View source for Battle of Mormant

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use shortened footnotes|date=June 2021}}
{{Short description|1814 battle during the War of the Sixth Coalition}}
{{Infobox Military Conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Mormant
| image             = File:Combat de Mormant le 17 février 1814, à dix heures du matin (détail).jpg
| caption           = Battle of Mormant by [[Jean-Antoine-Siméon Fort]]
| partof            = the [[Campaign in north-east France (1814)|Campaign of France]] of the [[War of the Sixth Coalition|Sixth Coalition]]
| date              = 17 February 1814
| place             = [[Mormant]], [[First French Empire|France]]
| coordinates       = {{coord|48|36|28|N|02|53|19|E|display=inline,title}}
| result            = French victory{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=473}}{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=498}}
| combatant1        = {{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[First French Empire|France]]
| combatant2        = {{flagicon|Austrian Empire}} [[Austrian Empire|Austria]]<br>{{flagicon|Kingdom of Bavaria}} [[Kingdom of Bavaria|Bavaria]]<br>{{flagicon|Russian Empire}} [[Russian Empire|Russia]]
| commander1        = {{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[Napoleon|Napoleon Bonaparte]]<br>{{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[Claude Victor-Perrin]]<br>{{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[Étienne Maurice Gérard|Étienne Gérard]]<br>{{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[François Étienne de Kellermann|François Kellermann]]<br>{{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[Édouard Jean-Baptiste Milhaud|Édouard Milhaud]]
| commander2        = {{flagicon|Austrian Empire}} [[Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg|Karl von Schwarzenberg]]<br>{{flagicon|Austrian Empire}} Anton von Hardegg<br>{{flagicon|Kingdom of Bavaria}} Peter de Lamotte<br>{{flagicon|Russian Empire}} [[Peter Wittgenstein]]<br> {{flagicon|Russian Empire}} [[Pyotr Petrovich Palen|Peter Pahlen]]
| strength1         = 18,000–20,000
| strength2         = 4,300–9,000
| casualties1       = 600–800
| casualties2       = 2,400–3,114, 9–14 guns
| units1            = {{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[II Corps (Grande Armée)|II Corps]]<br>{{flagicon|First French Empire}} Reserve of Paris<br>{{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée)|V Cavalry Corps]]<br>{{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée)|VI Cavalry Corps]]
| units2            = {{flagicon|Austrian Empire}} V Corps<br>{{flagicon|Kingdom of Bavaria}} V Corps<br>{{flagicon|Russian Empire}} VI Corps
| map_type          = France
| map_relief        = 1
| map_size          = 300
| image_size        = 310px
}}
{{Campaignbox Campaign of France}}
{{Campaignbox Sixth Coalition}}
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|caption={{legend|black|current battle}}{{legend|maroon|Napoleon in command}}{{legend|navy|Napoleon not in command}}

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|mark-title4=[[Battle of Lesmont]]<br>on 2 February 1814
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|mark-title8=[[Battle of Vauchamps]]<br>on 14 February 1814
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|mark-title10=[[Battle of Montereau]]<br>on 18 February 1814
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|mark-title11=[[Battle of Gué-à-Tresmes]]<br>on 28 February 1814 
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|mark-title12=[[Battle of Saint-Julien (1814)]]<br>on 1 March 1814
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|mark-title13=[[Battle of Laubressel]]<br>on 3 March 1814
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|label14=
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|mark-title14=[[Battle of Craonne]]<br>on 7 March 1814
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|mark-title15=[[Battle of Laon]]<br>from 9 to 10 March 1814
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|mark-title16=[[Battle of Mâcon (1814)]]<br>on 11 March 1814

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|mark-title17=[[Battle of Reims (1814)]]<br>from 12 to 13 March 1814
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|mark-title18=[[Battle of Limonest]]<br>on 20 March 1814

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|mark-title19=[[Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube]]<br>from 20 to 21 March 1814
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|mark-title20=[[Battle of Fère-Champenoise]]<br>on 25 March 1814
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|label21=
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|mark-title21=[[Battle of Saint-Dizier]]<br>on 26 March 1814
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|mark-title22=[[Battle of Paris (1814)]]<br>from 30 to 31 March 1814
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The '''Battle of Mormant''' (17 February 1814) was fought during the [[War of the Sixth Coalition]] between an [[First French Empire|Imperial French]] army under Emperor [[Napoleon I]] and a division of [[Russian Empire|Russians]] under Count [[Pyotr Petrovich Palen|Peter Petrovich Pahlen]] near the town of [[Mormant]], some {{cvt|50|km|mi|0}} southeast of [[Paris]].  Pahlen's outnumbered force was enveloped by cavalry and infantry, and nearly destroyed, with only about a third of its soldiers escaping. 

