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    In The Service of The Tsar Against Napoleon The Memoirs of Denis Davidov 1806 1814 - Compress

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    Greenhill Books © The only Russian account of the Napoleonic Wars available in English © A dramatic narrative of the retreat f Moscow, from the victors’ perspective Denis Davidov was an officer of hussars, a partisan, a Russian hero and the inspiration for the character Denisov in Tolstoy's epic War and Peace. He the first time in English, are his captivating memoirs which, with dash and lan, recount his adventures in the Napoleonic Wars and convey the Russian perspective on this cataclysmic conflict for Davidov's vivid memoirs cover the confrontation between the French and Russians in Prussia in 1806-7, includi the horrific battle of Eylau; the Russian invasion of Finland in 1808 and defeat of the Swedes; the devastating French invasion of Russia in 1812; and the War of Liberation in Germany in 1813-14 The memoirs describe Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 in great detail as it was during this campaign that Davidov made his legendary reputation. In the summer of 1812, as the French troops pushed far into the Russian interior Davidov became a partisan and launched a Continued on back ISBN 1-85367-373-0 See inside jacket for more good military books published by Greenhill Continued from front flap series of successful raids ~ recounted in detail in the memoirs ~on the French lines of communication, By the autumn the French had occupied, then abandoned, Moscow and begun their famous retreat. Davidov’s partisans turned to harrying the invaders and were some of the first Russians to enter Poland, hard on the heels of Napoleon’s broken army. His account of this triumphant and tragic campaign is ‘one of the finest to have survived and ably presents the Russian point of view of a struggle which swung from initial despair toultimate victory. Gregory Troubetzkoy is an expert on Russian aspects of the Napoleonic Wars. Front cover illustration: Who will get killed? by V. V. Mazurovski Jacket design by Evgenia North Jacket © Lionel Leventhal Limited, 1999 Greenhill Books Lionel Leventhal Limited Park House 1 Russell Gardens London NW11 9NN www.greemhillbook: Stackpole Books 5067 Ritter Road Mechanicsburg PA 17055 USA Print in Great Britain IN THE SERVICE OF THE TSAR AGAINST NAPOLEON 1 take great pleasure in dedicating this book t0 my wife and best friend, Charlotte. She proof-read my manuscript, offered many valuable suggestions and ironed out my English prose. IN THE SERVICE OF THE TSAR AGAINST NAPOLEON The Memoirs of Denis Davidov, 1806-1814 ‘Translated and Edited by Gregory Troubetzkoy Greenhill Books, London Stackpole Books, Pennsylvania Greenhill Books In the Service of the Thar against Napoleon First published 1999 by Greenhill Books, Lionel Leventhal Limited, Park House, 1 Russell Gardens, London NW11 9NN and Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055, USA © Gregory ‘Troubetzkoy, 1999 ‘The moral right of the author has been asserted Al rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the Publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data In the service of the Tsar against Napoleon: the memoirs of Denis Davidow, 1806-181 1, Davidov, Denis 2. Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815 - Campaigns ~ Russia 3. Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815 — Personal narratives, Russian I. Title II, Trouberzkoy, Gregory 1940.2°7°092 ISBN 1-85367-373-0 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available ‘Typeset by Wyvern 21, Bristol Printed and bound in Great Britain by Creative Prine and Design (Wales), Ebbw Vale Contents Introduction and Acknowledgements ‘Translator's Note Chapter 1: A Meeting with Suvoroy, 1793 Chapter 2: Lesson for a Madcap, 1807 Chapter 3: The Battle of Eylau, 7-8 February 1807 Chapter 4: Tilsic, 1807 Chaprer 5: Recollections of Kulnev in Finland, 1808 Chapter 6: Diary of Partisan Warfare, 1812 Chapter 7: The Year 1812 Chapter 8: Occupation of Dresden, March 1813 Epilogue Brief Biographical Sketches Bibliography Index 67 83 162 190 213 215 217 219 List of Illustrations and Maps Illustrations, pages 97-112 Davidov in 1810 Davidov the partisan Alexander Suvorov in 1799 ‘Tsar Alexander I The meeting of Napoleon and Alexander at Tilsit The two emperors embrace General Kulnev General Bagration General Kutuzov 10, Bagration’s map of the area around Smolensk 11, A letter from Bagration co Vorontsov, June 1812 12. Napoleon at Borodino 13, Davidov and his officers 14, Russian