Battle of Liaskowa

The Battle of Liaskowa (or Lyakhovo) took place 9 November 1812 near the village of Liaskowa, where 3,500 Cossacks under the command of Vasily Vasilyevich Orlov-Denisov (also under Denis Vasilyevich Davydov, Aleksandr Samoylovich Figner and Aleksandr Nikitich Seslavin) surrounded 2,000 soldiers of the Grande Armée under Jean-Pierre Augereau.

Background
Mikhail Kutuzov in his Attrition warfare against Napoleon had increased the guerrilla warfare of the Cossacks and the people's war of the peasants thereby slowly weakening the French army. During the retreat of the Grande Armée from Moscow to Poland Kutuzov with his main army avoided following Napoleon directly. Kutuzov escorted the Grande Armée on parallel roads in unspoilt regions of the south.

Battle
3,500 Cossacks under Vasily Orlov-Denisov routed 2,000 soldiers of the Grande Armée under Augereau. 1,750 French were taken prisoner.

Aftermath
The Grande Armée had its next major fight in the Battle of Krasnoi.