ey fell on the puzzled Russian infantry around
Epine-aux-Bois. Ricard's men opened to give them way. What had been a
triumphant advance was turned into a retreat. The retreat bade fair to
be a disaster, but the Russians, as has been noted, were splendid
defensive soldiers. They formed squares. Although regiment after
regiment had been ridden over and beaten to pieces, those who remained
fought stubbornly.

Sacken perceived now that his only hope was to effect a junction with
Yorck. He withdrew his men under cover of his artillery to
Vieux-Maisons, and began to lead them by the left flank, at the same
time sending frantic messages to Yorck, imploring him to hasten. But
Yorck's guns were mired. He had only the teams attached to them. He
could get no other horses. He was unaccountably delayed. He had faced
about at the sound of the firing, but the movements of his main body
were slow, deliberate. Nansouty, who had opened the battle, was now
sent in by Napoleon to deliver the _coup-de-grace_. With
characteristic gallantry he fell upon the Russian columns.

Sacken was driven from the field. In killed, wounded, and prisoners he
had lost half his force and all of his guns. His troops streamed
westward through roads and woods in wild confusion. He would have been
annihilated then and there but for the arrival of Yorck. The Prussian
at last fell on Mortier's weak corps and the Guard on the northern
road. Mortier's men were outnumbered four to one. They made a
desperate resistance, but it was not until Napoleon ordered up the
other division of the Guard, which had only been lightly engaged, and
Maurice's cavalry, that Yorck's advance was checked.

The short day had drawn to a close. Preparations were made to pass the
night on the field and in the town. All of Sacken's baggage train and
provisions had fallen into Napoleon's hands. Montmirail had been a
more decisive victory than Champaubert. Twenty thousand men had been
eliminated from calculations for the time being. Sending couriers to
Macdonald to move down the banks of the Marne with all possible speed,
to get in the rear of Yorck, with whom he purposed to deal on the
morrow, Napoleon, in high spirits, made preparations for the next day's
battle.

The next morning, the thirteenth, leaving a heavy force to check any
possible attack by Sacken, who had, with incredible energy and labor,
partially at least reorganized his shattered troops, but who was t