the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

tide of success. 120 The Russian cavalry was overwhelmed and retreated with considerable
losses. 121 Kellermann pursued them and almost captured the Russian horse artillery
battery, earlier deployed by Liechtenstein. 122
Observing the French cavalry charge, Bagration decided to counterattack with his
reserve cavalry. He dispatched the St. Petersburg and Tver Dragoon and Pavlograd
Hussar Regiments, totaling some 2,000 men, against Kellermann, who did not expect the
charge of the fresh enemy forces. In addition, General Kellermann with several officers
approached too close to the Russian infantry, who fired at them. Several French officers
were wounded, including Kellermann. 123 The French withdrew their forces covered by
Walther’s dragoons under the protection of Caffarelli’s infantry, whose fire forced the
pursuing Russian cavalry to turn back. 124 A member of Napoleon’s suite remembered,
“Caffareli’s division opened up its intervals as calmly as if it had been on a parade
ground. Kellermann’ cavalry immediately passed through and the [infantry] closed up
and opened fire on the enemy.” 125 However, another officer described different picture of
Bagration’s cavalry charge, “The [French] soldiers threw themselves beneath the
ammunition carts and the pieces, while the gunners defended themselves with their
rammers. For a time the infantry was unable to shoot, because the mass of Kellermann’s
cavalry stood in the way, but once the field was clear, they opened a rolling fire at thirty
paces.” Still, some of the Russian cavalrymen reached the infantry and engaged in hand-
120 Gordon, Kellermannn, 108-109; Brunker, Story of the Napoleonic Campaign, 57.
121 Kharkov Regiment lost 42 men; Elizavetgrad Hussars suffered 274 casualties, including
140 captured. Bowden, Austerlitz, 399.
122
Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, Campaign of 1805, 165; Bowden, Austerlitz, 399-400.
Yermolov commanded a horse artillery company that was deployed here. He recalled being
captured by the French cavalry, but immediately liberated by the counterattacking Elizavetgrad
Hussars and Kharkov Dragoons. Yermolov, Memoirs, 57.
123 Gordon, Kellermann, 109-11.
124 Louis Picard, La cavalerie dans les guerres de la Revolution et de l’Empire (Saumur,
1895), I, 312-13; Charles Thoumas, Les grands cavaliers du Premier Empire, (Paris, 1890), 76-
77; Brunker, Story of the Napoleonic Campaign, 56-57; Rüstow, Der Krieg von 1805, 383.
125 Souvenirs Diplomatiques et Militaires du General Thiard, (Paris, 1805), 228-29.
284