Editing Battle of Neresheim (section)

==Battle==
[[File:Marechal-Gouvion.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|alt=Painting shows a young man with long brown hair. He wears a dark blue military coat with wide white lapels.|Laurent Saint-Cyr]]

On 13 July in Desaix's Left Wing, the division of Delmas consisted of the 50th and 97th Line and 16th Light Infantry Demi-Brigades and four squadrons each of the 7th [[Hussar]] and 10th and 17th [[Dragoon]] Regiments. Delmas' brigade commanders were [[Jean Marie Rodolph Eickemayer]], who had been recruited from Mainz, and [[Maurice Frimont]]. The division of Beaupuy was made up of the 10th, 62nd and 103rd Line and the 10th Light Demi-Brigades, 4th and 8th [[Chasseurs à Cheval]] and the 6th Dragoons. Beaupuy's brigadiers were [[Gilles Joseph Martin Brunteau Saint-Suzanne]] and [[Dominique Joba]]. Bourcier's Reserve division comprised the 93rd and 109th Line, the 1st and 2nd Carabiniers and the 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 14th and 15th Cavalry Regiments. All demi-brigades had three battalions, all Cavalry regiments had three squadrons, while the Carabiniers, Chasseurs, Dragoons and Hussars had four squadrons.<ref name=Nafziger1>{{cite web |author=Nafziger, George |title=French Army of the Rhine-and-Moselle, 13 July 1796 |url=http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/796GBW.pdf |publisher=US Army Combined Arms Center |access-date=2 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923202339/http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/796GBW.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=dead }} This source placed the 93rd and 109th Line in the Reserve rather than in the Center.</ref>

[[File:Steuben - Louis-Charles-Antoine Desaix, capitaine au 46e régiment de ligne en 1792 (1768-1800).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|alt=Painting of a man with large eyes and long dark hair looking to the right. He wears a white military uniform with violet lapels.|Louis Desaix in 1792]]

A report from 7 August 1796 showed that Saint-Cyr shuffled the brigades in the Center so that Duhesme's division had only one while Taponier had the other three. In Duhesme's division, [[Dominique Vandamme]]'s brigade was made up of the 17th and 100th Line Infantry Demi-brigades, two squadrons of the 20th [[Chasseurs à Cheval]] and a detachment of the 11th Hussars, a total of 5,272 infantry and 292 cavalry. Taponier's division included the brigades of [[Antoine Laroche Dubouscat]], [[Claude Lecourbe]] and Henri François Lambert. Laroche directed 5,124 soldiers of the 21st Light and 31st Line Infantry, Lecourbe commanded 5,878 men of the 84th and 106th Line and Lambert controlled 5,888 troops of the 93rd and 109th Line. Two squadrons of 240 sabers from the 2nd Chasseurs à Cheval were attached to Lecourbe's brigade. Altogether, there were 22,162 foot soldiers, 532 horsemen and 433 gunners in Saint-Cyr's command.<ref>{{cite web |author=Nafziger, George |title=French Army of the Rhine-and-Moselle, Center Corps, 7 August 1796 |url=http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/796HAL.pdf |publisher=US Army Combined Arms Center |access-date=2 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923202347/http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/796HAL.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In addition to the other units, the 9th Hussars were normally attached to Taponier's division.<ref name=Nafziger1/>

