Battle of Krasnoi - November 15: The Rout of Ozharovsky

November 15: The Rout of Ozharovsky

November 15 saw the first actions in and around Krasny as the 16,000-strong Imperial Guard, led personally by Napoleon, marched past Miloradovich's 17,000 troops, who were positioned on the high ground parallel to the road. Impressed by order and composure of the elite guardsmen, Miloradovich decided not to attack them, and settled instead for bombarding the French from afar. The Russian cannonfire inflicted little damage on the Guard, which continued moving toward Krasny.

During the afternoon of the 15th, the Imperial Guard was harassed on the road near Nikolino and Yeskovo by the Cossacks of General Vasily Orlov-Denisov. The eyewitness description of this encounter by the Russian partisan leader Denis Davidov, which eloquently portrays the comportment of the Old Guard and Napoleon, has become one of the most often quoted in the histories of the 1812 war:

{{quote|...after midday, we sighted the Old Guard, with Napoleon riding in their midst... the enemy troops, sighting our unruly force, got their muskets at the ready and proudly continued on their way without hurrying their step... Like blocks of granite, they remained invulnerable... I shall never forget the unhurried step and awesome resolution of these soldiers, for whom the threat of death was a daily and familiar experience. With their tall bearskin caps, blue uniforms, white belts, red plumes, and epaulettes, they looked like poppies on the snow-covered battlefield... Column followed upon column, dispersing us with musket fire and ridiculing our useless display of chivalry... the Imperial Guard with Napoleon ploughed through our Cossacks like a 100-gun ship through fishing skiffs.

Later that day, Napoleon and his Guard entered Krasny, and his troops chased away the squadrons of Cossacks under Ozharovsky who were in possession of the town. Napoleon promptly made plans to remain in Krasny for several days so that the rest of his army could catch up with him.

Shortly after midnight, Napoleon detected the campfires of Ozharovsky's 3,500-strong force near Kutkovo, south of Krasny. Recognizing that Ozharovsky's position was dangerously isolated from Kutusov's main army, Napoleon dispatched the Young Guard on a sneak attack against the Russian encampment, which was not protected by pickets. The operation was first entrusted to General Jean Rapp, but at the last moment Napoleon replaced Rapp with General Roguet. Roguet then divided the Guardsmen into three columns and began a silent advance on Ozharovsky's camp. In the ensuing combat, the Russians were taken completely by surprise and, despite their fierce resistance, were totally routed. As many as half of Ozharovsky's troops were killed or captured, and the remainder threw their weapons in a nearby lake and fled south. Lacking cavalry, Roguet was unable to pursue Ozharovsky's remaining troops.