Later in the day, a French column encountered an [[Austrian Empire|Austrian]]-[[Kingdom of Bavaria|Bavarian]] [[rearguard]] in the '''Battle of Valjouan'''. The Allied force was attacked and mauled by French infantry and cavalry, before it withdrew behind the [[Seine]] River. The Mormant-Valjouan actions and the [[Battle of Montereau]] the following day marked the start of a French counteroffensive intended to drive back [[Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg]]'s Allied [[Army of Bohemia]].

==Background==
The Allied generals, particularly the Prussians, were exuberant following their victory over [[Napoleon]] at the [[Battle of La Rothière]] on 1 February 1814. They soon conceived a plan in which the main army under the Austrian [[Field Marshal]] Schwarzenberg advanced toward [[Paris]] via [[Troyes]]. Simultaneously, Prussian Field Marshal [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher]]'s army took a more northerly route along the [[Marne (river)|Marne River]] toward [[Meaux]].{{sfn|Chandler|1966|pp=964–965}} When Napoleon realized that Blücher represented the more serious threat on 6 February, he began to shift his strength northward in order to deal with the Prussian field marshal. Leaving Marshals Victor and [[Nicolas Oudinot]] with 34,000 men to hold off Schwarzenberg's much larger army, Napoleon headed north on 9 February with 30,000 troops.{{sfn|Chandler|1966|pp=966–968}}

Napoleon landed some damaging blows on Blücher's army in the subsequent [[Six Days' Campaign]]. On 10 February in the [[Battle of Champaubert]], the French army fell on [[Zakhar Dmitrievich Olsufiev]]'s corps, which numbered only 4,000 infantry and 24 guns. Only 1,700 Russians escaped the disaster and the French made Olsufiev a prisoner.{{sfn|Petre|1994|pp=58–60}} The next day, Napoleon defeated [[Fabian Gottlieb von Osten-Sacken]]'s Russians and [[Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg]]'s Prussians in the [[Battle of Montmirail]]. For the loss of 2,000 killed and wounded, the French inflicted a loss of 3,700 men and 13 guns on the Allies.{{sfn|Petre|1994|pp=64–66}} On 12 February, the French beat Sacken and Yorck again in the [[Battle of Château-Thierry (1814)|Battle of Château-Thierry]]. French losses were 600; the Allies lost 2,750 men and nine guns.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=67}} Blücher attacked the French on 14 February and was nearly destroyed in the [[Battle of Vauchamps]]. The French sustained a loss of 600 men while the Allies lost 6,000 men and 16 guns. Altogether, Blücher's 56,000-man army lost over 16,000 soldiers and 47 guns during the week while Napoleon's losses added up to only 4,000.{{sfn|Petre|1994|pp=70–71}}

While Napoleon was drubbing Blücher, Schwarzenberg's main army pushed back the forces of Marshals Victor and Oudinot. On the Allied right wing, [[Peter Wittgenstein]]'s Russian corps advanced toward [[Nogent-sur-Seine]] while [[Karl Philipp von Wrede]]'s Austro-Bavarian corps struck toward [[Bray-sur-Seine]]. On the Allied left wing, [[William I of Württemberg|Crown Prince Frederick William of Württemberg]]'s [[Kingdom of Württemberg|Württemberg]] corps moved toward [[Sens]] with [[Frederick Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza|Frederick Bianchi's]] Austrian corps on his left. [[Ignaz Gyulai]]'s Austrian corps supported the left wing while [[Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly]]'s Allied Reserves supported the right wing.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=77}} Wrede got across the Seine at Bray, causing the French to abandon Nogent to Wittgenstein. Victor and Oudinot retreated behind the Yerres stream, dangerously close to Paris. When the marshals called for help, Napoleon sent Marshal [[Jacques MacDonald]] to [[Guignes]] where he arrived on 14 February with a corps that was rebuilt by replacements from Paris. A blunder caused the army's wagon train to withdraw across the Marne near Paris, causing panic in the French capital.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=78}}

Leaving Marshals [[Auguste de Marmont]] and [[Édouard Mortier]] to watch Blücher, Napoleon rapidly transferred his strength southward against Schwarzenberg's army. The French emperor arrived at Guignes on the evening of 16 February and planned to launch his offensive the next day.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=80}} He found the army of Victor and Oudinot in good order and prepared to go over to the offensive.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=196}}

==Battle==
===Armies===
[[File:Winterfeldzug 1814 Stellungen am 16 Februar bw.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.3|alt=Map shows the positions of troops on 16 February 1814.|Map shows French (black) and Allied (white) positions on evening 16 February 1814.]]

