Pitschenberg, the next Lasalle project

After escaping from Bluecher's advance-guard at Bunzlau (see Bunzlau scenario) Macdonald is marching at full speed westwards towards Bautzen. The Allied advance guard, commanded by Vassilchikov, has crossed the Löbauer Wasser and has garrisoned the Pitschenberg (a hill near the Bautzen-Löbau high-road) with a Prussian detachment, and is actively following the dispirited French with the rest of their Prussian-Russian command.
However, Napoleon has returned to Bautzen at the head of a large forcé, and has ordered Macdonald to turn around and advance again with his army group (XI, V, III and II Cavalry Corps). At the 6 p.m. of September 4, the35th French/Italian division (XI Corps), supported by the 16th division (V Corps) and the 28th Light Cavalry brigade (XI Corps) and the 2nd Light Cavalry Division (II Cavalry Corps) attacked Vassilchikov, forcing him to retire. The Allies started again the cat-and-mouse game dictated by the Trachtenberg Plan and retreated eastwards.
Sources
- F. Nafziger. “Napoleon at Dresden: The Battles of August 1813”. The Emperor Press, Chicago, 1991
- Nafziger Orders of Battle Collection. Combined Arms Research Library.
- G. Fabry "Etude sur les opérations du maréchal Macdonald, du 22 août au 4 septembre 1813, la Katzbach“ Paris, 1910
-G. Fabry. "Journal des opérations des IIIe et Ve corps en 1813”, Paris, 1902
- K. von Plotho, Der Krieg in Deutschland und Frankreich in den jahren 1813 und 1814 (1817)
- Militair Bochenblach No. 778 (1831) p. 4501

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