General of the Infantry Doctors. "Iron General" Dokhturov

In 1788, the Russian-Swedish war began, and soon captain Dokhturov and his company arrived in Kronstadt, where his guards were trained in naval combat. In the Rochensalm naval battle of 1789, his company, placed on boats, under enemy fire, ensured the passage of the Russian squadron to attack the Swedish fleet. Dokhturov’s reward was a golden sword with the inscription: “For bravery,” which Catherine II awarded him. The rowing flotilla of Dokhturov's guards also distinguished itself in the 1790 campaign.

After the end of the war, Dmitry Sergeevich decided to transfer from the guard to the army; in 1795, with the rank of colonel, he headed the Yeletsky Musketeer Regiment; two years later, for the excellent training of the regiment, he was promoted to major general. Since 1803, with the rank of lieutenant general, he was the chief of the Moscow infantry regiment. With this regiment as part of M. Kutuzov’s army, he took part in the Russian-Austro-French war of 1805. When Kutuzov, having learned about the surrender of the Austrian allies near Ulm, began to retreat along the right bank of the Danube, Napoleon sent Mortier’s corps to the left bank to prevent the Russian army from crossing the river in the Krems area. Dokhturov was entrusted with the task of bypassing Mortier and striking him from the rear (the attack from the front was carried out by Miloradovich’s detachment). In difficult mountain conditions, leaving artillery on the march, Dokhturov walked along the slopes of the Bohemian Mountains and attacked the French from the rear. For his contribution to the victory at Krems, he received the Order of St. George, 3rd degree.

Then there was the Battle of Austerlitz, in which Dmitry Sergeevich commanded the first column of the left wing of the Russian-Austrian army; During the unsuccessful battle, he maintained order in his troops during the breakout from encirclement, showing great personal courage. When the Russians wavered before the crossing, which was under heavy fire, he was the first to approach it; the adjutants tried to restrain him, reminding him of his wife and children. “No,” the general answered, “here my wife is my honor, my children are my troops,” and, drawing his golden sword, he rushed forward, dragging his subordinates with him. When Dokhturov’s column, having lost half of its strength, caught up with the Russian army, it was already considered dead. The commander’s courage made his name known throughout Russia and beyond. For Austerlitz, Dmitry Sergeevich was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree.

With the beginning of the Russian-Prussian-French war of 1806 - 1807. Dokhturov's division acted valiantly at Golymin and Yankov. In the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, Dokhturov was wounded, but did not leave the battlefield and was awarded a second time with golden weapons. Then he distinguished himself in the battles of Gutstadt and Heilsberg, and was again wounded. In the battle of Friedland, he commanded the center and covered the retreat of Russian-Prussian troops across the Alle River. During the war he was awarded the Order of St. Anne 1st degree, St. Alexander Nevsky and the Prussian Order of the Red Eagle. The general’s personal courage, his wounds, even and invariably kind attitude towards people earned him high authority, the soldiers were ready to follow their “Dokhtur” to death.

Infantry General Dokhturov met the Patriotic War of 1812 as the commander of the 6th Corps as part of Barclay de Tolly's 1st Army. His corps, located in Lida, was cut off from the main forces, but after a forced march, making 50 kilometers a day, on the seventeenth day it joined Barclay de Tolly at Drissa. Near Smolensk, Dmitry Sergeevich fell ill with a fever, but did not surrender command; his troops, replacing Raevsky’s exhausted corps, heroically defended the city all day on August 5, and then joined the main forces of the army. “Smolensk cured me of my illness,” Dokh-Turov joked.

In the Battle of Borodino, Dokhturov’s corps was in the center of the battle formations of the Russian troops, taking on strong attacks from the French. After the commander of the 2nd Army, Bagration, was mortally wounded, Dokhturov, by order of Kutuzov, took over leadership of the left flank, replacing General Konovnitsyn there, who was temporarily replacing Bagration. F. Glinka, a participant in the Battle of Borodino, recalled: “A man rode into the fire and confusion of the left wing on a tired horse, in a worn general’s uniform, with stars on his chest, small in stature, but tightly built, with a purely Russian physiognomy. He showed no impulses of brilliant courage, "In the midst of death and horror, surrounded by the family of his adjutants, he rode calmly, like a good landowner between working villagers; with the care of a practical man, he sought the sense in the bloody confusion of the local battle. This was D.S. Dokhturov."

Under the leadership of Dokhturov, the 2nd Army held back the strongest pressure from the French rushing forward, remaining in a critical position. In the midst of the battle, Dokhturov received a note from the commander-in-chief: “Stay to the last extreme.” Meanwhile, a horse was killed under him and another was wounded. He calmly drove around the positions, giving instructions, directing fire, encouraging the soldiers. In the evening, when the battle died down, Kutuzov greeted Dmitry Sergeevich with the words: “Let me hug you, hero!”

The patriot general was passionate about leaving Moscow. “What a horror!” he wrote to his loved ones. “We are already on its side of the capital. I am making every effort to convince them to meet the enemy halfway. What a shame for the Russians: to leave the Fatherland, without the slightest gun shot and without a fight.”

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Dokhturov’s role in the battle of Maloyaroslavets on October 12 was exceptional. After leaving Moscow, it was here that the French troops rushed, trying to pave a retreat route along the new Kaluga road. At the direction of Kutuzov, transmitted by General Ermolov, Dokhturov moved his 6th Corps to cut across the vanguard French units. “Napoleon wants to break through,” said Dmitry Sergeevich, “but he won’t have time or will walk over my corpse.” With the support of Raevsky's corps, Dokhturov fought all day for Maloyaroslavets. The city changed hands eight times, but the French were never able to advance; they were forced to turn onto the devastated Smolensk road, which predetermined the sad fate of Napoleon’s army. For his feat at Maloyaroslavets, Dokhturov was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree.

In the campaign of 1813-1814. Dokhturov took part in the battle of Dresden and the four-day battle of Leipzig, led the blockade of Magdeburg, then the siege of Hamburg, which lasted several months. After the surrender of Hamburg, he took leave to improve his health. He was also prompted to do this by dissatisfaction with the bureaucratic order being revived in the army due to the activities of dignitaries in uniform. Once again, Dmitry Sergeevich returned to command of the corps during the “hundred days” of Napoleon, who fled from Elba: his 6th Corps, as part of Barclay de Tolly’s army, moved to the Rhine, but Russia’s European allies managed to independently defeat Napoleon at Waterloo.

After the return of Russian troops from abroad, Dokhturov retired and spent the last year of his life in Moscow, in his house on Prechistenka, where he died on November 14, 1816. He was buried in the monastery of David's Hermitage, Serpukhov district, Moscow province.

Shortly before his death, Dmitry Sergeevich received a precious gift, which expressed the love and respect of his former colleagues - a rich snuff box depicting the battle for Maloyaroslavets and a letter from General Kantsevich from the entire 6th Corps.

Dokhturov was short, obese, and not in good health, but in his body lived a strong and courageous soul. In battles, he was never afraid of danger, he was indifferent to the fire of enemy guns, saying: “On every bullet and on every cannonball it is written who will be wounded or killed, and they will find their victim. Isn’t it better in this case to die in that place, which indicates duty and honor."

Dmitry Sergeevich was an honest, unselfish and generous person, he passionately loved Russia and everything Russian, even the shortcomings of the Russian people seemed to him higher than the merits of foreigners. Dokhturov was married to the niece of the famous poet P.A. Vyazemsky, Princess Maria Petrovna Obolenskaya, with whom he had two sons and two daughters.

One talented aphorist once said: “Heroism is the pinnacle of disorganization.” Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was one of those commanders who managed to prevent such heroism among his subordinates. He himself, however, was forced more than once or twice to demonstrate unprecedented courage “thanks” to higher ranks.

Dmitry Dokhturov comes from a family of small landed Tula nobles, whose genealogy began with Kirill Ivanovich Dokhturov, who moved to Russia under Ivan the Terrible. The name of the profession – doctor – was distorted into “doctor”, giving rise to the surname.

Dmitry Sergeevich was born in 1759. Since childhood, he surprised his parents with his intelligence, ingenuity and thirst for knowledge. He was so surprised that his father decided to introduce little Dmitry to Empress Catherine II. It is difficult to say whether a small nobleman could have had enough strength, time and connections to achieve an audience on a personal issue with the empress herself, but, one way or another, in 1771 Dmitry Dokhturov was assigned to one of the most elite educational institutions of his time - the Corps of Pages . Having passed a tough selection, he, among the 16 best, was enrolled in the chamber-page class.
In 1781 he began serving as lieutenant of the Semenovsky regiment. By 1788 he received the rank of captain, already in the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

Portrait of Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov
George Dow's workshop. Military Gallery of the Winter Palace, State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg)

The first battle of Dokhturov’s long and brilliant military career was the battle on the island of Kutsal-Mulin. There he received his first combat wound - a bullet hit his shoulder. Despite this, after 8 days he landed with the landing party on the island of Gevanland.

The news of the young officer’s bravery reached the empress herself, and upon returning to St. Petersburg, Dokhturov received a golden sword from the hands of Catherine II. The donated sword did not serve Dmitry Sergeevich for long. In May 1790, in the battle for the skeleton of Karsegir, a flying cannonball literally tore the sword out of his hands. The Empress, having learned about the incident, replaced the complaint.

After the conclusion of peace with Sweden, Dokhturov continued to serve in the guard, and in 1795 he took command of the Yeletsk infantry regiment.
With the accession of Paul I, unlike many other talented commanders, he did not fall out of favor. In 1797, Dokhturov, continuing to climb the ladder of the army hierarchy, received the rank of major general and the Sofia Infantry Regiment under his command. In 1799 he was promoted to lieutenant general. With the beginning of the reign of Alexander I - in 1801 - he again headed the Yeletsky regiment, then transferred to the commander of the Moscow Infantry.

Dokhturov's military talent was fully demonstrated during the era of the Napoleonic wars. In 1805, at the battle of Krems, Kutuzov entrusted Dmitry Sergeevich with the leadership of a flanking maneuver against the corps of Motierre, one of Napoleon’s most prominent commanders. On October 30, Dokhturov, having bypassed the French on the slopes of the Bohemian Mountains, attacked from the march with bayonets without artillery. In a stubborn battle, Motierre's corps was defeated. French losses in prisoners alone amounted to 1,500, and 5 guns and a regimental banner were also lost. For this battle, Dmitry Sergeevich received the Order of St. George 3rd degree.

In the same 1805, already near Austerlitz, Dokhturov managed to reorganize the remnants of three columns of the left wing, trapped by Napoleon, and break through the encirclement of the French. During the battle, Dmitry Sergeevich appeared in the most dangerous areas, calming panic and raising the morale of the soldiers. For his actions at Austerlitz he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir 2nd degree.

The main battles of the Fourth Coalition also became pages of Dokhturov’s personal military glory. In the Battle of Preussisch-Elau, Dmitry Sergeevich's troops held out against Murat's cavalry and Napoleon's guard. Dokhturov received a shell shock in this battle, but did not leave the battle until the end, giving orders to the troops.

Near Friedland, Dokhturov again had a difficult mission - to command the rearguard, covering the retreat of the allied forces. He coped with the task, again, brilliantly. Information has been preserved about how Dokhturov crossed to the other side of the Alle River, calmed the brewing panic in one of the battalions, and then returned to his regiments, which were covering the retreat.

During the campaign of 1806-1807, Dmitry Sergeevich was wounded twice and awarded three orders, including 1 Prussian, as well as a second golden sword with diamonds and the inscription “For bravery”

In 1810, Dokhturov received the rank of general from the infantry, and met the Patriotic War as commander of the 6th Infantry Corps as part of Barclay de Tolly's 1st Army.

Already at the very beginning of the war, Dmitry Sergeevich once again showed brilliant tactical abilities. The rapid march of Napoleon's army cuts off his 6th Corps, located in Lida, from the main forces of the 1st Army. In order not to be surrounded, Dokhturov manages to pass through several long marches between the closing forces of the French and withdraw the entrusted troops to join the main forces in Drissa.

A little later, in Smolensk, Dokhturov took the combined detachment defending the city under his command. Before the battle of Smolensk, Dmitry Sergeevich fell ill with a fever, Barclay de Tolly was personally interested in the general’s well-being and his ability to lead the troops. To this Dokhturov replied that he preferred an honorable death in battle to a shameful death in bed.

All French attacks were repulsed, and Russian troops left the city only when there was nothing left to defend except the stone walls that were unable to burn.
In the most grandiose battle of the era - at Borodino - Dokhturov commanded a reserve located in the center of Bagration's 2nd Army, between the village of Gorki and Raevsky's batteries.

Battle of Borodino (Dokhturov’s command post)

The reserve did not take an active part in the battle, but after Prince Bagration was wounded, Dokhturov, by order of Kutuzov, took command of the troops of the 2nd Army. Arriving at the location, Dmitry Sergeevich found the troops in a very upset state and immediately took measures to strengthen the positions. The result was that the French no longer achieved any significant results in this direction. The soldiers under the command of Dokhturov did not retreat a single step.

After the battle, leaving the position at Borodino, the Russian army retreated to a fortified camp near the village of Tarutino. As soon as the message was received that the Grand Army had set out from Moscow, Dokhturov was tasked with verifying Napoleon's movements.

By that time, it became clear that looting and disintegration in the army would not allow the French to remain in winter quarters in the capital. The southern direction to Kaluga was considered the most likely, but the exact direction of movement was not known.

On October 18, near Tarutino, as expected, the vanguard of the Great Army under the command of Marshal Murat was discovered. The French took a rather unfavorable position, which is why the Russian commanders decided to attack. In this battle, the French were defeated, but due to the inconsistency of actions in the attack and the personal courage of Murat himself, it did not develop into a defeat. Dokhturov in this operation commanded 7 thousand infantry, constituting the center of the Russian troops.

Murat's defeat and new intelligence data led to the conclusion that the French corps was a diversionary maneuver, and Napoleon's main forces were moving towards Maloyaroslavtsy. Having learned about this, Dokhturov decides to occupy a strategically important position with the help of his corps, at the same time sending an urgent report to Field Marshal Kutuzov.

