Editing Battle of Montereau (section)

== Battle ==

===Forces===
[[File:König Wilhelm I Württ.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|Prince Frederick William]]

The Crown Prince's IV Corps consisted of an infantry division led by Christian Johann Gottgetreu von Koch and a cavalry division under Prince Adam von Württemberg. Ludwig Stockmeyer's brigade consisted of two battalions of King Frederick Jäger Regiment Nr. 9 and one battalion of Light Infantry Regiment Nr. 10. Christoph Friedrich David Döring's brigade was made up of two battalions each of Infantry Regiments Duke Wilhelm Nr. 2, Nr. 3 and Nr. 7. Prince Karl von Hohenlohe-Kirchberg's brigade included two battalions each of Infantry Regiments Nr. 4 and Crown Prince Nr. 6. Walsleben's cavalry brigade comprised four squadrons each of Duke Louis Jäger zu Pferde Regiment Nr. 2 and Crown Prince Dragoon Regiment Nr. 3. Karl August Maximillian Jett's cavalry brigade had four squadrons of Prince Adam Jäger zu Pferde Regiment Nr. 4. Attached to each cavalry brigade was one [[horse artillery]] battery while Döring's and Hohenlohe's brigades each had a foot artillery battery. All four batteries were armed with four 6-pound cannons and two howitzers.{{sfn|Nafziger|1994}}

Attached to the IV Corps was Joseph Schäffer's Austrian brigade. This unit consisted of two battalions each of Infantry Regiments Gyulai Nr. 21, Esterhazy Nr. 32 and Josef Colloredo Nr. 57, three battalions of Infantry Regiment Zach Nr. 15, six squadrons of Archduke Ferdinand Hussar Regiment Nr. 3 and two-foot artillery batteries. Altogether there were 11,000 Württembergers and 4,000 Austrians present.{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=498}} A second source credited the Allies with 18,000 troops in Montereau.{{sfn|Alison|1842|p=83}}

[[File:Пажоль.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|Pierre Claude Pajol]]

Victor's II Corps had the divisions of Louis Huguet-Chateau and [[Guillaume Philibert Duhesme]]. Chateau's 1st Division was made up of 1st Battalions of the 11th and 24th Light and the 2nd, 19th, 37th and 56th Line Infantry Regiments. Duhesme's 2nd Division included 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 4th, 18th and 46th Line and 1st Battalions of the 72nd and 93rd Line and 26th Light.{{sfn|Nafziger|2009a}} Chateau's division numbered only 1,536 officers and men, since all units except the 477-strong 19th were sadly understrength, while Duhesme had 2,442 effectives. The 1st Division was supported by five 6-pound cannons and one howitzer while the 2nd Division counted eight 6-pound cannons and four howitzers. With 475 gunners and 135 sappers, Victor's total strength was 4,588 soldiers.{{sfn|Nafziger|2009b}} Gérard's Reserve of Paris included the divisions of [[Georges Joseph Dufour]] and Jacques Félix Jan de La Hamelinaye.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=86}} The 1st Division was made up of one battalion each of the 5th, 12th, 15th and 29th Light and the 32nd, 58th and 135th Line. The 2nd Division comprised the 26th, 82nd, 86th, 121st, 122nd and 142nd Line.{{sfn|Nafziger|2009a}} Gérard's force had 214 artillerists from three companies attached.{{sfn|Nafziger|2009b}}

Pajol led a provisional cavalry corps consisting of three small brigades, 460 Chasseurs à Cheval under [[Jacques-Antoine-Adrien Delort]], 476 Dragoons under François Grouvel and 400 Hussars under Charles Yves César Du Coetlosquet.{{sfn|Nafziger|2009a}} Pacthod commanded 3,000 National Guards and there were 800 gendarmes (military police) with this column.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=83}} MacDonald's XI Corps counted three divisions led by Joseph Jean Baptiste Albert, [[François Pierre Joseph Amey]] and Michel Sylvestre Brayer. Lhéritier commanded the [[V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée)|V Cavalry Corps]] which was formed from three mounted divisions. [[Hippolyte Piré]]'s 3rd Light Cavalry Division included the 14th, 26th and 27th Chasseurs à Cheval and the 3rd Hussars, André Louis Briche's 3rd Heavy Cavalry Division the 2nd, 6th, 11th, 13th and 15th Dragoons and Lhéritier's 4th Cavalry Division the 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd and 25th Dragoons. Bordesoulle's detachment numbered 500 horsemen from depot squadrons.{{sfn|Nafziger|2009a}}

