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Updated: May 13, 2025
This ineffectual result was entirely due to a single deliberate move which terminated his scheme of surrounding and annihilating the foe the detachment of Davout against Lestocq on the enemy's extreme right. But when viewed from the statesman's point of view, Friedland appears in a very different light.
The attempt on Kaluga had cost ten days, and exhausted the greater part of the provisions brought from Moscow, and it was now necessary to submit to a retreat pure and simple. Marshal Davout proposed to effect this by a new road, which should still supply some resources for the troops; but his advice was not listened to.
The young guard had seen 10,000 men disappear out of 28,000. Prince Eugene reckoned 45,000 on the banks of the Dwina, and entered Kowno with 40,000. Even Davout, the most skilful in drilling and managing his soldiers, saw his 72,000 men diminished by 20,000. In King Jerome's division, 22,000 were wanting, the number formerly being nearly 100,000 men.
The command on the left bank had been assigned to Davout; that of all the troops on the other side had been given to Masséna; the latter was to concentrate on the Lech, the former at Ingolstadt. Davout was to march thither and remain there; the other divisions were successively to join him.
Davout commanded also 17 thousand Prussian soldiers under General Grawert. Among the generals were Compans and Pajol, the engineer Haxo, and the handsome General Friederich 67,000 Second Corps Oudinot with the divisions of Generals Merle, Legrand, Maison, Lannes' and Massena's veterans 40,000
The prince of Hohenlohe, hard pushed by Murat and Marshal Lannes, had capitulated before Prenzlow, on the 28th of October; General Blucher, who had seized by force the free city of Lubeck, in the hope of finding there a place of support, was constrained, on November 7th, to follow his example. On the 8th, Magdeburg surrendered to Marshal Ney. Lannes occupied Stettin, and Davout occupied Custrin.
All the rest of the main army succeeded in escaping, with the assistance of the darkness, and the snow, which deadened the noise of the footsteps. The troops left in the rear could only be saved by the approach of Davout and Ney. On this occasion, once more, Napoleon recovered that unconquerable resolution which had carried him to the summit of power.
Contrary to his expectation, Davout, after hearing him, became still surlier and ruder. "Where is your dispatch?" he inquired. "Give it to me. I will send it to the Emperor." Balashev replied that he had been ordered to hand it personally to the Emperor. "Your Emperor's orders are obeyed in your army, but here," said Davout, "you must do as you're told."
They arrived thus at the imperial castle of Halitsch, where they found themselves next day pressed by Marshal Davout. Austerlitz became the headquarters of the conqueror. Before even having reached a place of safety the Emperor Francis, gloomy and calm, had in his own mind taken his decision. Prince John of Lichtenstein was sent to ask from Napoleon an armistice and an interview.
The Grand Master of Ceremonies handed the salt-cellar to Madame de Bouille, the chrisom-cap to Madame de Montalivet, the candle to Madame Lannes, the towel to Madame de Serant, the ewer to Madame Savary, the basin to Madame de Talhouet. Then, they went to the gallery, which had been turned into a chapel. Mesdames Bernadotte, Bessieres, Davout, and Mortier held the corners of the Empress's cloak.
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