In the mean time, the French Marshal had collected about nine thousand men on the Height before mentioned, near the road to Nanteuil; one third of whom had already constituted the Rear Guard, and the remainder was composed of troops that had halted during the night in the vicinity, as at Vauciennes, Coyolles, and Pisseleux. With these troops, Grouchy showed every disposition to accept an engagement.
General Pirch II., finding himself thus critically situated between two separate and overpowering hostile forces, prepared to effect his retreat.
This was facilitated in a peculiar manner. The troops of Vandamme's Corps, perceiving the Prussians thus posted on the high road to Paris, and imagining their force to be greater than it really was, fell into the greatest disorder, and with loud cries of "Into the woods on the left, towards La Ferté Milon—we are cut off from Paris!" they all rushed in that direction; with the exception of two thousand men and some guns conducted by Vandamme himself by the way of Pisseleux, leaving Villers Cotterets on their right, and masking the movement by a vigorous attack upon this place. The 6th Prussian Regiment was driven back by the Enemy's superior numbers; and Pirch, after having kept up a brisk cannonade, gradually withdrew the Regiment from Villers Cotterets, for the purpose of moving upon Crespy, the direction previously laid down for him, with a view to the concentration of the Corps.
As Grouchy was moving by the Soissons road towards Nanteuil, Pirch was desirous of proceeding in a parallel direction, through Longpré; but he was subsequently induced, on consideration of the Defiles in that direction, and which he did not deem it prudent to pass so near to the Enemy, to prefer retiring along the Compiegne road, as far as where it is joined by the one leading from Viviers; and where, for the covering of the Left Flank and Rear, a Squadron of the Brandenburg Dragoons had already been posted. From this point he struck into the road leading by Buts, and reached, towards mid day, Frenois la Rivière, where he gave his troops a few hours' rest; and then proceeded by Crespy to Nanteuil, which place he reached about nine o'clock in the evening, having marched twenty one leagues within the last thirty eight hours, during six of which he had also been engaged with the Enemy. He had succeeded in creating confusion in one portion of the retiring French force, and in impeding the retreat of that which was with Grouchy himself sufficiently long to enable Zieten to anticipate the latter in his arrival at Nanteuil.
It has already been explained, when describing the proceedings of the 27th, how much separated the Brigades of the First Prussian Corps d'Armée were from one another. The First was still on the march from La Fère (it rejoined on the afternoon of this day); the Second, with the Brandenburg Dragoons, was near Villers Cotterets; the Third, with a Cavalry Brigade, was at Crespy; and the Fourth, with the other Cavalry Brigade was at Gillicourt. Hence Zieten was desirous, on the morning of the 28th, to concentrate his Corps at Crespy; leaving only a strong Cavalry Detachment at Villers Cotterets. But whilst despatching the Order to Pirch to move upon Crespy; he received a report from this General, that he had fallen upon the French troops retreating through Villers Cotterets, and was upon the point of being driven back by superior numbers.
Zieten, considering that the Prussian troops at Crespy, the nearest to Villers Cotterets, were nearly three leagues distant from the latter point, decided upon not attempting to give any direct support to Pirch; but to advance with the Third Brigade, together with the Reserve Cavalry and Artillery, towards Levignon, on the great Paris road, between Villers Cotterets and Nanteuil, and, if possible, occupy that point before the French could reach it. He found the latter in the act of marching through the village; and immediately ordered a Howitzer Battery to be drawn up, which commenced throwing shells into the place. He also ordered the 1st West Prussian Dragoons, and the 1st Silesian Hussars, with a Horse Battery, to attack the Enemy.
The French, however, retired in such haste, that they were not overtaken until about midway between Levignon and Nanteuil; when they halted their Rear Guard, which made front against the Prussians. They comprised the Second Corps d'Armée, under Reille, who had with him several Regiments of Cavalry, and continued their march; supporting, however, the Rear Guard. On coming up with the latter, two Squadrons of the 2nd West Prussian Dragoons charged; but they were repulsed, and attacked in flank by a French Regiment of Lancers. The Enemy now advanced, with the hope of completely routing the Prussian Cavalry. This attempt failed in consequence of a most successful attack by the 1st Silesian Hussars; by which the French were put to flight, and two of their guns captured. The Horse Battery drew up, at the same time, on the left of the high road, and, by its effective fire, committed great havoc amidst the flying Enemy; who was pursued by the Prussian Cavalry even beyond Nanteuil.
During the movement upon Levignon, General Hobe came up with a Cavalry Brigade from the Third Corps d'Armée. It advanced by the right, along the road from Crespy to Nanteuil, with the design of intercepting a portion of the Enemy's retreating Columns; but the French, in the mean time, fled in such haste, that only a few prisoners were made.
Notwithstanding the pressure thus made upon the French line of retreat, Count Reille succeeded in uniting the remains of his Corps d'Armée with those of Count d'Erlon's Corps which had escaped through Crespy and by the left of Senlis.