At a glance
- Napoleon emerges from the marshes at Sézanne
- Olsufiev stands with 4,000 infantry and no cavalry
- Baye and Bannay cleared by mid-afternoon
- Only 1,600–1,700 Russians escape; Olsufiev captured
- Blücher's army is now cut in two
The full account
On the night of the 9th, Napoleon’s Guard came through the forest of Traconne and into Sézanne. The roads had thawed into mud, and the guns could only be dragged through with the help of local peasants and their horses. To the north, Blücher’s army was spread along the "little" Paris road. Sacken was at Montmirail, Olsufiev at Champaubert, Blücher himself at Vertus, and Kleist and Kapzevich further east still. Nobody in the Silesian headquarters expected the Emperor.
The French cavalry took the bridge over the Petit Morin at Saint-Prix unopposed. Olsufiev had only about 4,000 infantry and no horsemen, and should have fallen back. But he had been criticised over Brienne and La Rothière, and had even been threatened with a court-martial, so he chose to stand. Marmont’s divisions under Ricard and Lagrange, with Ney behind them, cleared Baye and Bannay by three in the afternoon. French cavalry then closed in on both flanks.
General Poltoratsky held Champaubert to the last with two regiments and surrendered only when his ammunition ran out. Olsufiev tried to escape along a forest track towards Épernay. He was taken prisoner, and only 1,600 to 1,700 of his men got away. That evening, Napoleon stood in the middle of Blücher’s scattered corps.
Another such victory as this, gentlemen, and I shall be on the Vistula.Napoleon at supper after the battle, as told to Bourrienne
Why it mattered
With one blow Napoleon had cut the Army of Silesia in two. Sacken and Yorck were to the west, and Blücher, Kleist and Kapzevich to the east.