Early in the morning of October 24, Dokhturov’s division reached Maloyaroslavtsy and discovered that the town was already occupied by the enemy. By decisive actions, having knocked the French out of the city, the general staunchly defended the crossing of the Luzha River until the arrival of Raevsky’s fresh corps. The ferocity of this battle, despite the fact that it lasted the whole day, invariably increased. By evening, troops with a total number of about 40 thousand on both sides fought in the battle for a town with a population of 1,500. Maloyaroslavl residents changed hands 8 times. At the cost of losses of 7 thousand people, the Russians managed to hold Napoleon’s army until the main forces arrived and forced him to retreat along the devastated Smolensk road. Through the efforts of Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov, the main strategic success of the company of 1812 was achieved. And this merit is difficult to overestimate.

Being a brilliant tactician and a brave commander, the already middle-aged general showed himself admirably in the battles of the Russian Army’s Foreign Campaign of 1813-1814. Dokhturov distinguished himself at Dresden and in the “Battle of the Nations” near Leipzig. During the battles near Paris, he blocked the French in Hamburg. After Russian troops occupied the city, he went on sick leave - old wounds made themselves felt.

With the beginning of the famous 100 days of Napoleon, Dokhturov was entrusted with command of the right wing of the Russian army, which crossed the Rhine and advanced to Paris.

On January 1, 1816, Dmitry Sergeevich honorably retired due to sharply deteriorating health. Soon in Moscow, the famous Russian general, holder of many orders, died. He was buried in the Ascension David Desert.

Dokhturov Dmitry Sergeevich
General of Infantry
From Yaroslavl nobles

Has the following orders: Russian - St. George 3rd class, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Vladimir, Grand Cross, St. Anna 1st class; foreign - Prussian Red Eagle.

In service: at the Court of E.I. Majesty's page 1771 February 1; chamber-page 1777 October 23; lieutenant 1781 April 6; captain-lieutenant 1784 January 1; captain 1788, January 1 - in the Leningrad Guards. Preobrazhensky Regiment; released into the army as a colonel on January 1, 1795, in the Yeletsk infantry regiment; major general, chief of the Sofia infantry regiment 1797 November 2; Lieutenant General 1799 October 24, in the same regiment; transferred to the Yeletsk infantry regiment 1801 June 30; to the Moscow Infantry Regiment 1803 January 26; General of Infantry 1810 April 19, in the same regiment.

He was on campaigns: in 1789 in Sweden, in dealings with the Swedish rowing fleet; On August 18, he participated in his capture, where he was wounded in the right shoulder; 1790 June 21 and 28, wounded in the leg while rowing; On July 26, he took part in the capture of the island of Kognisar, and then, until September 3 of the same year, he was in campaigns and battles, for which he was awarded a golden sword with the inscription “for bravery”; 1805 August 14 was in the Roman Empire, passed through Galicia, Silesia, Moravia, Bohemia and Austria to the Bavarian border; October 14 returned, crossing the river. Danube near Krems; 30 participated in the defeat of the enemy and took many prisoners, along with banners, standards and cannons, for which he was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd class; near Austerlitz on November 20, he commanded 1 column during the retreat of troops and the detention of the pursued enemy, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir 2 Art. Grand Cross; then through Hungary and Galicia he returned to Russia; 1806, from January 14 to November 26, he entered the borders of East Prussia and walked through it to the town of Golimina, where on December 14 he took part in the battle, and from there he went to Old Prussia; 1807, was: January 21 at the metro station Yankov, 27 - at the city of Preussisch-Eylau, May 24, at the village. Lomiten, 29 - near the city of Heilsberg, June 2, near the city of Friedland; 1812 in battles with the French: August 5 near Smolensk, 26 - near Borodino, October 12 near Maloyaroslavets; for the skillful management of the divisions entrusted to him and for courage in the battles of Golimin, he was awarded the Order of St. Anne 1st class, for the battle of Preussisch-Eylau - a sword with diamonds, for the battle of Lomiten - the Prussian Order of the Red Eagle, for the battle of Heilsberg - the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

Married to Princess Maria Petrovna Obolenskaya; has children: daughter Ekaterina, 6 years old, and son Peter, 5 years old.

By the highest order on January 1, 1816, due to illness, he was dismissed from service, with a uniform and a full pension.

Formal list for 1813. (Book of Form Lists No. 2897.)

...And Dokhturov, the storm of enemies,
A reliable leader to victory!

V. A. Zhukovsky

I

Little is known about the childhood years of the outstanding Russian commander, hero. Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was born on September 1, 1759 in the family of Sergei Petrovich Dokhturov, captain of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment. His family was ancient, known in history since the 16th century, but very poor. The Dokhturovs were ordinary middle-class small-scale nobles.

Military traditions were honored in the family. Dmitry's father and grandfather were officers of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, the oldest regiment of the Russian Guard, formed by Peter I in 1687 in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Dmitry Dokhturov spent his childhood on his mother’s estate in the village of Krutoy, Kashira district, Tula province. It was an even, measured life, normal for a very ordinary manor’s estate, not marked by anything particularly remarkable.

Dmitry’s most vivid impressions came from communicating with peasants and yard children. He subtly noticed the peculiarities of the Russian character, the kindness and cordiality of ordinary people. And perhaps it is precisely from these childhood impressions that the constant concern for the Russian soldier that he always showed after becoming a military leader comes from.

Dmitry's parents, however, despite their very modest incomes, sought to give their children a good education at home. Particular attention was paid to the study of foreign languages. At the age of eleven, Dmitry Dokhturov easily spoke French and German, and even Italian, which was not so popular at that time.

The arrangement of Dmitry's future was the main concern of his parents. The financial condition of the family did not allow one to count on an easy and brilliant career. There could only be hope for military service. In addition, from an early age the future commander showed interest in his father’s war stories. In January 1771, Sergei Petrovich took his son to St. Petersburg, where the old Preobrazhensky had to use his connections. He turned to influential colleagues in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and the boy was introduced to Catherine II.

On February 1, 1771, Dmitry was admitted to the Corps of Pages. Pupils of the Corps of Pages studied French and German, geometry, geography, fortification, and also learned the art of dancing, drawing, fencing and horse riding.

Unlike many, Dmitry Dokhturov could only rely on himself in everything, so he was distinguished by his diligence and diligence. In 1777 he became a chamber page, and in the spring of 1781 he left the Corps of Pages with the rank of lieutenant of the guard.

Service in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment, where Dokhturov was assigned upon graduation, began quite happily. Back in 1774, Catherine II appointed Adjutant General G. A. Potemkin with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the Guard as commander of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Potemkin quickly discerned Dokhturov’s military abilities and appreciated his knowledge and diligence. Dokhturov was promoted to captain and soon began to command a company.

G. A. Potemkin was not only a courtier, but also a prominent military leader. He did not like empty parades and paid considerable attention to the training of troops, which he tried to build in accordance with the requirements of the Rumyantsev-Suvorov military school. He changed the clothes of the troops. At his suggestion, their braids were cut and the soldiers stopped powdering themselves. In a special memo, Potemkin wrote: “Curling, powdering, braiding hair - is this a soldier’s job? They don't have valets. Why farts? Everyone must agree that it is healthier to wash and comb your hair than to burden it with powder, lard, flour, hairpins, and braids. A soldier’s toilet should be such that it’s up and ready.” In addition to limiting punishments for soldiers, prohibiting the use of soldiers for private work of commanders and other minor innovations, Potemkin also made military reforms. He increased the cavalry by 18 percent, forming 10 squadron dragoons and 6 squadron hussars. To strengthen the infantry, he increased the number of grenadiers, formed four-battalion musketeer regiments, and organized jäger battalions. He also introduced the Jaeger battalion into the Preobrazhensky Regiment. It included selected soldiers and the best officers. Among others, Dokhturov was awarded this honor. In 1784, he was appointed commander of a Jaeger company.

Most of the Preobrazhentsy's time was spent in garrison service - guarding the royal court, maintaining city and regimental guards, participating in parades and ceremonies. In addition to direct official duties, guard officers were required to be “indispensable participants in all palace balls, masquerades, kurtags and assemblies, as well as operas that were given in the Highest presence, in a house specially built for this purpose on the Nevsky prospect.” During the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, such holidays occurred almost every day. The historian of the Preobrazhensky Regiment writes about the life of the guards in somewhat condensed colors: “As for the life of the guards in St. Petersburg in the age of Catherine, the whole society, in the last years of her reign, was drowned in luxury, and the former cheapness was completely forgotten. Traders and shopkeepers did not know the limits of the prices they set for customers, seeing changes in fashions and styles almost monthly. By this time, from any decent person, and especially from a guard officer, what was required, first of all, was “an elegant appearance and clothes with a hairstyle,” so that the poorest of the Preobrazhents considered it his absolute duty to order several uniforms a year, costing him at least 120 rubles each . Unfortunately, during this period we have to note a certain decline in discipline and laxity in the performance of official duties. Given the complete indifference to such a sad state on the part of the authorities, it is not surprising that this debauchery increased every day. It got to the point that guards could often be seen on the street, freely walking around at home, that is, in dressing gowns, and their wives put on their uniforms and performed the duties of a husband. The revelry and debauchery of the guards youth began to take on colossal proportions. There was no end to the stories about broken windows, about merchants scared half to death by the guards, etc.”

Dmitry Dokhturov was not satisfied with such service; he longed for real work, worthy of a Russian officer. Thus passed several years of service, which did not bring Dokhturov either rank or fame.

In June 1788, the Swedes began military operations against Russia. However, the Swedish offensive was suspended, and only in the summer of 1789 the Russian army itself intensified its actions. A war at sea was imminent.

Captain Dokhturov, at the head of a company, arrived in Kronstadt in May 1789, where a rowing flotilla of rangers from the guards regiments was being formed. Here, until July, the guards were trained in naval combat. In July, 18 galleys of the rowing flotilla, together with the Baltic Fleet, came out to meet the Swedes.

The Swedes did not want to fight on the open sea and stood in the Rochensalm roadstead. However, this did not stop the Russian squadron, and on August 13, 1789, a fierce battle took place, which lasted 14 hours. The guards showed an example of high courage and bravery. To block the entry of the Russian fleet, the Swedes sank several of their ships. For four hours, under fire from a Swedish frigate and Swedish coastal batteries, the Guard used boats to cut a passage for their ships using axes and hooks. The galleys also followed the small ships. Hand-to-hand combat ensued.

The commander of the Russian squadron, Prince Nassau-Siegen, wrote in a report to the empress: “We could not have achieved such a complete victory over them if we had not managed to open a passage that was captured by the gunboats armed with the Life Guards. The commander of the galley fleet cannot sufficiently praise this corps in general; but those who were on the kaikas and gunboats, according to him, exceed everything that he can say to praise them ... "

Captain Dokhturov also distinguished himself in this battle. The soldiers were amazed at the courage of their seemingly plain-looking, average-sized, always calm commander. But his swiftness and composure during boarding battles were worthy of a seasoned soldier. In the heat of battle, he did not even pay attention to his shoulder wound and participated in the battle to the end. Dokhturov’s actions did not go unnoticed. His reward was a golden sword with the inscription “For bravery,” which, besides him, was awarded to only one officer for this battle, captain Stepan Mitusov.

Dokhturov also distinguished himself in the Swedish campaign of the following 1790 during the landing on the island of Gerland, where he commanded three hundred Preobrazhensky soldiers.

The Swedish fleet, having suffered a series of defeats, retreated to the Vyborg Bay, where it was pinned down by Russian ships.

On June 21, Gustav III tried to escape the trap into which he had led his fleet. The battle lasted two days, and success fluctuated first in one direction and then in the other. This is where the evasive light vessels of the rowing flotilla of the guards were needed. They managed to enter from the rear and ensured the victory of the Russian fleet.

After the end of the Swedish campaign, the guard returned to St. Petersburg, and for Dmitry Dokhturov, ordinary garrison service and the life of a guard officer began again. Such service did not satisfy Dokhturov, who dreamed not of court and high society balls, but only of the benefit of the Fatherland. Dokhturov decides to transfer to serve in the field army. His request was granted, and Dokhturov, with the rank of colonel, became commander of the Yelets musketeer regiment. Later, Dokhturov will say: “I have never been a courtier, I have not sought favors in the main apartments or from the courtiers - I value the love of the troops, which are priceless to me.”

II

By 1805, when Russia found itself in a state of war with Napoleon, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was with the rank of lieutenant general and headed the Moscow Musketeer Regiment, which, as part of the Podolsk Army, was to set out on the Austrian Campaign.

The Russian army at this time was in many ways inferior to Napoleon's army. Of course, there were talented generals, such as Suvorov’s heroes Bagration and Miloradovich, and there were also many soldiers who participated in Suvorov’s Italian and Swiss campaigns. However, Pavlov's innovations caused lasting damage to the army. The training of the army was based on the “Military Regulations on Field Infantry Service” approved by Paul (1796), in which the main attention was paid to drill training, and the main form of combat was stated to be outdated by that time and refuted by the military practice of Rumyantsev and especially Suvorov. tactics. After ascending the throne, Alexander I made some minor changes in the army, but in general the decrees of Paul I remained almost untouched.

In the Podolsk army with a total strength of 50 thousand people there were many experienced soldiers who fought in Suvorov’s troops, but the army’s weapons needed updating. Leading generals came to the conclusion that it was necessary to introduce new battle tactics in the army, taking into account the experience of Suvorov’s campaigns and battles. But there was no time to retrain the soldiers and rebuild the army, and everything was done in a hurry, during the campaign.

The army left Radziwillow, where it was formed, on August 13, 1805, and on September 9 it was led by M. I. Kutuzov. The march to Austria was carried out in two parts. The infantry was ahead, consisting of five detachments, commanded by Major General P. I. Bagration, Major General M. A. Miloradovich, Lieutenant General D. S. Dokhturov, Major General S. Ya. Repninsky and Lieutenant General L. F. Maltits. The infantry was followed by cavalry and artillery.

The hike took place in the most difficult conditions. The roads were washed away by the autumn rains. It was necessary to make daytime stops to give the troops a rest and at least somehow put their clothes and shoes in order. The soldiers cooked their food over fires.

Dokhturov, like other generals, had to devote a lot of time to providing food for his troops, since the army was poorly supplied with provisions. But Dokhturov directed the main forces to train soldiers in loose formation, shooting, and hand-to-hand combat. In this, he received considerable assistance not only from experienced officers, but also from Suvorov veterans who trained newcomers. These lessons will not be in vain, for which the soldiers will subsequently be especially grateful to their commander.

