Battle of Feistritz The Battle of Feistritz ( 6 September 1813 ) saw an Imperial French corps led by Paul Grenier attack an Austrian brigade under August von Vécsey . After putting up a stout resistance , the outnumbered Austrians were defeated and forced to retreat . The clash occurred during the War of the Sixth Coalition , part of the Napoleonic Wars . Feistritz im Rosental is located on the Drau River near the southern border of Austria , about southwest of Klagenfurt . When hostilities commenced between the Austrian Empire and Imperial France , Johann von Hiller led an Austrian army to attack the Illyrian Provinces . The Austrians made rapid gains in the south , but in Carinthia , Hiller ' s first bridgehead across the Drava River at Villach was eliminated by the Franco - Italian army of Eugène de Beauharnais , the viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy . When the Austrian general established a second bridgehead at Feistritz , Eugène sent Grenier to wipe it out . The minor victory only delayed the inevitable , and within a few weeks Eugène was compelled to abandon Illyria and fall back to the borders of the Kingdom of Italy . Background . In 1812 , the best French and Italian units from the French Army of Italy were assigned to the IV Corps for the French invasion of Russia . The troops fought well under the command of Eugène de Beauharnais but only about 3 , 000 soldiers survived the campaign . To rebuild his army in Germany for the 1813 campaign , Emperor Napoleon transferred four more divisions from the garrison of Italy to join the newly established IV and XII Corps . The emperor then gave his stepson Eugène permission to organize a new army out of French and Italian draftees to defend the Kingdom of Italy . By May 1813 , the new army began forming around the French 46th , 47th , and 48th Divisions , the Italian 49th Division , and one cavalry division . In fact , only 13 , 000 French conscripts joined the army and the so - called French divisions were largely recruited from areas of Italy that had been annexed by France . Since military equipment was scarce , some soldiers were sent to the front dressed in police uniforms . Nevertheless , the army continued to expand and Eugène eventually renumbered his divisions 1 through 6 , with the Italian Royal Guard kept as a discrete unit . Meanwhile , the Austrian Empire prepared for war with Napoleon by expanding their army . While their main army was based in Bohemia , Austria also stationed one army corps on the Danube and another in the Duchy of Carinthia . The troops in Carinthia were placed under the command of Feldzeugmeister Johann von Hiller and designated the Army of Inner Austria . Since it was considered a minor theater , Hiller ' s army only counted 35 , 000 soldiers and 120 artillery pieces in August . This total was smaller than the number of troops in his opponent ' s army . The Austrian general had veteran division and brigade commanders , but he was handicapped by a clumsy command system and large numbers of indifferently - equipped conscripts in the ranks . Though the Danube corps remained in place , reinforcements were continually switched from there to the Army of Inner Austria throughout the autumn . In August 1813 , Hiller ' s army consisted of an Advanced Guard under General - major Aron Stanisavlevics and divisions commanded by Feldmarschall - Leutnant s Peter Marchal de Perclat , Johann Maria Philipp Frimont , Franz Marziani , Hannibal Sommariva , and Paul von Radivojevich . The Advanced Guard had two Grenz infantry battalions and two hussar squadrons . Marchal ' s division was made up of a light brigade of one jäger and one Grenz battalion and four hussar squadrons under General - major Christoph Ludwig von Eckhardt and a brigade of four line battalions under General - major Timotheus Winczian . Frimont ' s division had three brigades led by General - majors Franjo Vlašić , Ferdinand Daniel Pulszky , and August von Vécsey . Vlašić ' s light brigade comprised one jäger and one Grenz battalion and six hussar squadrons , Pulszky ' s brigade consisted of four line battalions , and Vécsey ' s cavalry brigade had 12 squadrons of uhlans . Marziani ' s division was made up of a single brigade led by General - major Johann Mayer von Heldensfeld with seven line battalions . Sommariva ' s division counted three brigades commanded by Generals - major Joseph Xaver von Stutterheim , Joseph von Fölseis , and Georg Johann von Wrede . Stutterheim led four battalions of grenadiers , Fölseis had one Grenz , one line , and one landwehr battalions , and two squadrons of hussars , and Wrede directed 10 squadrons of dragoons . Radivojevich ' s division had three brigades under