. Napoleon himself instilled such hope in the soldiers in order to maintain at least some fighting spirit in the army. Therefore, an attempt by the command to stop the troops outside the city, so that crowds of distraught and hungry people would not smash the warehouses, immediately failed. The city was quickly filled with crowds of hungry ragamuffins who were no longer soldiers.

The French emperor wanted to save, first of all, the guard - they were given provisions for 2 weeks, other corps - for 6 days. Riots began, pogroms of shops and even attacks on those who had already been given bread, and on quartermasters. In response, the guards beat the rioters. Another reason for the unrest was the distribution of wine to the troops.

Due to the lack of horse-drawn transport, part of the artillery and charging trucks, crews and part of the looted property were abandoned in Smolensk. It was no good when it was a matter of survival. The lightly wounded were taken with them. All other wounded and sick people were left in the city (about 5 thousand people).


Battle near Dorogobuzh


On October 26 (November 7), 1812, Miloradovich, having overtaken the enemy at the river. Osma, attacked him with an advance detachment of Major General Yurkovskiy (1st and 4th Chasseurs, Elisavetgrad Hussar Regiments). The French were defeated.

In the rearguard of the French army, Ney's 3rd Corps retreated. The French marshal decided to give time for the main forces to cross the Dnieper at Solovyov and took up positions at Dorogobuzh. The 11th division of Baron Razu was supposed to defend the city. Two guns with cover from the 4th Line Regiment protected the entrance to the city; on the left flank near the bridge across the Dnieper was a company of the 18th regiment; on the right flank, on a hill near the church - parts of the 4th regiment. Razu with the main forces was located on a height, which was reinforced with palisades. Ledru's 10th Infantry Division was placed in reserve.

Miloradovich, approaching the city, attacked with the forces of the 30th and 48th Jaeger regiments. The French repulsed the first attacks. Then the 4th division entered the battle, which was supposed to bypass the enemy. The French retreated. 6 guns were captured. The pursuit was entrusted to the detachments of General Yurkovsky and Colonel Vasilchikov 2nd, from the Cossacks with part of the regular cavalry.

Soon the news came that the 4th Corps of Beauharnais was withdrawing along the road to Dukhovshchina. 6 Platov's Cossack regiments, the 20th Jaeger regiment and the Don horse artillery were sent against him. A detachment of Grekov's Cossacks was advanced to Smolensk. Kutuzov ordered Miloradovich's main forces not to break away from the army.

Battle near Lyakhovo


The flying detachment of Ozharovsky, moving ahead of the army, on October 27 crossed to the Roslavl road. The detachments of Orlov-Denisov, Davydov, Seslavin and Figner were located between Alekseev and the road to Yelnya.

Retreating to Kaluga, Napoleon gave the order to Marshal Viktor to advance one division to Yelna in order to put up a barrier from the south. However, during the hasty retreat from Smolensk, the division commander was not warned of the need to withdraw. The French settled down in Dolgomostye, Lyakhov and Yazvin. Jean-Pierre Augereau's brigade is located in Lyakhov. The lack of cavalry did not allow the French to detect the threat in time, the concentration of partisan army detachments.

On the night of October 26-27 (November 7–8), 1812, intelligence reported to Davydov about a French detachment in Lyakhov. "Language" reported that Augereau had 2 infantry and a small number of cavalry. Commanders Davydov, Seslavin and Figner decided to attack the enemy. However, under their command there were only about 1 people with 200 guns, so the neighboring detachment of Orlov-Denisov was called to help. Under the command of Count Orlov, there were 4 Cossack regiments and Nezhin Dragoons, about 6 thousand people in total. On October 2, Orlov-Denisov informed them that he was coming to help.

