The Combat of Möckern
5th April 1813

[Prince Eugene]

Report of the Prince Viceroy on the encounter at Möckern, to the Prince de Neuchâtel - Marshal Berthier

Stassfurth, 11 April.

On April 6th the army took position, its left in Woltersdorf, its centre to Nedlitz and its right to the rear of Gommern, covered in front by small posts of infantry and cavalry in Wormlitz, Tripphena, Lühe, Möckern, Wallwitz, Wehlitz, Dannigkow and protected by the small river Ehle.

I Cavalry Corps
Gen. Latour Maubourg
HQ: Wahlitz and Gommern 		The 1st Light Cavalry Division occupied Zehdenik, having 100 horsemen in Möckern and 100 horsemen in Tripphena.
The 3rd Division in Wehlitz having 100 horsemen in Dannigkow.
The 1st and 3rd Cuirassier Divisions and the artillery between Wahlitz and Gommern.
11th Corps d'armèe
Gen. Count Grenier in Nedlitz 		The 36th Division, Gen. Charpentier, occupied Buden and joined with the 35th
The 35th Division, Gen. Grenier, camped on the plateau in front of Nedlitz and joined with the 31st Division.
The 31st Division in front of Carith.
5th Corps d'armèe
Gen. Count Lauriston in Menz 		The 4th Division, Gen. Rochambeau at Woltersdorf, occupied Corbelitz and joined with the 1st Division
The 1st Division, Gen. Maison, camped in front of Königsborn.
The 3rd Division, Gen. Lagrange camped in front of Wahlitz.
Gen. Roguet at Pechau The Imperial Guard were at Pechau.

My headquarters were at Königsborn. The enemy had troops in Hohen Ziatz, Lochau, Zeppernik, Dalchau, Britzke, Ladenburg, Leitzkau; some Cavalry had shown itself on the right-hand side of Gommern, but nothing that indicated that he wanted to make a serious attack - they were only patrols. However, at about one o'clock in the afternoon, 2 companies of the 154th and 100 horsemen, who were in Dannigkow, were attacked by 2 battalions of Prussian infantry, 2 regiments of cavalry and 2 artillery pieces. The 100 horsemen having been repelled, the enemy tried to turn the village and surround the infantry which held it very bravely. I sent in the grenadiers of the same battalion and this pocket of youngsters resisted for two hours all the efforts of the enemy, who successively brought to this important point 4 battalions, 6 regiments of cavalry and 8 pieces of artillery. The three companies, after the exhaustion of all their cartridges, had to fall back towards Gommern skirting the Ehle. The enemy cavalry emerged then but the 1st and 3rd cavalry divisions contained it and forced it immediately to the rear of Dannigkow which we reoccupied.

General Zucchi, with 2 battalions of Italian light infantry had gone at 5am to the height of Zehdenik, he sent one of these battalions from this point to Möckern.

Immediately Dannigkow was attacked, I'd ordered General Grenier to place the 35th Division on the right-hand side of the road which leads from Carith to Wehlitz, where there were only 4 companies of infantry.

The 1st battalion of the 112th regiment was ordered to go to defend the village with 2 6-pounders that General Grundler placed. General Fressinet also detached a battalion for the same purpose.

The enemy began his attack on this point at 8am with 8 battalions of infantry, 4 regiments of cavalry and 12 pieces of artillery. These superior forces also redoubled the valour of the infantry which sustained the shock with energy and guarded this position; supported by 4 battalions of the division posted in the rear, on the right-hand side of the windmill. The enemy cavalry, outnumbering us fourfold, pursued ours and went far beyond Wehlitz, it was maintained by the presence of 5 battalions placed in the environs of the village.

At about half past 5, with the fire slackening in Wehlitz, the general went to the left of the village to oppose the advance of a column of Prussian infantry, which tried to turn our left and cut off the battalion of the 112th regiment and the voltigeurs, who withdrew from Wehlitz. While re-forming these troops the General received a ball, which fractured his lower jaw on the right-hand side. He didn't leave his command.

The enemy captured the bridge sited in the village but wasn't able to dislodge into the plain the battalion of the 112th regiment and the Neapolitan voltigeurs, who kept their position till night and resisted and charged with the bayonnet a column of infantry which advanced to the right-hand side of Wehlitz. One of the six pounders had been dismounted and the enemy seized it; a charge was ordered and the piece recaptured; it was put back into action by the voltigeurs by manhandling it; but the difficulties of ground and the lack of horsemen forced them to abandon it. These troops had defended the defile in front of the village with much valour: they held off 8 battalions, several regiments of cavalry and 8 artillery pieces. At 7 o'clock in the evening, 35th Division made its retreat in echelon. The first brigade took position in front of Carith. The second occupied the former position of the first one (to the right-hand side of Nedlitz). The first brigade of the 36th Division was placed in camp in front and to the left of Nedlitz.

Approximately 1 lieue [4450 metres] from Möckern, General Zucchi saw the cavalry and 2 companies were withdrawing followed by numerous enemy cavalry and artillery. Another body of cavalry advanced on him. He joined these two Companies to the four posted to Zehdnik and formed three small squares.

Protected by the fire of 4 artillery pieces and two howitzers, the enemy cavalry advanced on the right which, unable to resist such a considerable superiority, was brought into disorder for a moment.

General Zucchi, alone in the middle of the plain, rallied the battalion retiring from Möckern and then went on Nedlitz.

Three to four thousand horsemen surrounded the two Italian Battalions, the artillery followed them.

Having been obliged to stop to open a passage for his two guns, the General was summoned to capitulate by a Prussian officer. He responded with a volley of musketry and continued his retreat.

The posts at Trippehna and Lühe followed the movements of the troops stationed in Möckern and were withdrawn on Nedlitz.

Losses

Officers Men
Killed 5 230
Wounded 14 450
Supposed
captured		 2 58
TOTAL 21 738

The losses of the enemy are estimated to have been 1000 men and 6-700 horses.

Eugène Napoléon

Source

I am indebted to Jörg Scheibe for copying the above text and sending it to me, and to Rolf Marquardt for his comments and corrections to my translation.