Russian troops were marching to join the allied Austrian army of 46,000 under the command of General Mack. But by the time Kutuzov was already nearby, Makk's troops surrendered without a fight. This happened on October 7, 1805 near the town of Ulm. On the same day, Kutuzov approved the plan for a possible general battle, which he had outlined several days earlier. Already here Kutuzov showed great confidence in Dokhturov. He prescribed: “During the case against the enemy, if all the infantry acts together, then senior lieutenant general Dokhturov will command both flanks.” However, Kutuzov managed to avoid a general battle with many times superior French forces. A systematic retreat began from Braunau to Krems, which lasted about a month. The soldiers were hungry and naked. But no one expected help from the allied army. “We walk at night, we have turned black... officers and soldiers barefoot, without bread. What a misfortune to be in an alliance with such scoundrels, but what to do!..” Dokhturov was indignant in a letter to his wife.

The retreat was carried out along the right bank of the Danube, along a coastal strip 200–300 meters wide, framed on the left by the Danube and on the right by wooded mountains. The rearguard was commanded by Bagration and so successfully that the French were never able to inflict any significant damage on our army.

Napoleon sent Mortier's corps ahead to enter Krems before the Russians and block their path across the Danube. Having learned about the movement of Mortier's corps towards Krems, Kutuzov accelerated the pace, and Russian troops crossed the bridge when Mortier had just approached Krems.

Kutuzov saw that Mortier's corps was in a very disadvantageous position. He sent Dokhturov with his divisions to the rear and flank of Mortier's corps, and Miloradovich was supposed to launch a blow from the front. Dokhturov led his troops through a steep wooded slope, left the brigade of Major General A.P. Urusov in the mountains so that he would block Mortier’s retreat through the mountains, and he himself with the remaining regiments went to the rear of the French. The 6th Jaeger Regiment rushed into a bayonet attack, the French could not stand it and retreated to the village of Loim, where they took up a convenient position. Then Mortier launched a cavalry counterattack against Dokhturov and managed to stop the offensive.

Dokhturov sent the brigade of Major General K. K. Ulanius to bypass the enemy and attack him from the flank at the time when the Moscow regiment began to advance from the front. It was already dark Dokhturov himself led the Moscow regiment into the attack. Ulanius struck at the rear and flank at the same time. Panic arose among the French troops. Some units tried to escape through the mountains, but here Major General Urusov blocked their path. Miloradovich's regiments completed the operation. Marshal Mortier himself barely managed to be one of the few to cross the Danube.

Dokhturov reported on this battle to Kutuzov: “All three battalions of the Moscow Musketeer Regiment, which made up the first line, marched forward with their chests, carrying out my orders to the fullest accuracy... The enemy was overturned by the fearless advance of the line, and two of his cannons were overturned by the grenadier battalion of the Moscow Musketeer Regiment under the command of Major Shamshev taken..." According to Dokhturov, "up to two thousand people from the headquarters and upper and lower ranks were taken." In addition, two French banners were captured. In this battle, Dokhturov managed to show himself not only as an executor of the commander’s will and a fearless warrior, but also as a perspicacious military leader who knew how to think strategically.

Here Napoleon realized that although he had a small army in front of him, it consisted of courageous and fearless soldiers, commanded by talented commanders. Despite Napoleon's efforts to force a general battle on the Russians, Kutuzov still managed to unite with Buxhoeveden's corps and change the balance of forces in his favor.

By this time, Alexander I and the Austrian Emperor Franz had arrived in the army. Alexander I thirsted for the glory of conquering Napoleon, and the allied forces, starting on November 15, began to look for battle. Napoleon withdrew his troops, looking for a position convenient for battle. This position soon became the field of Austerlitz.

On November 19, late at night, a hasty military council of the allied forces took place in Krizhanowice, at which the Austrian Colonel Weyrother familiarized the military leaders with the disposition of the battle. The plan was ineffective in every way. However, it was pointless to discuss the plan adopted by both emperors. Kutuzov was only formally listed as commander-in-chief, but in fact, Alexander I took over the leadership of the battle. One of the most bitter pages in the history of the Russian army was approaching. According to the plan, the battle was to begin with the left flank in order to break through and enter the enemy’s rear from the right flank.

On November 20, 1805, at 7 o’clock in the morning, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was the first to lead his column on the offensive. Kutuzov wrote about how it developed in a report to Alexander I: “...The first column, having descended from the mountain and passed the village of Augest at about 8 o'clock in the morning, after a stubborn battle forced the enemy to retreat to the village of Telnits... The first column captured the village of Telnits and the defiles... The retreating The enemy troops, having formed up again and received reinforcements, again rushed towards the first column, but were completely overturned, so that this column, observing in everything the disposition given to it, did not cease to pursue the enemy, who had been defeated three times.”

Dokhturov occupied the village of Sokolnitsy and could have continued the offensive, but according to the plan it was necessary to wait for the front to level off. Further events, due to the fault of Alexander I, developed in such a way that Napoleon broke through the center of the allied forces and began to successfully advance in the direction of the village of Augest. True, even before the French completely broke through the center of the Allied forces, there was an opportunity to somehow change the course of events. To do this, Buxhoeveden needed to turn his columns in time to the flank of Soult’s troops, but Buxhoeveden did not heed either Dokhturov’s advice, or even the order to withdraw the troops back given by Kutuzov. Instead, he blindly followed the original disposition and meter by meter led the troops into encirclement. When the French rushed to the rear of the left flank, Buxhoeveden, seeing the complete hopelessness of the situation, abandoned his troops and shamefully fled from the battlefield. The troops of the left flank were led out of encirclement by Dokhturov.

Dokhturov allocated three regiments against Davout’s corps, and with the rest moved to break through. It was possible to escape only through a narrow dam, which was in the hands of the French. Drawing a golden sword with the inscription “For bravery,” Dokhturov shouted: “Guys, here is Mother Catherine’s sword! Behind me!" This was a call to veterans who remembered the victories of the Russian army under Catherine II, it was a reminder of Suvorov’s campaigns. As at Krems, Dokhturov himself led the Moscow regiment into the attack. The French were crushed, a gap formed in their troops, into which Dokhturov’s regiments rushed. But the troops passed through the dam under French artillery fire, and the losses were significant. The shelves put up for cover were almost completely destroyed. 6,359 people died in Dokhturov’s column, that is, more than half of the entire composition. The total losses of the allied forces in the Battle of Austerlitz were 27 thousand people, of which 21 thousand were Russians. Napoleon lost only 12 thousand.

When the next day Dokhturov’s column caught up with the Russian army, it was already considered dead. The repeated “Hurray!”, which spontaneously swept through the army, was the best praise for the courage of the soldiers and the leadership talent of Dokhturov. The name of Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov passed from mouth to mouth. The commander's talent and courage became known not only to Russia, but also to Europe. After Austerlitz, Kutuzov notes Dokhturov as “one of the most excellent generals, especially deserving of the love and respect of the army.” Dokhturov himself wrote to his wife that he “earned something truly very precious in this campaign - the reputation of an honest man.” Contemporaries invariably noted modesty among the qualities of his character, and in this self-esteem it manifests itself in abundance. Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov believed that honest service to the Fatherland naturally presupposes courage and dedication, and that the main concern of a military leader is his armies. So he did, not thinking of the possibility of doing anything else. After the Austrian campaign of 1805, D.S. Dokhturov stood on a par with such military leaders as Bagration and Miloradovich.

However, talented Russian commanders were not particularly honored by the emperor. Kutuzov was sent as the military governor of Kyiv. In 1806, when Russia was supposed to help Prussia in its fight against Napoleon, the Russian army again needed a commander in chief. The tsar did not want to hear about Kutuzov, shifting the shame of Austerlitz onto him. The names of Tatishchev, Knorring, the French General Moreau, who lived in exile in America, and a number of other minor figures began to appear as candidates. Foreigners especially attracted the attention of Alexander, and just as he entrusted the fate of the Russian army at Austerlitz to a mediocre Austrian colonel, so now he was ready to entrust it to some Moreau. Finally, the choice fell on the elderly Catherine General Count M.F. Kamensky, who lived out his life on his estate in the Oryol province.

Field Marshal Kamensky received unlimited powers and went to the army. The Russian army was supposed to unite with the Prussian army, but this did not happen. Even before they united, Napoleon defeated the Prussians near Jena and Auerstedt, occupied Berlin, and soon his troops were already in Poland.

Lieutenant General Dokhturov's division was located near the village of Golymin, 80 kilometers north of Warsaw, when Dokhturov received two packages with instructions. In one, Kamensky reported that he, the commander-in-chief, had transferred his powers to Buxhoeveden, indicating at the same time that instead of the battle of Pułtusk, as previously planned, it was necessary to withdraw troops to the Russian border. Another package was from the commander of the first corps, Bennigsen, who invited Dokhturov to join him and give Napoleon a general battle. Centralized command of the troops was virtually lost. To enter under the leadership of Buxhoeveden was obvious absurdity.

Dokhturov understood that the elderly Field Marshal Kamensky was unsuitable for the role of commander-in-chief, but the appointment of Buxhoeveden, who shamefully abandoned his soldiers in the swamps of Austerlitz, as commander-in-chief, outraged him to the core. Bennigsen invited Buxhoeveden and Essen I, who commanded the corps, to take part in the general battle, but did not find support from them.

Meanwhile, Napoleon mistook the disorderly and devoid of any logic movements of the Russian troops, which stemmed from Kamensky’s contradictory and sometimes mutually canceling orders, for some special trick that he was unable to understand. Deciding that the main Russian forces were in the area of ​​​​the village of Golymin, Napoleon moved his main formations there. Here, in fact, were Dokhturov’s division, a division under the command of D. B. Golitsyn, and several cavalry regiments.

On December 14, 1806, they had to withstand the onslaught of the corps of Augereau, Davout, Soult, as well as the guard and cavalry. However, the French achieved nothing. The divisions of Dokhturov and Golitsyn formed into a battalion-by-battalion square and met the cavalry with bayonets. Long flintlock rifles (183 cm with bayonet) made Russian infantry invulnerable. Seeing the failures of his cavalry, Napoleon sends infantry into a bayonet attack. As S. G. Volkonsky testifies in “Notes of the Decembrist,” Dokhturov’s grenadiers were offended: “These runts are unworthy of our bayonets!” - they exclaimed and met the French with rifle butts.

However, in the evening Dokhturov and Golitsyn were forced to retreat. During the retreat, they had to fight at night in a street battle, but Dokhturov and Golitsyn still managed to maintain their battle formation. All this day, troops under the command of Bennigsen also held back the attacks of Marshal Lannes' corps. In fact, five Russian divisions held the entire French army for a whole day.

In January 1807, fighting began again. By January 27, the Russian army occupied a position stretching about 3.5 kilometers along the front northeast of Preussisch-Eylau. Dokhturov's division was located in the center opposite Augereau's corps and Murat's cavalry. On January 27, the French launched a series of attacks, in one of which Dokhturov was wounded in the leg by a cannonball fragment. The Russians successfully repelled the attacks of the French, but were unable to consolidate their success, since the army did not have a reserve, which should have been provided by the army commander Bennigsen. As a result, the battle, which lasted more than 12 hours, came to nothing. On the French side, the losses were 30 thousand killed and wounded, on ours - 26 thousand people. At this point hostilities ceased, and for three months both armies prepared for future battles.

In May 1807, the fighting of the opposing armies intensified. Napoleon had up to 200 thousand people, the Russian army under the command of Bennigsen had about 105 thousand. Bennigsen decided to defeat Ney's corps, which had moved forward to the Gutstadt area.

On May 23, Dokhturov's divisions launched an offensive. On May 24, Dokhturov captured the Lomiten crossing and cut off Ney. Bagration successfully attacked from the front, but many Russian units were late for the battle, and it was not possible to fully implement the plan to defeat Ney. Napoleon connected the main forces, and the Russian troops retreated to Heilsberg, where on May 29 they stood against an enemy twice their size for the whole day.

At Heilsberg, Dokhturov received a fourth wound, but, as always, did not leave the battle.

On June 2, 1807, at Friedland, the French managed to force a battle in a position unfavorable for the Russian army. They managed to break Bagration's defenses and pressed the center and right flank of the Russian troops to the river. Lannes and Mortier's corps acted against Dokhturov's two divisions, which occupied the center of Russian positions. It was possible to save the divisions only by urgently organizing a crossing. But there was not a single bridge here. It was necessary to look for a ford in order to ensure the withdrawal of troops through it as quickly as possible, since they would inevitably have to cross under the fire of French artillery. How important it was to find a good ford is proven by the fact that Dokhturov himself went to look for it. He crossed the Alla River on horseback four times until he found a suitable ford. The troops, one might say, crossed safely, but Dmitry Sergeevich himself was one of the last to leave the shore, despite persuasion not to put himself at risk.

In this battle, the Russians lost 15 thousand people. This major defeat of the Russian army was at the same time the only one in 1806–1807, which occurred largely through the fault of the army commander. The defeat made such a strong impression that Alexander I considered it best to enter into negotiations with Napoleon, and on June 27, 1807, the Peace of Tilsit was signed.

For the withdrawal of Russian troops at Friedland, Dokhturov was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

The actions of Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov could serve as a worthy example to any general. It seems that there was no battle in which Dokhturov did not prove himself an experienced and courageous military leader, and in a number of them he provided invaluable benefits to the Russian army. Dokhturov's exploits were awarded. He received orders for Krems, Austerlitz, Golymin, Friedland. For the battle of Preussisch-Eylau he was awarded a sword with diamonds.

But the fate of Dokhturov as a commander took shape in some special way. There are commanders who distinguished themselves in brilliant victories, in daring marches, in victorious battles. Dokhturov showed himself most clearly where the Russian army was in a difficult situation, sometimes on the verge of extermination, as was the case under Austerlitz and Friedland. Saving armies, however, is worth any victory. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of Dokhturov’s activities for the Austrian campaign and for the French campaign of 1806–1807.

