Background:After defeating the Prussian army at Jena in October 1806, Napoleon entered Poland to confront the Russian
army, which had been preparing to come to the support of Prussian army until their sudden defeat. Crossing
the River Vistula, the French advance corps took Warsaw on 28 November 1806.
Summary of the battle:The Battle of Pułtusk took place on December 26, 1806 near Pułtusk, Poland. 35,000 Russian
soldiers with 128 guns under Bennigsen resisted the attacks of 25,000 French soldiers under
Marshal Lannes, and withdrew the next day.
The Battle of Pultusk:The Russian army was under the overall command of Field Marshal Mikhail Kamensky, but he was old
and becoming infirm. The Russian First Army of some 55,000 to 68,000 men, commanded by Count
Bennigsen, had fallen back from the Vistula to the line of the River Ukra, in order to unite with the
Second Army, about 37,000 strong, under Buxhoeveden, which was approaching from Russia and
was still some 15 days march from the First Army. However, realising his mistake in allowing the
French to cross the Vistula, Kamensky advanced at the beginning of December to try to regain the
line of the river. French forces crossed the River Bug at Modlin on 10 December, and the Prussian
Corps commanded by L'Estocq failed to retake Thorn. This led Bennigsen on 11 December to issue
orders to fall back and hold the line of the River Ukra.
French Infantry under Marshal Lannes advancing:
Second line of French Infantry closing up behind Lannes:
At about 11 a.m. the French right advanced against Bagavout. The Russian Cossacks and cavalry
were driven back and Bagavout sent forward a Jäger unit, which was driven back despite artillery
support. The French centre had also advanced, to attack Bagavout from the flank. But this
manoeuvre exposed them to the Russian cavalry line, seven squadrons of which suddenly attacked
the French flank in a sudden snow storm while Bagovout's cavalry and the jägers attacked from
the front. A French infantry battalion then took the Russian cavalry in their flank. After a confused
melee the Russians fell back to their original position. An attempt by Lannes's cavalry division,
under Treilhard, to advance was driven off by artillery.
French Infantry still advancing under heavy russian artillery bombardment:
Russian infantry await the French onslaught:
Ukrainian cossacks also wait in the russian and prussian line:
Russian gun crew
Russian gun emplacement:
At the same time as the French right attacked, on the French left Suchet's division, lead by Lannes
in person, attacked the position held by Barclay. The initial attack drove the Russians out of the
wood, and captured the battery stationed there, but Barclay’s reserve drove the French back into
the wood and recaptured the guns.
French draw up opposite the russian infantry line:
Russians open fire:
Russian infantry move forward:
Russian and French infantry clash:
French cavalry circling in the background ready to pounce
More cavalry waiting:
French mounted officer looks on from the second line:
French general with his mounted retinue:
More French infantry move forward to join the fray:
The battle continues all along the line with cavalry waiting menacingly in the background:
The French centre had also advanced. The Russian cavalry withdrew behind the main line, exposing
the French to artillery fire from the Russian batteries.
By about 2 p.m, the French position looked dangerous. The Russian left had held, the French centre
was suffering from the artillery fire, and on the right increasing pressure was beginning to force
Suchet's men out of the wood. A French retreat looked a distinct possibility when unexpected
reinforcements arrived.
French infantry try to force the russian and prussian line and eventually break through:
The 3rd division of Davout’s 3rd Corps, temporarily commanded by his Chief of Staff d'Aultanne,
had been ordered to pursue a Russian column apparently retiring on Pułtusk. Concerned about the
strength of the Russian cavalry force which was escorting guns and stores d'Aultanne had pursued
but not engaged. He was preparing to stop for the night when he heard the sounds of combat to
his right, and so marched his men towards Pułtusk. Due the state of the roads he was only able to
bring up one gun.
Russians contest the bridge into Pultusk:
General gallops to the scene of the fight:
Russian cavalry charge the French horse, french infantry fire back:
French soldiers hurry forward:
The battle for the bridge intensifies as the russians counterattack:
More french soldiers are thrown into the fray:
Prussian infantry move up to support the Russian line:
The French general is thrown from his horse. His Aide de Camp gallops to his side:
Close up of the Russian defenses:
French clash with the Russians and Prussians at the gates of Pultusk:
French general moves forward sensing victory is at hand:
Seeing this force approach, Bennigsen wheeled back his main line to face the wood, thus reducing
the artillery fire directed at Lannes’s units. Barclay, finding d'Aultanne attacking his right flank,
fell back to the right of the main Russian line. Bennigsen reinforced him with two infantry regiments
and some cavalry, and directed an artillery battery to fire on the wood. Thus reinforced Barclay
attacked the wood. The French were driven out, and d'Aultanne’s right flank exposed. This was
attacked by twenty squadrons of Russian cavalry, but the 85th French infantry regiment formed
squares and by a steady fire drove the cavalry off. At about 8 p.m. the combat died away, and
d'Aultanne retired to the edge of the woods.
Cavalry officer gallops into Pultusk as the Russian and Prussian lines crumble:
The arrival of d'Aultanne's division also had an effect on the French right wing. With the switch of
much of the Russian artillery to support Barclay the French were able to use their own guns to
support a fresh attack at about 2 p.m on Bagavout by the divisions of Claparede and Wedell,
upported by Gazan on their left. Bagavout's men were driven back over the ravine in their rear, and
their guns captured. Osterman-Tolstoy established a battery to Barclay's right and reinforced by
five battalions he attacked. After a desperate fight the French were thrown back and the guns
recaptured. The French right and centre fell back to their start positions as night fell.
