At a glance
- Württemberg holds the heights of Surville, rivers behind him
- Morning attacks by Pajol and Victor fail
- Napoleon arrives at 3 pm with the Guard and 70 guns
- Pajol charges across the Seine and Yonne bridges
- Allies lose nearly 5,000 men, 3,400 of them prisoners
The full account
Schwarzenberg ordered the Crown Prince of Württemberg to hold the heights of Surville, north of the town. With his back to the rivers and only one bridge behind him, he deployed about 8,500 infantry, 1,000 cavalry and 26 guns, supported by two Austrian batteries firing from the far bank.
Pajol came up first, along the Paris road, with 1,500 half-trained cavalry, 3,000 National Guards and 800 gendarmes. Victor’s troops followed, but their attacks on Villaron failed, and General Chataux was mortally wounded. Napoleon replaced Victor with Gérard as punishment for his slowness the day before. At three in the afternoon the Emperor arrived with the Guard.
The French brought up 70 guns. Villaron fell, the château of Surville was stormed, and the Allied retreat turned into a rout down the steep slopes. Pajol charged along the main road and over the Seine bridge with the fugitives, then over the Yonne bridge, sabring as he went and clearing the town before the bridges could be blown. The Allies lost nearly 5,000 men, 3,400 of them prisoners, and 15 guns. Tradition says Napoleon laid guns himself on the heights that day.
Why it mattered
Napoleon held the vital bridges over the Seine and the Yonne. Schwarzenberg abandoned his advance on Paris and retreated towards Troyes, and then beyond the Aube.