General - majors Ignaz Csivich von Rohr , Matthias Rebrovich , and Laval Nugent von Westmeath . Csivich commanded two Grenz and two line battalions , Rebrovich led one Grenz and two line battalions , and Nugent supervised four squadrons of hussars . Operations . On 12 August 1813 , the Austrian Empire declared war on Imperial France , putting the Illyrian Provinces and the Kingdom of Italy on the front lines . Hiller sent Radivojevich and 10 , 000 troops of his left wing to capture first Karlovac ( Karlstadt ) and Novo Mesto ( Neustadt ) , and later Rijeka ( Fiume ) and Trieste . Meanwhile , Hiller led the remainder of the army in a thrust across the Drava River at Villach . By the beginning of August , Eugène had advanced into Illyria with 47 , 000 troops and set up his headquarters in Ljubljana ( Laibach ) . The Franco - Italian army defended an arc from Tarvisio ( Tarvis ) in the north to Ljubljana in the center to Karlovac in the south . When the French first gained control of Illyria , many Croats hoped that the new masters would spur economic expansion and lighten their military obligations . Over time , their hopes were not realized and when Radivojevich ' s columns crossed the frontier , the Croats rose in rebellion against the French occupation . Though the Hofkriegsrat ( Austrian high command ) did not wish to promote nationalism , they ultimately sent 12 , 000 muskets with Radivojevich to arm the insurgents . The Croatian revolt helped the Austrian left wing capture territory . Mass desertions also became a severe problem in the Illyrian units of Eugène ' s army . Hiller ' s troops started to advance into Illyria on 16 August 1813 . Radivojevich enjoyed early success , taking Karlovac and Novo Mesto with little resistance . On 20 August , Frimont and over 6 , 000 Austrians appeared before Villach , initiating a week - long series of skirmishes . Frimont seized Villach ' s east bank suburb on the 21st . Three days later , a 3 , 000 - strong French brigade under General of Brigade Jean - Pierre Piat tried to rush the bridge at Villach and was bloodily repulsed with 604 casualties . The Austrians only lost 251 men in the clash . On 28 August , General of Division Pierre Guillaume Gratien attacked Villach with an entire division . Though three Austrian divisions were in the area , Gratien managed to eject his foes from the town and drive them back to the east bank of the Drava . Gratien ' s 10 , 000 - man 3rd Division suffered 112 casualties while inflicting 167 on the Austrians . In the struggle , four - fifths of Villach burned down and three arches of the bridge were destroyed . Battle . Thwarted at Villach , Hiller sought to create a bridgehead farther east on the Drava . He found a crossing point south of Klagenfurt and pushed troops across the river at Feistritz im Rosental around the end of August . Eugène felt that the Austrian position menaced the communications between his right and his left wings . He ordered one of his corps commanders , General of Division Paul Grenier to take two divisions and eliminate the Austrian bridgehead . Grenier marched with Generals of Division François Jean Baptiste Quesnel and Marie François Rouyer , leaving Gratien to hold Tarvisio . The Italian Guard moved from Tarvisio to Jesenice ( Assling ) while the 4th Division under General of Division Pierre - Louis Binet de Marcognet held a position at Bistrica ( Neumarkt ) . Hiller was aware of recent French probes in the Feistritz area so he sent two battalions of grenadiers to nearby Schloss Hollenburg on the morning of 6 September 1813 . A line battalion was sent to Weizelsdorf to act as a reserve . Vécsey entrenched his brigade along the Bärenthal ravine with his right flank on the Drava and his left on steep forested hills to the south . The Austrians were supported by eight artillery pieces . Two cannons and a howitzer were on the opposite bank of the river at Ludmannsdorf in a position to enfilade any attack . Vécsey ' s 3 , 300 - man brigade consisted of 10 companies of the " Reisky " Infantry Regiment Nr . 10 , the 1st and Landwehr Battalions of the " Chasteler " Infantry Regiment Nr . 27 , the 9th Jäger Battalion , and four squadrons of the " Merveldt " Uhlan Regiment Nr . 