Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress with the Annual Message of the President, December 4, 1871
Mr. Washburne to Mr. Fish
Sir: I have the honor to send you herewith a translation from the “Journal Officiel” of December 8 of the government report of the battle of Villiers, and of the military movements immediately connected therewith.
I am, &c.,
[Untitled]
The late sorties made by the army of Paris on the 29th and 30th of November, and on the 1st, 2d, and 3d of December, led to engagements on most of the points of the enemy’s lines of investment.
On the evening of the 28th of November operations commenced.
To the east the plateau of Avron was occupied by the seamen of Admiral Taisset at 8 o’clock, supported by the division of Hugues; a powerful artillery of pieces of long range was placed in battery on this plateau, threatening, at a great distance, the positions of the enemy, and the roads used by their convoys at Gaguy, Chelles, and Gournay.
To the west, in the peninsula of Gennevilliers, earth-works were begun under the direction of General de Liniers; the batteries were armed anew, gabions were placed, and rifle-pits dug in the islands of Marante, of Bezons, and on the railroad to Rouen. The next day General de Beanfort ended the operations on the west side, making a reconnaissance toward Buzenval and the heights of Malmaison, resting on his right, which joined the troops of General de Liniers in front of Bezons.
The 29th at daybreak the troops of the third army, under General Vinoy, made a sortie on Thiais, l’Hay, and Choisy-le-Roi, and the fire of the forts was directed on several points remarked as selected for the concentration of the enemy’s troops.
Movements executed during the two preceding days had filled the plain of Auber-villiers with numerous forces, and united the three corps of the second army under the orders of General Ducrot, on the banks of the Marne.
The 30th November, at the break of day, bridges, prepared out of sight of the enemy, were thrown across the Marne near Nogent and Joinville, and the two first corps of the second army, led by Generals Blanchard and Renault, rapidly effected the passage of the river with all their artillery. The success of this movement had been secured by a sustained fire of artillery from the batteries of position placed on the right bank of the Marne at Nogent, at Perreux, at Joinville, and in the peninsula of Saint-Maur.
At nine o’clock, these two corps d’armée attacked the village of Champigny, the wood of the Plant, and the nearest portions of the plateau of Villiers. At eleven o’clock, all these positions were carried and intrenchments were already commenced by the troops of the second line, when the enemy made a vigorous forward movement, supported by fresh batteries of artillery. At this moment our losses were serious; in front of Champigny, the Prussian pieces in position at Chennevières and at Cœnilly [Page 274] forced back the columns of the first corps, while a heavy infantry force, descending from the intrenchments of Villiers, charged the troops of General Renault At this point it was owing to the vigorous efforts of the artillery under the command of Generals Frébault and Boissonet that the advance of the enemy was checked.
Thanks to the changes made in our batteries, the Prussian artillery was partly dismounted, and our men, led to the charge by General Ducrot, took final possession of the crests.
During these operations, the third corps, under the orders of General d’Exéa, advanced in the valley of the Marne as far as Neuilly-au-Marue and Ville-Evrard. Bridges were thrown across the Petit-Bry, and Bry-au-Marne was attacked and occupied by Bellemare’s division. Its advance, delayed by the passage of the river, was continued beyond the village as far as the slopes of the plateau of Villiers, and the efforts of its columns aided in taking possession of the crests effected by the second corps in front of Villiers. In the evening our bivouac fires extended over all the hill-sides of the left bank of the Marne, while those of our reserve blazed on the slopes of Nogent and Fontenay.
The same day, November 3, the division of Susbielle, supported by a strong reserve of the “bataillons de marche” of the National Guard, advanced in front of Crêteil and carried the positions of Meslev and Montmesley, which they occupied till evening. This diversion on the right of the operations of the second army was supported by fresh sorties, made on the left hank of the Seine, towards Choisy-le-Roi and Thiais, by the troops of General Vinoy.
To the north, Admiral La Roncière, supported by the artillery of his forts, occupied Drancy and the farm of Groslay in the plain of Aubervilliers; strong bodies of the enemy were thus drawn to the hanks of the rivulet, the Morée, behind the bridge of Iblon. Toward two o’clock, the admiral passed through Saint Denis, and, at the head of fresh troops, directed an attack on Epinay, which our soldiers, supported by the batteries of the peninsula of Gennevilliers, successfully occupied.
The 1st December, there were only some skirmishes of sharp-shooters at the beginning of the day in front of the positions of the second army, the fire of the plateau of Avron continued to disturb the movements of the enemy at Chelles and at Gournay, as he concentrated his troops in large numbers, (at night particularly,) with a view to bring up fresh forces behind the positions of Cœnilly and of Villiers.
December 2, before day, the fresh forces, thus concentrated, attacked the positions of the army of General Ducrot; on the whole line the attack was made suddenly and unexpectedly upon the advanced posts of the three corps d’armée, from Champigny as far as Bry-au-Marne.
The effort of the enemy failed; supported by a considerable force of artillery, our troops, notwithstanding the losses they sustained, opposed the most solid resistance. The fight was long and terrible. Our batteries cheeked the advance of the Prussian columns on the plateau; at 11 o’clock, the efforts of the enemy were entirely defeated. At 4 o’clock the fire ceased, and we remained masters of the field of battle. The 3d of December, without the enemy being able to harass our retreat, aided by the fog, 100,000 of the second army recrossed the Marne, leaving the Prussian army to carry off its dead.
Our losses on these several days were—
Officers:
| Killed. | Wounded. | |
| Second army | 61 | 301 |
| Third army | 8 | 22 |
| Army corps of Saint Denis | 3 | 19 |
| 72 | 342 |
Soldiers:
| Killed. | Wounded. | |
| Second army | 711 | 4,093 |
| Third army | 192 | 364 |
| Army corps of Saint Denis | 33 | 218 |
| 936 | 4,680 |
| Résumé. | ||
| Killed. | Wounded. | |
| Officers | 72 | 342 |
| Soldiers | 936 | 4,680 |
| 1,008 | *5,022 |
A detailed report addressed to the minister of war will be published hereafter. The losses of the enemy were very, considerable; they are in proportion to the efforts he made to carry our positions. Overwhelmed by a formidable artillery fire on all points where he showed himself, our projectiles reached his most distant reserves. In addition, officers, prisoners of war, have stated that several regiments were annihilated by the fire of our infantry in front of Champigny.
By order:
- It is to be observed that in this number of wounded soldiers are included at least one-third slightly wounded not sent to hospital.↩