On the 11th of February, 1814, Napoleon arrived before Montmirail. At eleven o’clock the Allies formed themselves in battle array. The French divisions arrived successively, and Napoleon wished to wait for the whole, but at three o’clock, as night was approaching, he directed the Duke of Treviso to boar down on Montmirail. General Friant with four battalions of the old guard, received orders to attack the Farm of l’Epine-au-Bois, a position on which depended the success of the day, and which was defended by the Allies with forty pieces of cannon. To render this attack more easy, Napoleon ordered General Nansouty to extend his troops upon the right, to oblige the Allies to thin their centre. At the same time the Russian and Prussian troops were charged briskly in the centre by the old guard, commanded by Marshal Ney. The tirailleurs fled in dismay; and the artillery could no longer be used with effect; but the fusilade became dreadful. This success, however, was counterbalanced when the lancers, the old dragoons, and the grenadiers of the guard arrived in the rear of the infantry, and breaking their lines, threw them into disorder, and killed or made prisoners the whole body. The Duke of Treviso seized upon the village of Fontenelle, that of Marchais was attacked on both sides, and all the inhabitants were either killed or taken prisoners. In less than a quarter of an hour the most profound silence succeeded to the fusilade.