Schwarzenberg had over 100,000 soldiers in his main army. A week later, on 23 February, the army counted Moritz von Liechtenstein's 2nd Light Division (4,000), Bianchi's I Corps (13,000), Gyulai's III Corps (11,000), Württemberg's IV Corps (10,000), Wrede's V Corps (21,000), Wittgenstein's VI Corps (15,000) and Barclay's Guard and Reserve Corps (30,000).{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=220}} This reckoning was made after the Battle of Montereau which cost the I Corps 2,000 casualties and the IV Corps 2,844 casualties.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=214}} When Schwarzenberg heard about Blücher's defeats, he ordered his army to pull back behind the Seine.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=81}} Instead of obeying, Wittgenstein aggressively pushed his corps west beyond [[Provins]] toward [[Nangis]] while his advanced guard under Pahlen reached [[Mormant]]. On 16 February, Wrede's corps was near [[Donnemarie-Dontilly]] except for Anton von Hardegg's division which was in Nangis. Württemberg's corps was near [[Montereau-Fault-Yonne|Montereau]] with advance guards near [[Melun]]. Bianchi's corps was south of the Seine between [[Moret-sur-Loing]] and [[Villeneuve-la-Guyard]] with advance guards farther west in [[Fontainebleau]]. Gyulai's corps was in [[Pont-sur-Yonne]], Barclay's Russian Reserves were near Nogent while Liechtenstein's division and the Austrian Reserves were at [[Sens]].{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=198}}

Napoleon massed his army near Guignes by the evening of 16 February. The [[Imperial Guard (Napoleon I)|Imperial Guard]] forces included [[Louis Friant]]'s Old Guard division (4,500), Marshal [[Michel Ney]]'s Young Guard divisions (3,000) and Guard cavalry under Louis Marie Laferrière-Levesque, [[Rémi Joseph Isidore Exelmans]] and Louis Michel Pac (3,000 total).{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|pp=193–194}} The line troops consisted of Victor's [[II Corps (Grande Armée)|II Corps]] (6,549 men, 40 guns), from Oudinot's [[VII Corps (Grande Armée)|VII Corps]] (7,516 men, 34 guns), from MacDonald's [[XI Corps (Grande Armée)|XI Corps]] (8,797 men, 37 guns), [[Édouard Jean Baptiste Milhaud]]'s [[V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée)|V Cavalry Corps]] (4,700) and [[François Étienne de Kellermann]]'s [[VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée)|VI Cavalry Corps]] (2,788).{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=199}} In addition, there were 4,500 men from [[Étienne Maurice Gérard]]'s Reserve of Paris. Farther east near Melun were [[Henri François Marie Charpentier]]'s Young Guard division (3,500), [[Michel-Marie Pacthod]]'s [[National Guard (France)|National Guards]] division (5,000) and [[Pierre Claude Pajol]]'s cavalry division (1,400). On the march to Guignes were [[Jean François Leval]]'s division (4,500), Joseph Boyer de Rébeval's Young Guard division (3,300) and [[Antoine-Louis Decrest de Saint-Germain]]'s division (1,300).{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|pp=193–194}} [[Étienne Tardif de Pommeroux de Bordesoulle]] was also on hand with 581 newly recruited horsemen.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=200}}

===Mormant===
[[File:Ridiger Fyodor Vasilyevich.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|alt=Painting shows a man with a receding hairline and sideburns. He wears a hussar uniform with a red and gold sash over the shoulder.|Theodor von Rüdiger]]

At Mormant, Pahlen became aware that large numbers of French troops were near his position. The Russian placed two battalions in Mormant and massed the rest of his troops on both sides of the highway with his artillery in the center. He was prepared to fight or to retreat. During the night, Wittgenstein received positive orders to withdraw so he marched his corps east toward Provins at dawn. He forwarded the orders to Pahlen but they came too late. At daybreak, Pahlen saw that he faced an overwhelming force and began to retreat.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=201}} The Russian commanded 2,000–2,500-foot soldiers and 1,500–1,800 mounted troops. The infantry consisted of Selenginsk, Reval, Tenguinsk and [[8th Estonia Infantry Regiment|Estonia]] Regiments and the 4th and 34th Jäger Regiments. The cavalry were led by [[Theodor von Rüdiger]] and included 14 squadrons from the Soumy Hussar, Olviopol Hussar and Tchougoulev Uhlan Regiments plus the Illowaiski XII, Rebrikov III and two unnamed Cossack regiments. Colonel Rosen's brigade was to the east at [[Grandpuits-Bailly-Carrois|Bailly]].{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=202}} Another source stated that the Grodno rather than the Olviopol Hussars were engaged, that the 20th and 21st Jägers were involved and that the Russians had 12 field pieces.{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=498}}

