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=Upper Rhine Campaign of 1815=


 * Minor campaigns of 1815

Austrian right wing
Need expansion

Austrian left wing
likewise. See below

Boyce
Another corps under the Crown Prince of Württemberg and General Walmoden crossed the Rhine at Philipsburg on the 24 June, and proceeded to Bergzabern where they met with some opposition. Then blockading Landau, they passed the Queich on the 25 June without much resistance.

Battle of Surbourg
On the 26 June advanced between Selz and Surbourg, where they were vigorously opposed by the enemy. The Württemberg had advanced as far as the heights which conceal the village of Surbourg, and was considerably separated from his main body, when the enemy suddenly appeared and commenced a violent attack. The advanced guard of the Württemberg was taken by surprise, and retreated before the French with considerable loss, until they fell in with the main body of their infantry. A sanguinary contest now ensued. The French were driven to the banks of the Sur, where they rallied and maintained themselves until night, when, under protection of the darkness, they effected their passage and destroyed the bridge. The Württemberg did not think it prudent to pursue the enemy that night, but established himself with General Walmoden on the banks of the Sur.

Second battle 27th
On the 27th he continued his march, and again fell in with the French between Haguenau and Brumath, under the command of General Rapp, amounting to about eleven thousand men. The French were once more repulsed with considerable loss, and some brilliant charges of cavalry took place.

Second battle 28th
The Prince briskly pursued the retreating enemy, and overtook him again at Vendenheim on the 28th. Rapp occupied an advantageous position with his left on the villages and heights of Lambertheim and Mundenheim, and his right supported by the Rhine, with a rivulet in front which was fordable only at two points and by a bridge over the high road.

At these fords the Prince directed his principal attack, and the French made an obstinate defence, and kept up a most destructive fire of musketry and artillery; but the bravery of the Wirtembergers and Austrians, and the superiority of numbers soon prevailed. The fords were carried at the point of the bayonet; the cavalry crossed the bridge at full speed, and bore down all before them. Five pieces of cannon were taken, some hundred prisoners, and the French sought protection under the walls of Strasbourg, the guns of which fortress saved them from absolute destruction. The Prince Royal then proceeded to invest and blockade Strasbourg, in which operation he was employed at the capitulation of Paris.

Prelude
On 22 June a portion of the Austrian III Corps, under the Crown Prince of Württemberg, took possession of the entrenchments of Germersheim, on the left bank of the Rhine. Lieutenant Field Marshal Count Wallmoden was posted, with ten battalions and four squadrons, in observation of the Fortress of Landau, and the Queich Line. The main body of the corps stood between Bruchsal and Philippsburg. On 23 June the corps crossed the Rhine at Germersheim, and passed the Line of the Queich without opposition.

The Crown Prince of Württemberg was directed to proceed by Wissembourg and Haguenau, with a view to complete, in conjunction with the IV (Bavarian) Corps, the plan of intercepting the retreat of General Rapp.

On 24 June the III Corps advanced to Bergzabern and Niederotterbach, at both of which points engaged the French, and drove them back. Count Wallmoden left a small detachment to observe Landau, and advanced, with the remainder of his force, as far as Rheinzabern.

On 25 June the Crown Prince of Württemberg ordered the advance towards the Lines of Wissembourg, in two columns. The first column assembled at Bergzabern, and the second moved forward by Niederotterbach. Count Wallmoden was directed to advance upon Lauterburg. The Crown Prince advanced his Corps still further along the Haguenau road. His advanced guard pushed on to Ingolsheim, and the main body of the III Corps reached the Lines of Wissembourg; which the French abandoned in the night, and fell back upon the Forest of Haguenau, occupying the large village of Surbourg.

On 26 June the Crown Prince of Württemberg attacked and defeated the French at the last mentioned place, with his right column

Battle
On the 26 June, the Crown Prince of Württemberg's right column had advanced as far as the heights which conceal the village of Surbourg, and was considerably separated from his main body, when the French suddenly appeared and commenced a violent attack. The advanced guard of the Prince was taken by surprise, and retreated before the French with considerable loss, until they fell in with the main body of their infantry. A sanguinary contest then ensued. The French were driven to the banks of the Sauer, where they rallied and maintained themselves until night, when, under protection of the darkness, they effected their passage and destroyed the bridge. Württemberg did not think it prudent to pursue the enemy that night, but established himself with General Walmoden on the banks of the Sur.

Aftermath
While the right column was so engaged, the left column, under Count Wallmoden, was equally successful in an attack which it made upon the French General Rothenburg, posted, with 6,000 infantry and a regiment of cavalry, at Seltz.