partisans 15. Armed peasants in the Mozhaisk district 16, Cossacks pursue the retreating French 17. The French army during the retreat from Moscow 18. General Platov Ser aveene 19, The Russian army crossing the Niemen in December 1812 20. Davidov in 1828 21. Davidov in 1830 22. The monument to Davidov Maps The Russian Counter-Offensive of 1812 The French Army at the Beresina ‘The 1813 Campaiga and the Capure of Dresden page BI 151 192 Introduction Denis Davidov, 1784-1839 Denis Davidoy, the famous partisan of the 1812 War, was a general of merit, a well-known poet, an authority on the theory of warfare and a chronicler of military history. He was, in addition, an astute landowner, a competent estate manager, a passionate hunter, a gifted conversationalist and a successful ladies’ man, His licerary activities earned him a deserved reputation and his per- sonal attractiveness charmed many of his contemporaries, including the famous Russian poet Pushkin, despite a fifteen-year age difference. One of Davidov’s witty remarks was used as an epigeaph in The Queen of Spades. Pushkin, in the last year of his life, addressed Davidov in these terms: To you, singer, to you, hero! I could never gallop after you On a mad steed into the fire ‘And roar of cannon 1 rode instead on steady Pegasus ‘Wearing the coat of ancient Parnassus But even here, in this heavy task You, my marvellous rider, Remain my father and commander. Many Russian poets of the first third of the nineccenth century sang Davidov’s praises; and a portrait of him even hung in the study of Sir Walter Scott Finally he makes an appearance in Tolstoy’s War and Peace in the person of Denisov, a devil-may-care character who is depicted cursing on a bridge in the course of a daring raid on a French convoy and dancing the mazucka with Natasha Rostov. The epigraph, ‘My life is @ struggle’ — placed at the beginning of his memoirs on partisan warfare — symbolises not only his military activities but also his continual struggle against carcer officers, bureaucrats and adversaries, Davidov organised his notes in 1814 when his recollections were still vivid The astonishing feats, in 1809, of the Spanish guerrillas, which so confounded Napoleon and his marshals, inspired him co weite: 10 Introduction ‘Their achievements will always serve as an example for any guerrilla leader. He will learn from them how to use every advantage of the natural surroundings where fighting takes place and how to channel the anger of people who seek revenge, A completely new method of warfare had suddenly emerged on the field of battle. Davidov was t0 become one of its brilliant and original pioneers in 1812, improvising its application in Russia to deadly effect. Davidov's military career spans some 30 years (1801-31) with brief inter- ruptions between various campaigns. He was only in his element while in uniform and on the move, sharing a pipe of a bortle around a campfire, riding his horse, charging sabre in hand — truly a colourful and romantic figure. A collection of his poems and an autobiography were published twice in his lifetime, in 1828 and 1832; bue this was done anonymously, and it was rumoured at first that they had been written by General Ermolov. Newspaper critics and readers, however, soon deciphered their true authorship, based mainly on the distinctive military idiom, which bore the familiar stamp of the ‘bard of he bivouacs’ The description of the batele of Eylau found its way separately into The Library for Reading in. 1835, Davidov referred to it privately as the favourite of his children. The chapter dealing with Tilsit was drastically altered and cut by the censors when first reproduced in1839 in a collective publication that featured a hundred Russian writers. Excerpts from the ‘Diary of Partisan Warfare’, 100, had suffered che same fate prior to their appearance in 1820 and 1822 in a journal called Patriotic Notes. ‘A growing sense of unease gripped Russia at the end of the Napoleonic wars. After the aborted coup against the monarchy in 1825, the climate was one of strict rule, repression, police intrusion and censorship, causing partic~ ular concern to former military heroes. Davidov and many others longed for the sense of freedom, adventure and independence that was now giving way to authoritarian attitudes. Forced into retirement and silence, the restless hus- sar reflects on his destiny: ‘The sword has fallen from my hand ‘And my fate has been trampled by the strong. Favoured by fortune, they now brush me aside ‘And force me to bend behind the plough. Ie is tempting to speculate on the circumstances or motives that prompted Davidov to embrace a military carcer. His father, a well-to-do landowner from good family, had served under the famous Russian General Suvoroy, and had attained the rank of brigadier before being suddenly cashiered from the army in 1798. This did not deter the young man; indeed, a chance meeting wich Introduction iL the fabled Suvorov five years earlier, when only nine, had already helped to decide him on an army life, After greeting the famous field marshal and kiss- ing his hand, Davidov was asked: ‘Do you love soldiers, my boy?’ The impul- sive youngster boldly replied: ‘I love Count Suvorov. In him there is everything. — soldiers and victory and glory.’ ‘Good God,’ exclaimed the field marshal, “What a brave fellow! He will be an army man for sure. I shan’t die before he wins three battles!’ And Suvoroy repeated his prediction before taking leave of the Davidov family. In the event, although Denis Davidov did not receive any army command that would enable him to win three battles, his mind was ‘made up at thar tender age to seek no other but the miliary profession. ‘As a writer, Davidov did not belong to any literary school. His poetry was never a mere exercise in rhyming and neat versification, bur reflected a vital need to express deeply personal feelings. Poetry was another way to give free tein to the imagination and co pursue his story-telling on a loftier, more romantic level. It was a new pleasure, analogous perhaps to the effects, on heart and mind, of champagne. His verses and his prose breathe fire and spontaneity ~ a veritable torrent of passion in which his rebellious nature finds comfort and true fulfilment. AAs he reviews his military career, we are tempted to compare his adven- tures with those of other Napoleonic writers such as General Marbot and Sergeant Bourgogne. His accounts remain imbued with the smoke of camp- fire and battle, not sanitised or expurgated to placate nineteenth-century sensibilities. Like them, he was there — an eye-witness co history. ‘The translation which we now present to the reader is broken down into chapters dealing with a meeting with Suvorov; episodes centred on the 1807 campaign; recollections of the Russian campaign in Finland in 1808; Davidov's diary of partisan warfare during the French invasion of Russia in 1812; an analysis of Napoleon’s comments on the 1812 campaign; and details ‘of Davidov's role in che German campaign of 1813 Apart from a few excerpts which appeared in the bulletins of the Napoleonic Society of America, the Napoleonic Alliance and the Journal of the International Napoleonic Society, this material has never been translated into English in ies entirety until now. Acknowledgements 1 owe a debe of gratitude and special chanks to Ben Weider, CM, PhD, President of the International Napoleonic Society, and also to David Markham, editor-in-chief of the Society's journal. They both ceaselessly encouraged me and offered moral support as I worked on this project. Gregory Troubetzkoy, 1999 Translator’s Note To get an idea of what the various cavalrymen were like, the reader should bear in mind chat che Ublans who fought in che French, Prussian, Russian and Austrian armies were basically lancers. This does not imply that they ‘were restricted to carrying lances; usually the front rank bore lances and the second rank were armed with carbines. Some, too, were equipped with sabres and pistols, and even hatchers. The cossacks, on the other hand, favoured lances, muskets and swords, which usually lacked a hand-guard. The heaviest cavalrymen were cuirassiers, with upper body armour, front and back. When completely armed and equipped, each man tipped the scales at over 300 pounds. Dragoons, wich colourful horsetails streaming from their helmets, weighed about 270 pounds. The hussars were the light cavalry par excellence, and when fully equipped and armed, weighed in at about 250 pounds. As for the foot soldiers, it helps to remember that Jigers were light infantry. They did not operate independently, buc were often incorporated into a grenadier company, so thae the first platoon was made up of grenadiers proper and the second was composed of Jigers. This held crue in the Russian army. However, in French battalions there were companies of grenadiers and snltigenrs (light infantry sharpshooters). The rule of thumb was that grenadiers were selected for their height and the smaller men were chosen as voltigeurs. For further information concerning these terms, it is helpful to consult Swords Araund a Throne by John R. Elting, which analyses che composition of Napoleon's Grande Armée in great detail 12 CHAPTER 1 A Meeting