Napoleonic Literature
The Memoirs of Baron de Marbot - Volume II
Chapter V
YOU will probably now like to hear my own adventures in this terrible battle. Though frequently much exposed, especially on the second day, when the enemy's artillery converged its fire on Marshal Masséna's carriage, and we were literally under a hail of cannon-balls, which struck down a good many around me, I was lucky enough not to be wounded. I was also in considerable danger when the Austrian cavalry had broken and routed Boudet's division, and the marshal sent me to that general in the middle of 10,000 flying soldiers, who were being hewn down by the cavalry. Again I was more than once in danger when, in carrying orders, I had to pass near some of the many spots where the corn was blazing. By frequent detours I managed to escape the flames, but it was impossible to avoid crossing the fields where the ashes of the burnt straw were still hot enough to scorch the horses' feet. Two of mine were rendered useless for some time by the injuries they thus received, and a third was in such pain that he was within an ace of rolling me over in the half-extinguished straw. However, I got through without any serious accident; but though I escaped personal damage, a disagreeable thing befell me, which had very injurious results. On the second day of the battle I got into almost hopeless trouble with Masséna. The way of it was this. The marshal sent me with a message to the Emperor; I had the very greatest difficulty in reaching him, and was coming back after having galloped more than three leagues over the yet burning ashes of the corn. My horse, dead beat, and with his legs half burnt, could go no further when I got back to Masséna, and found him in a great difficulty. His corps was retreating before the enemy's right along the Danube, and the infantry of Boudet's division, broken by the Austrian cavalry, which was sabring them mercilessly, were flying pell-mell across the plain. It was the most critical moment of the battle. From his carriage the marshal could see the imminent danger, and was calmly making his dispositions to maintain order in the three infantry divisions which as yet were unbroken. For this purpose he had been obliged to send so many aides-de-camp to his generals that he had none with him except his son, Prosper Masséna, a young lieutenant. At that moment he saw that the fugitives from Boudet's division were making for the three divisions which were still fighting, and were on the point of flinging themselves upon their ranks, and drawing them along in a general rout. To stop this catastrophe the marshal wished to tell the generals and officers to direct the torrent of fliers towards the island of Lobau, where the disordered troops would find a secure shelter behind the powerful artillery. It was a dangerous mission, as there was every probability that the aide-de-camp who went into that disorderly rabble would be attacked by some of the enemy's troopers. The marshal could not make up his mind to expose his son to this danger, but he had no other officer near him, and it was clear that the order must be carried.

