A Detailed Account of the Battle of Austerlitz

by Karl von Stutterheim

At seven o'clock in the morning the combined army was put in motion, and quitted the heights of Pratzen to advance upon its given points. Each of the four columns of infantry was perfectly in view of the enemy, who could not but perceive that the direction of their march caused considerable intervals between them, in proportion as the heads of the columns approached the valleys of Tellnitz, Sokolnitz and Kobelnitz. The action began on the left wing of the allies. The corps of General Kienmayer, posted in front of Aujest, as before mentioned, was nearest the enemy, and destined to force the defile of Tellnitz, to open the route for the first column, which had a great circuit to make after having passed this defile, in order to arrive at the point which would bring it in a line with the second column; this made it necessary to carry the village of Tellnitz as soon as possible. Between Aujest and Tellnitz is a considerable plain, on which some squadrons of hussars were advanced, between seven and eight o'clock, to reconnoitre the enemy. On a hill, in front of the village, were posted several companies of infantry, who defended its approach, while some detachments of cavalry were on the right, having the lake of Menitz as their appuy.

M. de Kienmayer ordered a detachment of cavalry to advance against their right, and a Battalion[12] of the first regiment of Szeckler infantry to attack the hill on which the French infantry was posted. The latter was reinforced, and a fire of musketry commenced, which became pretty warm. The French defended themselves with obstinacy; and the Austrians, who had been supported by another Battalion, attacked with spirit. The hussars of Hesse Hombourg, on the right, under Major General Nostitz, and those of Szeckler on the left, under Major General Prince Maurice Liechtenstein, took post on the flanks of this infantry, to check the enemy's cavalry, (which was perceived on the farther side of the defile of Tellnitz) should it attempt to pass for the purpose of attacking these Austrian Battalions. The Hussars suffered severely from the enemy's sharp shooters, who took advantage of the ground, which all round the village was covered with vineyards, and full of ditches; but they could not succeed in keeping off the cavalry. The second Battalion of the regiment of Szeckler infantry had arrived to reinforce the first, which was attacking the hill, and which had lost more than half its strength. Twice the Austrians were repulsed; and twice they again advanced to the foot of the hill, which it was necessary to carry, in order to arrive at the village. At length General Stutterheim succeeded in getting possession of it with these two Battalions.

The enemy's third regiment of the line, and two Battalions of sharp shooters, were in possession of Tellnitz and the vineyards round the village. These troops defended their post with valour. M. de Kienmayer ordered General Carneville to advance with the remainder of his infantry (consisting of three other Battalions) to the support of the two which were on the hill, and were fighting with great courage. A destructive fire of musketry ensued. The village was situated in a natural entrenchment, the vineyards being surrounded by a deep ditch, of which the French kept possession: however, the Austrians succeeded at one time in penetrating as far as the village; but were again repulsed, and had some difficulty in maintaining possession of the hill they had before carried. The regiment of Szeckler infantry fought with the greatest obstinacy; above two-thirds of them being killed or wounded. This action had already lasted above an hour, and yet the head of the first column, with which was M. de Buxhoevden, had not yet made its appearance. The French had more troops belonging to Legrand's division on the farther side of the defile; and the Austrians engaged in so unequal a contest (since they were without support), continued to make fresh efforts, which they momentarily expected would become useless. At length, M. de Buxhoevden, with the first column, appeared from Aujest, and sent a Battalion of the seventh regiment of light infantry to support the Austrians, and a brigade of Russians to form the reserve. Two Austrian Battalions, with this Battalion of light infantry, which charged the enemy with impetuosity, attacked the village, gained possession of it, and were followed by the remainder. The French, on the approach of such superior numbers, evacuated the defile, and drew up on the farther side in order of battle. M. de Buxhoevden, before he moved forward, waited to see the head of the second column (which was not advancing) appear in the plain, between the foot of the hills and Sokolnitz.

Towards nine o'clock the enemy received a reinforcement of 4,000 men from the corps under General Davoust. These troops arrived from the convent of Reygern; the French then taking advantage of a thick fog which suddenly darkened the whole valley, again got possession of the village, and even penetrated as far as the hill beyond it. At this moment General Nostitz made a rapid charge, with two squadrons of the hussars of Hesse Hombourg, for the purpose of checking them.