On the following day, General Rapp fell back upon the Defile of Brumath; but this he quit in the night, and took up a favourable position in the rear of the Souffel, near Strasbourg. His force comprised twenty four battalions of infantry, four regiments of cavalry, and a numerous artillery, and amounted to nearly 24,000 men.

The Crown Prince of Württemberg engaged General Rapp's Army of the Rhine on the 28th June at the Battle of La Suffel, but despite outnumbering the French two to one, the Austrian forces were rebuffed. Rapp, however, withdrew into the Fortress of Strasbourg shortly after the action, Austrian numbers telling. The loss of the III Corps on this occasion amounted to 75 officers, and 2,050 men, killed and wounded. That of the French was about 3,000 men.

On 27 June the III Corps continued to advance, and again fell in with the French between Haguenau and Brumath, under the command of General Rapp, amounting to about eleven thousand men. The French were once more repulsed with considerable loss, and some brilliant charges of cavalry took place. The Prince briskly pursued the retreating enemy, and overtook him again at Vendenheim on the 28th. Happ occupied an advantageous position with his left on the villages and heights of Lambertheim and Mundenheim, and his right supported by the Rhine, with a rivulet in front which was fordable only at two points and by a bridge over the high road.

At these fords the Prince directed his principal attack, and the French made an obstinate defence, and kept up a most destructive fire of musketry and artillery; but the bravery of the Wirtembergers and Austrians, and the superiority of numbers soon prevailed. The fords were carried at the point of the bayonet; the cavalry crossed the bridge at full speed, and bore down all before them. Five pieces of cannon were taken, some hundred prisoners, and the French sought protection under the walls of Strasbourg, the guns of which fortress saved them from absolute destruction. The Prince Royal then proceeded to invest and blockade Strasbourg, in which operation he was employed at the capitulation 'of Paris. '

On 26 June the Crown Prince of Württemberg attacked and defeated the French at the last mentioned place, with his right column;

Memoirs
I went to occupy the lines of Lauter—Twenty-three years before we had defended them; but then they were in a good condition, the left bank of the river was protected; we had 80,000 fighting men, a corps of reserve, and the army of the Upper Rhine assisted us—Nothing of that sort existed now. The lines were merely a heap of ruins: the banks and the sluices, which formed their principal strength, were nearly destroyed, and the places which supported them were neither armed nor even secure against a coup de main. We scarcely reckoned 15,000 infantry, which were divided into three divisions, under the orders of Generals Henri Rottembourg, Joseph Albert, and Charles Grandjean. Two thousand horse, under Count Merlin, composed all our cavalry. From Weissenburg as far as Huningue (A French fortress close to Basel) on one side, and to Belgium on the other, the frontiers were completely unprotected.


 * Christophe Antoine Merlin
 * Antoine François Eugène Merlin

In this state of things Germersheim became an important position; defended by a considerable garrison, and twenty-four pieces of cannon, it could not be carried but by main force. I despaired not of success, and I made, as soon as the news of hostilities reached me, a general reconnaissance, in which I got possession of Hauenstein, of Annweiler (Auwailler), and of all the villages of the river Queich. The chief of squadron Turckheim took at a gallop that of Ottersheim (Gottenstein), and the Bavarian detachments which occupied it.

On the 21st, towards midnight, all the arrangements were made, and the columns of attack were already in march, when news of the disaster of Waterloo was announced. The columns were immediately recalled. I well knew that the enemy would lose no time in crossing the river; I hastened to take the administrative measures that circumstances required, and to put in a state of defence the fortresses which were under my command. I threw a battalion of the line into Landau, whither I ordered the treasuries of the country to be removed. But already, as I had foreseen, the troops of the coalition had passed the Rhine at Oppenheim and at Germersheim, and had spread themselves in every direction; our soldiers were obliged to fight their way in order to arrive at their destination. We retreated behind the river Lauter; and the rumour of the invasion of the Upper Rhine by the Grand Army under the command of Schwartzenberg having reached me at the same time, I despatched, post haste, two battalions to reinforce the garrisons of Neuf Brisach (Neuf Brisack) and of Sélestat (Schelestadt).

The Russians, Austrians, Bavarians, Wurtemburgers, Badeners, and a multitude from other nations, assembled to the number of more than 60,000 men, under the orders of the Crown Prince of Württemberg, soon outfronted the feeble corps under my command.

