the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

The Russians acknowledged 2,548 killed and wounded 43 and claimed the French
losses were 4,134 dead and wounded. 44 However, Davout admitted to only 900
casualties. 45 Both sides demonstrated remarkable courage. General Rayevsky reported to
Bagration, “I witnessed many officers and soldiers being twice wounded, bound up their
wounds and returned to battle as if to a feast. I must praise the bravery and skills of the
gunners: everyone was a hero that day…” 46 St. Priest wrote to Alexander, “It is
impossible to describe the courage of the 26 th and 12 th Divisions in this affair.” 47
Witnesses recalled an unknown officer of the Poltava Infantry Regiment, whose arm was
torn off by the cannonball. “He calmly picked it up and left the battlefield. As he was
43 Rayevsky reported the following losses:
Killed Wounded Missing
Staff Officers 2 2 10
Ober-Officers 13 - 46
Unter-Officers 45 26 81
Rank and File 742 504 1,077
Total 802 532 1,214
44 N. Rayevsky to S. Rayevsky, 27 July 1812, Private Correspondence of Nikolai Rayevsky,
215; M. Bogdanovich, Istoria Otechestvennoi voini 1812 goda po dostovernum istochnikam
[History of the Patriotic War of 1812 Based on the Original Sources] (St. Petersburg, 1859) I,
214-16; Borishevich, “To Centennial Anniversary of the Battle of Saltanovka on 11 July 1812,”
Russkii Invalid, 1912, No.154; Inostrantsev, Operations of the 2nd Western Army, 353; Davout,
Memoires et souvenirs, II, 85; Nafziger, Napoleon’s Invasion of Russian, 126; Rostunov, General
Bagration, 216; Troitsky, 1812: The Glorious Year of Russia 92; Mikhail Kutuzov, Dokumenti i
materiali [Documents and Materials] (Moscow, 1954-1956) IV, part 2, 711; Muratov, Historical
Survey of Patriotic War and it’s Reasons, 49; General Paskevich acknowledges the French
casualties as 500 killed, 500 missed and 3,000 wounded, and the Russian casualties - 3,000 men,
Paskevich, Memoirs, 95.
45 Davout to Berthier, 7 August 1812, Correspondance du maréchal Davout, N1075, III, 378;
Davout to Napoleon, 7 August 1812, Fabry, Campaign de Russie, II, 45. Davout acknowledged
4,300 Russians killed and wounded and 200 captured. Joly, Le Maréchal Davout, 82; Vigier,
Davout, 85.
46 Bagration, 1 August 1812, Russkaya Starina, 1874, No.3, 769-70; Russkii Invalid, July
1912, No. 154.
47 St. Priest to Alexander, 25 July 1812, Headquarters’ Archives, XIV, 122-23.
710