Unfortunately, not all of his contemporaries were able to appreciate the merits of Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov. Thus, A.P. Ermolov, comparing Dokhturov with Bagration, notes: “The coldness and indifference to danger characteristic of this general did not, however, replace Bagration. It was not so often that Dokhturov led his troops to victories, it was not in those wars that surprised the universe with the glory of our weapons that he became famous, it was not on the fields of Italy, not under the banners of the immortal Suvorov that he established himself in martial virtues.” The wars were, of course, not the same, and the glory was not the same, but probably only the armies he saved could weigh his merits. Bagration himself, the complete opposite of Dokhturov in character, however, appreciated the military leadership talent of Dmitry Sergeevich and loved him as a person. The friendship between Bagration and Dokhturov surprised many contemporaries and comrades of the commanders.

Soon after the end of the war with Napoleon, Dokhturov received a long sick leave, due to which he did not have to participate in the Russian-Swedish war of 1808–1809. Dmitry Sergeevich spent more than a year in Moscow with his family, enjoying a quiet family life. Sometimes his comrades visited him, a relative, General A.F. Shcherbatov, visited him, and P.I. Bagration also visited. Having recovered his health, Dokhturov began to think about returning to the army.

In the summer of 1809, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov took command of the 6th Corps.

At this time, the Russian army was being reorganized, and rearmament was partially taking place. Dokhturov threw himself headlong into this work. The following year, 1810, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was awarded the rank of infantry general.

III

From the very beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Dokhturov’s corps, which occupied the left wing of the 1st Army, stood a hundred miles south of Vilna and was actually cut off from the main forces of the army. Army commander Barclay de Tolly ordered the corps to be withdrawn to the Drissa camp, where it was planned to fight a general battle. It was necessary to cover a distance of 500 kilometers in difficult conditions. Dokhturov's corps had a hard time - Nansouty's cavalry corps rushed to its rear. To break away from him, Dokhturov’s regiments, despite the impassability and incessant rain, made 50 kilometers a day. The position of Dokhturov's corps was such that it could well have been destroyed, and Napoleon knew this well. It seems that here for the first time Napoleon tried to explain his failures by the Russian climate. An official report published to Europe at the time gave this description: “For thirty-six hours it rained in torrential rain; the excessive heat turned into piercing cold; from this sudden change several thousand horses died and many cannons got stuck in the mud. This terrible storm, which tired out the men and horses, saved Dokhturov’s corps, which alternately encountered the columns of Bordesoul, Soult, Pajol and Nansouty.”

On June 29, Dokhturov’s corps linked up with Barclay’s army. Dokhturov found the positions of the camp to be very unfortunate. He considered it necessary to leave the camp and move to join Bagration’s army. At the military council, opinions were divided: the emperor adhered to Fuhl's plan, according to which a general battle had to be fought here. However, experienced military leaders did not support the emperor’s opinion, and Alexander considered it best to leave the army.

On July 22, the armies of Barclay and Bagration united near Smolensk. At the military council convened by Barclay, it was discovered that the leaders of both armies had differing opinions about further actions. Bagration, Ermolov, Dokhturov and other generals believed that it was possible to take advantage of the scattered nature of Napoleon’s troops and give battle to individual corps of his army. To concentrate troops, Napoleon needed at least three to four days. But Barclay de Tolly did not show decisiveness, and time was lost.

The military council spoke in favor of an offensive, and Barclay was forced to concede. However, he did not dare to give a general battle and only pushed Platov’s detachment and Neverovsky’s division forward. Two days later, Napoleon concentrated up to 180 thousand people near Smolensk and decided to bypass the Russian army from the rear, so that the Russians would be forced to accept a general battle. However, during a roundabout march, the French came across Neverovsky’s detachment at Krasnoye, which held the French army for a whole day, giving Barclay the opportunity to pull all his forces to Smolensk. Barclay gave the order to retreat along the Moscow road. The battle near Smolensk was fought by Napoleon's 7th Corps of Raevsky and the 27th Division of Neverovsky. They held Napoleon back all day on the fourth of August. Barclay decided to appoint Dokhturov's corps for the defense of Smolensk. Dokhturov was ill, and Barclay sent to ask Dokhturov whether he was able to act in the defense of Smolensk. To this Dmitry Sergeevich replied: “It is better to die on the field of honor than on the bed.” On August 5, Dokhturov's 6th Infantry Corps and Konovnitsyn's 3rd Infantry Division replaced Raevsky's corps and Neverovsky's division.

The resistance shown by Dokhturov was unprecedented; all French attacks were repulsed. Smolensk was burning, there were ruins everywhere, but the city’s defenders did not think of giving up. Only when it became known that Barclay’s army was out of harm’s way, Dokhturov left Smolensk and retreated to the east, destroying the bridge across the Dnieper behind him.

In the Russian army, the question of a single commander-in-chief arose. Barclay de Tolly, although he was Minister of War, commanded only the 1st Western Army. The disagreements that arose with Bagration exacerbated the general dissatisfaction with Barclay’s actions in the army. The majority of patriotic Russian generals wanted to see a commander-in-chief of Russian origin, who would fight not only as a professional, but also as a patriot. Weyrother's mediocre plan, which resulted in the Austerlitz disaster, the flight of Buxhoeveden, and the defeat at Friedland under the command of Bennigsen were still fresh in memory. True, Barclay de Tolly himself was not a mercenary, he began his service from the lower ranks, and was born in Russia. But nevertheless, Barclay’s entourage somehow turned out to be too many foreigners, so that the thought of treason involuntarily arose in the army. Indignant at Barclay’s actions, Bagration wrote to the Tsar that “the entire main apartment is filled with Germans so that it is impossible for a Russian to live and there is no point.”

On August 5, the day when Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov led the defense of Smolensk, the Emergency Committee met in St. Petersburg to discuss the candidacy of the commander-in-chief.

Kutuzov, appointed commander-in-chief, arrived to the troops on August 21, and immediately gave the order to concentrate in the area of ​​​​the village of Borodino.

According to the disposition, the 6th Infantry Corps of Dokhturov and the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Corps of Kreutz formed the center of the Russian troops. Moreover, one of the two advanced detachments of the center was commanded by the legendary N.V. Vuich, Suvorov’s favorite, hero of Izmail, Preussisch-Eylau and Friedland, and later of Borodin, Maloyaroslavets and Leipzig. Overall command of the right flank and center was exercised by Barclay de Tolly, the left flank was under the command of Bagration.

Bagration's severe wound and the impossibility of his further participation in the battle was a significant loss for the army. Konovnitsyn took over temporary command of the left wing. He managed to organize a defense and delay the French advance at the Semenovsky ravine. However, there were not enough forces for counterattacks, and Konovnitsyn withdrew his troops behind the Semenovsky ravine.

Kutuzov sends the Prince of Württemberg to the left flank, but immediately sends an order to the infantry general D.S. Dokhturov: “Although the Prince of Württemberg went to the left flank, despite the fact that you have command of the entire left wing of our army, and the Prince of Württemberg is subordinate to you. I recommend that you hold out until I receive a command to retreat.”

The French carried out the first attack on the village of Semenovskaya with the forces of Ney’s corps and Friant’s division. But Russian artillery stopped the French. At this time D.S. Dokhturov arrived. In his notes, Fyodor Glinka, a participant in the Battle of Borodino, wrote: “Dokhturov, courageously repelling the dangers and encouraging his soldiers with his example, said: “Moscow is behind us!” Everyone should die, but not a step back!“ Death, which met him at almost every step, increased his zeal. Under him, two horses were killed and one was wounded..."

Kutuzov was not mistaken in appointing Dokhturov to command the left flank, and no matter how hot it was here, the French were unable to break through it. This is a considerable merit of Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov, who over many years of service has become accustomed to being in the most difficult areas. It must be said that the Dokhturov school was not in vain for his corps. Under Borodin, many officers and privates of his divisions distinguished themselves. The commander of the 24th Infantry Division, Pyotr Gavrilovich Likhachev, who defended the Raevsky battery after I.F. Paskevich, became especially famous. Dokhturov knew this general well from his participation in the battles of Rochensalm and Vyborg. “Taking advantage of the fact that the 11th and 23rd infantry divisions were busy repelling cavalry attacks,” writes historian of the Patriotic War of 1812 L. G. Beskrovny, “the French infantry rushed to the battery. The enemy forces were four times greater than those of the 24th Infantry Division defending the battery. The Russians heroically repelled all attacks, but they were overwhelmed by the number of attackers. When almost all the defenders of the battery had already fallen, the division commander, old General Likhachev, wounded, rushed at the French with a sword in his hands. The French captured Likhachev, who was stabbed with bayonets. The battery was captured. Many of its defenders died the death of heroes. The remnants of the 24th division and other infantry units withdrew at about 16 o'clock under the protection of the fire of a battery located at a distance at a height."

In the report presented to Kutuzov, Dokhturov wrote: “I make it my duty to convey that, having arrived at it (Bagration’s army. - VC.), found the heights and redoubts previously occupied by our troops, taken by the enemy, as well as the ditch that separated us from it. Having made it my most important goal to remain in the present position, I made the necessary orders in this case, ordering the detachment commanders to take all measures to reflect the enemy’s desire and not to give up any real places. Everyone did this with excellent prudence, and although the enemy, who had decided to overthrow our left flank, attacked with all his might under terrible artillery fire. But these attempts were completely destroyed by the measures taken and the unparalleled courage of our troops. The guards regiments - Lithuanian, Izmailovskaya and Finland - throughout the battle showed worthy Russian courage and were the first who, with their extraordinary courage, restrained the enemy’s desire, hitting him everywhere with bayonets. The other guards regiments - Preobrazhenskaya and Semenovskaya - also contributed to repelling the enemy with fearlessness. In general, all the troops that day fought with their usual desperate bravery, so that from the time I took command until nightfall, which stopped the battle, all points were almost held, except for some places that were ceded due to the need to withdraw the troops from the terrible grapeshot fire, great damage the one who caused it. But this retreat was a very short distance with due order and with the infliction of damage to the enemy in this case ... "

Late in the evening, Dokhturov arrived at Kutuzov and said: “I saw with my own eyes the retreat of the enemy and I consider the Battle of Borodino completely won.” Victory was certain, especially in strategic terms. However, the losses in the army were great, and, wanting to preserve the army, on August 27, Kutuzov gave the order to move the troops six miles back to Mozhaisk. When the army retreated, Dokhturov led a column consisting of the 2nd Army, as well as the 4th and 6th Corps of the 1st Army.

On September 1st at 5 pm a military council was held in Fili. By this time, a rather unfavorable situation had created for the Russian army. Already on August 30, the French moved in the direction of Ruza and further to Zvenigorod. News was received of a flanking bypass of Moscow by Poniatowski's corps from the south, along the Borovskaya road. The reinforcements that Kutuzov expected to receive from Moscow Governor Rostopchin did not arrive. In addition, Barclay de Tolly and Ermolov, who examined the position chosen by Bennigsen for the battle near Moscow, found it completely unsuitable.

At the council, opinions were divided. Barclay de Tolly proposed to retreat through Moscow to the Vladimir road. Osterman, Raevsky, as well as Colonel Tol spoke in favor of surrendering Moscow without a battle. Bennigsen insisted on fighting, considering the position he had chosen to be impregnable. Konovnitsy, Platov, Uvarov and Ermolov spoke out in favor of battle, but at the same time recognized Bennigsen’s position as unsuitable. It was possible to attack the French on the march, but in this case it was difficult to predict the outcome of events. Dokhturov saw that the position chosen by Bennigsen was very reminiscent of the one that was under Friedland, when, through Bennigsen’s fault, the Russian army was defeated. But as a patriot, for whom the name of Moscow was sacred, Dokhturov could not imagine that the capital could be surrendered without a fight. Dokhturov spoke out in favor of battle.

In his memoirs about the military council in Fili, Ermolov wrote: “General Dokhturov said that it would be good to go towards the enemy, but that in the Battle of Borodino we lost many honest commanders, and placing the attack on the officials who took their places, little known, one cannot be completely sure in success."

The decision made by Kutuzov was unexpected for Dokhturov, and he chewed hard on the upcoming retreat. Bennigsen, in a note he compiled for the emperor, indicates that during the discussion Dokhturov made him “a sign with his hand that his hair stood on end, hearing that the proposal to surrender Moscow would be accepted.” The feelings that possessed Dokhturov can be judged from his letter to his wife: “...I am in despair that they are leaving Moscow! Horrible! We are already on this side of the capital. I am making every effort to convince them to meet the enemy. (...) What a shame for the Russians: to leave their Fatherland, without the slightest shot of a rifle and without a fight. I’m furious, but what can I do?” This confession by Dokhturov testifies to the responsibility Kutuzov took upon himself when deciding to leave Moscow. Few could understand his actions, if even such comrades as Dokhturov considered it impossible to surrender Moscow without a battle.

Having completed the Tarutin maneuver, Kutuzov advanced Dokhturov’s corps towards Moscow. Soon the commander-in-chief received a message from Dorokhov about the attempts of the Ornaro and Brusier divisions to bypass the Russian flank in the Fominsky area. Kutuzov ordered Dokhturov, who, in addition to the 6th Corps, had at his disposal the Meller-Zakomelsky cavalry corps, six Cossack regiments, one Jaeger regiment and artillery, to move to the area of ​​the village of Fominsky. At dawn on October 10, Dokhturov began moving towards the French.

Arriving in Aristovo, Dokhturov received data from Dorokhov, based on which he sent a message to Kutuzov: “Major General Dorokhov was with me this minute... All the forces that Major General Dorokhov saw in the indicated places, he assures, do not exceed eight or nine thousand . He also noticed that near Fominskoye and across the Nara River at this village there are bivouacs and lights and artillery are visible, but due to the very wooded areas, it is impossible to determine the enemy’s forces.” Following Dorokhov, the commander of the partisan detachment A.N. Seslavin arrived at Dokhturov’s headquarters with captured Frenchmen, whom he had already interrogated. Having received new data, Dokhturov immediately drew up a report to the commander-in-chief and sent it with the duty officer D.N. Bolgovsky.

In his report, Dokhturov said: “Captain Seslavin has now delivered the information he learned from the prisoners, uniformly showing that in the village of Bekasovo, six miles from Fominsky, the corps of the 1st Marshal Ney, two guard divisions and Napoleon himself camped for the night. This is the fifth day that these troops have left Moscow and that other troops are marching along the same road... Major General Dorokhov informs that he has received a report that the enemy has broken into Borovsk.”