[[File:Battle of Mormant French Attack.png|thumb|left|upright=1.2|alt=French Attack Formation, Battle of Mormant, Dawn, 17 February 1814. Drawn from information in The End of Empire by George Nafziger, p. 201.|French attack formation: Battle of Mormant]]

At 5:00&nbsp;a.m. the French infantry advanced with [[Guillaume Philibert Duhesme]]'s II Corps division on the left, Gérard's Paris Reserve in the center and Louis Huguet-Château's II Corps division on the right. Victor's corps artillery marched in the intervals.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=201}} Milhaud's corps included [[Hippolyte Piré]]'s light cavalry division, [[André Briche]]'s dragoon division and [[Samuel-François Lhéritier]] dragoon division. Kellermann's corps had only [[Anne-François-Charles Trelliard]]'s dragoon division, fresh from the Spanish theater. Lhéritier was temporarily assigned to Kellermann.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=200}} Milhaud commanded the left wing cavalry with Piré's horsemen deployed on Duhesme's left and Briche's troopers echeloned to Piré's left rear. Kellermann commanded the right wing cavalry with Trelliard's dragoons on Huguet-Château's right and Lhéritier's troopers echeloned to Trelliard's right rear. Behind the front-line units marched two VII Corps units on the north side of the highway. [[Pierre François Xavier Boyer]]'s division was in the lead with [[Henri Rottembourg]]'s division {{cvt|200|m|yd|0}} farther back. The Imperial Guard artillery moved along the main road beside the VII Corps. The remainder of the army followed.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=201}}

[[File:Général Jacques Gervais Subervie.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|alt=Black and white print shows a clean-shaven man in a hussar uniform.|Jacques Subervie]]

Pahlen ordered the two battalions in Mormant to hold back the French at all cost in order to allow the rest of his command to escape. Four Cossack regiments opposed Kellermann's corps while Rüdiger's regular cavalry faced Milhaud's corps.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=202}} [[Jacques Gervais, baron Subervie]]'s brigade of Pire's division turned half-right and swooped down on the Russian skirmishers while the rest of Milhaud's cavalry advanced on Rüdiger's horsemen. In the center, Gérard's infantry forced its way into the village of Mormant, flushing its defenders into the open. Pierre Ismert, leading one of Trelliard's brigades, hurled the 4th Dragoons at the fleeing Russians, forcing many to surrender. On the right flank, Lhéritier's first brigade under August Étienne Lamotte dispersed the first two Cossack regiments. When the Illowaiski and Rebrikov Cossacks tried to intervene they were swept away by Lhéritier's second brigade led by [[Jean Antoine de Collaert]]. As Lhéritier's horsemen galloped after the routed Cossacks, the 16th Dragoons of Trelliard's division charged and broke a Russian square.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=203}}

[[File:Étienne Maurice Gérard 1773-1852.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|alt=Sepia print shows a man with a high forehead wearing a dark uniform with epaulettes and gold braid on the collar and front of the coat.|Étienne Gérard]]

On the north flank, Rüdiger deployed nine squadrons in the first line and five squadrons in the second line. Against the Russian horsemen, Milhaud had Piré's division (minus Subervie's brigade) in the first line, Gabriel Gaspard Montelégier's brigade in the second and Denis Éloi Ludot's in the third. Successive charges by Piré and Montelégier broke Rüdiger's squadrons and chased them off the battlefield with the French light cavalry in pursuit. Milhaud directed Montelégier to deal with the Russian infantry while sending Ludot on a sweep to block Pahlen's escape route. Without its supporting cavalry, Pahlen's infantry battalions were compelled to form into a square formation to defend against cavalry. [[Antoine Drouot]] aggressively pushed 36 guns from the French Guard artillery into the front line where they pummeled the Russians.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=204}}

[[File:Peter Graf von der Pahlen.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|alt=Painting shows a serious-looking young man with a mustache and wavy hair. He wears an elaborate hussar military uniform with gold lace and a gold and red sash over his shoulder.|Peter Pahlen]]

Pahlen sent messengers to Nangis pleading for assistance, but Ignaz Splény de Miháldi's division had already marched off leaving only Anton Leonhard von Hardegg's Austrian division from Wrede's V Corps. Hardegg had some infantry battalions in Nangis and two cavalry regiments in Bailly. The Austrian division commander declined to assist his ally and ordered an immediate retreat. However, before they could get away, the two Austrian cavalry regiments were disordered by the fleeing Cossacks and then scattered by Piré's and August Lamotte's horsemen. The Russian infantry's withdrawal continued, leaving a trail of casualties from artillery fire. On the outskirts of Grandpuits they were finally brought to halt by Ludot's brigade which was now blocking the Russian line of retreat.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=204}} Surrounded and hammered by artillery, the Russian battalions were all overrun by cavalry charges. The final square was broken when charged simultaneously by the brigades of Ludot and Ismert.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=205}}