with Suvorov, 1793 From the time I was seven years old, while my father was in command of the Poltava light-horse regiment, I lived in a soldier's tent. My boyhood pastimes were musket practice and marching, but the height of bliss was to 0 horseback riding on a cossack horse with the late Philip Mikhailovich Ezhov, a captain of the Don Cossack horse regiment. How could a lively child fail to become excited by military matters when exposed daily to the sight of soldiers and encampments? And was not Suvorov himself the shining example of our own military way of life? He was the talk of the soldiers and of contemporary society, the universal object of admira- tion and praise, His secretive, unorthodox methods, counter to all accepted routine; his apparently quite reckless enterprises, his lightning marches, his resounding victories at places unforeseen either by us or the enemy ~ all these glorious, epic achievements, extending successively over decades, set a fresh and vigorous example for the youth of Russia. Suvorov was the son of a commanding general, himself an intelligent, well- educated man. The father kept a close watch over the education of his son and daughter (Princess Gorchakov). The boy acquired a thorough knowledge of French, German, Turkish and also some acquaintance with Italian. He did not display any odd or peculiar traits before joining the service; but having accomplished great deeds during the Seven Years’ War, and attaining high rank, despite the jealousy of powerful men, he began co attract notice for his strange quirks of behaviour. Those observers who envied his good fortune never suspected the true cause for his successes, which were fully appreciated by Catherine the Great, and attributed all his victories to blind luck Suvoroy, in fact, embodied many traits of a hero of Shakespearean tragedy, who surprises people with alternate outbursts of comic wit and feats of brav- ety. Being a proud man, he was in constant conflict wich influential court figures. He poked fun openly at the all-powerful Potemkin,' even though he wrote him polite letters, and he picked quarrels wich the Austrian minister, " Pocemkin, the all-powerful minister of Catherine the Great, is now most often associated with che famous Potemkin Villages, which were sham ‘stage-set” structures erected to impress the empress on her tour of southern Russia, but which were not real or permanent dwellings 14 In the Service of the Tsar Baron Tagut. Yet he often referred co Potemkin and Count Razumovsky as his benefactors. Before leaving for Italy, he prostrated himself at the feet of Emperor Paul. Ie is not clear whether this was deliberately calculated in order to mystify those who watched him closely, or simply another way to attract general attention by doing the unexpected. If the entire life of this amazing man, with his generous heart, clever brain and lofty ideals was nothing more than play-acting and cold calculation, it would be interesting to know whether he ever acted naturally. For all his odd behaviour, he issued orders to his armies which were marvels of good sense. ‘When conversing privately with Catherine about the most important military and political matters, he surprised this extraordinary woman with his original and remarkable mind and vase store of information on a multicude of subjects. He never ceased to amaze government officials with his actions and to startle them with his caustic humour. Many have rushed to judgment and dismissed Suvoroy as eccentric, igno- rant, evil and as cruel as Attila and Tamerlane, even refusing t0 admit that he possessed any talent, Although I realise chat I am ill-equipped and power- less co refute all the terrible slanders levelled at this great man, I feel I must attempt to set the record straight. As head of the Russian armies for 55 successive years, Suvorov did not cause misery co any soldier or civil servant. Not once did he strike one of his men; and he punished the guilty only by poking fun at chem and labelling chem with nicknames which, like horse-brands, were attached to them permanently in the public memory. Sometimes he would resore to ‘hauling over the coals’ those who had incurred his displeasure. The bloodshed which occurred when Ismail and Praga had been taken by storm was simply the outcome of any prolonged siege and stubborn resistance. During wars in Asia, where every individual is also a warrior, and in Europe, too, when garrisons are reinforced by the inhabitants of a town under siege, any assault is necessarily accompanied by bloodshed which does not spare the

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