Murat’s charge

With his centre close to breaking, Napoleon orders Murat to charge with the cavalry reserve, about 11,000 horsemen in 80 squadrons. Murat’s squadrons ride through the Russian infantry near Eylau and divide. Grouchy’s dragoons on the right scatter the Russian cavalry attacking Saint-Hilaire’s division, then wheel left with Murat against the Russian cavalry in the centre.

The cavalry charge at Eylau, painting by Jean-Antoine-Siméon Fort, 19th centuryWikimedia Commons, Jean-Antoine-Siméon Fort, Public domain (Battle of Eylau 1807 by Jean-Antoine-Siméon.jpg)

D’Hautpoul’s cuirassiers break through the Russian guns and both lines of infantry and are stopped only about 2,500 yards on, in front of the Russian reserves. A second wave, the Guard cavalry and Grouchy’s dragoons, rides through the Russians as they try to form again, and the horsemen turn and charge back before retiring under cover of the Guard. Murat loses 1,000 to 1,500 troopers, but the Russian centre is held long enough for Davout to deploy.

Horse grenadiers of the Imperial Guard charging in the snow at Eylau, painting by Richard Caton Woodville, 1913Wikimedia Commons, Richard Caton Woodville Jr., Public domain (Maréchal Ney à Eylau.jpg)

Sources

F. Loraine Petre, Napoleon’s Campaign in Poland 1806–1807 (1901).
David G. Chandler, The Campaigns of Napoleon (1966).

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