I came up just at the right moment to extricate Masséna from this cruel dilemma, so, without giving me time to take breath, he ordered me to throw myself into the danger which he dreaded for his son; but observing that my horse could hardly stand, he lent me one of his, which an orderly was leading. I was too well acquainted with military duty not to be aware that a general cannot bind himself to follow the arrangement which his aides-de-camp have made amongst themselves for taking their turn of duty, however great the peril may be; the chief must be free in a given case to employ whichever officer he thinks best suited to get his orders executed. Thus, although Prosper had not carried a single order all day, and it was his turn to go, I made no remark. I will even say that my self-esteem hindered me from divining the marshal's real motive in sending me on a duty both difficult and dangerous when it ought to have fallen to another, and I was proud of his confidence in me. But Masséna soon destroyed my illusion by saying, in a wheedling tone, 'You understand, my friend, why I do not send my son although it's his turn; I am afraid of getting him killed. You understand? you understand?' I should have held my tongue, but, disgusted with such ill-disguised selfishness, I could not refrain from answering, and that in the presence of several generals: 'Marshal, I was going under the impression that I was about to fulfil a duty; I am sorry that you have corrected my mistake, for now I understand perfectly that, being obliged to send one of your aides-de-camp to almost certain death, you would rather it should be I than your son, but I think you might have spared me this cruel plain speaking.' And without awaiting a reply I went off at full gallop towards Boudet's division, which the enemy's troopers were pitilessly slaughtering. As I left the carriage I heard a discussion begin between the marshal and his son, but the uproar of the battle and the speed at which I was going prevented me from catching their words. Their sense, however, was shortly explained, for hardly had I reached Boudet's division and begun doing my utmost to direct the terrified crowd towards the island of Lobau, when I beheld Prosper Masséna at my side. The brave lad, indignant at the way in which his father had sent me into danger and wished to reduce him to inactivity, had escaped unawares to follow me; "I wish,' said he, 'at least to share the danger from which I ought to have saved you if my father's blind affection had not made him unjust to you when it was my turn to go.' The young man's noble straightforwardness pleased me; in his place I should have wished to do the same. Still, I had rather he had been further off at this critical moment, for no one who has not seen it can form an idea of a mass of infantry which has been broken and is being actively pursued by cavalry. Sabres and lances were working terrible execution among this rabble of terrified men, who were flying in disorder instead instead of taking the equally easy and much safer course of forming themselves into groups and defending themselves with the bayonet. Prosper Masséna was very brave, and in no way dazed by the danger, although we found ourselves every moment in this chaos face to face with the enemy's troopers. My position then became very critical, since I had a threefold task to fulfil. First, to parry the blows aimed at young Masséna, who had never learnt the sword exercise and used his weapon clumsily; secondly, to defend myself, and lastly, to speak to our demoralised soldiers to make them understand that they were to go towards the island of Lobau and not towards the divisions which were still in line. Neither of us received any wound, for when the Austrian troopers perceived that we were determined to defend ourselves vigorously, they left us, and turned their attention to the unresisting foot-soldiers.

When troops are in disorder, the soldiers fling themselves like sheep in the direction where they see their comrades running, and thus, as soon as I had imparted the marshal's orders to a certain number of officers, and they had shouted to their people to run towards the island, the stream of fugitives made in that direction. I found General Boudet at last, and he succeeded under the fire of our guns in rallying his troops. My task was thus at an end, and I returned with Prosper towards the marshal. But in my desire to take the shortest road, I imprudently passed near a clump of trees, behind which some hundred Austrian uhlans were posted. They charged upon us unawares, we meanwhile making at full speed for a line of French cavalry which was coming our way. We were none too soon, for the enemy's squadron was on the point of reaching us, and was pressing us so close that I thought for a moment that we were going to be killed or taken prisoners. But at the approach of our men the uhlans wheeled about, all but one officer, who, being admirably mounted, would not leave us without having a shot at us. One bullet pierced the neck of Prosper's horse, and the animal, throwing up his head violently, covered young Masséna's face with blood. I thought he was wounded, and was getting ready to defend him against the uhlan officer, when we were met by the advanced files of the French regiment. These, firing their carbines at the Austrian officer, laid him dead on the spot, just as he was turning to gallop off.

Prosper and I then returned to the marshal, who uttered a cry of grief on seeing his son covered with blood. But on finding that he was not wounded he gave free vent to his anger, and in the presence of several generals, his own aides-de-camp, and two orderly officers of the Emperor's, he scolded his son roundly, and ended his lecture with the words, 'Who ordered you to go and stick your head into that row, you young idiot?' Prosper's answer was really sublime. 'Who ordered me? My honour! This is my first campaign. I am already lieutenant and member of the Legion of Honour; I have received several foreign decorations, and so far I have done nothing for them. I wished to show my comrades, the army, and France that if I am not destined to have the military talent of my illustrious father, I am at least worthy by my courage to bear the name of Masséna.' Seeing that his son's noble sentiments met with the approbation of all the bystanders, the marshal made no answer; but his anger fell chiefly on me, whom he accused of having carried his son away, when, on the contrary, his presence was a great hindrance to me. The two orderly officers having reported at headquarters the scene between the marshal and his son, Napoleon heard of it, and happening to come that evening to Leopoldau, sent for Prosper, and said to him, taking him in a friendly way by the ear: 'Good, very good, my dear boy; that is how young people like you ought to start on their career.' Then, turning to the marshal, he said in a low tone, but loud enough to be heard by General Bertrand, from whom I have the story, I love my brother Louis no less than you your son; but when he was my aide-de-camp in Italy he did his turn of duty like the others, and I should have been afraid of bringing him into discredit if I had sent one of his comrades into the danger instead of him.' This reproof from the Emperor, in addition to the answer which I had been foolish enough to make to Masséna, naturally set him still more against me. From that day forward he never addressed me with tu, and although outwardly he treated me well, I knew that the grudge would remain, and as you will see I was not mistaken.