At night, Bolgovsky delivered a report to Kutuzov. After listening to the officer, Kutuzov said the famous words: “...From this moment, Russia is saved.”

According to information from the prisoners, it was clear that the main forces of the French were moving in the direction of Maloyaroslavets. Dokhturov was able to appreciate the strategic importance of this district town and, without waiting for Kutuzov’s orders, moved his units on a forced march to Maloyaroslavets.

Having received the report, Kutuzov gave the order to Dokhturov to move to Maloyaroslavets as quickly as possible. Dokhturov received the order already on the march. At the same time, Kutuzov moved his main forces from Tarutin towards Maloyaroslavets, sending Platov forward to help Dokhturov.

On the evening of October 11, troops under the command of Dokhturov approached the village of Spassky, five miles from Maloyaroslavets. But the movement of his troops was suspended due to the fact that the peasants, hearing about the approach of the French, destroyed bridges across the Protva River. It was necessary to urgently build a crossing, and only after midnight the troops crossed to the other side. By dawn on October 12, Dokhturov approached Maloyaroslavets, which had been occupied by the French since the evening of October 11.

At 5 o'clock in the morning a fierce battle ensued. By the time Dokhturov approached, the city was occupied by two battalions from the Delzon division of the main corps of the French army under the command of Viceroy Eugene Beauharnais. Dokhturov brought the 33rd and 6th Jaeger regiments into battle, which drove back the French. Delzon abandoned additional units of his division and entered the city. Then Dokhturov sent the 19th Jaeger Regiment, led by Ermolov, who again drove the French out of the city. At the same time, the rest of Dokhturov's infantry occupied the heights and blocked the road to Kaluga, and Meller-Zakomelsky's cavalry corps and Dorokhov's detachment blocked the road to Spasskoye. Dokhturov concentrated his artillery in front of his corps and in infantry combat formations. Delzon brought the entire division into battle, and the battle became fierce.

By 11 o'clock Broussier's division arrived, and the French again captured the city and attacked the heights on which the 6th Corps was located. The Russians launched a bayonet attack and took the city for the fourth time. Then Beauharnais brought in Pinault and the Guards divisions - the city again passed to the French. Dokhturov's corps was in a very difficult position when Raevsky's 7th Corps, sent forward by Kutuzov, approached. Dokhturov gained some advantage and attacked the French, recapturing the city for the fifth time.

Soon Davout's 1st Corps entered the battle, ousted the Russians and attacked them on the heights. The Russians, however, allowed the French to come within a short distance, met them with grapeshot at point-blank range and completed the job with a bayonet attack, recapturing the southern part of the city. By this time, the main French forces led by Napoleon had arrived, two more French divisions entered the battle, forcing Dokhturov and Raevsky to leave the city. At the same time, Kutuzov, who approached with the main forces, bypassed the city from the south and occupied the Kaluga road.

Kutuzov ordered Borozdin's corps to replace Dokhturov's 6th corps, and also sent Shakhovsky's 3rd division under the command of Konovnitsyn, who remained in the battle until its end at 11 p.m. The ruins of the city remained in the hands of the enemy, but Kutuzov’s army took such an advantageous position on the heights south of Maloyaroslavets and beyond the Nemtsovsky ravine that Napoleon did not dare to take any action the next day.

On the night of October 13, Napoleon convened a military council in the village of Gorodnya. His marshals unanimously expressed the opinion that movement to Kaluga was impossible. “The arrival of Kutuzov on the Kaluga road completely changed the state of affairs,” said Napoleon. Never before had Napoleon so clearly betrayed his confusion. He sat with both hands clutching his head, leaning his elbows on the table, his eyes fixed on the map. This episode is depicted in the famous painting by V.V. Vereshchagin.

Napoleon spent the entire day of October 13 in painful thoughts near Maloyaroslavets, and on October 14 he turned his army onto the Smolensk road.

The battle of Maloyaroslavets was one of the most brutal in the War of 1812. The author of the essay “The Battle of the City of Maloyaroslavets” (M., 1912), N. I. Milovidov, describes the consequences of the battle for the city: “The city, which was the site of the massacre, changed hands eight times and presented a spectacle of complete destruction. Of the two hundred houses that were then in Maloyaroslavets, only twenty remain. The direction of the streets was indicated only by the corpses with which they were littered. Tormented bodies were lying everywhere, crushed by passing guns. Half-burnt bones smoldered under the smoking ruins. Many of the wounded, who took refuge in houses, died in the flames instead of being saved. There were more than six thousand killed and wounded on each side... (According to data accepted by modern historians, the French losses were 5 thousand people, the Russian losses were about 3 thousand - VC.). Homeless Maloyaroslavets residents after the battle collected and sold five hundred pounds of lead bullets and that winter, according to old-timers, they heated their new homes with gun stocks.”

During the entire battle, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was in the most “hot spots”. When the adjutant told him that he should take care of himself and think about his wife and children, Dokhturov replied: “My wife is an honor, and my children are soldiers. Napoleon wants to break through, but he won’t have time or he’ll walk over my corpse.” Dokhturov kept his word, Napoleon did not pass. There is no consensus in the literature about when Dokhturov uttered the words “My wife is an honor, and my children are soldiers.” For example, the “Russian Biographical Dictionary” (St. Petersburg, 1905) gives these words in a slightly different edition, as spoken by Dokhturov during the withdrawal of troops from encirclement at Austerlitz. Obviously, Dokhturov expressed himself in this way more than once, hence the discrepancies.

Dokhturov wrote to his wife about this glorious day: “I was in this business all day, tired as a dog, but, thank God, completely healthy and unharmed. Ours fought gloriously, we had many wounded and killed, but our villain had incomparably more. (...) I did everything I could; Until reinforcements were sent, it was very difficult for me with my corps alone...”

Kutuzov highly appreciated the battle of Maloyaroslavets: “This day is one of the most famous in this bloody war, for the lost battle of Maloyaroslavets would have entailed the most disastrous consequences and would have opened the way for the enemy through our most grain-producing provinces,” he wrote to the emperor. The French also praised him highly. According to the French historian Segur, the battle of Maloyaroslavets marked the end of the “conquest of the universe.”

For his actions at Maloyaroslavets, Dokhturov was awarded “Knight of the Order of St. George Grand Cross, 2nd class.” Among others, the commander of the 7th division, Lieutenant General P. M. Kaptsevich and Colonel N. V. Vuich, received awards for this battle. Many knives were awarded, and the Sofia Infantry Regiment of the 7th Division received the right to be called the Grenadier Regiment.

The pursuit of Napoleon on the way from Maloyaroslavets to Smolensk was carried out by the vanguard of Miloradovich and Platov. The main forces of the Russian army, consisting of two columns, one of which was commanded by Dokhturov, moved parallel to the Smolensk road.

Napoleon arrived in Smolensk on October 27, but the city had already been plundered by his own troops. There was barely enough food to feed the guards. After staying in Smolensk for four days, Napoleon began a further retreat. A three-day battle took place at Krasny (November 4–6), in which Dokhturov’s 6th Corps also took part. The French were completely defeated. In this battle, more than 6 thousand French were killed and 26 thousand captured. After Maloyaroslavets, Napoleon had more than 90 thousand soldiers and. In the rearguard battles on the way from Maloyaroslavets to Smolensk, the French lost about 30 thousand people. After a three-day battle, Napoleon withdrew less than 30 thousand from Krasny. This was no longer a retreat, but an escape. The day after the Battle of Krasnoye, Dokhturov wrote to his wife with pleasure: “We are pursuing an enemy who runs like a hare. (...) The great Napoleon runs like no one has ever run before. (...) We hope that soon it will be completely exterminated.” There was indeed little time left before complete extermination. Already at the end of November, Kutuzov wrote to Alexander I from Vilna: “The war ended with the complete extermination of the enemy.”

IV

At the end of December 1812, Dokhturov’s corps left Vilna for Merech. On January 1, 1813, Dokhturov led his corps along the frozen Neman. From Merecha, Dokhturov, together with Miloradovich, moved in the direction of Warsaw, where the Saxon, Polish and Austrian corps were stationed. The commander of the Austrian corps, Schwarzenberg, expressed Austria's readiness to enter into a truce with the Russian army. He then withdrew his troops into Galicia without firing a shot. In one of his letters, Dokhturov reported this: “The Austrians are retreating very friendly, without the slightest shot and clearing Warsaw tomorrow, and our troops will immediately enter it.” Rainier and Poniatowski also left Warsaw, which Dokhturov and Miloradovich entered on January 26.

All troops located in the Duchy of Warsaw were placed under the general command of Dokhturov. Of course, he had to deal not only with the army, but also with the affairs of the civilian population. There remains a lot of evidence that Dokhturov was invariably friendly to petitioners, the poor and widows and did not even refuse financial assistance, although he himself was not rich.

The news of Kutuzov's death shocked Dokhturov. He immediately left for Bunzlau. For Dokhturov, Kutuzov was not just a great commander, but also a teacher, comrade-in-arms, and comrade in arms. After Bagration's death, this was Dokhturov's greatest personal loss. He grieved for the commander as a man and as a son of Russia, who understood the great importance of Kutuzov for the salvation of the Fatherland.

Upon returning to Warsaw, Dokhturov continued the formation of the Polish Army, which the Emperor soon assigned Bennigsen to lead.

With this appointment, Alexander I once again showed his disdain for talented Russian commanders. Neither the defeat of the Russians at Friedland, nor Bennigsen’s unauthorized movement of Tuchkov’s 3rd Corps at Borodino, which deprived Kutuzov of the opportunity to strike from the left flank, nor the treacherously incompetent position chosen by Bennigsen for the battle near Moscow - nothing in the eyes of the emperor shook his attitude towards Bennigsen.

Dokhturov learned about Bennigsen’s appointment as commander even before the formation of the Polish army was completed and was pleased with this appointment, which he wrote to his wife in a letter dated June 1, 1813: “I am overly glad that I have this worthy and respectable man as my boss and that I have freed myself from Barclay ..." This attitude of Dokhturov is quite understandable. Dokhturov remembered Bennigsen’s behavior at the council in Fili, when Bennigsen passionately defended the need to defend Moscow, and Barclay, on the contrary, was the first to propose surrendering it. But if Dokhturov himself could not admit the thought of leaving Moscow without a battle as a patriot, then Bennigsen was worried about what they would say about this in Europe and whether the sovereign would like it, which he indicated in the note attached to his letter to Alexander I dated January 19, 1813 of the year.

Dokhturov took command of the new corps. The 6th Corps, which he had nurtured, the regiments of which he personally led into battle even at Krems and Austerlitz, had to part with forever. Dokhturov understood that with the death of Kutuzov, the attitude towards many outstanding Russian military leaders had changed. The Russian army was now led by the emperor and Barclay de Tolly.

Dokhturov's position was difficult. As for Barclay de Tolly, Dokhturov was, to put it mildly, skeptical about his military abilities, considering him “not akin to commanding any unit, much less an army.” And although Dokhturov did not directly talk about this, obviously, such an attitude could not hide from Barclay. The Emperor outwardly showed Dokhturov his complete disposition; at the same time, for example, he did not satisfy Kutuzov’s proposal to award Dokhturov the Order of St. George of the second degree for Borodino. Now Alexander I brought Barclay closer to him, and Dokhturov, of course, could only follow the orders.

The new anti-French coalition was preparing for the battle of Leipzig. Dokhturov's corps fought a fierce battle near Dresden, when the main formations of the Russian army were moving towards Leipzig. Soon Dokhturov received orders to join the entire army. For five days, in pouring rain, Dokhturov's troops marched towards Leipzig, and by the evening of October 5, the corps approached Fuchsgein near Leipzig. The so-called “Battle of the Nations” was being prepared here.

On the morning of October 6, Dokhturov's corps began an attack on the southern outskirts of the city. A particularly fierce battle was with Nansouty’s cavalry and the brigade of the old guard, thrown by Ney against Dokhturov’s divisions. However, the French cavalry was defeated and the guard retreated. By evening, the 3rd Corps reached the outskirts of Leipzig. On the morning of the next day, Allied troops from different directions began to storm the city and by noon simultaneously entered it.

In a letter to his wife, Dokhturov reported that Leipzig residents greeted the liberators, looked out of their windows, shouted “Hurray!”, and threw flowers onto the street. “To the glory of our army,” Dokhturov noted, “not a single inhabitant and not a single house was robbed.” Dokhturov was stingy with words. About the Battle of Leipzig he writes: “I’ll tell you about myself, my friend, my corps fought gloriously and overthrew the enemy everywhere, and my business was very hot.” Behind these lines are the talent of the commander, the iron will of the military leader, and the enormous work of organizing the battle.

The French retreat from Leipzig was so disorderly that Dokhturov compared it with the flight of Napoleon after the defeat at Krasnoye.

For some time, Dokhturov's corps, along with other formations, pursued the French, but then he was ordered to take Magdeburg, in which a strong French garrison was settled.

Dokhturov, sparing his soldiers, did not attempt an assault on the heavily defended walls. He chose the moment when a significant part of the French went out on one of the next forays, and with a sudden blow he cut them off from the fortress. Magdeburg fell.

Then Dokhturov's corps took part in the siege of Hamburg, which lasted several months. The defense of the city was led by Marshal Davout. The resistance was desperate. Army commander Bennigsen suggested that the French surrender, but Davout refused to capitulate even when Napoleon had already abdicated and Paris was taken by the allied forces. Bennigsen himself did not act very decisively. In a letter to his wife, Dokhturov noted that Bennigsen expected to receive a field marshal if Hamburg was captured, but was afraid of decisive action, since if he failed in this matter, the desired title would move even further away from him than it was now. And if, when Bennigsen was appointed, Dokhturov rejoiced at his deliverance from Barclay, now “this worthy and respectable man” appeared before him in a different light. “You cannot imagine, my friend, how this man has changed: he has become the most dexterous and flattering courtier, he does not even dare to write to the Emperor the most necessary things, for fear of upsetting him; and on top of this, he is weak to infinity, controlled by everyone who surrounds him. How does it feel for me to see all this and not be able to fix anything. By his grace, it seems that we are forever assigned to blockade fortresses...” Dokhturov wrote to his wife.

