37G 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period IV. 



being captured or slain, and after another check at 

 Schwartau, Blucher was at last compelled to capitulate 

 at Ratkau on the 7tli November, by which 4,000 infantry, 

 3,700 cavalry, and forty cannon fell into the hands of 

 the French horsemen. 



The campaign had scarcely lasted one month. Two 

 cavalry fights, one at Hchlitz on the 9th October, and 

 another at Saalfeld the next day, had paved the way for 

 the great battles, of Jena and Auerstadt on the 14tii of 

 the same month. So complete was the victory, thanks 

 to the overwhelming charge of Murat's horsemen, that 

 when followed up by that impetuous cavalier in a pursuit, 

 unsurpassed for vigour and pertinacity, it resulted in 

 the entire destruction of the whole Prussian military 

 system. 



We have given a full sketch of this pursuit of the 

 debris of the Prussian army as a good illustration of the 

 rdle cavalry should play in following up a victory and 

 completing a success. 



Napoleon's next campaign was in Poland and East 

 Prussia, where he at once marched to meet a powerful 

 Russian army which was on the way to aid the Prussians. 

 The campaign opened by the occupation of Warsaw by 

 the French on the 30th November. This was followed 

 by the advance of Napoleon's army and the battles of 

 Pultusk and Golymin on the 26th December, 1806. In 

 the first of these battles Benningsen used his Cossacks to 

 form a screen behind which he most skilfully made his 

 dispositions for battle. The battle of Eylau, which 

 followed on the 8th February, 1807, was one of the most 

 closely-contested and bloody battles recorded in history, 

 and both armies claimed to have won the victorv. In 

 this action the cavalry on both sides performed most 

 valuable services. 



The battle wiis opened by Napoleon with a heavy 

 attack upon the Russian right and centre by the corps of 

 Augercau and Soult, preceded by 150 pieces of cannon. 

 As soon as the troops of Augereau had advanced a few 

 hundred yards the Russian batteries opened a most de- 

 structive fire upon them from 200 guns, which inflicted 