Never again did the Austrians fight with so much vigour as at Wagram; their retreat was admirable for its coolness and good order. They had, no doubt, the advantage, for the reasons I have stated, of leaving the field without being pursued; but I am not able to explain the reasons for Napoleon's delay in following them up on the ensuing morning. It has been said that as the roads both to Bohemia and to Moravia were in front of him, the Emperor was awaiting the result of reconnaissances in order to know what force the Archduke had on each of these roads. Reconnaissances, however, can only give very incomplete information, since the enemy's rear-guard very soon brings them to a halt, and they can see nothing beyond. Precious time was therefore lost uselessly; we had seen the enemy's columns marching off on both the roads, and should have pursued them at daybreak on the 7th by one or the other. However that may be, the Emperor did not commence the pursuit till 2 P.M., and went himself no more than three leagues, staying the night at the château of Volkersdorf, from which the Emperor of Austria had on the two previous days watched the battle. General Vandamme was left in command at Vienna, General Reynier in the island of Lobau, Oudinot at Wagram, and Macdonald at Floridsdorf. His rear thus secured, Napoleon sent Marmont and Davout in pursuit on the road to Moravia, and Masséna on that to Bohemia. The Army of Italy and the guard marched between the two high roads, ready to give support where it was wanted.

The stronger portion of the Austrian army was on the road to Bohemia. The Archduke had made good use of the night of the 6th, and so much of the 7th as Napoleon had allowed him, and his baggage wagons and artillery were well out of our reach. On leaving the field of battle we fell in with the scouts of the enemy's rear-guard in the defile of Langen-Enzersdorf, a long and narrow passage which would have been fatal to the Archduke if, on the previous day, we had been able to push him back to it. Passing this we entered a wide plain, in the middle of which stands Korn-Neuburg, a small walled town. Here the rear-guard, composed of nine battalions of Croats and Tyrolese Jägers, with a strong body of cavalry and plenty of guns, awaited us in impressive tranquillity. No doubt it is right in war to be enterprising, especially in presence of an already beaten foe; but this rule must not be followed beyond the limits of prudence. French cavalry generals are often too venturesome. Here they repeated the fault which Montbrun had committed before Raab in the previous June, when he would not wait for the infantry, and, leading his squadrons too near the fortress, suffered heavily from its artillery. In spite of that severe lesson, General Bruyère, who had succeeded Lasalle in the command of the light cavalry of Masséna's corps, having the lead when we emerged from the defile, would not wait for the infantry to pass him and form in the plain. Deploying his squadrons, he advanced towards the enemy, who, remaining quite still, let him come within cannon-range, then opened a heavy fire, under which he lost heavily. At sight of this Masséna got very angry, and sent me to Bruyère to express his dissatisfaction. I found the general at the head of his division, under a storm of balls, brave enough, but much vexed at having run into this risk, and much perplexed as to his best course. If he charged the Austrian cavalry, of twice his own numbers, he would have his division cut up. On the other hand, if he retreated to get out of range, and await the infantry, it was certain that the enemy's cavalry would be on him as soon as he had faced about, and would drive him back on our battalions, as they issued from the defile. The only other thing was to stay where he was, and wait for the infantry; and this seemed the least of evils, as I permitted myself to tell General Bruyère, when he did me the honour to ask my advice. When I repeated it to the marshal, he approved but was still in a high rage with the general, exclaiming every moment: 'Can you conceive anyone getting his people killed like that for no good?' Meanwhile, he hurried up Legrand's division, and, as soon as it was formed, sent the 26th to attack Korn-Neuburg. The place was taken, and the enemy's cavalry driven back by Bruyère's squadrons, who much preferred the danger of a charge to being pounded, as they had been for half-an-hour, by the artillery. The general behaved like a hero in the hand-to-hand fighting, which did not save him from being sharply reprimanded by the marshal.