It is not Bennigsen who has changed. It’s just that Dokhturov finally saw the real Bennigsen. And not only him. Seeing intrigues, lies, and concern for self-interest among many high ranks around him, Dokhturov was afraid “to lose his reputation with such bosses.” The idea of ​​leaving the service after the end of the war finally matured in him.

Hamburg capitulated only on May 19, 1814. This was the last military operation in which Dokhturov took part. At the end of it, Dokhturov took a year off to improve his health, but the vacation had to be interrupted due to the fact that Napoleon, who had fled from Elba, came to power again. The Russian army was moving towards the Rhine, but already during the campaign it became known about the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo.

On August 26 and 29, 1815, Alexander I held reviews of the Russian army to demonstrate his power to his allies.

For more than a month, tired troops were engaged in drill training. Special “exercise masters” arrived from St. Petersburg. The heroes of 1812 experienced humiliation. All this made a depressing impression on Dokhturov and many military generals, who felt that they were useless. This whole parade vividly recalled the recent times of Pavlov.

In this atmosphere, Dokhturov, accustomed to honest service to the Fatherland, considered it best to submit his resignation, citing illness. The Emperor granted the request without regret, and on January 1, 1816, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was dismissed.

But Dokhturov’s health was indeed greatly undermined. Wounds and concussions, as well as many years of hard military work, took their toll, and even from a young age he was not in good health. Dokhturov lived out the rest of his days in Moscow, in his house on Prechistenka.

Shortly before his death, comrades from the 6th Corps, among whom were Kaptsevich and Vuich, came to Dokhturov. They presented their commander with a specially made precious snuffbox depicting the Battle of Maloyaroslavl. The welcoming address, which was read by P. M. Kaptsevich, said: “Years and centuries will pass, but the brilliant name of Dokhturov, precious to Russia and its heart, will not fade until the memories of Borodin and Maly Yaroslavets are erased from the memory of the Russians.”

A few days later, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov died. He was buried in the Davydovsky monastery of the Serpukhov district (now the village of Novy Byt, Serpukhov district, Moscow region).

Victor Krechetov

Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov

...And Dokhturov, the storm of enemies,

A reliable leader to victory!

V. A. Zhukovsky

Little is known about the childhood years of the outstanding Russian commander, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was born on September 1, 1759 in the family of Sergei Petrovich Dokhturov, captain of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment. His family was ancient, known in history since the 16th century, but very poor. The Dokhturovs were ordinary middle-class small-scale nobles.

Military traditions were honored in the family. Dmitry's father and grandfather were officers of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, the oldest regiment of the Russian Guard, formed by Peter I in 1687 in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Dmitry Dokhturov spent his childhood on his mother’s estate in the village of Krutoy, Kashira district, Tula province. It was an even, measured life, normal for a very ordinary manor’s estate, not marked by anything particularly remarkable.

Dmitry’s most vivid impressions came from communicating with peasants and yard children. He subtly noticed the peculiarities of the Russian character, the kindness and cordiality of ordinary people. And perhaps it is precisely from these childhood impressions that the constant concern for the Russian soldier that he always showed after becoming a military leader comes from.

Dmitry's parents, however, despite their very modest incomes, sought to give their children a good education at home. Particular attention was paid to the study of foreign languages. At the age of eleven, Dmitry Dokhturov easily spoke French and German, and even Italian, which was not so popular at that time.

The arrangement of Dmitry's future was the main concern of his parents. The financial condition of the family did not allow one to count on an easy and brilliant career. There could only be hope for military service. In addition, from an early age the future commander showed interest in his father’s war stories. In January 1771, Sergei Petrovich took his son to St. Petersburg, where the old Preobrazhensky had to use his connections. He turned to influential colleagues in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and the boy was introduced to Catherine II.

On February 1, 1771, Dmitry was admitted to the Corps of Pages. Pupils of the Corps of Pages studied French and German, geometry, geography, fortification and history, and also learned the art of dancing, drawing, fencing and horse riding.

Unlike many, Dmitry Dokhturov could only rely on himself in everything, so he was distinguished by his diligence and diligence. In 1777 he became a chamber page, and in the spring of 1781 he left the Corps of Pages with the rank of lieutenant of the guard.

Service in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment, where Dokhturov was assigned upon graduation, began quite happily. Back in 1774, Catherine II appointed Adjutant General G. A. Potemkin with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the Guard as commander of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Potemkin quickly discerned Dokhturov’s military abilities and appreciated his knowledge and diligence. Dokhturov was promoted to captain and soon began to command a company.

G. A. Potemkin was not only a courtier, but also a prominent military leader. He did not like empty parades and paid considerable attention to the training of troops, which he tried to build in accordance with the requirements of the Rumyantsev-Suvorov military school. He changed the clothes of the troops. At his suggestion, their braids were cut and the soldiers stopped powdering themselves. In a special memo, Potemkin wrote: “Curling, powdering, braiding hair - is this a soldier’s job? They don't have valets. Why farts? Everyone must agree that it is healthier to wash and comb your hair than to burden it with powder, lard, flour, hairpins, and braids. A soldier’s toilet should be such that it’s up and ready.” In addition to limiting punishments for soldiers, prohibiting the use of soldiers for private work of commanders and other minor innovations, Potemkin also made military reforms. He increased the cavalry by 18 percent, forming 10 squadron dragoons and 6 squadron hussars. To strengthen the infantry, he increased the number of grenadiers, formed four-battalion musketeer regiments, and organized jäger battalions. He also introduced the Jaeger battalion into the Preobrazhensky Regiment. It included selected soldiers and the best officers. Among others, Dokhturov was awarded this honor. In 1784, he was appointed commander of a Jaeger company.

Most of the Preobrazhentsy's time was spent in garrison service - guarding the royal court, maintaining city and regimental guards, participating in parades and ceremonies. In addition to direct official duties, guard officers were required to be “indispensable participants in all palace balls, masquerades, kurtags and assemblies, as well as operas that were given in the Highest presence, in a house specially built for this purpose on the Nevsky prospect.” During the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, such holidays occurred almost every day. The historian of the Preobrazhensky Regiment writes about the life of guard officers in somewhat condensed colors: “As for the life of guard officers in St. Petersburg in the age of Catherine, the whole society, in the last years of her reign, was drowning in luxury, and the former cheapness was completely forgotten. Traders and shopkeepers did not know the limits of the prices they set for customers, seeing changes in fashions and styles almost monthly. By this time, from any decent person, and especially from a guard officer, what was required, first of all, was “an elegant appearance and clothes with a hairstyle,” so that the poorest of the Preobrazhents considered it his absolute duty to order several uniforms a year, costing him at least 120 rubles each . Unfortunately, during this period we have to note a certain decline in discipline and laxity in the performance of official duties. Given the complete indifference to such a sad state on the part of the authorities, it is not surprising that this debauchery increased every day. It got to the point that guard officers could often be seen on the street, freely walking around at home, that is, in dressing gowns, and their wives put on a uniform and performed the duties of a husband. The revelry and debauchery of the guards youth began to take on colossal proportions. There was no end to the stories about broken windows, about merchants scared half to death by the guards, etc.”

Dmitry Dokhturov was not satisfied with such service; he longed for real work, worthy of a Russian officer. Thus passed several years of service, which did not bring Dokhturov either rank or fame.

In June 1788, the Swedes began military operations against Russia. However, the Swedish offensive was suspended, and only in the summer of 1789 the Russian army itself intensified its actions. A war at sea was imminent.

Captain Dokhturov, at the head of a company, arrived in Kronstadt in May 1789, where a rowing flotilla of rangers from the guards regiments was being formed. Here, until July, the guards were trained in naval combat. In July, 18 galleys of the rowing flotilla, together with the Baltic Fleet, came out to meet the Swedes.

The Swedes did not want to fight on the open sea and stood in the Rochensalm roadstead. However, this did not stop the Russian squadron, and on August 13, 1789, a fierce battle took place, which lasted 14 hours. The guards showed an example of high courage and bravery. To block the entry of the Russian fleet, the Swedes sank several of their ships. For four hours, under fire from a Swedish frigate and Swedish coastal batteries, the Guard used boats to cut a passage for their ships using axes and hooks. The galleys also followed the small ships. Hand-to-hand combat ensued.

The commander of the Russian squadron, Prince Nassau-Siegen, wrote in a report to the empress: “We could not have achieved such a complete victory over them if we had not managed to open a passage that was captured by the gunboats armed with the Life Guards. The commander of the galley fleet cannot sufficiently praise this corps in general; but those who were on the kaikas and gunboats, according to him, exceed everything that he can say to praise them ... "

Captain Dokhturov also distinguished himself in this battle. The soldiers were amazed at the courage of their seemingly plain-looking, average-sized, always calm commander. But his swiftness and composure during boarding battles were worthy of a seasoned soldier. In the heat of battle, he did not even pay attention to his shoulder wound and participated in the battle to the end. Dokhturov’s actions did not go unnoticed. His reward was a golden sword with the inscription “For bravery,” which, besides him, was awarded to only one officer for this battle, captain Stepan Mitusov.

Dokhturov also distinguished himself in the Swedish campaign of the following 1790 during the landing on the island of Gerland, where he commanded three hundred Preobrazhensky soldiers.

The Swedish fleet, having suffered a series of defeats, retreated to the Vyborg Bay, where it was pinned down by Russian ships.

On June 21, Gustav III tried to escape the trap into which he had led his fleet. The battle lasted two days, and success fluctuated first in one direction and then in the other. This is where the evasive light vessels of the rowing flotilla of the guards were needed. They managed to enter from the rear and ensured the victory of the Russian fleet.

After the end of the Swedish campaign, the guard returned to St. Petersburg, and for Dmitry Dokhturov, ordinary garrison service and the life of a guard officer began again. Such service did not satisfy Dokhturov, who dreamed not of court and high society balls, but only of the benefit of the Fatherland. Dokhturov decides to transfer to serve in the field army. His request was granted, and Dokhturov, with the rank of colonel, became commander of the Yelets musketeer regiment. Later, Dokhturov will say: “I have never been a courtier, I have not sought favors in the main apartments or from the courtiers - I value the love of the troops, which are priceless to me.”

By 1805, when Russia found itself in a state of war with Napoleon, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was with the rank of lieutenant general and headed the Moscow Musketeer Regiment, which, as part of the Podolsk Army, was to set out on the Austrian Campaign.

The Russian army at this time was in many ways inferior to Napoleon's army. Of course, there were talented generals, such as Suvorov’s heroes Bagration and Miloradovich, and there were also many soldiers who participated in Suvorov’s Italian and Swiss campaigns. However, Pavlov's innovations caused lasting damage to the army. The training of the army was based on the “Military Regulations on Field Infantry Service” approved by Paul (1796), in which the main attention was paid to drill training, and the main form of combat was stated to be outdated by that time and refuted by the military practice of Rumyantsev and especially Suvorov. tactics. After ascending the throne, Alexander I made some minor changes in the army, but in general the decrees of Paul I remained almost untouched.

In the Podolsk army with a total strength of 50 thousand people there were many experienced soldiers who fought in Suvorov’s troops, but the army’s weapons needed updating. Leading generals came to the conclusion that it was necessary to introduce new battle tactics in the army, taking into account the experience of Suvorov’s campaigns and battles. But there was no time to retrain the soldiers and rebuild the army, and everything was done in a hurry, during the campaign.

The army left Radziwillow, where it was formed, on August 13, 1805, and on September 9 it was led by M. I. Kutuzov. The march to Austria was carried out in two parts. The infantry was ahead, consisting of five detachments, commanded by Major General P. I. Bagration, Major General M. A. Miloradovich, Lieutenant General D. S. Dokhturov, Major General S. Ya. Repninsky and Lieutenant General L. F. Maltits. The infantry was followed by cavalry and artillery.

The hike took place in the most difficult conditions. The roads were washed away by the autumn rains. It was necessary to make daytime stops to give the troops a rest and at least somehow put their clothes and shoes in order. The soldiers cooked their food over fires.

Dokhturov, like other generals, had to devote a lot of time to providing food for his troops, since the army was poorly supplied with provisions. But Dokhturov directed the main forces to train soldiers in loose formation, shooting, and hand-to-hand combat. In this, he received considerable assistance not only from experienced officers, but also from Suvorov veterans who trained newcomers. These lessons will not be in vain, for which the soldiers will subsequently be especially grateful to their commander.

Russian troops were marching to join the allied Austrian army of 46,000 under the command of General Mack. But by the time Kutuzov was already nearby, Makk's troops surrendered without a fight. This happened on October 7, 1805 near the town of Ulm. On the same day, Kutuzov approved the plan for a possible general battle, which he had outlined several days earlier. Already here Kutuzov showed great confidence in Dokhturov. He prescribed: “During the case against the enemy, if all the infantry acts together, then senior lieutenant general Dokhturov will command both flanks.” However, Kutuzov managed to avoid a general battle with many times superior French forces. A systematic retreat began from Braunau to Krems, which lasted about a month. The soldiers were hungry and naked. But no one expected help from the allied army. “We walk at night, we have turned black... officers and soldiers barefoot, without bread. What a misfortune to be in an alliance with such scoundrels, but what to do!..” Dokhturov was indignant in a letter to his wife.

The retreat was carried out along the right bank of the Danube, along a coastal strip 200–300 meters wide, framed on the left by the Danube and on the right by wooded mountains. The rearguard was commanded by Bagration and so successfully that the French were never able to inflict any significant damage on our army.

Napoleon sent Mortier's corps ahead to enter Krems before the Russians and block their path across the Danube. Having learned about the movement of Mortier's corps towards Krems, Kutuzov accelerated the pace, and Russian troops crossed the bridge when Mortier had just approached Krems.

Kutuzov saw that Mortier's corps was in a very disadvantageous position. He sent Dokhturov with his divisions to the rear and flank of Mortier's corps, and Miloradovich was supposed to launch a blow from the front. Dokhturov led his troops through a steep wooded slope, left the brigade of Major General A.P. Urusov in the mountains so that he would block Mortier’s retreat through the mountains, and he himself with the remaining regiments went to the rear of the French. The 6th Jaeger Regiment rushed into a bayonet attack, the French could not stand it and retreated to the village of Loim, where they took up a convenient position. Then Mortier launched a cavalry counterattack against Dokhturov and managed to stop the offensive.