October 28 (November 9) Russian troops secretly went to Lyakhov, intercepting several dozen enemy foragers. Soon the detachment of Orlov-Denisov arrived. To cut off the enemy from other French troops, our troops intercepted the Elnenskaya road. Davydov's detachment was at the forefront, he started a battle with the enemy. Seslavin took the road to Yazvino, where the French were also located, put forward guns and opened fire on the village. Orlov-Denisov settled to the right of Seslavin, taking the road to Dolgomost, where the main forces of the Barage d'Illier division (two infantry brigades and cavalry) were stationed. Figner remained in reserve.

The French counterattacked the regiments of Orlov-Denisov, trying to break through towards Dolgomostye. Seslavin at this time overturned the French cavalry, cleared the forest of French riflemen and advanced the guns closer to the village. Davydov's soldiers set fire to the sheds where the French riflemen were hiding.

Meanwhile, about 2 thousand French cuirassiers came to the aid of Augereau's brigade from Dolgomostye. The French shot down the barrier with two Cossack regiments under the command of Colonel Bykhalov. Denisov threw all his forces against the enemy. Nizhyn dragoons and Cossacks, supported by 6 guns, pushed the enemy back. About 700 French remained at the scene of the battle. Denisov's detachment returned to Lyakhovo. The blocked detachment of Augereau capitulated. 1 people were taken prisoner.


Portrait of Vasily Vasilievich Orlov-Denisov by George Dow. Military gallery of the Winter Palace

Battle on the River Vop


On the same day, when Augereau's brigade was defeated and captured by army partisans, a battle took place on the Vop River. The viceroy's corps was heading to Vitebsk to reinforce the garrison there.

Platov's Cossacks pursued the enemy: threatened on the flanks, intercepted foragers, fired at enemy columns. The Italian corps had to stop, put itself in order, repel the attacks of the Cossacks. Beauharnais informed the command of his difficulties, but his couriers were intercepted by the Cossacks. On October 28 (November 9), the 4th Corps reached the Vop River, where sappers had been sent in advance to build a bridge. However, suddenly rising water tore the bridge.

Don Cossacks, using a good moment, opened artillery fire on the enemy and increased pressure on the rear. Part of the Don people crossed the river and appeared on the opposite side of the river. The Viceroy of Italy, fearing that his corps would be surrounded, decided to ford the river. Broussier's 14th division was posted as a barrier.

The Italian Guard crossed the river first, then Beauharnais with headquarters and carts. The first wagons and guns were transported safely, but then potholes formed on the bottom, where the remaining guns sat down. The only available ford was blocked.

At this time, the Don people crowded the rearguard. Most of the convoy had to be abandoned. At the same time, disorder began in parts of the corps: some of the marauding soldiers began to rob their convoys, getting drunk with the wine they found.

On the morning of October 29 (November 10), Broussier's division crossed the river. The corps lost more than a third of the personnel in this case - no more than 6 thousand people, 64 guns, almost all the carts remained under arms. Many soldiers during the crossing threw weaponto make your journey easier. The Cossacks chased the enemy and captured 23 more guns.

At Dukhovshchina, the Cossack detachment of General Ilovaisky blocked the road for the Italians. Beauharnais managed to restore order among the troops and threw his guards and the Bavarian cavalry into the gap. The Cossacks cleared the road, but captured up to 500 people. After taking a breath in Dukhovshchina, Beauharnais, having received the news that the Russians were already in Vitebsk, he turned to Smolensk. Throughout the entire transition to Smolensk, the Cossacks pursued the enemy, intercepting and crushing small units.

Thus, the Don people actually defeated the 4th Beauharnais Corps, which lost more than 3 thousand people only as prisoners, almost all artillery and carts.

Kutuzov highly appreciated the actions of Platov's Cossacks, informing Emperor Alexander:

"The Cossacks are doing miracles, hitting artillery and infantry columns."


