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corps of 16,900 men near Ankendorf and appealed to Davout and Soult for
reinforcements. 30 His troops were spread in the vicinities of Guttstadt; Marchand’s
division was between Guttstadt and Neuendorf while a detachment of one cavalry and
one infantry regiments was at Schmolainen. Bisson’s division was spread between Quetz,
Glottau and Knopen. 31
In the morning of 5 June, the Prussian corps made a series of attacks on the
French positions at Spanden. Bernadotte, although wounded, made staunch resistance
repulsing the Prussians forces. 32 Lestocq did not press his attack because, according to
Allied plans, he was only to make diversion. Simultaneously, Dokhturov marched during
the night of 5 June to Wormditt and attacked Soult’s positions at the bridge at Lomitten
around 8:00 a.m. 33 Over next several hours, a ferocious combat took place on the bridge,
which changed hands for numerous times. 34 Although he failed to carry the bridge,
Dokhturov succeeded in preventing Soult from reinforcing Ney.
30 Lt. Col. Michel, Étude sur la Période du 5 au 14 Juin de la Campagne de 1807, (Patis,
1909), 7; Petre, Napoleon’s Campaign in Poland, 278.
31 Petre, Napoleon’s Campaign in Poland, 282. IN middle of May 1807, Ney’s division had
the following strength: Marchand’s 1 st Division of 5,723 men comprised of 6 th Légére, 69 th Line,
39 th Line, 76 th Line and 31 st Légére. 2 nd Division of Bission was 6,058 men strong and included
27 th Légére, 27 th Line, 50 th Line and 59 th Line. The artillery had 1,089 men. Derode, Nouvelle
relation de la bataille de Friedland, 51.
32 Napoleon to Cambacéres, 6 June 1807; Napoleon to Bernadotte, 7 June 1807; 78 th Bulletin,
12 June 1807, Correspondance de Napoleon Ier, Nos. 12,732, 12,743, 12,747, XV, 394, 401, 406-
407; Bonnal, Ney, II, 457; Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, Campaigns of 1806-1807, 301; Bonnal,
Ney, II, 455.
33 The French forces at Lomitten comprised of a battalion of the 57 th Line with 4 guns at the
bridge, another battalion of 57 th Line on the left flank and two battalions of the 24 th Legere
defending the roads to Liebstadt and Alken. The French reinforcements (46 th and 37 th Lines) were
arranged near Liebstadt. Soult to Berthier, 5 June 1807, in Colbert, Traditions, Souvenirs et
Documents, III, 401-404. There were two of Soult’s reports on the actions at Lomitten dated 8:00
a.m. and 6.30 p.m. on 5 June. Also see, Soult to Berthier, 6 June 1807, in Colbert, Traditions,
Souvenirs et Documents, III, 408-409; Petre, Napoleon’s Campaign in Poland, 280; Bataille de
Friedland, RGVIA, f. 846, op. 16, d. 3167, l.6.
34 Journal of Military Operations of the Russian Imperial Army, 158-63; Karpov, “Russian
Operations in the 1806-1807 Campaigns,” RGVIA, f. 846, op. 16, d. 3161, ll.54b; Höpfner, Der
Krieg von 1806 und 1807, III, 579; Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, Campaigns of 1806-1807, 296;
Coup d’oeil sur les Operations des Armées Francaise et Russe depuis le 5. Juin jusqu’à la trève de
Tilsit le 21 Juin 1807 y compris la Bataille de Friedland (hereafter cited as Bataille de Friedland),
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