I had first determined to defend Alsace foot by foot, retiring towards the Vosges, the Meurthe, the Moselle and the Marne : but I learnt that the army of the Moselle, which supported me on my left, had marched towards the north; that the enemy's columns already occupied Sarrebruck, and inundated Lorraine: this movement then was no longer practicable. On the other hand, a hasty decision, in such an unexpected juncture, might be attended with the most serious consequences. I temporized, in hopes of receiving orders to regulate my movements. But after the despatch which informed me of our misfortunes, I did not receive another until the entry of Louis XVIII into Paris.

In the evening of the 24 June the Wurtemburg cavalry attacked my advanced posts, the chasseurs of the 7th and the dragoons of the 11th took arms, rushed on the enemy, and cut them in pieces.

The next day 25 June the army continued its movement of concentration; I fixed my quarters in advance of the forest of Haguenau, the right of the army at Seltz, the centre at Surbourg, and the left, being my cavalry, on the road to Bitche, which the enemy had already invested.

This position was only a temporary one— it was too extended: I only took it to avoid retiring suddenly behind the town, and thus allowing the enemy to penetrate between that place and Saverne, which Lieutenant-general Desbureaux occupied with a battalion of the line, some partisans, and a few lancers.

Battle of Seltz (25 June)
General Rottembourg was in-trusted with the task of observing the Rhine on our rear and on the right. — I had only been able to allow him a brigade, which I had left at Seltz; out of this I was obliged to withdraw the 40th regiment the moment the Austrians appeared. There only remained with him the 39th, whose second battalion formed the advanced posts, and the reserve.

The first, a company of sappers and eight pieces of cannon, composed the line of battle for more than half a league of ground. The situation, without being bad in itself, had nothing particularly encouraging in it.

The small town of Seltz, supported on the Rhine, is situated on the two banks of the Seltzbach (Sauer). This river is pretty secure for about 400 yards, but farther up it is fordable every where, and the woods on its banks render the passage of it still more easy. On the other hand, I feared a landing which the enemy could easily effect behind the right, and to which I could make but a feeble opposition, whilst all my attention was wanted to the front, which, as I have said, extended to a great distance.

In this alternative General Rottembourg decided on keeping a watch on the Rhine only by means of patrols, and he sent a company to guard the fords from the mill at Seltz to Nideradern. He placed his artillery on a small eminence on the right bank, to the left of the town; and what remained of his soldiers he sent forward to support the second battalion, which occupied the advanced posts and the wood.

At 11:00 the enemy, having assembled his masses, commenced the attack by a well-sustained small arms fire, which he supported with eight pieces of cannon. The opposition of our troops was obstinate, and for a long time was effectual, but at last this small advanced post was compelled to retreat into the wood. It maintained itself there with heroic courage, and resisted for a long time the efforts of from 8,000–9,000 men, aided by a numerous artillery.In tine, after a few hours of the finest resistance, this handful of valiant troops retreated in the greatest order, and rejoined the 1st battalion.

Emboldened by this success our adversaries brought down their masses. They debouched by the main road, and marched on Seltz, of which they thought to get possession without difficulty. We allowed them to come up under the fire of our batteries; as soon as they could play, a tremendous discharge carried death into their ranks. Encouraged by their numbers, they nevertheless continued to advance, and the combat recommenced with more vigour than before. But, constantly repelled by the valour of our soldiers, and mowed down by the French artillery, the Austrians in the end gave way, and retired in confusion into the wood.

Their movements from that time became uncertain, and they hesitated a long time what they should do. Our cannon continued to carry destruction into their ranks. Attack was not more dangerous than inaction ; they again advanced, and succeeded in getting possession of the part of the town situated on the left bank. But this triumph cost them dear : a few shells, thrown on the houses of which they were in possession, compelled them to leave them, and to regain, in a great hurry, their first place of shelter: our batteries fired with increased fury, and the fugitives suffered an immense loss.

Battle of Surbourg
This was not the only attack in which they failed. At the commencement of the action they had advanced by the main road from Weissembourg to Haguenau on Surbourg, which was occupied by a battalion of the 18th, under the command of Colonel Voyrol. This village was valiantly defended: for more than two hours the enemy could not penetrate into it; but they at last brought up forces so considerable, that under the apprehension of seeing the position turned, General Albert ordered it to be evacuated. Our soldiers withdrew behind the Saare, where they joined the remainder of the regiment.

Attacked in this position by some chosen troops of the Austrian army, they remained immoveable. Wearied with so many fruitless attacks, and convinced that they could not succeed in forcing men who appeared determined to die at their post, nor in getting possession of the avenues of the forest, the Allies at last decided on retreating.

We had three hundred men killed and wounded. The Austrians, by their own account, had lost 2,000 men, and had two pieces of cannon dismounted.

