Turmoil on the Katzbach (1813), a report of General Sébastiani …

In accordance with the orders of Your Excellency (Marshal Macdonald), I left Brockendorf on the 26th (of August) at seven o’clock in the morning to march on Jauer via the road to Kroïtsch. Brought to a halt in the defile of Nieder-Crayn, I established myself in front of Gietendorf at nine o’clock, and I marched at the enemy, having Roussel’s Division (formed) in column by squadrons on the right of the road, Exelmans’ Division in the same order on the left, and the cuirassier division at the rear, in the centre of the two light cavalry divisions.

General Roussel was ordered to be in constant communication with XI Corps by means of detachments, while General Exelmans was ordered to do so with III Corps. The enemy withdrew before me as far as Kroïtsch without putting up any resistance.

Having arrived in this village, I found 10,000 Prussian cavalrymen or Cossacks and two or three battalions of chasseurs on foot there, which stood behind the woods and hedges which cover the slope of the Katzbach. The village of Kroïtsch is quite elongated and comprises a very treacherous defile. I ordered mitraille to be fired on this infantry, which withdrew through the woods and the marshes to gain the heights of Nieder-Weimberg.

While I was cannonading the village of Kroïtsch, Your Excellency debouched on the enemy’s rear, and I observed, at the same time, Your Excellency’s guns on the heights which dominate the road from Kroïtsch to Weimberg at musket range, as well as the hasty and disordered flight of the Russian and Prussian troops. I immediately crossed the Katzbach and found myself reunited with Your Excellency, who instructed me to establish myself in front of Kroïtsch, and to pass the Weimberg defile with all my troops, as soon as General Charpentier had forced his way through, and had the plateau cannonaded with his artillery and his infantry.

I complied with this order and Roussel’s Division commenced the crossing immediately.

General Charpentier then informed Your Excellency that he stood on the plateau. This defile, which is an escarpment about 400 toises long, obliged the men to march in pairs and a single line, and took a very long time to get through. When a squadron had debouched and was formed, it came to place itself on the left and in alignment with General Charpentier who was facing the Brechelshof plateau, having positioned his artillery on the hillock which was situated between Bielshof and Trichelwitz, and his infantry on the right and within musket range of the Bielshof wood.

General Charpentier vigorously cannonaded the enemy cavalry, which withdrew behind the large plateau situated between the villages of Malitzch and Brechelshof. During this time, Roussel’s Division formed three lines, the first which was composed of the 11th and 12th Chasseurs and the 2nd Lancers, the second (line) of the 4th Lancers and the 5th Hussars, the third of the 9th Hussars.

The enemy threatened General Roussel’s left flank and his rear; he had his second line placed ‘en potence’ (meaning a part of the troops is placed back in relation to the main front of the unit) to face the villages of Eichlotz and Gross-Genowitz. The enemy having at the same time covered the summit and the slope of the plateau which they occupied with a very substantial number of artillery, the twenty-four guns of the 2nd Cavalry Corps were positioned by Colonel Collin, who commanded them.

At about four o’clock the enemy infantry, together with the cavalry, broke through on our front, but stood in mass and marched slowly. Meanwhile, Wathier’s Brigade, from Exelmans’ Division, had passed the defile and formed in column by squadrons at full distances at the head of the defile, and Maurin’s Brigade followed.

At five o’clock the enemy debouched from Brechelsdorf with fifteen squadrons, and, passing in column between the wood and General Charpentier, moved to charge Wathier’s Brigade, which met it, thrust through it and pursued the enemy as far as beyond Bielshof and seized nine guns. The 23rd, the 24th Chasseurs and the 9th Hussars, who executed this charge, took more than 200 prisoners and left the battlefield covered with dead.

General Exelmans, after this charge, formed his division on three lines facing Bielshof. The enemy returned with thirty squadrons against this division, and with more than forty against Roussel’s Division.

Twenty squadrons also broke through Gross-Janowitz and we were obliged to charge the enemy in three different directions; we were surrounded. They were thrown back twice, but at six o’clock, more than 12,000 regular cavalrymen, and 2 to 3,000 Cossacks descended on us, together with 3,000 infantrymen and a formidable artillery.

I withdrew to the left of the infantry division of III Corps, which had started to be formed in front of the defile where I had directed all my artillery. This division intended to support the shock of this entire mass, but a horrible rain, which had lasted for ten hours, rendered its efforts useless and paralysed all of its courage. Weapons were in such a state that, in every (infantry) square, no more than twenty-five muskets fired. We were forced to descend into the ravine.

In the position in which I found myself, I had perceived that any (form of) retreat was impossible and I held on for six hours under a terrible cannonade and in front of forces out of all proportion to mine. The entire enemy army was there and threw itself against our troops in the evening, who performed prodigies of valour. We always charged to the repeated cries of ‘long live the Emperor’ and we did much harm to the enemy.

A detachment of Cossacks had passed the ravine far beneath us and had arrived to engage General de Saint-Germain’s division of cuirassiers (5th, 8th and 10th Regiments) which charged them with two squadrons and killed many of them.

Our loss is very significant; our artillery sunk into the ground. The 11th and 12th Chasseurs and the 2nd Lancers lost, due to cannon fire, about 80 men each and a hundred horses without effecting a retrograde movement.

Misters the generals Exelmans and Roussel distinguished themselves as much by their courage as by their fine dispositions. Generals Maurin, Gérard and Dommanget (brigade 5th and 8th Cuirassiers) distinguished themselves in all respects. General Roussel was wounded by a sabre blow to the head.

I should mention all the commanders, all the officers, who all deserve credit.

Colonels Marbot, Scheit and Liégeard were wounded, the two former are still at the head of their troops.

I will inform in a separate report everyone who has acquired claims to His Majesty’s favours.

Source : Marie François Joseph Raoul D’Amonville, Les cuirassiers du Roy – Le 8e cuirassiers: journal historique du régiment … , A. Lahure, 1892, pp. 216-218.