On the 8th Masséna continued the pursuit, but we only had a slight engagement. We occupied the town of Stockerau, taking large stores of provisions, especially wine, which delighted the soldiers. Continuing on the 9th, the army was stopped by a strong force, before Hollabrunn. A brisk fight ensued, in which General Bruyère, remembering his mistake, handled his division more prudently, but exposed himself freely, and got severely wounded. The unlucky town of Hollabrunn, hardly rebuilt after the fire in 1805, 1was again reduced to ashes, and again many wounded men were buried in the ruins. The enemy withdrew with loss.

During the night of the 9th the marshal sent me to the Emperor with a report of the action. After a long march, and frequently losing my way in country roads, I reached Napoleon, still at the château of Volkersdorf. His Majesty had just learned that a great part of the Austrian army, leaving the road to Moravia, was marching towards Laa, to cross the Taya, and rejoin the Archduke at Znaym, and had sent Marmont in haste to follow them. He took the same direction himself on the 10th, while Davout pushed on to Nikolsburg, and took it. I was sent back to Masséna with orders to march quickly on Znaym, where the enemy appeared to be concentrating, with the view of again giving battle. All through the 10th the enemy's rear-guard retreated steadily before Masséna's corps. After its losses at Hollabrunn, some disorder began to show itself, and we made a great many prisoners. The same day, Prince Liechtenstein appeared at our outposts with a flag of truce, to ask for an armistice on the part of the Austrian commander-in-chief. Masséna sent him on to Napoleon with one of his officers, but by the time they reached Volkersdorf the Emperor had set out for Laa, and the flag of truce only reached him the next evening at Znaym, a delay which cost a good many lives. The Austrian rear-guard, after retreating all day without fighting, in the evening disputed our entrance into the village of Guntersdorf. There was a brisk artillery engagement in the course of which a ball struck Masséna's carriage, and another killed one of the horses. Luckily, the marshal had got out five minutes before. We repulsed the enemy at length, and passed the night at Guntersdorf.

In war, spies are indispensable. Masséna used to employ in this capacity two Jews, brothers, very intelligent men, who, in order to get accurate information, and earn higher pay, used to slip in among the Austrian columns, under guise of selling fruit and wine; then, falling to the rear, they would wait till the French came up, and report to the marshal. While he was at Hollabrunn, he had promised a large sum to one of these Jews if he would get him, by the next evening, an approximate 'state' of the forces in front of us. Tempted by this bait, the Israelite travelled all night by country roads, reached the head of the Austrian army, and climbed a leafy tree in a wood, where he was able to command a view of the road without being seen. As the columns filed past, the Jew entered in a note-book the strength of each arm. While he was thus occupied, a sergeant of Jägers entered the wood for a few moments' rest, and lay down just at the foot of the tree in which the Jew was perched. In his alarm the spy probably made some movement in order to hide himself; the note-book fell from his hand, and dropped by the sergeant's side. Looking up, he saw a man amongst the topmost branches, and took aim at him, ordering him to come down. The miserable Jew was forced to obey, and was taken before an Austrian general, who, on seeing the accusing note-book, had him bayonetted. He lay on the road till the French army came up, some hours later. As soon as the second Jew, who was with us at that moment, beheld his brother's corpse, he broke out into fearful shrieks; then, collecting himself, he rummaged the dead man's pockets. Finding nothing there, however, he cursed the enemy for, as he said, stealing from him the money which his brother had with him; and, finally, so that he might at least inherit something from him, he took all his clothes, in order to sell them later on. There you have a good picture of the Jewish character!


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1. See Vol. I, chapter 22. (When you are finished, press your browsers Back button until you are returned here.) (Hypertext link to be established.) Return to paragraph text.