26 June
Our troops had scarcely taken a few hours rest, when n the 25/26 June I was obliged to put them again on their march. The Allied army of the Upper Rhine was advancing on Strasbourg; I had received this news during the action. I had not a moment to loose: I marched immediately towards that place, and the result has shown whether this measure was proper.

It was during this retreat that the soldiers heard of the disastrous battle of Waterloo, and the Emperor's abdication, which, to that moment, I had carefully concealed from them. These events produced an universal discouragement, and desertion soon found its way among them. Fatal projects entered the minds even of those who were least carried away by passion. Excited by malevolence, some wished to return to their homes; others proposed to throw themselves as partisans into the Vosges.

I was immediately informed of these intentions. I directly foresaw what terrible consequences they might produce. I issued an order of the day; it succeeded; their minds were tranquillized, but it was not long before anxiety revived. When we reached Haguenau, the ... regiment, formerly so illustrious, loudly proclaimed the design of quitting the army, and of repairing with its artillery into the mountains. The cannon were already harnessed, and one battalion had taken up its arms. I was informed of it; I rushed to the spot; I took in my hand the eagle of the rebels, and placing myself in the midst of them, "Soldiers," I cried, "I learn that it is proposed among you to desert us. In an hour's time we shall fight; do you wish the Austrians to think that you have fled from the field of honour? Let the brave swear never to quit their eagles or their general-in-chief. I grant permission to the cowards to depart." At these words, all exclaimed, "Long live Rapp! long live our general!" Every one swore to die by his standard, and tranquillity was restored.

Souffel
We immediately began our march, and reached the Souffel, two leagues in advance of Strasbourg. The 15th division (Rottembourg's) had its right on the river Ill, its centre at Hoenheim, its left at Souffelweyersheim, and extended to the road from Brumpt. The 16th division (Albert's) occupied Lampertheim, Mundolsheim, the three villages of Hausbergen, with its left resting on the road from Saverne: lastly, the 17th Division (GrandJean's) was in columns on the road from Molsheim, with two regiments of cavalry; two others were placed in the rear of the 15th division at Bischeim.

Morning of the 28 June
Such was the situation of our troops on the morning of the 28th, when the enemy attacked with impetuosity the village of Lampertheim, which was occupied by a battalion of the 10th, under the command of General Beurmanu. This battalion alone sustained for a long time the attacks of 8,000 infantry, and the continued tiring of six pieces of cannon. However, as the number of the assailants was continually increasing, it withdrew behind the river, and, conformably to its orders, stationed itself at Mundolsheim.

The enemy's columns, from 40 to 50,000 men strong, advanced immediately by the roads from Brumath (Brumpt) and Bischwiller(Bishweiller). All these arrangements, and the masses of cavalry which covered the first of these roads, announced that their project was to separate the divisions of Generals Rottembourg and Albert, in order to overwhelm the latter. I did not mistake the design of the Allies, but I had not the power of uniting my troops, which had deployed in an immense plain, and were already engaged throughout the whole line. There only remained one expedient; I adopted it immediately, fortunately it was a most fatal one for the enemy. I closed the 10th regiment into columns, in the very midst of the firing; I ordered the 32rd to advance; and I moved it en echelon after having formed it into a square. The rest of the division of Albert remained in reserve on the height of Hiderhausbergen.

Defending the ground foot by foot, General Rottembourg changed the front of his division, throwing his left wing into the rear, and proceeded to cover the villages of Floenheim, Bischeim and Schittigheim, threatening the flank of the troops which were engaged between these two divisions. This was according to his orders.

The 103rd was placed on the road from Brumpt, and the 36th left Souffelweyersheim to support it; but scarcely had it begun to march when the Allies attacked the village. I immediately despatched a company to defend this important position. Our soldiers advanced to it, running, but our adversaries had taken possession of it before they could arrive. Captain Chauvin supported with extraordinary courage the fire of a cloud of sharp-shooters, and thus gave time for General Fririon to come up.

368 MEMOIRS -OF

This officer left a battalion and four pieces of cannon to cover the road, and advanced in charging time with the rest of his forces. General Gudin seconded this movement, and manoeuvred on the road from Bischweiller. The Austrians gave way, and withdrew; but the reinforcements which they every moment received left our troops no chance of maintaining their position. On the other hand, the assailants had outflanked the 10th, and the moment had arrived for effecting the movement which I had ordered. Consequently the 16th division wheeled back its left wing perpendicularly to the rear, while it preserved the head of Hoenheim, from whence our artillery raked the enemy in flank and rear. At the same time the gallant General Beurmann, attacked on every side and already surrounded, sallied forth from Mundolsheim at the head of the 10th, and retreated without disorder towards the division.