1 . The grenadier reserve at Hollenburg included the " Chimani " and " Welsperg " Grenadier Battalions . Vécsey posted his main line behind the Bärenthal ravine on the east side , but he established strong positions on the west side at Feistritz Castle , Holy Cross Cemetery , and the hamlets of Mittel - and Ober - Feistritz . The bridge over the ravine was blocked by a barricade . Grenier had 15 , 186 soldiers and 28 guns available , with 7 , 700 men in Quesnel ' s 1st Division and 7 , 486 troops in Rouyer ' s 2nd Division . An unspecified number of cannons were also attached as regimental artillery . Quesnel had two brigades under Generals of Brigade Jean Gaudens Claude Pegot and Toussaint Campi plus one eight - gun foot and one six - gun horse artillery batteries . Rouyer led two brigades under Generals of Brigade Nicolas Schmitz and Jacques Darnaud with one eight - gun foot and one six - gun horse artillery batteries . Pegot ' s brigade comprised four battalions of the 84th Line Infantry Regiment . Campi ' s brigade consisted of four battalions each of the 92nd Line Infantry Regiment and the 30th Provisional Demi - Brigade . Schmitz commanded four battalions of the 9th Line Infantry Regiment and three battalions of the 28th Provisional Demi - Brigade . Darnaud ' s brigade was made up of four battalions of the 35th Line Infantry Regiment . On the morning of 6 September , Grenier ' s troops started their march from Sankt Jakob im Rosental in three columns . The right column left the bivouac first under the command of Campi . The column consisted of Campi ' s brigade with the 84th Line ' s regimental guns attached . Quesnel led the center column which set out after the right column cleared Sankt Jakob . This force was formed from Pegot ' s brigade , the Italian " Queen ' s " Dragoon Regiment , one battery of horse artillery , and a half - battery of foot artillery . The left column left the camp last , about 9 : 00 AM . Schmitz led the column which was made up of his own brigade . When the right column reached the hamlet of Matschach , Campi dropped off a battalion and two cannons as a flank guard . The right column then moved into the hills overlooking Feistritz , leaving a second battalion behind as a reserve . As the center column crossed the Klein Dürrenbach ravine about west of Feistritz , it chased away some Austrian skirmishers and detached a battalion of the 84th Line to observe enemy movements on the north bank of the Drava . Quesnel ' s column reached the hamlet of Suetschach and took cover until called upon to attack . When the left column came up , Schmitz relieved the 84th Line battalion with one of his own . Grenier instructed Quesnel to form the center column in two lines with skirmishers out in front . His objective was to get soldiers onto the east side of the Bärenthal ravine . Schmitz , who fought under the eye of his division commander Rouyer , was also ordered to form his men into two lines . He was to clear Mittel - and Ober - Feistritz of enemies so that the French soldiers could fire on the Austrian soldiers on the east side of the ravine . Off to the right , Campi already had instructions to assist the attacks of the center and left columns as well as to attack the Austrians from the rear . From Jesenice in the upper Sava valley , Eugène directed two battalions of the Italian Guard to move north and clear away any Austrian outposts to the south of Feistritz . Skirmishing between the two sides began around 10 : 00 AM and became general by noon . The main assault began at 3 : 00 PM when Campi came down on the Austrian left flank while Quesnel and Schmitz attacked in front . Seeing his left turned , Vécsey sent a message to Hollenburg asking for assistance . The French scored an early coup when they captured a group of Austrians as they were withdrawing toward the castle . A battalion of the 84th Line became heavily engaged and it was supported by the 28th Provisional . The assault focused on the church , the cemetery , and a redoubt on the west side of the ravine . A battalion of the 28th Provisional rushed the redoubt and slaughtered its defenders . Meanwhile , the 9th Line threatened the church and Mittel - Feistritz . When units of the 9th Jägers saw the redoubt fall and French soldiers get into the ravine , they retreated from the Holy Cross Church and Cemetery into the Feistritz Castle . Schmitz led a force from the 9th Line in a charge against the castle , while the 84th supported him . But the attack stalled as the troops clawed their way through abatis under heavy musketry . After his men were beaten back several times , Schmitz ordered the castle set on fire . As soon as the structure took fire , the 116 defenders surrendered . At this time , the 84th Line rushed the bridge , which was defended by elements of the " Reisky " and " Chasteler " Regiments . When the 84th carried the position , Vécsey ' s men abandoned their positions and began to retreat . After a " voltigeur " company of the 9th Line crossed the Bärenthal ravine , they were charged by a squadron of uhlans , but they managed to drive off the horsemen . As units of the 9th Line and 28th Provisional moved through the abandoned Austrian camps , they were backed by four platoons of the 84th Line arrayed in close order . By about 5 : 30 PM , amid heavy rain , the entire Feistritz position was in French hands . When the pursuit reached Hundsdorf , Vécsey counterattacked . Momentarily stopped , the French units soon closed up and pushed their foes back to Sankt Johann im Rosental . At this place , the Austrians fought back against one of Campi ' s battalions which had come down from the heights . At some point during the late afternoon , the two grenadier battalions arrived and covered the retreat . At 8 : 00 PM , the grenadiers repulsed one last attempt by Campi to cut off Vécsey ' s withdrawal . That evening Vécsey retreated to the north bank of the Drava at Hollenburg and destroyed the bridge . Aftermath . The French suffered 60 killed and 300 wounded , including 12 officers of the 84th Line . Chef de bataillon ( Major ) Charrier of the 9th Line was killed . Their opponents admitted losses of 67 killed , 364 wounded , and 394 captured . In addition , the two grenadier battalions lost 88 casualties . Eugène reported that most of the prisoners came from the " Reisky " , " Chasteler " , " Chimani " , and " Merveldt " units . Though Hiller was aware of the significance of his bridgehead , he failed to properly support Vécsey ' s brigade by placing the nearest reinforcements a six hour march distant . With Feistritz in his possession , Eugène had the use of the Loibl Pass to communicate between Tarvisio and Ljubljana . He hoped to mount an attack on Hiller ' s left flank brigade at Kamnik ( Stein ) . Eugène failed to capitalize on his momentary advantage because his forces suffered a series of setbacks . On 7 September 1813 , a 2 , 563 - man brigade belonging to General of Division Giuseppe Federico Palombini ' s 5th Division was defeated by Nugent and 2 , 100 Austrians at Lipa . The Italians lost 104 killed and 200 captured while Austrian losses were light . The next day near Trzin , General of Brigade Gaspare Bellotti ' s 3 , 600 - man brigade was ambushed by General - major Joseph von Fölseis and 2 , 000 Austrians . The Italian 3rd Line Infantry Regiment was routed , losing 60 killed , 200 wounded , 600 prisoners , two colors , two guns , and three caissons . The prisoners included Bellotti and the colonel of the regiment . Austrian losses were only five killed , 14 wounded , and five missing . On 11 September 1813 , Austrians in Feldmarschall - Leutnant Franz Maria Philipp Fenner ' s command mounted a successful raid at Mühlbach in the South Tyrol , capturing 100 soldiers and provoking a deep withdrawal by General of Division Filippo Bonfanti who was then replaced . On the same day , 130 Austrians and one Royal Navy brig captured the port of Pula ( Pola ) . On the 13th at Šmarje Sap ( St . Marein - Sap ) , Eugène personally led 3 , 300 men and six guns of the Italian Guard against Oberst Eugen Milutinovich ' s 1 , 000 Austrians and two artillery pieces . Attacking a strong position , the Italian Guard suffered a repulse , losing 300 killed and wounded plus 97 captured . Austrian losses numbered only 47 killed and wounded plus 28 captured . General of Division Domenico Pino concentrated 9 , 000 troops against Nugent ' s 2 , 000 men at Jelšane on 14 September . The Austrians held on until dark before retreating and inflicted 420 casualties on their attackers while only losing 24 killed , 88 wounded , and three artillery pieces damaged . This was followed by another minor disaster at Višnja Gora ( Weichselburg ) when General - major Matthias Rebrovich attacked General of Brigade Teodoro Lechi on 16 September . The " Radetzsky " Hussars Nr . 5 rode down a battalion of the Italian Guard , capturing 910 men out of the 2 , 900 present and seizing two out of five cannons . Austrian lossses were only 16 killed , 68 wounded , and 27 captured out of 3 , 200 men . Two other events compelled Eugène to relinquish his hold on Illyria . Fenner ' s column thrust to the west into the Tyrol , menacing the viceroy ' s strategic left flank . More consequential , in the opinion of historian Frederick C . Schneid , was the possibility of the Kingdom of Bavaria abandoning its alliance with Napoleon . Eugène ' s wife was Princess Augusta of Bavaria and King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria was his father - in - law . The king desired to remain a French ally , but the viceroy became aware that the king was under pressure to defect to the Coalition . At the end of September , Eugene complained to his step - father Napoleon that desertion in Italian and French units was becoming a serious problem . By 5 October 1813 , the Franco - Italian army withdrew to the Isonzo River on the border of Italy .