OHAP. XXV.] CAVALRY UNDER NAPOLEON. 



403 



by 



corps consisting of two battalions of chasseurs of the 

 guard, a squadron of cuirassiers, and 100 Cossacks.^ 



The Eussiau cavalry at this time produced some first- 

 class leaders of horse, of whom PlatofF stands out the 

 foremost. Ouvaroff, Palen, Orloff Denizoff, Davidoff 

 Tchernicheff, Figner, and Seslawin also performed the 

 most distinguished services, while in the campaign of 

 1813 and 1814 the Grand Duke Constantine proved him- 

 self to be a most gallant and brilliant cavalry commander. 



In the campaign of 1813 the partisan operations in 

 rear of the French army were much more numerous, and 

 carried out in a much bolder manner^ than in any of the 

 previous campaigns of the age, and in these operations 

 the Russian cavalry and their generals shone conspicuous. 



The first important afiair of the campaign of 1813 was 

 the capture of Hamburg by a partisan corps consisting of 

 3,000 foot and 3,000 Cossacks under Tettenborn, an active 

 and energetic officer. Shortly after Tchernicheff, Ben- 

 kendorf, and Doernberg, uniting their Cossacks and light 

 troops, made a forced march of fifty miles in twenty-four 

 hours to relieve the people of Lunenberg, and having 

 defeated General Morand, with the loss of 1,000 killed 

 and wounded, captured the remainder of his force, con- 

 sisting of 2,000 men. These successes were aU-important, 

 as they encouraged the population to rise and throw off 

 the French yoke, and the German insurrection soon 

 became general. 



Later on, in the campaign after Napoleon's victories of 

 Lutzen and Bautzen, the partisan operations in his rear 

 disquieted him greatly, and had a marked effect upon 

 his mind. The recent experiences of the campaign of 

 Moscow were very vivid in his recollections, and his fear 

 of the Cossacks, and other light cavalry of the allies, was 

 not to be wondered at. A partisan corps captured a 

 considerable park of artillery on the 27th May, a few 

 days after the battle of Bautzen, while about the same 

 time Woronzoff's cavalry had fallen in with a large body 

 of French horse near Dessau, and had defeated them 

 with the loss of 500 prisoners. 



' Boutourliu, ii. 203. 



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