the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

Having crossed the Dnieper, the Grand Army was to advance along the left bank
of the river, occupy Smolensk, cut the Moscow route and, after concentrating, drive the
Russians to the north. On 10 August Napoleon began his deployments. Covered by a
heavy cavalry screen, his movements remained unknown to Russians. During the night of
13-14 August, General Jean-Baptiste Éblé completed pontoon bridges over the Dnieper at
Rosasna and the French crossed the river. By daylight almost the entire Grand Army was
advancing on Smolensk. 45
By the afternoon the French advance guard reached Krasnyi, where the
detachment of General Neverovsky was deployed. 46 Neverovsky’s cavalry outposts were
stationed at Liady, a few miles west, and by 2:00 p.m. they were driven out by Grouchy’s
troops. Facing the overwhelming enemy forces, Neverovsky immediately made his
disposition for retreat. He deployed the 49 th Jagers at Krasnyi, with two battalions of 50 th
and 41 st Jagers with two guns in support, and arranged the remaining battalions of 50 th
Jagers, Kharkov Dragoon Regiment and the Cossacks (Grekov’s regiment) behind the
town. 47
45 Fabry, Campaign de Russie, III, 580-608, IV, 1-274; Rossetti, Journal d’un compagnon de
Murat, 101; Chandler, The Campaigns of Napoleon, 784; Thiers, History of Consulate and the
Empire, VIII, 84; Elting, Military Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars, map 112; Gallaher, The Iron
Marshal, 237-38; Austin, Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia (The March on Moscow), 168-70;
Nicolson, Nigel. Napoleon:1812, (London, 1985), 52; Riehn, Richard. 1812: Napoleon’s Russian
Campaign, (New York, 1990), 212; Nafziger, Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia, 183; Baye,
L’épopée de Smolensk en 1812, 108.
46 Many historians incorrectly refer to the 27 th Division under Neveorvsky fighting at
Krasnyi. Neverovsky commanded not only his division but additional units Bagration gave him
on 7 August to form a strong advance guard. Neverovsky’s detachment included 10 battalions of
infantry, 3 cavalry squadron, 3 Cossack regiments and 12 guns. It amounted to some 7,200 men
(mostly recruits). Neverovsky’s Recollections in Russkii Invalid, 170 (August 1912): 2.;
Troitsky, 1812: The Glorious Year of Russia, 108; Vorontsov, The Patriotic War of 1812 in
Smolensk Gubernya, 92; Josselson, Barclay de Tolly, 119; Nafziger, Napoleon’s Invasion of
Russia, 183.
2.
47 Neverovsky to Bagration, 16 August 1812, No. 1379, Russkii Invalid, 170 (August 1912):
760