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Updated: June 14, 2025
This energetic answer obliged Vandamme to restrain his fury, or at least to direct it to other objects. Meanwhile the French forces daily augmented at Haarburg. Vandamme, profiting by the negligence of the new Hanseatic troops, who had the defence of the great islands of the Elbe, attacked them one night in the month of May.
Cyr The Cabinets of Vienna and the Tuileries First appearance of the Cossacks Colonel Tettenborn invited to occupy Hamburg Cordial reception of the Russians Depredations Levies of troops Testimonials of gratitude to Tettenborn Napoleon's new army Death of General Morand Remarks of Napoleon on Vandamme Bonaparte and Gustavus Adolphus Junction of the corps of Davoust and Vandamme Reoccupation of Hamburg by the French General Hogendorff appointed Governor of Hamburg Exactions and vexatious contributions levied upon Hamburg and Lubeck Hostages.
These attacks were directed by Vandamme, of all our generals the most redoubtable in conquered countries. He was a native of Cassel, in Flanders, and had acquired a high reputation for severity.
At the commencement of the siege Davoust lost Vandamme, who was killed in a sortie at the head of a numerous corps which was inconsiderately sacrificed. It is but justice to admit that Davoust displayed great activity in the defence, and began by laying in large supplies.
However, Vandamme, completely surrounded by forces ten times more numerous than his own, refused to surrender and placing himself at the head of two battalions of the 85th, the only ones left to him, he hurled himself into the midst of the enemy in a fight to the death. His horse was killed and a group of Russians seized him and made him prisoner.
The French Emperor had divided his army into 14 Corps, called infantry, although they each contained at least a brigade of light cavalry. The commanding generals were as follows: 1 Corps. Gen. Vandamme. 2 Corps. Marshal Victor. 3 Corps. Marshal Ney. 4 Corps. Gen. Bertrand. 5 Corps. Gen. Lauriston. 6 Corps. Marshal Marmont. 7 Corps. Gen. Reynier. 8 Corps. Prince Poniatowski. 9 Corps.
It is surprising that from nearby Dresden Napoleon did not send one of his aides-de-camp, to make certain that Saint-Cyr and Mortier had gone to the aid of Vandamme, as he had ordered.
Meanwhile the French right wing, of which Grouchy had received the command, though Napoleon in person was its moving force, had been pressing the Prussians hard near Gilly. Yet here, too, the assailants were weakened by the absence of the corps of Vandamme and Gérard.
But Masséna was already master of the Enns valley, and Bernadotte was sent to assist Vandamme at Linz. The Emperor had already divined the plan, and thwarted it by the rapidity with which his orders were transmitted and distant divisions summoned.
By that time new forces had arrived from France and the various garrison towns, so that on the curving line from Bremen by Magdeburg, Bernburg, Wittenberg, Meissen, and Dresden, there stood a force of about seventy-five thousand men in six divisions, under Vandamme, Lauriston, Victor, Grenier, Davout, and Reynier.
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