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This section of the map from the West Point
Atlas depicts the situation in the western part of the theater on 2 November,
the time when Napoleon has reached Vyazma during the initial part of his
retreat. Meanwhile Victor is attempting to garrison multiple towns and supply
bases from Vitebsk to Smolensk since his arrival at Smolensk on 24 Sept. and
simultaneously fend off Wittgenstein, who has been fighting St Cyr at Polotsk.
Of interest is that the garrison commander of the allied force in the key town,
Vilna, at this point is Jomini (future author on military theory). On the
northern flank Steingell ignored MacDonald's threat to Riga and marched south
in an attempt to trap St Cyr between his force and that of Wittgenstein. On 20
October St Cyr defeated Wittgenstein at Polotsk and then withdrew, sending
Wrede west to cover Vilna. Victor went to St Cyr's aid, joining the depleted II
Corps on 29 Oct. There he skirmished with Wittgenstein before withdrawing
south. Wittgenstein is now dangerously close to the key river crossing at
Borisov. For the past 2 months Dombrovski (detached from Ponyatovski's Polish
Corps) has been garrisoning towns along the right, southern, flank of the Grand
Army. And Bronyakovski is holding the critical main French supply depot at
Minsk. A critical action is taking place to the west, off this map. There
Admiral Chichagov has united his troops from Moldavia with Tormassov's army of
Volynia and is maneuvering around the Austrians and Prussians of generals
Schwarzenberg and Reynier. Leaving Sacken to keep these opponents busy,
Chichagov is slipping past them and will soon overwhelm a surprised
Bronyakivski at Minsk before Dombrovksi can do anything about it. Now only will
Chichagov have a major supply depot Napoleon was counting on, but worse, he
will be as close to the key bridge at Borisov as Wittgenstein is and together
they can cut Napoleon off. (Or so it is hoped).
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