It was late in the afternoon when Lieutenant Colonel Sohr received intelligence that the Enemy's Cavalry was approaching, and that his Advanced Guard was attacked. He immediately advanced with both his Hussar Regiments, and drove back the Enemy upon Villa Coublai, in the Defile of which Village a sharp engagement ensued. In this attack the ranks of the Prussian Hussars had become disordered; and, as the latter retired, they were fallen upon by the 5th and 6th French Lancers of Piré's Light Cavalry Brigade, before alluded to as having been posted in ambush. They then fell back upon Versailles, pursued by the French; who vainly endeavoured to force an entrance into the Town, at the Gate of which a gallant resistance was made by the Prussians. The short time that was gained by this resistance sufficed for collecting the main body of the Brigade on the open space at the outlet leading to St Germain, towards which point it might have retreated through the Park; but, having received information of the advance of Thielemann's Corps, and expecting every moment to derive from it a Support, Lieutenant Colonel Sohr retired by the more direct road through Rocquencourt.
About seven o'clock in the evening, at which time the Hussars had collected their scattered force together, and were on the point of commencing their further retreat upon St Germain: Sohr received intelligence, upon which he could rely, that he had been turned by both Cavalry and Infantry; and that his line of retreat had been intercepted. His decision was instantly formed. He knew his men, their devotion, and their courage; and resolved upon cutting his way through the Enemy with the sword.
On quitting Versailles the Prussian Hussars were fired upon by the National Guard from the Barrier. They had not proceeded far when word was brought in, that Prussian and English Cavalry were approaching from the side of St Germain; but they were speedily undeceived. It was the 1st Regiment of French Chasseurs. In the next moment they were formed for attack, and advanced at a gallop. The Chasseurs came on in the same style; but they were completely overthrown, and their Commanding Officer lay stretched upon the ground by a pistol shot. As they were pursued by the Hussars, a fire was unexpectedly opened upon the latter by two Companies of the 3rd Battalion of the 33rd French Regiment, posted behind some hedges, near Le Chesnay; whereupon Sohr, with the greater part of his Hussars, struck into a field road to the right, in order to turn this Village, which was occupied by the Enemy. This, however, led them to a bridge, with adjacent houses, occupied by two more Companies of the above Battalion; from which they also received a sharp fire. Meeting with this new obstacle, and aware of the proximity of the great mass of Cavalry under Excelmans, in their rear; the diminished and disordered remnant of the two Prussian Regiments, about 150 Hussars, rallying upon their Chief, dashed across a meadow, with a determination to force a passage through the Village of Le Chesnay. Here the Chasseurs again opposed them, but were once more overthrown; and the Prussians now followed a road which conducted them through the Village, but which unfortunately led into a large court whence there was no other outlet. Not only was their further progress thus checked, but their whole body was suddenly assailed by a fire from Infantry, already posted in this quarter; whilst the pursuing Cavalry prevented every chance of escape. Their situation had become truly desperate; but their bravery, instead of succumbing, appeared incited to the highest pitch by the heroic example of Lieutenant Colonel Sohr: who rejected the offer of quarter, and fell, severely wounded by a pistol shot. Victory favoured the strongest: but it was a victory gained by immeasurably superior numbers over the dead and dying of a gallant band of warriors; who fought to the last, and did all that the most inflexible bravery could accomplish.
The losses incurred by this Brigade during the short Campaign had already reduced it, previously to this Affair, to between 600 and 700 men: and on the present occasion it suffered a still further loss of ten Officers, and from 400 to 500 men.