The Austrians on their side advanced on the road from Brumpt with enormous masses of cavalry and infantry, supported by a formidable artillery. They penetrated between the two divisions, and arrived without obstacle on four pieces of cannon which had been continually pouring discharges of grape-shot on their columns. They were taken; but the enemy presented his flank to the troops of General Rottembourg, and to two regiments of cavalry which were on his front. I took advantage of this circumstance: put myself at the head of the 11th dragoons, and the 7th horse chasseurs. I made a rapid charge : I routed the first line, penetrated the second, and overthrew every thing that offered me any resistance. We made a dreadful slaughter of the Austrian and Wurtemburg cavalry. At the same time the 32nd came up at the charge in close columns, and prevented them from rallying. They were thrown back on their own infantry, whom they put to flight.

General Rottembourg, on his side, pushed forward his right wing, and opened on the enemy, who defiled in confusion before his columns, a most destructive fire of artillery and musquetry; in an instant the field of battle is covered with the slain, and the immense army of the Crown Prince of Württemberg is routed. The defeat was so complete that baggage, which was two leagues in the rear, was attacked and plundered, and the Prince himself lost his equipages.

The confusion extended itself as far as Haguenau, and would have gone still farther if 30,000 Russians, who came up from Weissembourg, had not by their presence encouraged the fugitives. The night which came on, and the risk that there would have been in adventuring against forces so superior to our own, prevented us from profiting by our successes. We could not retake our artillery, the enemy had made haste to remove it to his rear.

It cost him very dear to keep it. He had from 1500 to 2000 men killed, and a still more considerable number wounded. On our side there were about 700 killed and wounded. Of this number were two Captains of light artillery, Favier and Dandlau, both wounded in defending their cannon, and Colonel JNIontagnier, who performed such signal service on this occasion.

Aftermath
The enemy's General revenged himself for this defeat by devastation. The day after the battle he set on fire the village of Souffelweyersheim, under pretext that the peasants had fired on his troops. This was not the fact, and the name of the Crown Prince of Württemberg will remain for ever sullied by an action which plunged a multitude of families into misery.

Whether the vigour with which we had repulsed all their attacks had given them a distaste for making new ones, or from some other motive, our adversaries remained some days without undertaking any thing. I took advantage of this repose to provision Strasbourg, and to fortify myself in my positions. I also had time to give to all commanders of places, who were under my command, the most precise instructions.

Austrian I Corps
Signed an armistice with the Austrian general Colloredo at Bavilliers, 11 July, 1815"
 * "Le 26 juin 1815, le général comte de Colloredo, qui commandait à 40 000 Autrichiens, essaya de forcer les lignes de Lecourbe."
 * Lederer, Ignaz Ludwig Paul Freiherr von "In 1815, he was in FZM Colloredo's I Corps as commander of the advance guard. On 27 June he clashed successfully at Dannemarie with GdD Claude-Jacques Lecourbe and threw him back. On 1 July he saved the 2nd Jäger Battalion from Lecourbe's corps at Besancourt. That year Lederer was appointed 2nd Proprietor of Dragoon Regiment N°2 and received the Order of St. Anne 1st cl. from the Czar."
 * "Valeureux général de Division, qui le 26 juin 1815, tint tête au 1er corps d’armée Autrichien à trois-maisons, près d’Altkirch." (Valorous general of Division, June 26, 1815, struggled with the first Austrian army corps in three houses near Altkirch).
 * LECOURBE, Claude-Jacques "Attempted to halt the enemy at Foussemagne (30 June), Bourogne, Chévremont (2 July), Bavilliers (8 July)
 * "Suchet defeated Frimont along the Piedmontese border; Lecourbe expertly delayed Colloredo;"
 * Der Krieg des verbündeten Europa gegen Frankreich in Jahre 1815 (1818) Author: Plotho, Carl v; Publisher: Berlin : C.F. Amelang; Year: 1818
 * Recueil de pièces officielles destinées à détromper les François ..., Volume 6 by Frédéric Schoell 77; taking of Montbéliard, Scheither

The Austrian I and II corps and the Reserve Corps, forming the left wing of the Austrian Army of the Upper Rhine, crossed this river at Rheinfelden and Basle in the night of 25 June.

On 26 June the I Corps, under Count Colloredo, was directed upon Belfort and Montbéliard; and, on the same day, the Austrian invested the Fortress of Huningue.

