At a glance
- The French pursue Yorck and Sacken to the Marne
- Two Russian regiments surrender on the plateau
- A battery across the river covers the escape
- The Allies destroy the bridge behind them
- About 2,750 Allied losses, under 600 French
The full account
On 12 February the French came on along the Château-Thierry road. Yorck’s Prussians tried to cover the retreat of what remained of Sacken’s corps on the plateau south of the town.
French cavalry broke the rearguards, and General Heidenreich surrendered with two Russian regiments. The crossing of the Marne was saved only by a heavy Allied battery firing from beyond the river. The Allies then destroyed the bridge behind them.
The Prussians had lost about 1,250 men and six guns, together with part of their baggage. Sacken had lost about 1,500 men, three guns and nearly all his wheeled transport. The French repaired the bridge on the afternoon of the 13th, and Mortier took up the pursuit with Christian’s Old Guard division.
Why it mattered
Sacken and Yorck were out of the fight for several days. Napoleon could now turn east against Blücher himself.