The Russians probably lost one-third of their cavalry and admitted the loss of 2,114-foot soldiers. The French claimed 9–12 guns and 40 caissons captured while the Russians said they saved two cannons. The French cavalry commanders reported losing 150 horsemen and Gérard reported only 30 casualties. Pahlen's survivors dispersed over the French countryside.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=205}} Another authority stated that Pahlen lost 2,000 men and 10 guns.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=82}} The Reval and Selenginsk Regiments lost so many men that they were withdrawn to [[Plock]] in [[Poland]] to reorganize.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=205}}{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=498}}

===Valjouan===
[[File:Général Samuel François Lhéritier de Chézelles.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|alt=Black and white print shows a clean-shaven man with long sideburns. He wears the high collared and dark uniform of a French general officer of the early 1800s.|Samuel Lhéritier]]

At Nangis, Napoleon split his advancing army into three columns. Victor led the right-most column south toward Montereau. This force included the II Corps, Paris Reserve, Lhéritier's dragoons and Bordesoulle's recruits.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=82}} The left-most column under Oudinot, with the VII Corps and Trelliard's dragoons, followed Wittgenstein's retreat east toward Provins. MacDonald's center column consisted of the XI Corps, Piré light horsemen and Briche's dragoons; it headed southeast toward Donnemarie. The French emperor held the Imperial Guard in reserve at Nangis. Wittgenstein retreated rapidly{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=205}} and crossed the Seine at Nogent that evening.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=82}}

Victor's column departed Nangis at 1:30&nbsp;p.m. and bumped into enemy resistance at [[Villeneuve-le-Comte]] about 3:00&nbsp;p.m. Tipped off by Hardegg's survivors, Peter de Lamotte deployed the 3rd Bavarian Division on the Valjouan heights, blocking the road. Lamotte posted the 11th Bavarian Line Infantry in an advanced position at Villeneuve and Grand-Maison farm; his cavalry covered both flanks. The divisions of Hardegg and Splény were behind Lamotte; they began withdrawing as soon as the French appeared. The Schwarzenberg Uhlans Nr. 1 and Archduke Joseph Hussars Nr. 2, rallied from their earlier mauling by the French cavalry, were positioned to assist the Bavarian cavalry. Gérard, whose troops led the infantry column, decided to attack at once and asked Victor for help from the II Corps. Gérard deployed Lhéritier to the right and Bordesoulle to the left.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=205}}

Supported by 12 cannons, Jacques Félix Jan de La Hamelinaye's brigade stormed Villeneuve and Grand-Maison at 3:30&nbsp;p.m. Gérard held [[Georges Joseph Dufour]]'s brigade in reserve. As the Bavarian foot soldiers bolted from both positions, they were set upon by Bordesoulle's cavalrymen. When some Allied cavalry tried to rescue the Bavarians, the French horsemen rode into them and chased them away. Next, the Iller Mobile Legion tried to intervene, only to be routed by the French recruits. Altogether, Bordesoulle's half-trained horsemen inflicted about 300 casualties on their foes.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=205}} They apparently took no prisoners except a wounded Austrian officer who Bordesoulle had to personally save.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=206}}

Peter de Lamotte formed his division into a square formation and began to retreat, followed by Bordesoulle.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=205}} At some point during the withdrawal, the two Austrian mounted regiments were attacked by a large force of French cavalry and suffered 200 casualties in the melee. After Lamotte marched about {{cvt|2|km|mi|1}} toward Donnemarie, Gérard's infantry burst out of the woods and nearly broke up Lamotte's division. However, the French cavalry was absent this time, allowing the Bavarians to reform their battalions and resume their retreat.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=206}} That evening, Wrede got the V Corps across the Seine at Bray, except for a rearguard at [[Mouy-sur-Seine]].{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=83}}

===Other actions===
On 17 February, Charpentier's division and a task force under [[Jacques Alexandre Allix de Vaux]] advanced south from Melun, driving [[Ignaz Count Hardegg]]'s division (Bianchi's I Corps) from Fontainebleau. Pajol and Pacthod left [[Saint-Germain-Laxis]] and headed southeast toward Montereau. They skirmished with Prince Adam of Württemberg's 1,000 infantry and cavalry during the day.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=201}}

