Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/774

 754 BLtfCHER sovereigns, still apprehensive of cutting Napo- leon off from making his peace at the congress of Chatillon, allowed Prince Schwarzenberg to seize upon every pretext for shunning a decisive action. While Napoleon ordered Marmont to return on the right bank of the Aube toward Ramerupt, and himself retired by a flank march upon Troyes, the allied army split into two armies, the main army advancing slowly upon Troyes, and the Silesian army marching to the Marne, where Blucher knew he woxild find York, besides part of Langerou's and Kleist's corps, so that his aggregate forces would be swelled to about 50,000 men. The plan was for him to pursue Marshal Macdonald, who had meanwhile appeared on the lower Marne, to Paris, while Schwarzenberg was to keep in check the French main army on the Seine. Napoleon, however, seeing that the allies did not know how to use their victory, and sure of returning to the Seine before the main ar- my could have advanced far in the direction of Paris, resolved to fall upon the weaker Si- lesian army. Consequently, he left 20,000 men under Victor and Oudinot in face of the 100,000 men of the main army, advanced with 40,000 men, the corps of Mortier and Ney, in the direction of the Marne, took up Marmont's corps at Nogent, and on Feb. 9 arrived with these united forces at S6zanne. Meanwhile Blucher had proceeded by St. Ouen and Sompuis on the road leading to Paris, and on Feb. 9 established his headquar- ters at the little town of Vertus. The dispo- sition of his forces was this: about 10,000 men at his headquarters; 18,000, under York, post- ed between Dormans and Chateau-Thierry, in pursuit of Macdonald, who was already on the great post road leading to Paris from Epernay ; 30,000 under Sacken, between Montmirail and La Fert6-sous-Jouarre, destined to prevent the intended junction of Sebastiani's cavalry with Macdonald, and to cut off the passage of the latter at La Ferte-sous-Jouarre ; the Russian general Olzuvieff cantoned with 5,000 men at Champaubert. This faulty distribution, by which the Silesian army was drawn up in a ver/ extended position en echelon, resulted from the contradictory motives which actuated Blucher, or rather his military advisers, Gneisenau and Muffling. On the one hand, he desired to cut off Macdonald, and prevent his junction with Sebastiani's cavalry ; on the other hand, to take np the corps of Kleist and Kaptzevitch, who were advancing from Chalons, and expected to unite with him on the 9th and 10th. The one motive kept him back, the other pushed him on. On Feb. 9 Napoleon fell upon Olzuvieff at Champaubert, and routed him. Blucher, with Kleist and Kaptzevitch, who had meanwhile arrived, but without the greater part of their cavalry, advanced against Marmont, despatched by Napoleon, and followed him in his retreat upon La F6re Champenoise, but, on the news of Olzuvieffs discomfiture, returned in the same night with his two corps to Bergeres, there to cover the road to Chalons. After a successful combat on the 10th, Sacken had driven Mac- donald across the Marne at Trilport, but, hearing on the night of the same day of Napoleon's march to Champaubert, hastened back on the 1 1th toward Montmirail. Before reaching it, he was at Vieils Maisons obliged to form against the emperor, coming from Montmirail to meet him. Beaten with great loss before York could unite with him, the two generals effected their junction at Viffort, and retreated Feb. 12 to Chateau-Thierry, where York had to stand a very damaging rear-guard engagement, and withdrew thence to Oulchy-la-Ville. Having ordered Mortier to pursue York and Sacken on the road of Fismes, Napoleon remained on the 13th at Chateau-Thierry. Uncertain as to the whereabout of York and Sacken and the success of their engagements, Blucher had from Berg&res, during the llth and 12th, quietly watched Marmont posted opposite him at Etoges. When informed on the 13th of the defeat of his generals, and supposing Napoleon to have moved off in search of the main army, he gave way to the temptation of striking a parting blow upon Marmont, whom he consid- ered Napoleon's rear guard. Advancing on Champanbert, he pushed Marmont to Mont- mirail, where the latter was joined on the 14th by Napoleon, who now turned against Blucher, met him at noon at Vauchamps, 20,000 strong, but almost without cavalry, attacked him, turned his columns with cavalry, and threw him back with great loss on Champaubert. During its retreat from the latter place, the Silesian army might have reached Etoges be- fore it grew dark, without any considerable loss, if Blucher had not taken pleasure in the deliberate slowness of the retrograde move- ment. Thus he was attacked during the whole of his march, and one detachment of his forces, the division of Prince Augustus of Prussia, was again beset from the side streets of Etoges, on its passage through that town. About mid- night Blucher reached his camp at Bergeres, broke up after some hours' rest for Chalons, and arrived there about noon, Feb. 15. At this place he was joined by York's and Sacken's forces on the 16th and 17th. The different affairs at Champaubert, Montmirail, Chateau- Thierry, Vauchamps, and Etoges had cost him 15,000 men and 27 guns. Leaving Marmont and Mortier to front Blucher, Napoleon with Ney returned in forced marches to the Seine, where Schwarzenberg had driven back Victor and Ondinot, who had retreated across the Yeres, and there taken up 12,000 men under Macdonald, and some reinforcements from Spain. On the 16th they were surprised by the sudden arrival of Napoleon, followed on the 17th by his troops. After his junction with the marshals he hastened against Schwarz- enberg, whom he found posted in an extended triangle, having for its summits Nogent, Monte- reau, and Sens. The generals under his com- mand, Wittgenstein, Wrede, and the crown