the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

advance guards on the Lower Passarge. The Russian advance guard was at Launau
commanded by Prince Bagration, who had just returned from St. Petersburg. 7 On his way
back to the army, he visited the Prussian royal family and dined with the Queen Louise
on 15 March. 8 A Prussian lady-in-waiting described him as “unattractive but with a
masculine, heroic appearance… a genuine warrior.” After the dinner with the Queen of
Prussia, Bagration was awarded Order of the Black Eagle for his actions at Eylau. 9
The French and Russian forces spent two month (March, April) in winter quarters
receiving supplies and reinforcements. Both sides avoided any actions, but minor outpost
skirmishes occurred daily. 10 In late March, Emperor Alexander personally visited the
army to encourage his troops in the oncoming campaign. He held parades of the main
army and negotiated with Prussia and Britain about the joint operations against
Napoleon. 11
7 Bennigsen, Memoirs, Russkaya starina, 100 (October, 1899): 222-23; Höpfner, Der Krieg
von 1806 und 1807, III, 325. 555-62.
8 It is unclear where Bagration dined with the Prussian family, but the meeting probably
occurred at Koenigsberg.
9 “Iz dnevnika Grafini Foss, ober-gofmesiterini Prusskago dvora” [From the Diary of the
Countess Foss, Lady-in Waiting at the Prussian Court], Russkii arkhiv, 23/1 (1885), 472.
Bagration’s detachment was reinforced by 23 rd and 24 th Jager Regiment arrived on 27 March.
According to Landmann, Prince Peter commanded 27 battalions and 20 squadrons. Der Krieg von
1806 und 1807, 399. Höpfner acknowledged 12,537 men under Bagration, Der Krieg von 1806
und 1807, III, 561.
10 Bennigsen, Memoirs, Russkaya starina, 100 (October, 1899): 229. On 26 February, the
Russians forced Ney to evacuate from Guttstadt. Napoleon to Soult, 27 February 1807,
Correspondance de Napoleon Ier, No. 11,895, XIV, 430-32.
11 Hardenberg’s Notes on Alexander’s Meeting with Friedrich-Wilhelm III. VPR, III, 546;
Landmann, Der Krieg von 1806 und 1807, 388-89; Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, Campaigns of
1806-1807, 254-74; Bennigsen, Memoirs, Russkaya starina, 100 (October, 1899): 226-28; 100
(December, 1899), 697-700.
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