Editing Battle of Montereau (section)

===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 Meanwhile, Oudinot's leading troops found that Wittgenstein had withdrawn across the Seine at Nogent{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=82}} while Wrede was across at Bray.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=83}} At both places, the Allies broke the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}}