The Imperial Guard consisted of the Old Guard Division of [[Louis Friant]], the 1st Young Guard Division of Claude Marie Meunier, the 2nd Young Guard Division of [[Philibert Jean-Baptiste Curial]], and the 2nd and 3rd Guard Cavalry Divisions. Marshal [[Michel Ney]] led the two Young Guard divisions while [[Étienne Marie Antoine Champion de Nansouty]] led the Guard cavalry divisions. The 2nd Guard Cavalry was made up of the [[1st Polish Light Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard|1st Polish Guard Lancer]], [[Dragons de la Garde Impériale|Empress Dragoon]] and Polish and 3rd [[Éclaireurs of the Guard|Éclaireur]] Regiments. The 3rd Guard Cavalry Division had the [[Grenadiers à Cheval de la Garde Impériale|Guard Horse Grenadier]] and [[Chasseurs à Cheval de la Garde Impériale|Guard Chasseurs à Cheval]] Regiments.{{sfn|Nafziger|2009a}} According to one authority, units that fought in the battle included most of the regiments from the corps of Victor and Gérard, the Guard artillery, Guard Chasseurs à Cheval and 2nd Guard Lancers, 3rd Hussars from [[Jacques Gervais, baron Subervie]]'s brigade, 18th Dragoons of Auguste Lamotte's brigade, 25th Dragoons from [[Jean Antoine de Collaert]]'s brigade, 9th Lancers and 22nd Chasseurs à Cheval from Kellermann's [[VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée)|VI Cavalry Corps]] and the 7th Lancers, 9th Chasseurs à Cheval and 7th Hussars from unidentified corps. MacDonald's corps and the Guard infantry were not engaged.{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=498}}

===Action===
[[File:Pajol.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|alt=Plaque showing General Pajol leading a cavalry charge at the Battle of Montereau.|Pajol leading the charge at Montereau.]]

After issuing conflicting orders concerning the defense of Montereau, Schwarzenberg finally directed the Crown Prince to hold the town until the evening of 18 February. Meanwhile, Oudinot's leading troops found that Wittgenstein had withdrawn across the Seine at Nogent{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=82}} while Wrede was across at Bray.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=83}} At both places, the Allies broke the bridges.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=85}} While Montereau on the south bank is in flat terrain, the north bank is crowned by a {{convert|150|-|200|ft}} height with a steep slope next to the river and a gentler slope on the north side.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=83}} Atop the ridge, Surville chateau overlooks the bridges and town of Montereau, which was surrounded by vineyards and meadows to the south and east.{{sfn|Alison|1842|p=84}} The Paris road approached Montereau from the northwest where there was a forest. The road from [[Salins, Seine-et-Marne|Salins]] came from the northeast and ran alongside the river from Courbeton chateau to the bridge. The hamlet of Les Ormeaux was a short distance east of the Paris road. The roads from the north join at the bridge which crosses the Seine to the eastern suburb, then immediately crosses the Yonne into Montereau.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=Map II k}} The Seine bridge was the site of the [[Assassination of John the Fearless]], Duke of Burgundy in 1419.{{sfn|Alison|1842|p=84}}

[[File:Bataille Montereau 18 02 1814.pdf|thumb|left|alt=Map shows the Battle of Montereau.|Battle of Montereau map (8am-1pm)]]