Dokhturov sent the brigade of Major General K. K. Ulanius to bypass the enemy and attack him from the flank at the time when the Moscow regiment began to advance from the front. It was already dark Dokhturov himself led the Moscow regiment into the attack. Ulanius struck at the rear and flank at the same time. Panic arose among the French troops. Some units tried to escape through the mountains, but here Major General Urusov blocked their path. Miloradovich's regiments completed the operation. Marshal Mortier himself barely managed to be one of the few to cross the Danube.

Dokhturov reported on this battle to Kutuzov: “All three battalions of the Moscow Musketeer Regiment, which made up the first line, marched forward with their chests, carrying out my orders to the fullest accuracy... The enemy was overturned by the fearless advance of the line, and two of his cannons were overturned by the grenadier battalion of the Moscow Musketeer Regiment under the command of Major Shamshev taken..." According to Dokhturov, "up to two thousand staff and chief officers and lower ranks were taken." In addition, two French banners were captured. In this battle, Dokhturov managed to show himself not only as an executor of the commander’s will and a fearless warrior, but also as a perspicacious military leader who knew how to think strategically.

Here Napoleon realized that although he had a small army in front of him, it consisted of courageous and fearless soldiers, commanded by talented commanders. Despite Napoleon's efforts to force a general battle on the Russians, Kutuzov still managed to unite with Buxhoeveden's corps and change the balance of forces in his favor.

By this time, Alexander I and the Austrian Emperor Franz had arrived in the army. Alexander I thirsted for the glory of conquering Napoleon, and the allied forces, starting on November 15, began to look for battle. Napoleon withdrew his troops, looking for a position convenient for battle. This position soon became the field of Austerlitz.

On November 19, late at night, a hasty military council of the allied forces took place in Krizhanowice, at which the Austrian Colonel Weyrother familiarized the military leaders with the disposition of the battle. The plan was ineffective in every way. However, it was pointless to discuss the plan adopted by both emperors. Kutuzov was only formally listed as commander-in-chief, but in fact, Alexander I took over the leadership of the battle. One of the most bitter pages in the history of the Russian army was approaching. According to the plan, the battle was to begin with the left flank in order to break through and enter the enemy’s rear from the right flank.

On November 20, 1805, at 7 o’clock in the morning, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was the first to lead his column on the offensive. Kutuzov wrote about how it developed in a report to Alexander I: “...The first column, having descended from the mountain and passed the village of Augest at about 8 o'clock in the morning, after a stubborn battle forced the enemy to retreat to the village of Telnits... The first column captured the village of Telnits and the defiles... The retreating The enemy troops, having formed up again and received reinforcements, again rushed towards the first column, but were completely overturned, so that this column, observing in everything the disposition given to it, did not cease to pursue the enemy, who had been defeated three times.”

Dokhturov occupied the village of Sokolnitsy and could have continued the offensive, but according to the plan it was necessary to wait for the front to level off. Further events, due to the fault of Alexander I, developed in such a way that Napoleon broke through the center of the allied forces and began to successfully advance in the direction of the village of Augest. True, even before the French completely broke through the center of the Allied forces, there was an opportunity to somehow change the course of events. To do this, Buxhoeveden needed to turn his columns in time to the flank of Soult’s troops, but Buxhoeveden did not heed either Dokhturov’s advice, or even the order to withdraw the troops back given by Kutuzov. Instead, he blindly followed the original disposition and meter by meter led the troops into encirclement. When the French rushed to the rear of the left flank, Buxhoeveden, seeing the complete hopelessness of the situation, abandoned his troops and shamefully fled from the battlefield. The troops of the left flank were led out of encirclement by Dokhturov.

Dokhturov allocated three regiments against Davout’s corps, and with the rest moved to break through. It was possible to escape only through a narrow dam, which was in the hands of the French. Drawing a golden sword with the inscription “For bravery,” Dokhturov shouted: “Guys, here is Mother Catherine’s sword! Behind me!" This was a call to veterans who remembered the victories of the Russian army under Catherine II, it was a reminder of Suvorov’s campaigns. As at Krems, Dokhturov himself led the Moscow regiment into the attack. The French were crushed, a gap formed in their troops, into which Dokhturov’s regiments rushed. But the troops passed through the dam under French artillery fire, and the losses were significant. The shelves put up for cover were almost completely destroyed. 6,359 people died in Dokhturov’s column, that is, more than half of the entire composition. The total losses of the allied forces in the Battle of Austerlitz were 27 thousand people, of which 21 thousand were Russians. Napoleon lost only 12 thousand.

When the next day Dokhturov’s column caught up with the Russian army, it was already considered dead. The repeated “Hurray!”, which spontaneously swept through the army, was the best praise for the courage of the soldiers and the leadership talent of Dokhturov. The name of Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov passed from mouth to mouth. The commander's talent and courage became known not only to Russia, but also to Europe. After Austerlitz, Kutuzov notes Dokhturov as “one of the most excellent generals, especially deserving of the love and respect of the army.” Dokhturov himself wrote to his wife that he “earned something truly very precious in this campaign - the reputation of an honest man.” Contemporaries invariably noted modesty among the qualities of his character, and in this self-esteem it manifests itself in abundance. Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov believed that honest service to the Fatherland naturally presupposes courage and dedication, and that the main concern of a military leader is his armies. So he did, not thinking of the possibility of doing anything else. After the Austrian campaign of 1805, D.S. Dokhturov stood on a par with such military leaders as Bagration and Miloradovich.

However, talented Russian commanders were not particularly honored by the emperor. Kutuzov was sent as the military governor of Kyiv. In 1806, when Russia was supposed to help Prussia in its fight against Napoleon, the Russian army again needed a commander in chief. The tsar did not want to hear about Kutuzov, shifting the shame of Austerlitz onto him. The names of Tatishchev, Knorring, the French General Moreau, who lived in exile in America, and a number of other minor figures began to appear as candidates. Foreigners especially attracted the attention of Alexander, and just as he entrusted the fate of the Russian army at Austerlitz to a mediocre Austrian colonel, so now he was ready to entrust it to some Moreau. Finally, the choice fell on the elderly Catherine General Count M.F. Kamensky, who lived out his life on his estate in the Oryol province.

Field Marshal Kamensky received unlimited powers and went to the army. The Russian army was supposed to unite with the Prussian army, but this did not happen. Even before they united, Napoleon defeated the Prussians near Jena and Auerstedt, occupied Berlin, and soon his troops were already in Poland.

Lieutenant General Dokhturov's division was located near the village of Golymin, 80 kilometers north of Warsaw, when Dokhturov received two packages with instructions. In one, Kamensky reported that he, the commander-in-chief, had transferred his powers to Buxhoeveden, indicating at the same time that instead of the battle of Pułtusk, as previously planned, it was necessary to withdraw troops to the Russian border. Another package was from the commander of the first corps, Bennigsen, who invited Dokhturov to join him and give Napoleon a general battle. Centralized command of the troops was virtually lost. To enter under the leadership of Buxhoeveden was obvious absurdity.

Dokhturov understood that the elderly Field Marshal Kamensky was unsuitable for the role of commander-in-chief, but the appointment of Buxhoeveden, who shamefully abandoned his soldiers in the swamps of Austerlitz, as commander-in-chief, outraged him to the core. Bennigsen invited Buxhoeveden and Essen I, who commanded the corps, to take part in the general battle, but did not find support from them.

Meanwhile, Napoleon mistook the disorderly and devoid of any logic movements of the Russian troops, which stemmed from Kamensky’s contradictory and sometimes mutually canceling orders, for some special trick that he was unable to understand. Deciding that the main Russian forces were in the area of ​​​​the village of Golymin, Napoleon moved his main formations there. Here, in fact, were Dokhturov’s division, a division under the command of D. B. Golitsyn, and several cavalry regiments.

On December 14, 1806, they had to withstand the onslaught of the corps of Augereau, Davout, Soult, as well as the guard and cavalry. However, the French achieved nothing. The divisions of Dokhturov and Golitsyn formed into a battalion-by-battalion square and met the cavalry with bayonets. Long flintlock rifles (183 cm with bayonet) made Russian infantry invulnerable. Seeing the failures of his cavalry, Napoleon sends infantry into a bayonet attack. As S. G. Volkonsky testifies in “Notes of the Decembrist,” Dokhturov’s grenadiers were offended: “These runts are unworthy of our bayonets!” - they exclaimed and met the French with rifle butts.

However, in the evening Dokhturov and Golitsyn were forced to retreat. During the retreat, they had to fight at night in a street battle, but Dokhturov and Golitsyn still managed to maintain their battle formation. All this day, troops under the command of Bennigsen also held back the attacks of Marshal Lannes' corps. In fact, five Russian divisions held the entire French army for a whole day.

In January 1807, fighting began again. By January 27, the Russian army occupied a position stretching about 3.5 kilometers along the front northeast of Preussisch-Eylau. Dokhturov's division was located in the center opposite Augereau's corps and Murat's cavalry. On January 27, the French launched a series of attacks, in one of which Dokhturov was wounded in the leg by a cannonball fragment. The Russians successfully repelled the attacks of the French, but were unable to consolidate their success, since the army did not have a reserve, which should have been provided by the army commander Bennigsen. As a result, the battle, which lasted more than 12 hours, came to nothing. On the French side, the losses were 30 thousand killed and wounded, on ours - 26 thousand people. At this point hostilities ceased, and for three months both armies prepared for future battles.

In May 1807, the fighting of the opposing armies intensified. Napoleon had up to 200 thousand people, the Russian army under the command of Bennigsen had about 105 thousand. Bennigsen decided to defeat Ney's corps, which had moved forward to the Gutstadt area.

On May 23, Dokhturov's divisions launched an offensive. On May 24, Dokhturov captured the Lomiten crossing and cut off Ney. Bagration successfully attacked from the front, but many Russian units were late for the battle, and it was not possible to fully implement the plan to defeat Ney. Napoleon connected the main forces, and the Russian troops retreated to Heilsberg, where on May 29 they stood against an enemy twice their size for the whole day.

At Heilsberg, Dokhturov received a fourth wound, but, as always, did not leave the battle.

On June 2, 1807, at Friedland, the French managed to force a battle in a position unfavorable for the Russian army. They managed to break Bagration's defenses and pressed the center and right flank of the Russian troops to the river. Lannes and Mortier's corps acted against Dokhturov's two divisions, which occupied the center of Russian positions. It was possible to save the divisions only by urgently organizing a crossing. But there was not a single bridge here. It was necessary to look for a ford in order to ensure the withdrawal of troops through it as quickly as possible, since they would inevitably have to cross under the fire of French artillery. How important it was to find a good ford is proven by the fact that Dokhturov himself went to look for it. He crossed the Alla River on horseback four times until he found a suitable ford. The troops, one might say, crossed safely, but Dmitry Sergeevich himself was one of the last to leave the shore, despite the persuasion of the officers not to put himself at risk.

In this battle, the Russians lost 15 thousand people. This major defeat of the Russian army was at the same time the only one in 1806–1807, which occurred largely through the fault of the army commander. The defeat made such a strong impression that Alexander I considered it best to enter into negotiations with Napoleon, and on June 27, 1807, the Peace of Tilsit was signed.

For the withdrawal of Russian troops at Friedland, Dokhturov was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

The actions of Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov could serve as a worthy example to any general. It seems that there was no battle in which Dokhturov did not prove himself an experienced and courageous military leader, and in a number of them he provided invaluable benefits to the Russian army. Dokhturov's exploits were awarded. He received orders for Krems, Austerlitz, Golymin, Friedland. For the battle of Preussisch-Eylau he was awarded a sword with diamonds.

But the fate of Dokhturov as a commander took shape in some special way. There are commanders who distinguished themselves in brilliant victories, in daring marches, in victorious battles. Dokhturov showed himself most clearly where the Russian army was in a difficult situation, sometimes on the verge of extermination, as was the case under Austerlitz and Friedland. Saving armies, however, is worth any victory. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of Dokhturov’s activities for the Austrian campaign and for the French campaign of 1806–1807.

Unfortunately, not all of his contemporaries were able to appreciate the merits of Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov. Thus, A.P. Ermolov, comparing Dokhturov with Bagration, notes: “The coldness and indifference to danger characteristic of this general did not, however, replace Bagration. It was not so often that Dokhturov led his troops to victories, it was not in those wars that surprised the universe with the glory of our weapons that he became famous, it was not on the fields of Italy, not under the banners of the immortal Suvorov that he established himself in martial virtues.” The wars were, of course, not the same, and the glory was not the same, but probably only the armies he saved could weigh his merits. Bagration himself, the complete opposite of Dokhturov in character, however, appreciated the military leadership talent of Dmitry Sergeevich and loved him as a person. The friendship between Bagration and Dokhturov surprised many contemporaries and comrades of the commanders.

Soon after the end of the war with Napoleon, Dokhturov received a long sick leave, due to which he did not have to participate in the Russian-Swedish war of 1808–1809. Dmitry Sergeevich spent more than a year in Moscow with his family, enjoying a quiet family life. Sometimes his comrades visited him, a relative, General A.F. Shcherbatov, visited him, and P.I. Bagration also visited. Having recovered his health, Dokhturov began to think about returning to the army.

In the summer of 1809, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov took command of the 6th Corps.

At this time, the Russian army was being reorganized, and rearmament was partially taking place. Dokhturov threw himself headlong into this work. The following year, 1810, Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov was awarded the rank of infantry general.

From the very beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Dokhturov’s corps, which occupied the left wing of the 1st Army, stood a hundred miles south of Vilna and was actually cut off from the main forces of the army. Army commander Barclay de Tolly ordered the corps to be withdrawn to the Drissa camp, where it was planned to fight a general battle. It was necessary to cover a distance of 500 kilometers in difficult conditions. Dokhturov's corps had a hard time - Nansouty's cavalry corps rushed to its rear. To break away from him, Dokhturov’s regiments, despite the impassability and incessant rain, made 50 kilometers a day. The position of Dokhturov's corps was such that it could well have been destroyed, and Napoleon knew this well. It seems that here for the first time Napoleon tried to explain his failures by the Russian climate. An official report published to Europe at the time gave this description: “For thirty-six hours it rained in torrential rain; the excessive heat turned into piercing cold; from this sudden change several thousand horses died and many cannons got stuck in the mud. This terrible storm, which tired out the men and horses, saved Dokhturov’s corps, which alternately encountered the columns of Bordesoul, Soult, Pajol and Nansouty.”

