Sorting things out.

The actual time scale of the battle of Hoff is interesting. Petre states that sunset was about 4.40 p.m.[1] This would mean that, given the first encounters taking place at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and the various actions involving Murat’s cavalry “before” Soult’s infantry arrived on the field, then by the time the French were in a position to attempt their outflanking manoeuvre, the field would have been in almost total darkness. Also, as I have mentioned before, if the sky was overcast, then visibility must have been greatly reduced well before sunset - hence my question marks with regard to the timing of various actions shown on my maps. The reason why I have given some leeway with this is to allow for Soult’s infantry spreading out across the battlefield through the deep snow they would have had to negotiate in order to reach the positions given.

Tired, cold and hungry troops do not perform well no matter how much faith they may have in their leaders, and horses that have not been fed or cared for properly for several days would be far from robust enough to go “charging” around a battlefield for any prolonged period of time. Like Eylau itself the battle fought at Hoff, although no doubt a bitter struggle was probably fought at a far slower pace than normal. Dragging one’s body and equipment through deep snow and trying to keep some form of alignment must have been terribly tiring, and having to fumble for ammunition with cold hands from a cartridge box hanging at the back, then trying to bite off the end of it and ram it down the muzzle of a probably soaking wet musket barrel, would take a great deal of effort. Consequently, in my humble opinion, not many casualties were inflicted by musket fire. The main killer was canister   shot at quite short range. The normal round shot, be it 6, 8, or 12lb ball, would not be as effective in deep snow owing to its reduced “bounce” potential, which carried the ball on further than its initial ground hit, causing it to act rather like a stone skimmed across water, and enabling it to penetrate deeper into enemy formations. Where cannon ball was used was probably on the squares of the Kostroma Regiment, since this type of almost static infantry dense grouping made an ideal target for round shot. There is also a very strong probability that much of the black powder used by both sides was damp, causing a great amount of misfiring.

We have seen that Barclay de Tolly’s handling of the rear - guard at Hoff has been criticised in some of the Russian sources. The strange thing about all this rear - guard action is the total disappearance of its main commander, General Prince Pyotor Ivanovich Bagration. None of the sources explain what he was doing or where he was during the battle of Hoff. Petre tell us that on the 4^th February, ‘The Russian’s marched in three columns, under Sacken, Gallitzin, and Tutchkow, on Wolfsdorf and Arensdorf. The rear – guard followed, also in three columns, under the general command of Bagration...’[2]  After this we hear no more of him until he turns up again leaving Landsberg with the Russian rear – guard at 8 a.m. on the morning of 7^th February.[3] Was he taken ill, or was he wounded - we shall probably never know? His reputation being what it is, I doubt if he was prone to the common failing often found amongst high ranking Russian offices for drink. Yet it does seem strange that, with the French hot on their heels, he is nowhere to be found either before, during, or after the French have pushed “his” rear – guard back almost to Landsberg.

General Prince Bagration

If the whereabouts of Bagration is something of a mystery, then just where Napoleon was is also a matter of some conjecture. When first reading Petre’s account one assumes that the Emperor must have been present on the field of Hoff because he, ‘...ordered the cavalry to attack without waiting for Soult” (see above). However, Petre is quoting from Wilson and Marbot, both of whom are less than reliable when it comes to presenting any real facts. I would go further with Marbot (more on him later) by saying that, “he never tells the truth when I lie will suffice.” If the Emperor was on the field, where were the Imperial Guard cavalry, where was his observation position, and where was he at the conclusion of the battle? Like Bagration, we do not know his exact location, other than, ‘At daybreak on the 4^th [February], the Emperor moved forward [from Bergfried], Murat in front of the centre, Ney on the right of Jonkowo, Augereau on the left, Soult, from Bergfried, towards Mondtken.’[4] That is it, no more mention of where he was other than the fact that he sent out orders to his various corps commanders directing them to this or that location. Marbot states that Napoleon embraced general d’Hautpoul, ‘...in the presence of the whole (cuirassier) division.’ And that, ‘d’Hautpoul exclaimed, “The only way to show myself worthy of such an honour is to get killed in your Majesty’s service.”

 General d’Hautpoul

Like many other statements put into other people’s mouths by Marbot, we have only his word for it. Also, like Bagration, Napoleon turns up again “followed by Murat, Soult and Augereau,” at Landsberg in pursuit of Bennigsen’s retiring columns.[5] In all probability Napoleon was several miles from Hoff at the commencement of the action, and Murat, receiving instructions to press forward, took it upon himself to engage Barclay’s rear – guard without awaiting the arrival of Soult’s infantry. When the Emperor did finally arrive on the field he “could” indeed have congratulated d’Hautpoul, for that matter he could have congratulated both Murat and Soult, but without knowing his whereabouts during the day we must as least mark him as being absent. If he was indeed present on the field at Hoff then he was no more than a spectator, for he did little else.