The Russian light infantry, and an Austrian Battalion, which had been posted in Tellnitz, had fallen back in disorder: the Russian regiment of New Ingermannland ought to have supported them; but retreated in a manner, which, combined with the fog, threw a part of the column into confusion. The charge made by the hussars had checked the French infantry, some hundreds of whom were made prisoners. The fog having dispersed, the troops again moved forwards, and the enemy abandoned the village. The first column made a deployment in several lines upon the hill, and Tellnitz was retaken. A cannonade took place; and as soon as the French entirely withdrew from this point, the defile was passed, without opposition, by the brigades of cavalry under Prince Maurice Liechtenstein and General Stutterheim, who drew up in order of battle on the farther side. Tellnitz and the defile were occupied by some Battalions provided with artillery. The enemy then entirely abandoned the plain between Tellnitz and Turas; but he was not followed up, because the communication with the second column was not yet established. The Austrian cavalry consequently avoided the snare laid for it, by the retreat of the right of the French army. During this action, near Tellnitz, the second and third column had quitted the heights of Pratzen, and had approached towards Sokolnitz, which was occupied by two Battalions from the division of Legrand. These two Battalions opposed some resistance to the Russian light infantry as they advanced at the head of these columns. The French had placed some cannon on a hill between Sokolnitz and Kobelnitz; (the latter village was occupied by the enemy's reserve) a pretty heavy cannonade was opened upon Sokolnitz, which destroyed the village. These two Russian columns, without concerning themselves as to the fourth column, without any direct communication with it, and without being deterred by the offensive movements of the enemy, thought of nothing but the first disposition, and continued their movements upon Sokolnitz; which village they took possession of without much resistance, after a long and useless cannonade. General Muller, of the Russian light infantry, was wounded and afterwards taken prisoner beyond Sokolnitz. In passing this village, the two columns crossed upon each other, and some confusion ensued.

We must now, for an instant, leave this point, in order to see what was passing in the centre, and on the right of the allies, while the capture of the villages of Tellnitz and Sokolnitz was going forward. The Emperor of the French, who had not failed to remark the want of concert and consistency in the movements of the Austro-Russian army, and who saw that by the circuitous route the left was obliged to take, it became more distant from the centre, in proportion as it advanced, immediately put in motion the massive columns which he had kept together, with a view of marching against the centre, and by that means cutting off the wing, which still imprudently continued to advance, for the purpose of turning the French army in a position which it did not occupy. The Reserve of the French army, composed of ten Battalions of the Imperial guard, and of ten Battalions of General Oudinot's grenadiers, (who recovered from his wound, now resumed his command) remained upon the heights between Schlapanitz and Kobelnitz. This Reserve did not fire a shot during the whole battle. Marshal Soult, with the two divisions of St. Hilaire, and Vandamme (posted during the night, as we have already seen, in the valley of Kobelnitz), traversed this village and that of Puntowitz, to make an attack upon the heights and the village of Pratzen. At the same time Marshal Bernadotte, after having crossed, by means of a bad and narrow bridge, (only a few musket shots distant from his enemy) the rivulet at the village of Girschikowitz, with the division of Rivaud on his left, and that of Drouet on his right, took his direction upon the heights of Blasowitz. The cavalry under Prince Murat formed in several lines on the left of Marshal Bernadotte, and marched between Girschikowitz and Krug. Marshal Lannes having on his right the division of Caffarelli, and on his left that of General Suchet, moved forward to the left of Prince Murat, on each side of the causeway. From that time the centre and right of the allies became engaged in all quarters. The Grand Duke Constantine was destined with the corps of guards to form the Reserve of the right, and quitted the heights in front of Austerlitz, at the appointed hour, to occupy those of Blasowitz and Krug. He was hardly arrived on this point before he found himself in first line, and engaged with the sharp shooters of Rivaud's division, and Prince Murat's light cavalry, commanded by General Kellermann. The Grand Duke hastened to occupy the village of Blasowitz with the light infantry Battalion of the guards. At the same instant Prince John de Liechtenstein arrived with his cavalry. According to the original disposition, this Prince was to post himself on the left of Prince Bagration, to preserve the command of the plain in front of Schlapanitz. This column of cavalry, which had been posted in rear of the third column, and which was to move by its right flank, upon its point of attack, was impeded in its march by the columns of infantry, which crossed upon it as they were advancing, to descend from the heights. Prince Liechtenstein had hastened to send, during the march, 10 squadrons, under Lieut.-general Uwarrow, to the left of Prince Bagration, to secure that general's left flank, which was opposed to a part of Prince Murat's cavalry. After the regiment of Elisabethgrod hussars had formed in order of battle, under General Uwarrow, the Grand Duke Constantino's regiment of Hulans became the head of the column of cavalry. Prince John de Liechtenstein, when he arrived on the Grand Duke's left, found the enemy in presence of the Russian guards; it was the cavalry under General Kellermann, supported by the infantry of Marshal Bernadotte's left, and of Marshal Lannes' right. Prince John de Liechtenstein immediately determined on forming his cavalry in order of battle, to charge the enemy. The Grand Duke's regiment was the first that deployed; but, carried away by the ardour of the brave General[13] Essen, who commanded them; the Hulans did not await the formation of the rest of the line, and, without support, rushed forward to attack the enemy's light cavalry, which, retiring through the intervals of the infantry, was pursued with but too much impetuosity through the Battalions. The Hulans wanted to attack the French cavalry that was in second line, but, in consequence of the fire they had sustained, they reached it in disorder, and were received by it with determination. The division of Caffarelli formed a line on their right, and that of Rivaud on their left, and the Hulans, being thus placed between two fires, lost above 400 men; Lieut.-general Essen, who led them, was severely wounded, and died in consequence. The Grand Duke's regiment, which had made this brilliant charge, attacked too soon, with too much impetuosity, and became the victim of its own ill-placed courage. It was put completely to the route, and in this state it reached, by its right, the corps under Prince Bagration, in rear of which it again formed. This last general had now moved forward from the post of Posorsitz, to oppose the left of Marshal Lannes, which rested on Kovalowitz; Prince Bagration had caused the villages of Krug and Holubitz to be occupied by General Ulanius, with three Battalions of light infantry.