The detaching of these two Regiments so much in advance of the Prussian general movement to the right; and the Orders given to Lieutenant Colonel Sohr, to cross the Seine on the morning of the 30th of June, appear a questionable measure. It is true that this Officer was desired to consider himself as acting independently, and without reference to the troops that were to follow in the same direction; but then it must be recollected that he had to proceed along a very considerable portion of the circumference of a circle, from the centre of which the Enemy could detach superior force along radii far shorter than the distance between the Prussian Brigade and the main Army: so that, with a vigilant look out, the French possessed every facility of cutting off his retreat. His Orders were to interrupt the communication with Paris by the Orleans road, and to spread alarm and confusion on that side of the capital: but in issuing them the effect likely to be produced upon the morale of the citizens could have alone been contemplated; and, in all probability, it was at the same time conceived that, as no fortified works had been thrown up on the south side, the French troops intended to direct their attention mainly, if not wholly, towards the Armies in front of the northern portion of the capital. The effect thus sought to be produced might have been obtained in the case of a weak garrison; but that of Paris, comprising as it did about 50,000 troops of the Line, besides the National Guards, was not to be so lightly treated. In carrying into execution the Order to create alarm and confusion on the south side of Paris, these two Regiments of Hussars would naturally draw in that direction the attention of the French Commanders; and thus lead, as the result proved, not only to the cutting off of so comparatively weak a force, but also to the posting of a respectable body of troops at the threatened point, in anticipation of the Enemy's following up the attack in greater force. Even previously to obtaining the insight thus afforded into a part of the plan of the Invaders, the movements of the latter had been more narrowly watched than was supposed: as may be readily inferred from the fact of Excelmans having been detached, on the 1st, towards Versailles, with a body of Cavalry; and of the position at Montrouge having been occupied in considerable force. All circumstances considered, the preferable course would have been, to have employed Sohr's Brigade as an Advanced Guard only; having immediate support from the main Columns in its rear.
It so happened that the Advanced Guard of Thielemann's Corps, consisting of the Ninth Infantry Brigade, under General Borcke, was on the march from St Germain (which it had left about seven o'clock in the evening) to take post at Marly; when it received intelligence of the two Cavalry Regiments, under Lieutenant Colonel Sohr, having been completely defeated. Borcke hastened forward, and it was not long before his Advance became engaged with the French Tirailleurs proceeding from Versailles. The Enemy was immediately attacked, and driven back upon Rocquencourt. As darkness was setting in, Borcke drew up his force with caution. He pushed forward the Fusilier Battalion of the 8th Regiment, supported by the 1st Battalion of the 30th Regiment; and held the remainder in Battalion Columns on the right and left of the road. The vigour of the attack made by the first named Battalion was such that the Enemy retired in all haste upon the nearest suburb of Paris; whilst Borcke bivouacked at Rocquencourt.
Besides the Cavalry under Excelmans, the remains of the Third and Fourth French Corps d'Armée were detached to the south of Paris; on which side Vandamme, who commanded, took up a position, having his Right upon the Seine, his Left by Montrouge, and his Centre in rear of Issy. He placed a portion of his troops in the villages of Vanves and Issy; the houses and walls of which appeared to offer great advantages for defence. His Advanced Guard occupied Chatillon, Clamord, Meudon, Sèvres, and St Cloud. In the evening he was joined by the Imperial Guard, which he posted in support.
The following were the positions of the respective Armies on the evening of the 1st of July:—
The Second Corps of the Anglo-Allied Army, under Lord Hill, comprising the Second and Fourth Divisions, the Nassau troops, and Estorff's Hanoverian Cavalry Brigade, was in the position previously occupied by the Fourth Prussian Corps; having its Right upon the great road about Pierrefitte, its Left upon the great road of Senlis, and its Advanced Posts at Aubervilliers and in front of St Denis.
The First Corps, under Sir John Byng, comprising the First and Third Divisions, and the Dutch-Belgian troops, were in the position previously occupied by the First Prussian Corps; having its Right upon the great road behind Le Bourget; its Left upon the Forest of Bondy, and its Advanced Posts along the Ourcq Canal.
The Reserve, under Sir James Kempt, was encamped between Louvres and Vauderlan.
The Cavalry was encamped and cantoned about the villages of Groussainville, Vauderlan, and Roissy.
The Pontoon Train and the Hawser Bridges were at Sarcelles, on the Chantilly road to Paris.
The Head Quarters of the Duke of Wellington were at Gonesse.
The First Prussian Corps d'Armée was encamped between the villages of Le Mesnil and Carrière au Mont, on the left bank of the Seine, not far from St Germain.
The Third Corps was also on the left bank of the Seine, in the valley, and near St Germain. Its Advanced Guard (the Ninth Brigade) was at Rocquencourt.
The Fourth Corps was upon the march to St Germain.
Prince Blücher's Head Quarters were at St Germain.
The Third and Fourth French Corps d'Armée and the Imperial Guard were on the south side of Paris, their Right upon the Seine, their Left by Montrouge; with the Advanced Guard at Chatillon, Clamord, Meudon, Sèvres, and St Cloud.
The remainder of the French Army continued within the capital.
The Prince of Eckmühl's Head Quarters were at Villette.