==Result==
[[File:Marechal-victor.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|alt=Black and white print shows a curly-haired and clean-shaven man wearing a highly embroidered military uniform.|Claude Victor]]  
The Allies had become overextended and Napoleon took advantage of this to strike hard at his enemies. [[George Nafziger]] estimated that the French sustained 800 casualties while the Allies lost 3,000 men and 14 guns at Mormant and Valjouan.{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=206}} [[Digby Smith]] gave casualties for the actions as 600 French and 3,114 Allied, with the French seizing 9 guns and 40 caissons. Pahlen was credited with 2,500 infantry and 1,800 cavalry of which 1,250 were Russian and 550 were Austrian. Though the author listed the Valjouan action, he did not list Bavarian numbers. The French brought 18,000–20,000 men to the battlefield.{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=498}} [[Gaston Bodart]] stated that the French brought 18,000 troops into action and sustained losses of 600. Bodart credited the Coalition with 5,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry, and gave their losses as 2,400 men, including 550 Austrians.{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=473}} 

Napoleon was angry at Victor for not pressing on that evening.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=82}} He expected Victor to be at Montereau at 6:00&nbsp;a.m. the next day. When Victor did not arrive before the town until 9:00&nbsp;a.m.,{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=83}} the French emperor replaced him with Gérard.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=84}} Schwarzenberg ordered the Crown Prince of Württemberg to hold a bridgehead at Montereau for a day.{{sfn|Petre|1994|p=82}} The [[Battle of Montereau]] was fought on 18 February.{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=498}}

==Forces==
===French army===
{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="text-align:center; width:80%;"
|+Units engaged from Emperor Napoleon's army at Mormant
! Corps
! Division
! Brigade
! Units
! Strength
|-
|ROWSPAN=19|'''II Corps'''<br>Marshal<br>Claude Perrin Victor{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|p=598}}
|ROWSPAN=10|1st Division<br>General of Brigade<br>Louis Château-Huguet 
|ROWSPAN=3|1st Brigade
|24th Light Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion||274
|-
|19th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion||477
|-
|27th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion||132
|-
|ROWSPAN=3|2nd Brigade
|11th Light Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion||219
|-
|2nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion||154
|-
|56th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion||268
|-
|ROWSPAN=4|Artillery
|5th Foot Artillery Regiment, 17th Company||59
|-
|6th Foot Artillery Regiment, 10th Company||70
|-
|Train Battalion||85
|-
|Guns||4 12-pounders<br>5 6-pounders<br>6 4-pounders
|-
|ROWSPAN=9|2nd Division<br>General of Division<br>Guillaume Philibert Duhesme 
|ROWSPAN=3|1st Brigade
|26th Light Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion||250
|-
|4th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st, 2nd and 4th Battalions||815
|-
|10th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions||579
|-
|ROWSPAN=3|2nd Brigade
|6th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions||?
|-
|72nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion||?
|-
|93rd Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion||?
|-
|ROWSPAN=3|Artillery
|9th Foot Artillery Regiment, 8th Company||34
|-
|Train Battalion||189
|-
|Guns||4 8-pounders<br>2 24-lb howitzers
|-
|ROWSPAN=18|'''Reserve of Paris'''<br>General of Division<br>Étienne Maurice Gérard{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|pp=615–616}}
|ROWSPAN=7|1st Division<br>General of Division<br>Georges Joseph Dufour
|ROWSPAN=4|1st Brigade
|12th Light Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion||?
|-
|29th Light Infantry Regiment, 6th Battalion||?
|-
|32nd Line Infantry Regiment, 8th Battalion||?
|-
|58th Line Infantry Regiment, 6th Battalion||?
|-
|ROWSPAN=3|2nd Brigade
|5th Light Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion||?
|-
|15th Light Infantry Regiment, 7th Battalion||?
|-
|135th Line Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion||?
|-
|ROWSPAN=6|2nd Division<br>General of Division<br>Jacques de La Hamelinaye
|ROWSPAN=3|1st Brigade
|26th Line Infantry Regiment, 4th Battalion||?
|-
|82nd Line Infantry Regiment||?
|-
|86th Line Infantry Regiment||?
|-
|ROWSPAN=3|2nd Brigade
|121st Line Infantry Regiment||?
|-
|122nd Line Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion||?
|-
|142nd Line Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion||?
|-
|ROWSPAN=5|Corps Artillery
|ROWSPAN=5|Artillery
|6th Foot Artillery Regiment, 10th Company||?
|-
|9th Foot Artillery Regiment, 8th and 24th Companies||?
|-
|17th Foot Artillery, 5th Company||?
|-
|7th and 14th Train Battalions||?
|-
|Guns||4 12-pounders<br>11 6-pdrs and howitzers
|-
|ROWSPAN=14|'''V Cavalry Corps'''<br>General of Division<br>Édouard Milhaud{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|pp=627–628}}
|ROWSPAN=4|3rd Light Division<br>General of Division<br>Hippolyte Piré 
|ROWSPAN=2|5th Light Brigade<br>General of Brigade<br>Jacques Gervais Subervie
|3rd Hussar Regiment||145
|-
|26th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment||296
|-
|ROWSPAN=2|6th Light Brigade
|14th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment||118
|-
|27th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment||137
|-
|ROWSPAN=5|3rd Heavy Division<br>General of Division<br>André Briche 
|ROWSPAN=3|5th Heavy Brigade<br>General of Brigade<br>Gabriel Montelégier
|2nd Dragoon Regiment||306
|-
|6th Dragoon Regiment||297
|-
|11th Dragoon Regiment||409
|-
|ROWSPAN=2|6th Heavy Brigade<br>General of Brigade<br>Denis Éloi Ludot
|13th Dragoon Regiment||134
|-
|15th Dragoon Regiment||230
|-
|ROWSPAN=5|Corps Artillery
|ROWSPAN=5|Artillery
|2nd Horse Artillery Regiment, 4th Company||50
|-
|3rd Horse Artillery Regiment, 2nd Company||44
|-
|6th Horse Artillery Regiment, 8th Company||43
|-
|8th, 12th and 14th Train Battalions||128
|-
|Guns||4 6-pounders<br>6 4-pounders<br>4 24-lb howitzers
|-
|ROWSPAN=11|'''VI Cavalry Corps'''<br>General of Division<br>François de Kellermann{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|pp=627–628}}
|ROWSPAN=5|4th Heavy Division<br>General of Division<br>Samuel-François Lhéritier<br>''temporarily attached from''<br>''V Cavalry Corps'' 
|ROWSPAN=3|7th Heavy Brigade<br>General of Brigade<br>August Lamotte
|18th Dragoon Regiment||208
|-
|19th Dragoon Regiment||177
|-
|20th Dragoon Regiment||109
|-
|ROWSPAN=2|8th Heavy Brigade<br>General of Brigade<br>Jean Antoine de Collaert
|22nd Dragoon Regiment||253
|-
|25th Dragoon Regiment||363
|-
|ROWSPAN=6|5th Heavy Division<br>General of Division<br>François Trelliard 
|ROWSPAN=3|9th Heavy Brigade<br>General of Brigade<br>Pierre Ismert
|4th Dragoon Regiment||570
|-
|14th Dragoon Regiment||395
|-
|16th Dragoon Regiment||255
|-
|ROWSPAN=3|10th Heavy Brigade<br>General of Brigade<br>[[François Léon Ormancey]]
|17th Dragoon Regiment||339
|-
|24th Dragoon Regiment||106
|-
|27th Dragoon Regiment||502
|-
|ROWSPAN=1|'''I Cavalry Corps'''<br>General of Division<br>Étienne de Bordesoulle{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|pp=615–616}}
|ROWSPAN=1|Detachment
|ROWSPAN=1|Replacements
|Unknown companies destined for I Corps||500
|-
|}

