From: Rob Lindsay <lindsay@riker.spc.noaa.gov>
Subject: Historical Notes, 6 Days (fwd)
SIX DAYS OF GLORY
A TURN-BY-TURN SUMMARY OF THE CAMPAIGN
February 7
Marmont with 1800 cavalry,1500 inf and six guns to Sezanne.
February 8
AM French cavalry drove in Karpov's cossack outposts at
Villenauxe 14 miles south of Sezanne.
PM Sacken at Montmirail, with cavalry at Viels Maisons.
Olsufief at Etoges.
Blucher's HQ at Vertus. Kleist with most of his corps had
arrived at Chalons and Kapzevich at Vitry.
Night Marmont's leading division in Sezanne, Ney between Villenauxe
and Sezanne.
February 9
AM Sacken, leaving Karpov's cossacks around Sezanne, marched
for La Ferte-sous-Jouarre. Blucher remained at Etoges, with
Olsufief at Champaubert.
PM Yorck was half-way between Epernay and Chateau-Thierry;
Olsufief's HQ at Baye charged by some French lancers of
Marmont's Corps.
Sacken at Montmirail. Kleist at Vertus, Kapzewitch at Bergeres.
Blucher at Champaubert, moving to Bergeres.
Night Napoleon reached Sezanne with the Guard. (Thaw)
Macdonald at La Ferte sous Jouarre.
February 10
early AM French cavalry takes bridge at St. Prix.
Blucher marching to Sezanne with Kleist & Kapzewitsch
1100 Ricard and Bourdessoule attack Udom (of Olsufief's 4000-man
Corps) before Baye. Udom reinforced by one Bde.
Lagrange's and Doumerc's attacks on (wood of?) Bannay repulsed.
(Note: suspect they wrote "Bannay" but meant "Baye.")
1500 Ney with artillery attacks Bannay. Bannay and Baye captured.
Bordessoule on the right, Doumerc on left to cut retreat.
Poltoratzki (2 rgts., 9 guns, 1000) rearguard at Champaubert.
Olsufief captured (5412) in retreat to Etoges.
PM Yorck's heavy guns and two inf bdes (5000 men) left at Chateau-
Thierry. His Adv. Gde. at Viels Maisons. 11,000 at Viffort.
2100 Sacken returning from La Ferte-sous-Jouarre after breaking
bridge.
2200 Nansouty departs Champaubert toward Montmirail.
Night Kleist & Kapzewitsch, near Fere Champenois, ordered to
return to Vertus.
Yorck's advanced guard departs Vieux Maisons toward Rozoy.
Mortier at Sezanne, marching to Montmirail. Ney at Champaubert.
February 11
Night Nansouty marching to Montmirail (2 cav divs, 2 bdes of Ricard's
Div).
0100 Colbert's Cav reached Montmirail, driving Karpow's cossacks
out. Defrance arrived at Vieux Maisons from La Ferte Gaucher.
Leval at La Ferte Gaucher.
0300 Marmont sent Ricard to support Nansouty while remaining at
Etoges with Lagrange & 1st CC (2500 inf, 1800 cav)
0500 Napoleon departed Champaubert for Montmirail.
0600 Ney and La Ferriere departed Champaubert, following Napoleon.
Dawn Mortier, with Div Michel-Christiani, set-out from 4116
(excluding rearguard and Defrance, toward La Ferte Gaucher).
Wassiltchikow and Karpov at L'Epine (3312), Nansouty reaches
3812.
Katzeler at Viffort.
0900 Yorck's Adv. Gde. arrives at Rozoy; encounters French cavalry
at Rozoy and Fontenelle. Yorck's infantry at Viffort. Yorck's
artillery and one inf. div. at Ch. Thierry.
Sacken at Vieux Maisons, with troops still marching up;
advanced guard in contact with enemy further east.
Nansouty drives Rus. outposts from Les Chouteaux.
Wassiltchikow joins Katzeler in combat vs. Nansouty near Rozoy.
1100 Yorck's single division, Pirch II occupied Fontenelle.
Sacken's deployment: Tallitzin 3312, Bernodossow 3311,
Stawitzky3211, Sass 3212, Wassiltchikow 3310.
Tscherbatow (VI) advancing w/ Lieven (XI) on his left taking
Les Grenaux (3511) drives Ricard from Marchais. Cavalry north
of the road.
1200 Only two French infantry divisions were up, Ricard and Friant.
Guyot, Laferriere, Colbert and Defrance waiting to attack.
1300 Michel (w/ Mortier) approaching the battle,
Ney in person arrived, his YG still behind.
1400 Pirch moved down from Fontenelle. Attack toward Plenois driven
back to Fontenelle, losing 900 men.
1530 Yorck (Bde Horn) reaches Fontenelle.
Sacken retreats, losing 2800 men and 13 guns.
French losses: 2,000.
Noon Blucher arrives Bergeres; accumulated 1,500 stragglers from
Olsufief's defeated command.
Night Macdonald out of play, broken bridge at Trilport.
Sebastiani held up by broken bridge at La Ferte sous Jouarre.
St. Germain, sent by MacDonald, reaches Marchais via
Coulomniers.
February 12
AM Prussian rearguard at Les Caquerets vs. Ney.
Pursuit off the map. Sacken burns bridge behind him.
Mortier (Christiani's OG, cav of Colbert and
Defrance) to pursue Sacken and Yorck beyond
the Marne. Prussian losses: 1250 men, 6 guns;
Sacken: 1500 men, 3 guns. French: 600 men
Mortier at Ch. Thierry with Christiani, Colbert
and Defrance to continue pursuit off map.
Leval arrives Viels Maisons.
Blucher at Bergeres. Napoleon at Chateau-Thierry.
February 13
AM Blucher, marching toward Vauchamps, encountered French cav
Ricard en route through Fromentieres to rejoin Marmont.
PM Blucher now rec'd 800 cav and moved to Champaubert,
with Ziethen in front and Kleist and Kapzewitch behind.
Marmont at Fromentieres. Leval at Viels Maisons.
Ch. Thierry bridge repaired (3 turns).
Balance of Roeder's cav reached Blucher.
Night Urussow's Div. left at Etoges to cover Blucher's retreat.
February 14
0400 Ney, St. Germain, Friant, Curial, Leval, Grouchy marching
east through Montmirail. Napoleon arrived Montmirail.
0430 Marmont falling back.
0630 Blucher follows up Marmont.
0800 Skirmishing at Vauchamps.
1000 Ziethen attacks Ricard (4113) and Lagrange of VI Corps.
Blucher at Fromentiers.
PM Grouchy attacks via Sarrechamps. Ziethen eliminated.
Blucher, with Russians behind Ziethen, withdraws.
END Losses: Prussians: 4000 men, 9 guns.
French: 600 men.
Total Losses for the Four Days:
Blucher: 16,000 men, 47 guns.
Napoleon: 4000 men.
Kevin Zucker
Designer/Writer/Composer/Teacher
Time/Space/Energy/Weight/Plasticity in a Gravity Field
kzucker@charm.net