Archduke Charles wished to prevent the army of Moreau from joining with his colleague [[Jean-Baptiste Jourdan]] and the ''[[Army of Sambre-et-Meuse]]''. The Austrian commander hoped to withdraw to the south bank of the Danube but the ''Army of Rhin-et-Moselle'' was following too closely. By attacking Moreau, the archduke hoped to push the French back in order to prevent their two armies from merging and to give his own troops enough room to cross the Danube safely. Also, he wanted to lure Moreau into crossing the Danube and separating himself from Jourdan. Moreau's army was extended across a front {{convert|25|mi|km|0}} wide. Charles drew up plans to attack on 11 August. He sent one column to cross to the north bank of the Danube at [[Günzburg]] to get behind the French right flank. His troops were ready to move at midnight, but heavy rains slowed several of his assault columns.<ref name=Dodge292/> On the 10th Saint-Cyr with Taponier's division, drove the Austrians in his front out of the village of Eglingen. Urged on by Moreau, Saint-Cyr balked because he believed that the enemy were in strength nearby. Before anything more could be done, the heavy rain began and made it impossible to fire the cannons on both sides. Moreau refused to let his subordinate withdraw to a more defensible position or to order Duhesme's division to move closer. The only concession Moreau would make was to send up one regiment of Carabiniers to patrol in front of Taponier. To be on the safe side, Saint-Cyr stationed Lecourbe and one demi brigade at [[Dischingen]] where there was a bridge over the [[Egau]] River. Meanwhile, Duhesme stayed well to the south at [[Medlingen]] in the Danube valley.<ref name=Phipps320>Phipps (2011), pp. 319-320</ref>

[[File:Schloss Eglingen bei Dillingen.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|alt=Engraving of a large 3-story building and associated structures. It is surrounded by a fenced garden, pasture and a wall.|Eglingen Castle]]

The Austrian archduke commanded 43,000 men while Moreau led 44,737 troops. Charles massed his main strength against Saint-Cyr, who commanded 30,426 soldiers if the nearby Reserve was included.<ref name=Phipps320/> On the right flank, [[Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein]] led the Advance Guard while Sztáray led the Reserve. They would operate against [[Bopfingen]] and seize the Neresheim-Nördlingen road. Charles personally led 5,000 infantry and 1,500 cavalry on Dunstelkingen in the center. To Charles' immediate right, Hotze directed 7,500 foot and 1,800 horse toward Kösingen and Schweindorf. To Charles' immediate left, Latour's 5,500 troops would clear Eglingen and Dischingen. On the left flank, Fröhlich was in charge of the force that would cross the Danube behind the French right flank. He would cooperate with Riese's troops.<ref name=Rickard>{{cite web|last=Rickard |first=J. |title=Battle of Neresheim, 11 August 1796 |access-date=5 October 2014 |publisher=historyofwar.org |year=2009 |url=http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_neresheim.html }}</ref> The outnumbered Duhesme was to be assailed by 7,000 infantry and 2,400 cavalry.<ref name=Phipps323>Phipps (2011), p. 323</ref> Once they crushed the French right flank, 3,000 men under [[Karl Mercandin]] were to attack Dischingen while the rest were supposed to circle behind Moreau's army and keep it from escaping.<ref name=Rickard/>

The sudden Austrian advance at dawn caused the 150-strong regiment of Carabiniers to retreat at the gallop. Saint-Cyr's light cavalry, led by [[Étienne Marie Antoine Champion de Nansouty]],<ref name=Phipps320/> lost heart at seeing the heavy cavalry fleeing and fell back, leaving the French infantry at Eglingen without support. The Austrian horse fell on the flank of Lambert's brigade, routing its six battalions. This left Taponier's division with 12 battalions to face Charles' assault. At this moment Moreau arrived at Saint-Cyr's headquarters. Before riding off to consult with Desaix, the French army commander placed Bourcier's division in support nearby and agreed to have the Left Wing attack the Austrian right flank. Saint-Cyr deployed nine battalions at Dunstelkingen while keeping Lecourbe's three battalions to protect his right rear at Dischingen. At 9:00 AM the Austrians attacked this position but were beaten back. Their artillery set Dunstelkingen on fire but this actually helped prevent the Austrians from advancing. Moreau then returned from his meeting with Desaix to inform Saint-Cyr that the Left Wing's attack would be delayed until Delmas' division could be recalled from the extreme left.<ref name=Phipps321>Phipps (2011), p. 321. This source stated that Laroche's brigade was routed but twice afterward said that it was Lambert's troops that ran away.</ref>

