the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

Ney made several stands on his march to Deppen. 62 On one occasion, he arranged
his infantry in three large columns between Ankendorff and Heiligenthal, covered by the
skirmishers in the woods. Bagration’s cavalry suffered heavy losses charging these
formations until Colonel Vladimir Yashvili arrived with a horse artillery company and
bombarded the dense masses of the French infantry.
The French retreated to Heiligenthal and then directly towards the Passarge River.
Ney later reported “numerous [Russian] cavalry charges were vigorously repulsed…
Finally, the enemy cavalry, that greatly suffered throughout the day, ceased attacking my
echelons, and it was against the Russian infantry, much numerous than mine, that I had to
fight for a very long time.” 63 As the French withdrew to Deppen, Bagration dispatched
his cavalry and Cossacks to harass their lines. During these actions, the Cossacks
captured two guns and part of a baggage train, including Ney’s personal wagon. Late in
the afternoon on 6 June, 64 Prince Peter approached Deppen, where, according to a
participant, “The Russians maintained the rest of the day a close and sharp fire of
musquetry and cannon on the French position and the village of Deppen, which were
completely commanded by the Russian guns.” 65 Three hundred of Bagration’s Cossacks
forded the river and advanced as far as five miles into the French rear, destroying forty
ammunition wagons and capturing a gun. 66
62 Borisevich, General Rayevsky, 190-92. Ney reported that he halted his troops three times
during the retreat to Deppen. Ney to Napoleon, 6 June 1807, Deppen, in Colbert, Traditions,
Souvenirs et Documents, III, 406.
63 Ney to Napoleon, 6 June 1807, in Colbert, Traditions, Souvenirs et Documents, III, 406.
64 According to Bonnal, the 6 th Corps concentrated Deppen and began crossing the Passarge
around 4 p.m. Bonnal, Ney, II, 460.
65 Wilson, Brief Remarks, 138
66 According to official journal of the campaign, Cossacks captured forty wagons with
gunpowder, shells and cannonballs. They were unable to move these ammunitions across the
river and blew them up with the gunpowder. The explosion was so loud that “its horrific thunder
caused a great anxiety in both armies.” Journal of Military Operations of the Russian Imperial
Army, 150, 196.
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