===Allied forces===
{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="text-align:center; width:80%;"
|+Units engaged from the Allied armies at Mormant
! Corps
! Division
! Brigade
! Units
|-
|ROWSPAN=20|'''VI Corps'''<br>Advance Guard<br>Lieutenant General<br>Peter Petrovich Pahlen{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|pp=559–560}}
|ROWSPAN=2|14th Division 
|ROWSPAN=2|Brigade<br>Generalmajor Ljalin
|''Tenguinsk'' Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
|-
|''Estonia'' Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
|-
|ROWSPAN=4|3rd Division 
|ROWSPAN=2|Brigade<br>Colonel Schelwinsky
|''Reval'' Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
|-
|''Selenguinsk'' Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
|-
|ROWSPAN=2|Brigade<br>Colonel Kapustin
|20th Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
|-
|21st Jäger Regiment, 1 battalion
|-
|ROWSPAN=4|4th Division 
|ROWSPAN=2|Brigade<br>Colonel Rosen
|''Tobolsk'' Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
|-
|''Krementchug'' Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
|-
|ROWSPAN=2|Brigade<br>Colonel Stepanov
|4th Jäger Regiment, 2 battalions
|-
|34th Jäger Regiment, 2 battalions
|-
|ROWSPAN=10|3rd Hussar Division<br>Lieutenant General<br>Peter Petrovich Pahlen 
|ROWSPAN=2|Brigade<br>Generalmajor Delejanov
|''Grodno'' Hussar Regiment, 6 squadrons
|-
|''Soumy'' Hussar Regiment, 5 squadrons
|-
|ROWSPAN=2|Brigade<br>Generalmajor Dechterev
|''Loubny'' Hussar Regiment, 5 squadrons
|-
|''Olviopol'' Hussar Regiment, 4 squadrons
|-
|ROWSPAN=1|Brigade<br>Generalmajor Lissanewitz
|''Tchougouiev'' Uhlan Regiment, 8 squadrons
|-
|ROWSPAN=5|Brigade<br>Cossacks
|''Vlassov II'' Cossack Regiment
|-
|''Illowaisky XII'' Cossack Regiment
|-
|''Rebrikov III'' Cossack Regiment
|-
|''Tschermuschin II'' Cossack Regiment
|-
|''Jaroslav'' Cossack Regiment
|-
|ROWSPAN=20|'''V Corps'''<br>Lieutenant General<br>Karl Philipp von Wrede{{sfn|Nafziger|2015|pp=557–558}}
|ROWSPAN=5|1st Austrian Division<br>Feldmarschall-Leutnant<br>Anton von Hardegg 
|ROWSPAN=3|Brigade<br>Colonel<br>Leopold von Geramb
|''Archduke Joseph'' Hussar Regiment Nr. 2,<br>6 squadrons
|-
|''1st Szekler'' [[Grenz Infantry]] Regiment, 2 battalions
|-
|Horse Artillery Battery, six 6-pounders
|-
|ROWSPAN=2|Brigade<br>Colonel<br>Adolph von Mengen
|''Schwarzenberg'' Uhlan Regiment Nr. 1,<br>6 squadrons
|-
|3rd Jäger Battalion
|-
|ROWSPAN=13|3rd Bavarian Division<br>Lieutenant General<br>Peter de Lamotte 
|ROWSPAN=4|Brigade<br>Generalmajor<br>Georg von Habermann
|7th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
|-
|11th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
|-
|''Unterdonau'' Landwehr Regiment, 1st Battalion
|-
|''Iller'' Landwehr Regiment, 1st Battalion
|-
|ROWSPAN=5|Brigade<br>Generalmajor<br>Franz von Deroy
|5th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
|-
|8th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
|-
|9th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
|-
|''Iller'' Landwehr Regiment, 2nd Battalion
|-
|''Isar'' Landwehr Regiment, 1st Battalion
|-
|ROWSPAN=2|Brigade<br>Generalmajor Elbracht
|4th Bavarian [[Chevau-léger]] Regiment,<br>1st–4th Squadrons
|-
|5th Bavarian Chevau-léger Regiment,<br>1st–4th Squadrons
|-
|ROWSPAN=2|Artillery
|Horse Artillery Battery, six 6-pounders
|-
|Foot Artillery Battery, eight 6-pounders
|-
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|3}}