We now come to the centre of the allied army, where the fate of this day was decided. It was too weak to resist the enemy's attacks. Abandoned by the third column, and all the left of the army, while the division on the right flank was not sufficiently powerful to divide the French forces; the centre saw itself attacked, or menaced with attack, by four divisions, to which it could only oppose 27 very weak Battalions, without any hope of reinforcement. Those Russian regiments which had made their retreat from Braunau, formed a part of this number, and were scarcely composed of 400 men each. Without exaggeration, we may here calculate, that 12,000 men were attacked by 24,000, and while the French army was not, in fact, so numerous as that of the allies, by a more happy arrangement of their force, which was more concentrated and better directed, the enemy's strength was doubled on that point, which was of the greatest importance. The centre of the allies was perfectly insulated, which, in consequence of the distance the several columns (the 2d and 3d excepted) were from each other, was the case, nearly, on all points.

The Emperor of Russia, with the Commander in chief, arrived at the head of the fourth column, at the moment when it was to advance. In order to give time to the columns on the left to gain ground, Lieut.-general Kollowrath, who commanded the fourth column, received orders not to move till towards eight o'clock. The action, therefore, near Tellnitz, had already begun, and the left was in motion, when the centre formed, and broke into platoons from the left. The Russian infantry, under Lieut.-general Miloradowich, was at the head of the column. Two of his battalions, of the regiments of Novogrod and Apscherousky, commanded by Lieut.-colonel Monachtin, with some Austrian dragoons of the Archduke John's regiment, formed the advanced guard of the column, and marched only a small distance in its front.

It was now near nine o'clock, and the third column had just quitted the heights of Pratzen to march, in conformity to the disposition, upon Sokolnitz: the fourth column had just arrived on the ground occupied, during the night, by General Przibischewsky, when a massive column of French infantry was suddenly descried in a bottom, in front of Pratzen. As soon as the enemy's columns were perceived, they were put in motion, at the moment when the Russian advanced guard approached the village. This massive column of the enemy was composed as follows: the right columns of the division of Vandamme; those on the left, of the division of St. Hilaire. Nevertheless, the advanced guard of the 4th column lost no time in occupying the village of Pratzen, and got possession of a small bridge beyond it before the enemy's sharp shooters. Having passed this bridge, it posted a Battalion upon a hill to the left, in front of the village, (which was not yet left by the rear of the third column) while the other Battalion of the advanced guard occupied the village itself.

General Koutousoff, whom this movement of the enemy had taken by surprize (thinking himself the assailant, and seeing himself attacked in the midst of his combinations and his movements), felt all the importance of maintaining the heights of Pratzen, against which the French were moving; they commanded every thing, and were the only security to the rear of the third column, which continued to advance and expose itself with the greatest imprudence, forgetting the enemy and every thing but the original disposition. It was the summit of the heights of Pratzen which decided the fate of the day. It had been the key to the position the allied army had just quitted; and, from the confused situation of the different columns their fate depended upon whoever was master of this height. As soon as the Commander-in-chief, who was at the head of the column, was informed by his advanced guard that the enemy was so near him, he gave orders for shewing him a front, and for occupying the height; at the same time he sent for some cavalry from the column under Prince John de Liechtenstein, who sent him four Russian regiments. The French directed the march of their two masses of infantry with great coolness, and at a slow pace. A third column of the enemy now made its appearance on the right of Pratzen, and threatened to pass through the interval, between the fourth column, and the cavalry under Prince John de Liechtenstein. This French column was a part of the corps under Marshal Bernadotte. Upon this the Russian infantry, belonging to the fourth column, marched to the right of Pratzen, and sent a reinforcement to the Battalions of the advanced guard, which were already posted on the hill to be maintained; but this advanced guard, being attacked by superior numbers, abandoned it, after a very short resistance.