The advanced guard of the Austrian I Corps fought a skirmish with a French detachment of 3,000 men belonging to the VIII Corps (also known as Armée du Jura) of General Lecourbe, and repulsed it as far as Dannemarie.

On 28 June the Austrian I Corps attacked the French near Chavannes, between Dannemarie and Belfort, when the French force, amounting to 8,000 Infantry and 500 Cavalry, was driven back upon Belfort.

Major General Von Scheither of the I Corps was detached against Montbéliard, a town fortified and defended by a citadel. After having maintained a most destructive fire against the place, the Austrian troops carried it by storm; with a loss, however, of 25 Officers and 1,000 men, killed and wounded.

It is almost impossible to detail, or to bring into any connected form, the numerous skirmishes which took place between the advance of the allied armies and the retreating enemy, and the different engagements which took place between them and the garrisons of the fortified towns, in which the allies were generally successful, and in which a very considerable loss of men was sustained on both sides.

Crossing the Rhine in vast foray and blockading the fortress of Pfalzbourg, the main body of the allied army pushed on through the defile of the Vosges mountains, on the great road from Strasbourg to Paris, but for some time advanced with great difficulty. To avoid the fortress, a road was made in the course of a few hours; and the guns and carriages were dragged by parties of soldiers up rocky steeps that appeared almost inaccessible; after which the army continued its march to Paris, without meeting with any serious obstacle to oppose its movements.

On the morning of the 26th, the Archduke Ferdinand, with the force under his command, amounting, according to accounts from Basle, to 160,000 men, passed the Rhine at Basle; and pushing on through the defiles of Porentrui, he succeeded in separating the force under Lecourbe from that under Rapp. After numerous engagements, in which the enemy lost a great number of men, Lecourbe was finally obliged to shut himself up in Belfort.

Betwixt Ferdinand's army and Lecourbe's, the severest fighting took place. On the 28th Count Colloredo attacked the French rear-guard, and drove it before him with much loss, and took many prisoners. The Austrian loss was 300 killed and wounded.

On the 2d Colloredo took the town and citadel of Montbéliard by assault; 7 guns and a great number of prisoners fell into his hands. On the 28th an enemy's force, of 8000 infantry and 300 cavalry, were driven through Chavannes at the point of the bayonet. On the 1st Chèvremont, and Bessoncourt, were carried by assault; and 4000 men, with a detachment from the garrison of Belfort, under Lecourbe, were driven from the heights of Beaumont.

All the fortified towns were immediately invested and the Archduke, with the disposable part of the troops remaining from those duties, continued his march upon Langres. All the armies continued their march towards Paris, and on the 14th Prince Schwartzenberg had his headrquarters at Fontainbleau; the allied Sovereigns,- viz; the Emperor of Russia, the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of Austria, having, some days previous to that period, left the army, as soon as they heard of the capture of Paris, and the entry of Louis XVIII. into his capital, and proceeded to that place, where they arrived on the 9th. Some idea may be formed of the vast force of the

allies, which entered France in this direction, when it is known that the Austrian force disposable on the Upper Loire, exclusive of the armies from Italy, amounted to 100,000 men.

The disposition of a great part of the people of this part of France was, and had always been, most hostile and rancorous against the allies; and this hatred now showed itself in numerous instances, which brought down destruction on their heads. The villages of Hogentheim and Mulhausen gave the first-example of the most shocking excesses. In the former, a German soldier, after having his eyes put out, was hung up alive. The most dreadful punishment followed upon the instant. The aged, the women, and the children, suffered with the wicked perpetrators.

At Mulhauson, two soldiers were shot by a clergyman. His house was surrounded, and he was destroyed with it. Half a league from this, six huhlans inquired at a boy in a farm-house, the name of the next village—instead of answering, the man was shot from his horse. The boy was immediately cut down by the side of his mother. Similar was the conduct of the people in this part of France, and similar was their punishment. Wherever the allied troops met with resistance from the country people, every thing was destroyed. "For six days," said accounts from that quarter, "the sky has been red every day with the flames of burning villages. Where a single shot is directed from them upon the allies, all is levelled to the ground. A dreadful judgment hangs over France—the crimes of preceding times are visited upon their descendants, who rival them in the commission of enormities." Indeed, in numerous instances, the French people seem to have lost all sense of honour, justice, and regard for truth; and seemed to make these principles their sport.