On June 29, Dokhturov’s corps linked up with Barclay’s army. Dokhturov found the positions of the camp to be very unfortunate. He considered it necessary to leave the camp and move to join Bagration’s army. At the military council, opinions were divided: the emperor adhered to Fuhl's plan, according to which a general battle had to be fought here. However, experienced military leaders did not support the emperor’s opinion, and Alexander considered it best to leave the army.

On July 22, the armies of Barclay and Bagration united near Smolensk. At the military council convened by Barclay, it was discovered that the leaders of both armies had differing opinions about further actions. Bagration, Ermolov, Dokhturov and other generals believed that it was possible to take advantage of the scattered nature of Napoleon’s troops and give battle to individual corps of his army. To concentrate troops, Napoleon needed at least three to four days. But Barclay de Tolly did not show decisiveness, and time was lost.

The military council spoke in favor of an offensive, and Barclay was forced to concede. However, he did not dare to give a general battle and only pushed Platov’s detachment and Neverovsky’s division forward. Two days later, Napoleon concentrated up to 180 thousand people near Smolensk and decided to bypass the Russian army from the rear, so that the Russians would be forced to accept a general battle. However, during a roundabout march, the French came across Neverovsky’s detachment at Krasnoye, which held the French army for a whole day, giving Barclay the opportunity to pull all his forces to Smolensk. Barclay gave the order to retreat along the Moscow road. The battle near Smolensk was fought by Napoleon's 7th Corps of Raevsky and the 27th Division of Neverovsky. They held Napoleon back all day on the fourth of August. Barclay decided to appoint Dokhturov's corps for the defense of Smolensk. Dokhturov was ill, and Barclay sent to ask Dokhturov whether he was able to act in the defense of Smolensk. To this Dmitry Sergeevich replied: “It is better to die on the field of honor than on the bed.” On August 5, Dokhturov's 6th Infantry Corps and Konovnitsyn's 3rd Infantry Division replaced Raevsky's corps and Neverovsky's division.

The resistance shown by Dokhturov was unprecedented; all French attacks were repulsed. Smolensk was burning, there were ruins everywhere, but the city’s defenders did not think of giving up. Only when it became known that Barclay’s army was out of harm’s way, Dokhturov left Smolensk and retreated to the east, destroying the bridge across the Dnieper behind him.

In the Russian army, the question of a single commander-in-chief arose. Barclay de Tolly, although he was Minister of War, commanded only the 1st Western Army. The disagreements that arose with Bagration exacerbated the general dissatisfaction with Barclay’s actions in the army. The majority of patriotic Russian generals wanted to see a commander-in-chief of Russian origin, who would fight not only as a professional, but also as a patriot. Weyrother's mediocre plan, which resulted in the Austerlitz disaster, the flight of Buxhoeveden, and the defeat at Friedland under the command of Bennigsen were still fresh in memory. True, Barclay de Tolly himself was not a mercenary, he began his service from the lower ranks, and was born in Russia. But nevertheless, Barclay’s entourage somehow turned out to be too many foreigners, so that the thought of treason involuntarily arose in the army. Indignant at Barclay’s actions, Bagration wrote to the Tsar that “the entire main apartment is filled with Germans so that it is impossible for a Russian to live and there is no point.”

On August 5, the day when Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov led the defense of Smolensk, the Emergency Committee met in St. Petersburg to discuss the candidacy of the commander-in-chief.

Kutuzov, appointed commander-in-chief, arrived to the troops on August 21, and immediately gave the order to concentrate in the area of ​​​​the village of Borodino.

According to the disposition, the 6th Infantry Corps of Dokhturov and the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Corps of Kreutz formed the center of the Russian troops. Moreover, one of the two advanced detachments of the center was commanded by the legendary N.V. Vuich, Suvorov’s favorite, hero of Izmail, Preussisch-Eylau and Friedland, and later of Borodin, Maloyaroslavets and Leipzig. Overall command of the right flank and center was exercised by Barclay de Tolly, the left flank was under the command of Bagration.

Bagration's severe wound and the impossibility of his further participation in the battle was a significant loss for the army. Konovnitsyn took over temporary command of the left wing. He managed to organize a defense and delay the French advance at the Semenovsky ravine. However, there were not enough forces for counterattacks, and Konovnitsyn withdrew his troops behind the Semenovsky ravine.

Kutuzov sends the Prince of Württemberg to the left flank, but immediately sends an order to the infantry general D.S. Dokhturov: “Although the Prince of Württemberg went to the left flank, despite the fact that you have command of the entire left wing of our army, and the Prince of Württemberg is subordinate to you. I recommend that you hold out until I receive a command to retreat.”

The French carried out the first attack on the village of Semenovskaya with the forces of Ney’s corps and Friant’s division. But Russian artillery stopped the French. At this time D.S. Dokhturov arrived. In his notes, Fyodor Glinka, a participant in the Battle of Borodino, wrote: “Dokhturov, courageously repelling the dangers and encouraging his soldiers with his example, said: “Moscow is behind us!” Everyone should die, but not a step back!“ Death, which met him at almost every step, increased his zeal. Under him, two horses were killed and one was wounded..."

Kutuzov was not mistaken in appointing Dokhturov to command the left flank, and no matter how hot it was here, the French were unable to break through it. This is a considerable merit of Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov, who over many years of service has become accustomed to being in the most difficult areas. It must be said that the Dokhturov school was not in vain for his corps. Under Borodin, many officers and privates of his divisions distinguished themselves. The commander of the 24th Infantry Division, Pyotr Gavrilovich Likhachev, who defended the Raevsky battery after I.F. Paskevich, became especially famous. Dokhturov knew this general well from his participation in the battles of Rochensalm and Vyborg. “Taking advantage of the fact that the 11th and 23rd infantry divisions were busy repelling cavalry attacks,” writes historian of the Patriotic War of 1812 L. G. Beskrovny, “the French infantry rushed to the battery. The enemy forces were four times greater than those of the 24th Infantry Division defending the battery. The Russians heroically repelled all attacks, but they were overwhelmed by the number of attackers. When almost all the defenders of the battery had already fallen, the division commander, old General Likhachev, wounded, rushed at the French with a sword in his hands. The French captured Likhachev, who was stabbed with bayonets. The battery was captured. Many of its defenders died the death of heroes. The remnants of the 24th division and other infantry units withdrew at about 16 o'clock under the protection of the fire of a battery located at a distance at a height."

In the report presented to Kutuzov, Dokhturov wrote: “I make it my duty to convey that, having arrived at it (Bagration’s army. - VC.), found the heights and redoubts previously occupied by our troops, taken by the enemy, as well as the ditch that separated us from it. Having made it my most important goal to remain in the present position, I made the necessary orders in this case, ordering the detachment commanders to take all measures to reflect the enemy’s desire and not to give up any real places. Everyone did this with excellent prudence, and although the enemy, who had decided to overthrow our left flank, attacked with all his might under terrible artillery fire. But these attempts were completely destroyed by the measures taken and the unparalleled courage of our troops. The guards regiments - Lithuanian, Izmailovskaya and Finland - throughout the battle showed worthy Russian courage and were the first who, with their extraordinary courage, restrained the enemy’s desire, hitting him everywhere with bayonets. The other guards regiments - Preobrazhenskaya and Semenovskaya - also contributed to repelling the enemy with fearlessness. In general, all the troops that day fought with their usual desperate bravery, so that from the time I took command until nightfall, which stopped the battle, all points were almost held, except for some places that were ceded due to the need to withdraw the troops from the terrible grapeshot fire, great damage the one who caused it. But this retreat was a very short distance with due order and with the infliction of damage to the enemy in this case ... "

Late in the evening, Dokhturov arrived at Kutuzov and said: “I saw with my own eyes the retreat of the enemy and I consider the Battle of Borodino completely won.” Victory was certain, especially in strategic terms. However, the losses in the army were great, and, wanting to preserve the army, on August 27, Kutuzov gave the order to move the troops six miles back to Mozhaisk. When the army retreated, Dokhturov led a column consisting of the 2nd Army, as well as the 4th and 6th Corps of the 1st Army.

On September 1st at 5 pm a military council was held in Fili. By this time, a rather unfavorable situation had created for the Russian army. Already on August 30, the French moved in the direction of Ruza and further to Zvenigorod. News was received of a flanking bypass of Moscow by Poniatowski's corps from the south, along the Borovskaya road. The reinforcements that Kutuzov expected to receive from Moscow Governor Rostopchin did not arrive. In addition, Barclay de Tolly and Ermolov, who examined the position chosen by Bennigsen for the battle near Moscow, found it completely unsuitable.

At the council, opinions were divided. Barclay de Tolly proposed to retreat through Moscow to the Vladimir road. Osterman, Raevsky, as well as Colonel Tol spoke in favor of surrendering Moscow without a battle. Bennigsen insisted on fighting, considering the position he had chosen to be impregnable. Konovnitsy, Platov, Uvarov and Ermolov spoke out in favor of battle, but at the same time recognized Bennigsen’s position as unsuitable. It was possible to attack the French on the march, but in this case it was difficult to predict the outcome of events. Dokhturov saw that the position chosen by Bennigsen was very reminiscent of the one that was under Friedland, when, through Bennigsen’s fault, the Russian army was defeated. But as a patriot, for whom the name of Moscow was sacred, Dokhturov could not imagine that the capital could be surrendered without a fight. Dokhturov spoke out in favor of battle.

In his memoirs about the military council in Fili, Ermolov wrote: “General Dokhturov said that it would be good to go towards the enemy, but that in the Battle of Borodino we lost many honest commanders, and placing the attack on the officials who took their places, little known, one cannot be completely sure in success."

The decision made by Kutuzov was unexpected for Dokhturov, and he chewed hard on the upcoming retreat. Bennigsen, in a note he compiled for the emperor, indicates that during the discussion Dokhturov made him “a sign with his hand that his hair stood on end, hearing that the proposal to surrender Moscow would be accepted.” The feelings that possessed Dokhturov can be judged from his letter to his wife: “...I am in despair that they are leaving Moscow! Horrible! We are already on this side of the capital. I am making every effort to convince them to meet the enemy. (...) What a shame for the Russians: to leave their Fatherland, without the slightest shot of a rifle and without a fight. I’m furious, but what can I do?” This confession by Dokhturov testifies to the responsibility Kutuzov took upon himself when deciding to leave Moscow. Few could understand his actions, if even such comrades as Dokhturov considered it impossible to surrender Moscow without a battle.

Having completed the Tarutin maneuver, Kutuzov advanced Dokhturov’s corps towards Moscow. Soon the commander-in-chief received a message from Dorokhov about the attempts of the Ornaro and Brusier divisions to bypass the Russian flank in the Fominsky area. Kutuzov ordered Dokhturov, who, in addition to the 6th Corps, had at his disposal the Meller-Zakomelsky cavalry corps, six Cossack regiments, one Jaeger regiment and artillery, to move to the area of ​​the village of Fominsky. At dawn on October 10, Dokhturov began moving towards the French.

Arriving in Aristovo, Dokhturov received data from Dorokhov, based on which he sent a message to Kutuzov: “Major General Dorokhov was with me this minute... All the forces that Major General Dorokhov saw in the indicated places, he assures, do not exceed eight or nine thousand . He also noticed that near Fominskoye and across the Nara River at this village there are bivouacs and lights and artillery are visible, but due to the very wooded areas, it is impossible to determine the enemy’s forces.” Following Dorokhov, the commander of the partisan detachment A.N. Seslavin arrived at Dokhturov’s headquarters with captured Frenchmen, whom he had already interrogated. Having received new data, Dokhturov immediately drew up a report to the commander-in-chief and sent it with the duty officer D.N. Bolgovsky.

In his report, Dokhturov said: “Captain Seslavin has now delivered the information he learned from the prisoners, uniformly showing that in the village of Bekasovo, six miles from Fominsky, the corps of the 1st Marshal Ney, two guard divisions and Napoleon himself camped for the night. This is the fifth day that these troops have left Moscow and that other troops are marching along the same road... Major General Dorokhov informs that he has received a report that the enemy has broken into Borovsk.”

At night, Bolgovsky delivered a report to Kutuzov. After listening to the officer, Kutuzov said the famous words: “...From this moment, Russia is saved.”

According to information from the prisoners, it was clear that the main forces of the French were moving in the direction of Maloyaroslavets. Dokhturov was able to appreciate the strategic importance of this district town and, without waiting for Kutuzov’s orders, moved his units on a forced march to Maloyaroslavets.

Having received the report, Kutuzov gave the order to Dokhturov to move to Maloyaroslavets as quickly as possible. Dokhturov received the order already on the march. At the same time, Kutuzov moved his main forces from Tarutin towards Maloyaroslavets, sending Platov forward to help Dokhturov.

On the evening of October 11, troops under the command of Dokhturov approached the village of Spassky, five miles from Maloyaroslavets. But the movement of his troops was suspended due to the fact that the peasants, hearing about the approach of the French, destroyed bridges across the Protva River. It was necessary to urgently build a crossing, and only after midnight the troops crossed to the other side. By dawn on October 12, Dokhturov approached Maloyaroslavets, which had been occupied by the French since the evening of October 11.

At 5 o'clock in the morning a fierce battle ensued. By the time Dokhturov approached, the city was occupied by two battalions from the Delzon division of the main corps of the French army under the command of Viceroy Eugene Beauharnais. Dokhturov brought the 33rd and 6th Jaeger regiments into battle, which drove back the French. Delzon abandoned additional units of his division and entered the city. Then Dokhturov sent the 19th Jaeger Regiment, led by Ermolov, who again drove the French out of the city. At the same time, the rest of Dokhturov's infantry occupied the heights and blocked the road to Kaluga, and Meller-Zakomelsky's cavalry corps and Dorokhov's detachment blocked the road to Spasskoye. Dokhturov concentrated his artillery in front of his corps and in infantry combat formations. Delzon brought the entire division into battle, and the battle became fierce.

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