Battle of Lesmont
48°25′42″N 4°24′55″E / 48.4283°N 4.4153°E / 48.4283; 4.4153
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- v
- t
- e
- Campaign in north-east France
- Metz
- 1st Bar-sur-Aube
- 1st Saint-Dizier
- Brienne
- La Rothière
- Lesmont
- Six Days' Campaign
- Champaubert
- Montmirail
- Château-Thierry
- Vauchamps
- Mormant
- Montereau
- 2nd Bar-sur-Aube
- Gué-à-Tresmes
- Saint-Julien
- Laubressel
- Craonne
- Laon
- Mâcon
- Reims
- Limonest
- Arcis-sur-Aube
- Fère-Champenoise
- 2nd Saint-Dizier
- Paris
- Campaign in south-west France
Campaign in north-east France
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125miles
![Battle of Paris (1814) from 30 to 31 March 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Saint-Dizier on 26 March 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
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![Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube from 20 to 21 March 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Limonest on 20 March 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Reims (1814) from 12 to 13 March 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Mâcon (1814) on 11 March 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Laon from 9 to 10 March 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Craonne on 7 March 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Laubressel on 3 March 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Saint-Julien (1814) on 1 March 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Gué-à-Tresmes on 28 February 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Montereau on 18 February 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
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![Battle of Montmirail on 11 February 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
![Battle of Champaubert on 10 February 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
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![Battle of Brienne on 29 January 1814](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Invisible_Square.svg/16px-Invisible_Square.svg.png)
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The Battle of Lesmont was a battle of the War of the Sixth Coalition. It took place at Lesmont in Aube on 2 February 1814. A Coalition force of Russians and Bavarians under generals Eugen of Wurtemberg and Carl Philipp von Wrede was defeated by a French force under general Joseph Lagrange, which managed to destroy the town's bridge and prevent the Coalition force crossing the river Aube.
Background
After the battle of La Rothière on 1 February 1814, Napoleon ordered a retreat towards Troyes and placed some of Michel Ney's troops as well as Joseph Lagrange's division from marshal Marmont's corps as his rearguard.[2]
Battle
The French army crossed the bridge at Lesmont on the night of 2 February protected by troops under Ney's command, who then retired. Lagrange's division remained in the village to cover the retreat and took up position on the right bank of the river behind the bridge.[3] It was soon attacked by Eugen's cavalry and elements of von Wrede's corps.[3]
Lagrange's division managed to hold its central position against several attacks, especially by Eugen's Russian cavalry.[3] At the end of the battle the French troops set fire to the bridge and rejoined the main retreating force.[4]
Aftermath
The loss of the bridge meant that the Coalition cavalry lost contact with the French troops, which reached Troyes the following day without incident.[5] There Napoleon gathered his army and re-took the offensive, beating the Russians at the battle of Champaubert on 10 February.
Notes
- ^ Tranié & Carmigniani 1989, p. 292.
- ^ Tranié & Carmigniani 1989, pp. 83–87.
- ^ a b c Tranié & Carmigniani 1989, p. 83.
- ^ Tranié & Carmigniani 1989, p. 87.
- ^ Tranié & Carmigniani 1989, pp. 87, 89.
References
- Tranié, Jean; Carmigniani, Juan-Carlos (1989). Napoléon : 1814 - La campagne de France. Pygmalion/Gérard Watelet.
External links
Media related to Battle of Lesmont at Wikimedia Commons