The Battle on the Seine

The Battle on the Seine, fought in the summer of 1792, was a pivotal battle between the Monarchist forces of Comte de Rochambeau and the Republican forces of Marquis de LaFayette. While the Royalists were able to win the field and defend the siege of Paris, the Republicans managed to sap the last of the Army of the North's morale and made the continued siege of Paris impossible.

 Raw transcript: 

- Chaos follows soon after. The comte de Rochambeau approaches from the west with an entire brigade of his most loyal men, men who fought and bled with him on the banks of the Loire. Their banner is that of Louis XVI, the old fleur-de-lis of France. He rides ahead of his forces, and despite an invitation from the Minister of War to join him in his tent, the comte de Rochambeau cautiously stays his ground, fearing something strange is afoot as he stands in the middle of the camp. He fraternizes with the French soldiers there, many of whom are glad to see the old general’s return. Left with no other options, the Swiss minister walks out to meet him, some of his own men behind him. With the sun high above them, the two officers trade harsh words with one another over the endless chanting of Babeuf’s followers. Bachmann announces to the entire camp that the Marechal is no longer Marechal, to be reassigned to a lower post in the Army of the Rhine. Outraged, the comte draws his sword.

- Suddenly, the door to the enormous Breton’s cell swings wide open, undone by the guard ordered to watch over him after a particularly convincing speech from Cadoudal. He is followed by the men who had threatened desertion on his behalf, and loudly proclaims the Minister of War a Swiss traitor before the entire camp. A cry of “Rochambeau!” goes up from the crowd. Then another, and another, and another, and soon the entire army is rallying behind their former general. Seizing the momentum, Rochambeau has Bachmann arrested and thrown into the same cell he had forced Cadoudal into. Holding a single piece of parchment in his hands, Rochambeau gathers his men, and explains his plan. The Prussian ambassador surreptitiously takes the chance to depart.

- When dawn breaks the next day, Lafayette and his men sally forth in a surprise attack! Their numbers appear to be almost overwhelming as they pour out of the southern gates, hundreds upon hundreds of men arrayed into two separate forces in an ingenious attack upon the besiegers. They seek to encircle the entire southern detachment of the Army of the North, forcing a surrender. A cry of “Fire!” goes up from the darkness, and the National Guard sees only too late that the army has already formed into lines awaiting them! A volley of shots pierces through the first wave of attackers, with Ney’s brigades being particularly hard hit.

- Lafayette has prepared for this.The quick assembly of ranks was good training on Rochambeau’s part, he reasons, but not enough to counter his sheer strength of arms and the element of surprise. He presses the attack, with Ney’s forces pushing back the demoralized soldiers onto the other side of the river, looking to complete the encirclement. Then, just as his men look to be gaining the upper ground, the military reorganizes and pulls back, revealing the cannons - cannons placed in just the right positions to reign hell over the twin attacking armies. It’s a trap!

- Artillery fire begins to fall all across the battlefield, blowing into the left flank of Lafayette’s line like a wrecking ball. From within Rochambeau’s camp, sabotage strikes at the worst possible moment. Gunpowder stores suddenly go up in flames along the siege lines, the shock completely debilitating the artillery corps. Lafayette’s best trained line infantry are sent ahead, capturing the cannons.

- The battle has been raging for hours. Thousands of men lay dead or dying on both sides, though currently the National Guard holds the advantage, with the northern forces completely cut off from the rest of the battle. Ney circles the Seine around 3:00 PM, forcing a mass surrender of large parts of Rochambeau’s army.

- Cavalry called in from the supply center in Lille finally arrive, pouring in - some six-thousand of them. Two squadrons of lancers lead the charge, with hussars on the wings and trumpeters alongside. They slam into the back of Ney’s double line, yielding a sudden opening that causes mass panic in Ney’s ranks. The commander is unable to control them, and they begin a rout back behind the walls of the city. Lafayette, thinking Ney has ordered a retreat, gives the same command, pulling back despite having pushed hard against Rochambeau’s forces. Rochambeau’s men refuse the order to give chase!

- As the dust clears, Lafayette’s men hunch down inside the city. Both sides are extremely bloodied. Lafayette has lost 10,245 men, with Rochambeau having lost 8,530 and 12 cannons, along with large parts of his gunpowder stores. Behind the gates, there seems to be a traitor lurking deep inside Lafayette’s inner circle. Too much went wrong. “Too much...”

- Despite the inconclusive battle, the inordinate bloodshed seems to have played directly into the propaganda the Jacobins have spent the last few months distributing in the camp. The field may be his, but the minds of his soldiers are not. The officers meet with Rochambeau and tell him plainly that the men are completely demoralized. They would rather crown a mule as king than fight more of their brothers, kill more of their friends, while foreign troops plan to march on French soil. The siege of Paris must end. He will either lead them to victory against the Germans or lead them nowhere at all.

- As the sun sets over the battlefield and Rochambeau considers the advice given to him by his officers, a strange man jumps into his tent waving around a pistol. He demands the Comte surrender immediately and accept the supreme authority of the legitimate king, Louis Philippe. After a moment of consideration, the comte refuses and shouts for help. The assassin fires his weapon and shatters Rochambeau’s kneecap. Guards are quick to arrive on the scene, arresting the man and providing the comte with medical assistance. An investigation later reveals the suspected assassin to be on Louis Philippe’s payroll.