I. Pryanishnikov "In 1812"
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9 comments
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  1. +1
    9 November 2022 08: 43
    Eugene Beauharnais was the stepson of Bonopvrt, but this does not add to his military talent.
    I do not know of a single case where the children of generals were also talented generals.
    It is believed that: "nature rests on the children of geniuses."
    True, there are exceptions: Arkady Raikin and his son Konstantin Raikin.
    Tsedesa and Rasul, my mother loves them, but I don’t remember anymore
    1. 0
      9 November 2022 09: 22
      Quote from lisikat2
      but this does not add to his military talent.
      I do not know of a single case where the children of generals were also talented generals.
      It is believed that: "nature rests on the children of geniuses."

      The fact of the matter is that he was not his direct descendant and, in general, a relative. Napoleon was not an idiot to put mediocrity in the positions of corps generals. He did not take a single sibling "in business". But Beauharnais not only put him in command of combat units, but also highly appreciated his talent as an organizer and military man.
      There was an article about him on VO. Don't bother reading.
      In vain you are pouring on Zhenya. He was a good general.
      1. +1
        9 November 2022 16: 46
        Actually, I was not particularly interested in generals. And I could see.
        It seems that the "King of Westphalia" in Russia "lit up"?
    2. 0
      9 November 2022 11: 10
      I don’t know about the children, but Napoleon’s nephew Napoleon 3 was a quite sensible artilleryman, like his uncle, he even wrote works on this part. And military dynasties are not uncommon. But, as noted above, Beauharnais is not a relative by blood, so what is your remark?
  2. 0
    9 November 2022 11: 11
    Alexander, good day and thank you very much for the cycle, I rarely say this, but I read everything with interest.
  3. 0
    9 November 2022 15: 58
    An interesting description of the defeat of the French army (more precisely, a hodgepodge of European units). A little embarrassing introduces information about the weather - the beginning of November (October 28, according to the old style) and the temperature is already -10 to -12 (the latitude of Smolensk). I read with pleasure. Zelensky will run to the West, so every day I will read his "campaign" to salvation, especially since the season coincides. And who will give him horses?
    1. 0
      12 December 2022 15: 28
      if they went to the Berezina in two weeks, and it did not freeze (sappers built bridges in the water), then there were no minus 10 there - there was plus one zero plus two. They write like that - that it froze at night and thawed during the day - there was a plus, maybe it dropped to minus 10 one or two nights. Otherwise, the Berezina would have frozen to the bottom. And after the Berezina, a normal winter began. Minus twenty, thirty - the French went crazy, not from hunger or walking, from the cold. The autumn was warm, the general had already worked the frost there at the end, moreover, for both two troops. equally.
  4. 0
    12 December 2022 15: 18
    There were shops in Smolensk, there was a normal base, support, the French had to go there faster. It was a flight, but organized - the war of 12 years is too propagandized. On the march, it was not a problem for an experienced soldier to starve to Smolensk, they went so well in general, to Paris. Napoleon himself was surprised - there is not a single battle where the French would not defeat the Russian. The Cossacks only worked, but they also ceased to be afraid, they already had a backward kind of battle, a little "Tatar" - to loot and escape at night. They could not stand the fight, which was the reason for the creation of regular cavalry. After fr. war, the Cossacks began to work in intelligence, raids, as a type of army, their methods were already recognized as inappropriate. time. There were bakeries in Smolensk, the French gathered bread and reached out to the Berezina. It was rather a sad state of the Russian army - after Borodino, the army was just being formed, and only the Cossacks, who were of little use, could "catch up" with the French. And turning onto another road was not so desperate - Napoleon put forward some part there, they blocked it, he did not boot, he went along the usual short road. And the horses were abandoned, because the horse was in charge. He had to find oat hay, was responsible for the property that he was carrying - so they were immediately abandoned. With such walking, you yourself will suffer, even the horse hangs on you. Therefore, horses fr. the army immediately got rid of. These were not very glorious pages of history, but, of course, it is better not to tell children in schools.
    1. 0
      28 January 2023 17: 05
      Well, well, they retreated according to science and according to plan, they only won along the way, and for some reason nothing left the Great Army through the Berezina :)

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