Leipzig—A Conflict of Titans

The battle that ended an era—by an eye witness

This is a superb account of one of the pivotal battles of the Napoleonic Wars—Leipzig—the so called 'Battle of the Nations'. It was here in 1813, after Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign that the great allied powers of Europe brought him to account and where he suffered the defeat which would herald his ruin, bring an end to the First Empire and the demise of an epoch. What makes this book utterly compelling is that it is told as part history, part firsthand experience, by someone who was at the very heart of the turmoil—within the city itself. Observations from high vantage points enabled the author to witness and then graphically describe the maelstrom of battle as it swirled about him and--more dangerously—as it swept in to touch and threaten his very life. This book is an essential component of every library of Napoleonic history and is available in softcover or hardback with dust jacket.

On the eminences where the hostile cannon were planted the number of dead was much smaller, and these were apparently not artillery-men, but infantry, who were probably engaged in covering those batteries. The firearms which lay beside them confirmed the conjecture. This pass must nevertheless have been obstinately defended, as it was not taken the whole day. The fire of musketry grew more and more brisk—a proof that the combatants were already in close action. The French tirailleurs could not be driven out of the woods, on which their right wing was supported. We remarked frequent charges of cavalry, which seemed to decide nothing. All the villages lying beyond Konnewitz, on the road to Borna, as far as Markleeberg, were on fire.
The thunder from the French centre, as well as from the left wing, gradually approached nearer to the city. The seventh corps, under General Reynier, was in the left wing, and posted towards Taucha. It was principally composed of Saxons. They had just come into action, and the allies had already brought up a great number of guns against them. To the no small astonishment and consternation of their leader, they suddenly shouldered their arms, marched forward in close files with their artillery, and went over to the enemy.<br>
Several French battalions, misled by this movement, joined them, and were immediately disarmed and made prisoners by the allies. The French cuirassiers, suspecting the design of the Saxons, followed, apparently with the intention of falling upon them. The Saxons faced about, and compelled them, by a smart fire of musketry, to return. A volley of small arms was discharged after them, but with no more effect—it did them no injury. Their horse-artillery turned about, and soon dismounted that of the French. They were greeted with a joyful hurrah! by the Cossacks, who cordially shook hands with their new comrades. The Saxons desired to be immediately led back to the attack of the French.<br>
The hearts of these soldiers individually had long glowed with revenge for all the devastations committed in their native land by their allies and companions in arms, for whom they had so often shed their blood in torrents. The generals of the allies refused on very good grounds to comply with their desire. The Saxons marched a league into the rear of the field of battle, and there bivouacked. Their artillery only was afterwards invited to take part in the engagement, and did great execution. This circumstance had an essential influence on the issue of the contest, inasmuch as the defection of a body of more than 8000 men facilitated the advance of the right wing of the allies. But for this step the Saxons would have fared very badly, as their opponents had already ranged upwards of thirty pieces of cannon against their line, and were bringing up still more to the attack. These now proved the more galling to the ranks of the French, who were driven back almost to the Kohlgärten.<br>
From my position this advance of the allies was not to be perceived except by the approach of the thunder of the artillery. The French centre yet stood immoveable; at least we could not observe from the city any change which denoted a retrograde movement. The sanguinary character of this tremendous conflict might be inferred from the thousands of wounded, who hobbled, crawled, and were carried in at the gates. Among the latter were many officers of rank. If you inquired of those who returned from the field, how the battle was going on, the reply almost invariably was—“Badly enough,—the enemy is very strong.”
A Saxon cuirassier declared, without reserve, that it might be considered as decided, adding, “We have lost a deal of ground already.”