The Crown Prince deployed 8,500-foot soldiers, 1,000 horsemen and 26 field guns on the north bank of the Seine.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=83}} A second authority counted 12,000 defenders.{{sfn|Alison|1842|p=85}} The left flank was anchored in Les Ormeaux, the center incorporated the Surville chateau and park while the right flank included the Courbeton chateau and blocked the road from Salins. Two Austrian batteries from Bianchi's corps were positioned on the south bank, one covering each flank. There was also a IV Corps brigade on the south bank near the eastern suburb at the Motteux Farm.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=83}} Schäffer's Austrians held the Surville park in the center.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=84}} The Allies were supported by a total of 40 field pieces.{{sfn|Alison|1842|p=84}}

Napoleon ordered Victor to be at Montereau at 6:00&nbsp;am but the first French forces to arrive were Pajol's cavalry and Pacthod's National Guards at 8:00&nbsp;am. Aside from numbering no more than 4,500 men, the horsemen had almost no training while the National Guards were ill-equipped and ill-trained. They made no impression on the Crown Prince's defenders. Victor leading elements arrived at 9:00&nbsp;am{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=83}} and their initial attack was repulsed. When the divisions of Chateau and Duhesme reached the field they were thrown into an attack on Les Ormeaux. This was beaten back and Chateau,{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=84}} who was Victor's son-in-law,{{sfn|Alison|1842|p=84}} was fatally wounded. The Württemberg cavalry charged and drove the French horsemen back into the forest. Unable to make any progress by 11:00&nbsp;am, Victor awaited the coming of Gérard's corps. Angry at the marshal's slowness, Napoleon replaced Victor and placed command of the II Corps in Gérard's hands.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=84}}

[[File:Bataille Montereau 18 02 1814.pdf|thumb|left|page=2|alt=Map shows the Battle of Montereau.|Battle of Montereau map (2&nbsp;pm&nbsp;- 6&nbsp;pm)]]
Gérard led his troops up the heights but the Allied artillery was well-served and threw back assault after assault. In the afternoon, the Imperial Guard artillery arrived and 40 more guns were brought into action.{{sfn|Alison|1842|p=84}} At 3:00&nbsp;pm, Napoleon hurled three attack columns at Les Ormeaux and Surville and another one against the Allied right flank along the Seine. While the Guard remained in reserve, the French artillery unleashed a barrage at Surville chateau. The French finally overran Les Ormeaux, causing the Crown Prince to order Schäffer's Austrians to cover the retreat. As the Württembergers began pulling back, Pajol launched a cavalry charge down the Paris highway against the Allied left flank. At this time, French infantry rushed the Surville chateau and made its garrison prisoners. There were now 30,000 French troops on the field supported by 70{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=84}} or 80 field pieces.{{sfn|Alison|1842|p=85}}

At first the withdrawal was conducted in good order, but the Allied soldiers became more disorganized as they tried to negotiate the steep slope. They fell into complete confusion upon encountering a sunken road. Soon, every Allied soldier was running for the Seine bridge. The Crown Prince tried to rally his men and was nearly captured by the French cavalry. The French emperor ordered 60 guns onto the Surville heights where they unlimbered and fired their missiles into the fleeing mob of Allies crowding the bridges. When Napoleon personally sighted one of the cannons, his guardsmen begged him to leave. He refused saying, "Courage my friends, the bullet which is to kill me is not yet cast".{{sfn|Alison|1842|p=85}}

[[File:Napoléon.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|alt=Plaque showing Napoleon sighting a cannon at the Battle of Montereau.|Napoleon aiming a cannon at Montereau.]]
Pajol's horsemen charged into the fleeing mass of soldiers and managed to seize first the Seine bridge{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=84}} and then the Yonne bridge before either could be blown up, though they were rigged for demolition. Duhesme's division rapidly crossed after the cavalry and helped clear Montereau of the Allies.{{sfn|Alison|1842|p=85}} The beaten Allies joined Hohenlohe's brigade and began a disorderly retreat toward Le Tombe, a village on the road to Bray. The movement was covered by Jett's cavalry brigade.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=85}} Napoleon sent Marshal [[François Joseph Lefebvre]] and his own cavalry escort in pursuit toward Bray. An eyewitness wrote that Lefebvre foamed at the mouth and struck at Allied soldiers with his saber.{{sfn|Chandler|1966|p=979}}