Such, at present, was the conduct of the garrison of Huningue (Huninguen), and its infamous governor, Joseph Barbanègre Barbnegre. "Immediately after the abdication of Bonaparte became known," said General Bachman, in an official proclamation, "his generals immediately sent for a suspension of arms—they promised no hostile operations should be undertaken, while that demand was considered; and yet, while these communications were transmitted to the proper authorities, the French troops in Huninguen, without Any reason, on the evening of the 28th, commenced the bombardment of Basle." For this infamous conduct, he called upon the Swiss troops to arise and punish the authors of such injustice, and to put it out of the power of such an enemy to injure them. There was, indeed, no other way to deal with such lawless people; and if Huninguen had been razed to its foundations, and its garrison put to the sword, for such infamous conduct, it wa6 no more thnn they deserved. It is only by the certainty of meeting with immediate and just retribution that such characters can be kept within the bounds prescribed by social order, or the law of civilized nations. Forgiveness for offences has no influence upon their obdurate hearts.


 * Notes


 * References

Combine

 * Another sources with M'Queen's words but by yet another author and slightly less biases (bracketed comments)

On the morning of the 26th, the Archduke Ferdinand, with the force under his command, amounting, according to accounts from Basle, to 160,000 men, passed the Rhine at Basle; and pushing on through the defiles of Porentrui, he succeeded in separating the force under Lecourbe from that under Rapp. After numerous engagements, in which the enemy lost a great number of men, Lecourbe was finally obliged to shut himself up in Belfort.

It is almost impossible to detail, or to bring into any connected form, the numerous skirmishes which took place between the advance of the allied armies and the retreating enemy, and the different engagements which took place between them and the garrisons of the fortified towns, in which the allies were generally successful, and in which a very considerable loss of men was sustained on both sides.

Some idea may be formed of the vast force of the allies, which entered France in this direction, when it is known that the Austrian force disposable on the Upper Loire, exclusive of the armies from Italy, amounted to 100,000 men.

Crossing the Rhine in vast foray and blockading the fortress of Pfalzbourg (Phalsbourg), the main body of the allied army pushed on through the defile of the Vosges mountains, on the great road from Strasbourg to Paris, but for some time advanced with great difficulty. To avoid the fortress, a road was made in the course of a few hours; and the guns and carriages were dragged by parties of soldiers up rocky steeps that appeared almost inaccessible; after which the army continued its march to Paris, without meeting with any serious obstacle to oppose its movements.

The Austrian I and II corps and the Reserve Corps, forming the left wing of the Austrian Army of the Upper Rhine, crossed this river at Rheinfelden and Basle in the night of 25 June.
 * 25 June

On 26 June the I Corps, under Count Colloredo, was directed upon Belfort and Montbéliard; and, on the same day, the Austrian invested the Fortress of Huningue.
 * 26 June

On the 26th, the enemy was dislodged from Rasingeu, where it reached, and the position of the plateau is removed before Trois Maisons, Vanguard won the heights of Horlin; the enemy had retired to Franken. The first corps had occupied that day Nieder-Rausbach, and the brigade had gained Scheither St. Blaise.

The advanced guard of the Austrian I Corps fought a skirmish with a French detachment of 3,000 men belonging to the VIII Corps (also known as Armée du Jura) of General Lecourbe, and repulsed it as far as Dannemarie.
 * 27 June

27, FML Baron Lederer, commander forefront, rejected on Donnemarie three thousand men under General Lecourbe. The ratio of prisoners, this corps has experienced a significant loss. Nore is seven officers wounded, and two hundred men so that Jues injured.

On 28 June the Austrian I Corps attacked the French near Chavannes, between Dannemarie and Belfort, when the French force, amounting to 8,000 Infantry and 500 Cavalry, was driven back upon Belfort.
 * 28 June

Betwixt Ferdinand's army and Lecourbe's, the severest fighting took place. On the 28th Count Colloredo attacked the French rear-guard, and drove it before him with much loss, and took many prisoners. The Austrian loss was 300 killed and wounded.

On the 28th an enemy's force, of 8000 infantry and 300 cavalry, were driven through Chavannes at the point of the bayonet.

28 in the night, the enemy Donnemarie left; we met him near Chabannes, strong eight thousand foot and five hundred horse there he was attacked impetuously with the bayonet, tumbled on Chabannes, which was even then dislodged. The same day, the bulk of the army occupied Golonge and Nobillard, Our loss was two officers killed, septblessés, and two hundred men killed or wounded.