[[File:Friedrich von Hotze.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|alt=Black and white print of a man with round eyes and white hair. He wears a white military uniform with a single decoration.|Friedrich von Hotze]]

Hotze seized Kösingen but found himself facing a new French line on high ground between him and Neresheim. He attacked this position but was repulsed by Desaix. On Hotze's right, [[Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan de la Peyrière|Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan]] drove the Austrians back to Schweindorf. The Austrians took Bopfingen but found that the French were moving south to assist the center.<ref name=Rickard/> The clash at Bopfingen was fought by the ''Duke Albert'' Carabinier Regiment Nr. 5 and the ''Siebenburger'' Hussar Regiment Nr. 47.<ref name=Smith120>Smith (1998), p. 120</ref> Desaix had little trouble fending off these advances. But a message came from the far right that said Duhesme's division was in trouble.<ref name=Phipps322>Phipps (2011), p. 322</ref> Riese attacked Duhesme at Medlingen, forcing him to retreat. A large force of Austrian cavalry reached [[Giengen]] to block the French retreat, but Duhesme escaped to the northwest. Mercandin ended the day {{convert|3|mi|km|0}} short of Dischingen and Riese moved west to [[Heidenheim an der Brenz]] rather than making a sweep into the French rear. Fröhlich's column only got as far as Albeck, north of Ulm.<ref name=Rickard/> Duhesme's division lost some cannons and was not able to rejoin Saint-Cyr for three days. The Center's artillery park at Heidenheim hurriedly displaced north to [[Aalen]]. This left Saint-Cyr's troops with no reserve artillery ammunition and dependent on supply from Bourcier's small artillery park. Moreau appeared a third time at Saint-Cyr's headquarters promising that Desaix would soon attack the Austrian right flank. Though Saint-Cyr was in a tight spot, in fact, Charles became anxious about Moreau's commitment of the French Reserve.<ref name=Phipps322/>

The Austrians declined to launch any more serious assaults on Taponier's division and by 1:00 PM the contest degenerated into an artillery duel. Part of Lambert's brigade was rallied and reoccupied Heidenheim. The Austrians threatening the French right flank began withdrawing to [[Dillingen an der Donau]]. For the fourth time that day Moreau came to see Saint-Cyr, this time accompanied by Desaix. They informed their colleague that Delmas' division was not available yet and it was too late to attack the Austrian right that day. Everything would be ready the next day.<ref name=Phipps323/> Charles hoped that Moreau might concede defeat, but the morning of 12 August found the French army still in position. Charles then gave the order to fall back. Worried about the artillery ammunition shortage, Moreau did not attack Charles' right, but neither did he panic and retreat. Instead he held his position all day on the 12th waiting for confirmation that the Austrians were withdrawing across the Danube.<ref name=Phipps324>Phipps (2011), p. 324</ref>

Besides the two cavalry regiments that fought at Bopfingen, the Austrian units that came into action were four battalions of Infantry Regiments ''Reisky'' Nr. 13 and ''Slavonier'' [[Grenz infantry|Grenz]], three battalions each of Infantry Regiments ''Manfredini'' Nr. 12, ''Nádasdy'' Nr. 39 and ''Kinsky'' Nr. 47, two battalions of Infantry Regiment ''Schröder'' Nr. 7, one battalion each of Infantry regiments ''Archduke Charles'' Nr. 3, ''Alton'' Nr. 15 and ''Ligne'' Nr. 30, the ''Apfaltrern'', ''Candiani'', ''Pietsch'' and ''Retz'' Grenadier Battalions, elements of ''Archduke Ferdinand'' Hussar Regiment Nr. 32 and four squadrons of the ''Archduke Franz'' [[Cuirassier]] Regiment Nr. 29.<ref name=Smith120/>