the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

Bennigsen observed the fighting from the height in front of Heilsberg and, seeing
the French advance between Langwiese and Lawden, dispatched Uvarov with 25
squadrons of cavalry and 3 jager regiments to reinforce Bagration. 137 Uvarov divided his
cavalry in two columns leading one of them to Lawden, where he was repulsed by the
French infantry and bombarded by the French guns on the Gaberberg. He then led his
troops to the woods behind Lawden and fought Legrand’s division for next couple of
hours. 138 Second Russian column under Kozhin attacked Murat’s cavalry between
Langwiese and Lawden as it was deploying to attack Bagration’s flank. 139 It was initially
successful driving the French back to Langwiese. However, Napoleon immediately
moved Savary with two fusilier regiments and twelve guns against the Russian cavalry.
Savary deployed his troops in front of Langwiese in time to meet the fleeing French
cavalry and pursuing Russians. The French twelve guns opened a canister fire but the
Russian cavalry made several charges. Murat used this break to rally his forces and
counterattacked sweeping the exhausted Russian cavalrymen back. 140
As a result of Murat’s charge, Bagration found his right flank exposed to the
French attack while St. Cyr and St. Hilaire launched a coordinate attack against his
center. 141 He led several counterattacks and barely survived a cannonball as he was
crossing the Spibach, although his horse was killed. He continued leading the troops on
137 Relation de la Bataille de Heilsberg le 10 Juin 1807, RGVIA, f. 846, op. 16, d. 3204, ll.11;
Höpfner, Der Krieg von 1806 und 1807, III, 607; Plotho, Tagebuch während des Krieges, 142;
Landmann, Der Krieg von 1806 und 1807, 414; Karpov, “Russian Operations in the 1806-1807
Campaigns,” RGVIA, f. 846, op. 16, d. 3161, ll.57b. Bennigsen recalled sending Uvarov with
three cavalry regiments and a company of horse artillery. Bennigsen, Memoirs, Russkaya starina,
101 (February, 1901): 506.
138 Uvarov to Bennigsen, 11 June 1807, RGVIA, f. 846, op. 16, d. 3201, ll.5-6.
139 Landmann, Der Krieg von 1806 und 1807, 414; Höpfner, Der Krieg von 1806 und 1807,
III, 607.
140 Bataille de Friedland, RGVIA, f. 846, op. 16, d. 3167, l.9; Höpfner, Der Krieg von 1806
und 1807, III, 607-608.
141 Relation de la Bataille de Heilsberg le 10 Juin 1807, RGVIA, f. 846, op. 16, d. 3204, ll.12.
398