General Scheither was 28 at Delia, and took 29 of the entrenchments and Bourogne Montvillard. Nevertheless, the enemy renewed so vividly and so much superior force attacks, after a long struggle he had to abandon these entrenchments. But as their occupation was of the utmost importance for the success of future projects of general of artillery Count Colloredo on Maval ^ and to identify more closely Befort, he reinforced the night of on the attack 3rd corps and this position was resumed the next day.
 * 29 June

On July 1, Count Colloredo brought up in three columns on the Marschall Veselois division, the division of Chevremont Lederer and Besencourt and General Vilatta to Roppe. The second battalion of chasseurs, who had stormed and Chevremont Besèncourt was led too far by its valu and endangered, but the FML Lederer stepped forward in time to support it. General Villata had seized Roppe Denney and die, and before he could enter the defiles with very difficult access, to avoid the village Denney that was on fire, Besencourt, he had abandoned a time was taken in favor of a more vivid dice cannonade.
 * 1 July

Meanwhile, the division Marschall was reached Veselôis, and had won Maval. The enemy had posted on the heights of Bermont two thousand, several hundred horses and seven guns; but despite the liveliness of their fire, they were soon removed. While the ideal was proposed for that day was perfectly answered the tf ennétmi which besides corps Lecourbe, had yet to act four thousand, was repulsed with great loss on all points, and and failed on all sides he had made attempts to counter our attacks.

On the 1st Chèvremont, and Bessoncourt, were carried by assault; and 4000 men, with a detachment from the garrison of Belfort, under Lecourbe, were driven from the heights of Beaumont.

Count Colloredo announced further that on the 2nd General Lecourbe requested an armistice; but the artillery general said that there consentiroit under the condition of the surrender of Belfort.
 * 2 July

Major General Von Scheither of the I Corps was detached against Montbéliard, a town fortified and defended by a citadel. After having maintained a most destructive fire against the place, the Austrian troops carried it by storm; with a loss, however, of 25 Officers and 1,000 men, killed and wounded.

The fortress and citadel of Montbéliard were taken over on the 2nd. General Scheither moved his brave troops to the palisades, which this city was surrounded; He then directed his artillery so successfully, that enemy troops were strung in major works, and that led to the city fire produced the greatest effect. This cleverly coordinated business conducted with as much boldness as expeditiously filled with the brightest view that one way was proposed. The enemy was forced to yield; there was a part of his forces fled in the greatest disorder on the road to Besancon, when our troops entered the place, and continued to pursue the enemy in that direction. In addition to a considerable quantity of ammunition, other provisions, was taken in Montbeliard seven guns. It took all the valour of our troops to succeed in this attack against an enemy defended by fortifications peninsula on impregnable, and which opposed the strongest resistance. We can not yet determine the number of prisoners, since we still constantly brings, and that part of the corps of the enemy, after throwing their weapons, hid in the city; can not be judged by the number after having gathered.

On the 2d Colloredo took the town and citadel of Montbéliard by assault; 7 guns and a great number of prisoners fell into his hands.


 * 3rd July onwards

All the fortified towns were immediately invested and the Archduke, with the disposable part of the troops remaining from those duties, continued his march upon Langres. All the armies continued their march towards Paris, and on the 14th Prince Schwartzenberg had his headrquarters at Fontainbleau; the allied Sovereigns,- viz; the Emperor of Russia, the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of Austria, having, some days previous to that period, left the army, as soon as they heard of the capture of Paris, and the entry of Louis XVIII. into his capital, and proceeded to that place, where they arrived on the 9th.


 * Notes


 * References
 * Chapter=No XCVI Order du jour du Prince de Schwarzenberg, du 3 juillet 1815
 * Chapter=No XCVIL Rapport officiel de l'armée autrienne du Rhin, do 5 juillet 1815
 * Chapter=No XCVI Order du jour du Prince de Schwarzenberg, du 3 juillet 1815
 * Chapter=No XCVIL Rapport officiel de l'armée autrienne du Rhin, do 5 juillet 1815



Military reports

 * The London Gazette; Publication date: 7 June 1815; Issue: 17021 Page: 1094 Extract of a Dispatch from - Lord Burghersh to Viscount Castlereagh, dated Teano, May 20 1815 Military Convention.
 * 1095
 * 1153, TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1815 Naples
 * 1154, continue bad format pages 1155–1156 missing
 * 1409 The London Gazette of Tuesday 11 July published SATURDAY, JULY 15, 1815 --Austria and Russia
 * 1415
 * The London Gazette Extraordinary, 22 June 1815 Issue: 17028 Page: 1213--1216 -- Waterloo Dispatch
 * 1481, SATURDAY, JULY 22, 1815 -- Napoleon abdicates
 * 1482, continue
 * 1481, SATURDAY, JULY 22, 1815 -- Napoleon abdicates
 * 1482, continue