Battle of Gué-à-Tresmes

The Battle of Gué-à-Tresmes (28 February–1 March 1814) was fought between 14,500 French troops led by Marshals Auguste de Marmont and Édouard Mortier and 12,000 Prussians commanded by Friedrich Graf Kleist von Nollendorf and Friedrich von Katzler. On 28 February the French attacked and drove the Prussians to the north along the west bank of the Ourcq River. That evening and the next day Kleist tried to push the French back while Russian units under Peter Mikhailovich Kaptzevich tried to cross from the east to the west bank of the Ourcq; the Allies were unsuccessful. Gué-à-Tresmes (Tresmes Ford) is located where Route D405 crosses the Thérouanne stream about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northeast of Meaux.

In late February, Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher's Allied army advanced west toward Paris, pressing an outnumbered French force before it. When Kleist's Prussian II Corps took a menacing position on the north bank of the Marne River near Meaux, the French attacked and pushed their adversaries back. When he learned that Napoleon's army was fast approaching from the southeast, Blücher abandoned the effort to force a way past Marmont and Mortier and began retreating to the north. The action occurred during the Campaign in north-east France, part of the War of the Sixth Coalition.

Background

From 10–14 February 1814, a 30,000-man French army led by Napoleon outmaneuvered and beat Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher's 50,000 Allies in a series of battles known as the Six Days' Campaign. During these combats, the French inflicted as many as 20,000 casualties on the Army of Silesia, captured many of its cannons and forced it to retreat east to Châlons. However, Blücher's army was soon reinforced by a 30,000-strong Allied corps under Ferdinand von Wintzingerode moving south from Belgium. This infusion of strength would allow Blücher to quickly resume the offensive.

On 10 February, the Army of Bohemia under Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg began advancing from Troyes. On the right, Peter Wittgenstein and Karl Philipp von Wrede headed for Nogent-sur-Seine and Bray-sur-Seine supported by the Guards and Reserves. On the left, Prince Frederick William of Württemberg moved on Sens with the I Corps of Frederick Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza on his left. These forces were backed by Ignaz Gyulai's corps. The Allies were briefly checked at Nogent on the 10th by 1,000 French troops under Louis-Auguste-Victor, Count de Ghaisnes de Bourmont. Sens was taken on the 11th after a skirmish between Württemberg and Jacques-Alexandre-François Allix de Vaux.