==References==
*{{cite book |last=Bodart |first=Gaston |year=1908 |title=Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905) |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_A0kNAAAAYAAJ/page/472/mode/2up |url-access=registration |access-date=6 June 2021}}
*{{cite book |last=Chandler |first=David G. |author-link=David G. Chandler |title=The Campaigns of Napoleon |location=New York, N.Y. |publisher=Macmillan |year=1966}}
*{{cite book |last=Nafziger |first=George |author-link=George Nafziger |title=The End of Empire: Napoleon's 1814 Campaign |publisher=Helion & Company |location=Solihull, UK |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-909982-96-3}}
*{{cite book |last=Petre |first=F. Loraine |author-link=Francis Loraine Petre |title=Napoleon at Bay: 1814 |location=London |publisher=[[Lionel Leventhal]] Ltd. |year=1994 |orig-year=1914 |isbn=1-85367-163-0}}
*{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Digby |author-link=Digby Smith |year=1998 |title=The Napoleonic Wars Data Book |location=London |publisher=Greenhill |isbn=1-85367-276-9}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |ref=none |last=Alison |first=Archibald |title=History of Europe from the Commencement of the French Revolution to the Restoration of the Bourbons |year=1842 |volume=10 |location=Paris |publisher=Baudry's European Library |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=67AWAAAAQAAJ |access-date=13 February 2016}}

==External links==
*{{commons-inline}}

{{Sequence
| prev = [[Battle of Garris]]
| list = Napoleonic Wars
| curr = Battle of Mormant
| next = [[Battle of Montereau]]
}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mormant 1814}}
[[Category:Battles commanded by Napoleon]]
[[Category:Battles of the War of the Sixth Coalition involving Austria]]
[[Category:Battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving Bavaria]]
[[Category:Battles of the War of the Sixth Coalition involving Russia]]
[[Category:Cavalry charges of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars]]
[[Category:Battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving Württemberg]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1814]]
[[Category:February 1814]]
[[Category:1814 in France]]
[[Category:Military history of Île-de-France]]
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