A couple of passages of a journal kept by Philippe Ballut, a soldier serving in the 2nd Grenadier Regiment of the Guard, related to the early stages of the 1813 Campaign …
Thursday, 29 April. – The Old Guard arrived at Naumburg before noon and we lit our fires at the foot of the tower, which dated from the feudal age. A wretched Prussian flag that was waving at its top was quickly taken down by Sapper Winckel and our splendid colours were planted in its stead. The mayor of this place came to inform our officers that the Cossacks were due to descend on us at any moment. This fool therefore was not aware that Marshal Ney was at the front and that he was expecting the moscoss (slang for Russians).
At half past four, the sky was quite dark, and we heard some noise on the road to Yéna [sic]; it was the Emperor who had arrived. It was said that he had travelled from Erfurt (1) where he had received a great deal of information from spies. He rode a dappled horse and was escorted by five Mamlukes and chasseurs. He halted at the front of the bivouac to address Mr. Rauchon (Ballut’s captain): ‘We thought that the Prussians and the Russians were no longer getting along. Well, in a few days’ time we will ensure that they are on speaking terms. Make sure your men have everything they need, do you hear? The battle is raging in front of us … ‘
The Emperor was received in a large building by his [grand] marshal, Duroc. A sizeable post of the Guard was positioned around it. I was there near the entrance, and in the evening I was able to witness the arrival of our formidable Marshal Ney, who had beaten the moscoss well. However, there were some who muttered that the Emperor intended to come to an agreement with these people in order to discipline the Prussians and finally conclude a favourable peace agreement with the Tsar.
At nine o’clock in the evening, a dozen of wounded soldiers were brought to us, even though I had already left the post. They were poor Marie-Louise(s), who were sixteen or seventeen years old. They were weeping as a result of grazed hands. A lad called Besombe told me that his mother had sewn eight gold louis into buttons for his uniform and that his clothes had been stolen at Mainz. He bemoaned his plight. All I could locate was a small piece of shrapnel lodged in his shoulder. In the absence of a surgeon, I tore it out with the tip of my knife, poured some salted water over it and the wound would be gone in three days’ time.
30th of said month. – We woke up to the sound of cannon fire. A hussar who arrived at full gallop shouted at us that there were more than 100,000 Russians overwhelming Marshal Ney. Although we laughed at this dimwit, everyone quickly gathered their equipment. Ahead of us, the cavalry, that had arrived from Weimar, set off at around ten o’clock when it was raining heavily. The Emperor left his lodgings around noon. This time he was not wearing a grey frock coat (redingote) but a blue greatcoat, and it was said he was suffering from a cold. He appeared ill at ease. A grenadier asked him: ‘Where are we heading, Sire?’ – ‘To Dresden of course, to put my ally the King of Saxony back on his throne.’ We were delighted to be going to Dresden.
We arrived at the town of Plota soaked to the skin, having travelled ten kilometres. We were in a bad mood. ‘Bloody weather’, the grenadiers clamoured. The Emperor was standing in front of the Auberge de l’Aigle (Eagle Inn), talking to some generals. My platoon found a barn to take shelter in, and we burnt straw to dry ourselves. We set off again in the evening to reach the small town of Weissenfels, which is built between the river Salle [sic, Saale] and a hill.
The Emperor was to be lodged at the château. My battalion rushed up there; all the doors were locked as the lord of the place was an ally of the Prussians. We broke some windows to get in. We were immediately called back for fear that the moscoss had stashed barrels of gunpowder in the cellar. We returned to the Markplatz (market square). In one corner of this square, the Emperor was staying in the home of a wealthy gentleman called Ulrich. (2) Drenched due to the rain, he had been provided the necessary supplies and the servants went about drying his uniform.
Marshal Ney had been well occupied in driving the Russian cavalry from Weissenfels. There were 6 to 7000 men uttering frightful cries, always calling us ‘Jacobs’ or Jacobins and pledging to come and set fire to Paris. We spent a fairly good night at Weissenfels. I was staying with Corporal Hubert in the house of a weaver who had two little boys and a daughter. The girl’s name was Nina. The Cossacks had attempted to molest her; the brave woman had seized a roasting skewer in order to drive them away. She kindly made us some coffee.
1 May. – It was foggy in the morning. Two spies were caught and shot by order of Prince Berthier. The sun rose very brightly and the troops marched straight away. We cheered the Emperor abundantly when he left his lodgings together with Marshal Ney. The Guard advanced by eights (eight men abreast) on the main road of Leipzig which ascends to the outlet of Weissenfels. At the top of the mound, the Emperor halted, pointing his spyglass at the enemy, who could be seen from quite a distance, four or five leagues away.
Marshal Ney led his conscripts forward, on the side of a defile leading to the village of Poserna. A Russian general surged towards him with 12,000 to 15,000 men. General Souham threw himself on the enemy with the bayonet, while Marshal Bessières’ cavalry sabred the Prussian regiments that intended to turn our left. At three o’clock in the afternoon, we found the Emperor standing over the corpse of Mr. Bessières, who had been struck by a cannonball, and we heard him say: ‘What grief I feel at this terrible loss.’ A lieutenant claimed that the marshal had been killed as a result of ricochet and that his last words were to crush the enemy. (3)
General Berthezène’s Young Guard fought furiously as they left the defile. An Alsatian by the name of Haymann single-handedly killed nine Russians. My regiment arrived at the sound of the drums at Poserna, a large village that had been pillaged by the moscoss. At five o’clock in the evening, the Emperor reached the square in front of a large inn. While His Majesty was holding a council of war with Marshals Ney, Berthier, Marmont and Duroc, the innkeeper inscribed the names of these illustrious personalities on a window on the first floor of the building, as instructed by a sergeant. (4)
Notes
(1) He departed from Weimar at eleven o’clock in the morning.
(2) At the Ulrich residence, at the corner of the Markplatz and the Leipzig road, on the right-hand side, the furniture of the room occupied by Napoleon has been preserved.
(3) Colonel Saint-Charles, who came to the aid of Bessières to protect him from the gunfire, declared that the marshal was unable to utter a single intelligible word.
(4) The names could still be discerned on the window as of 18 July 1906.
Source : Édouard Gachot, ‘1813 – Récit d’un témoin’, in Revue des études napoléoniennes, volume II, 1919, pp. 264-268.
Other accounts to read :
> The death of Marshal Bessières, witnessed by an officer …
> The battle of Lützen, by Narcisse Faucheur (26th Line Regiment) …
> A few soldiers and officers’ letters …
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