the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

infantry, Ney could not attack the city, especially since he did not know Rayevsky’s
strength; therefore, he waited for orders. 72
When Napoleon arrived at Smolensk by 1:00 p.m., he immediately directed Murat
and Ney to launch the attack. During the subsequent assaults, the Russians were driven
back beneath the walls and the French all but succeeded in capturing the Royal Bastion,
when Rayevsky successfully launched a counterattack with two reserve battalions. 73
Elsewhere the French drove in the Russian outposts, but the opportunity of taking
Smolensk was missed. French artillery bombardment continued long after the dark felt,
but Napoleon ordered no major attack. The Russians were surprised by the French
inactivity. A contemporary wrote, “Certainly, if Napoleon endeavored to attack Smolensk
on 4 August [16 August] 74 with the same resolution as he did on 5 August [17 August],
the city would have been occupied.” 75 It was obvious that Rayevsky’s determination and
courage of his troops prevented Napoleon from taking Smolensk and cutting the Moscow
route.
Before the walls of Smolensk, Napoleon had modified his strategic goals. Since
he could no longer hope to surprise Smolensk, Napoleon intended to engage the main
Russian forces in a great battle. He assumed that the Russian armies would concentrate at
72 Segur, Napoleon’s Russian Campaign, 27; Chandler, The Campaigns of Napoleon, 786;
Foord, Napoleon’s Russian Campaign of 1812, 134; 84; Nafziger, Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia,
186; Fabry, Campaign de Russie, IV, 431-52; Rossetti, Journal d’un compagnon de Murat, 103;
Denniée, Itineraire de l’empereur Napoleon, 45-48.
73 Rayevsky to Kutuzov, 7 September, 21 December 1812, Russkii Invalid, 172 (August
1912).
74 Until 1917, the Russians used the Julian calendar, which was twelve days behind the
Gregorian calendar.
75 Kharkevich, 1812 Campaign in Diaries, Memoirs and Correspondence of the
Contemporaries, II, 8.
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