Fleurus

The battle opened at 03.00 hrs with Coburg supposing his dispersed columns would actually combine in attack. As it turned out this was not to happen. Also, his attack was to relieve his garrison at Charleroi, again due to French efforts they didn’t know of Coburg's arrival until after they had surrendered aided no doubt by the threats from St. Just. Coburg didn’t realize this until well after his attacks had begun. Control for both sides was difficult, Jourdan having to request the other Army commanders to comply with his orders, while the Allies were scattered in separate columns. Interestingly enough the French side featured names such as Soult/Mortier/Bernadotte/Ney/Jourdan/Lefebvre/Kleber/D’Hautpol etc.. While the allied names are also very familiar. Beaulieu's column ploughed into Marceau whose force crumbled despite his own personal heroism. This caused Lefebvre to abandon Fleurus and fall back to the entrenchments, while he took troops from Hatry to shore up Mayer who was now on his own on the right flank. Marceau rallied and returned to the attack which stalled Beaulieu's attack for the rest of the day. On the other flank Orange's attack had gone in against Kleber. After driving Kleber out of Montaigeau, Orange's forces were halted by the woods and Pieton river over which Kleber's forces were deployed in defensive positions. Kleber later received support from Daurier's division, who arrived on Orange's Southern flank via Marchienne-au-pont, this drew off Orange's reserves so his attacks on Kleber across the river got nowhere, Instead Kleber took the initiative and attacked from the North to South overrunning the Austrian 12pdr batteries in Orange's center. Orange was forced to pull back. On the right Archduke Charles attacked Lefebvre through Fleurus. The Austrians took Lambusart but Lefebvre held the entrenchments. Yet the vital road to Charleroi lay open. Lefebvre retook Lambusart it was now in flames and again Charles combined with Beaulieu to enter the town, retaking it, this led Jourdan to send Hatry from his reserves to aid Lefebvre, both sides were deadlocked in and around the burning town with the French the holding the entrenchments. To the north the attacks of Kaunitz and Quasandovich were made in a haphazard manner, allowing Championnet and Morlot to hold on to Gosselies and Heppignies with support from the reserves at Ransart. Just as the battle was going the way of the French lady luck intervened i.e.; Jourdan heard of the rout of Montaigeau on the left, at the same time he learnt of the fall of Lambusart. Fearing being cut off on both wings he ordered an general retreat to Charleroi thereby abandoning Heppignies and Wagnee. The Austrians began to advance on the now emptying towns, then Jourdan found out that Lefebvre was holding as was Kleber. Now he had to get his troops quickly back into the towns, before the enemy's arrival. This was impossible for the Infantry to achieve so he committed his last reserves (the cavalry under Dubois). The Light cavalry took on the Hapsburg cavalry and was obviously beaten, but not before it had given the Heavies the chance to get in amongst the Austrian Infantry. The Austrians halted and formed squares and so their advance was stopped, allowing the French to reoccupy the towns and their artillery to decimate the Austrian squares. Kaunitz's best troops in the army were halted and Quasandovich’s badly managed maneuvers led to his late arrival and inability to influence events in any manner. Charles was thrown out of Lambusart again, since he lacked any reserves Coburg decided the day was over. This battle sounded the death knell of the First Coalition, with the Austrians retreating over the Meuse River in poor morale opening a gap in the Allied lines. The Dutch and British under the Duke of York retreated into Holland and were eventually evacuated with Holland becoming a satellite state of France. La Patrie was no longer in danger. The French artillery was seen to be very good and the Infantry generally more tenacious, but the major improvement noticed was the French cavalry it accounted well for itself against what was regarded as the best Continental cavalry in the field.