Battle of Rocheservière

Battle of Rocheserviere
Part of the Hundred Days
A scene from the Battle of Rochesevière
Date 20 June 1815 Location Rocheservière Result Bonapartist victory
Belligerents
French Empire	Kingdom of France
Commanders and leaders
Jean Maximilien Lamarque Jean-Pierre Travot	Pierre Constant Suzannet  † Charles Autichamp
Strength
c. 6,000 Bonapartists	c. 8,000 Vendeans
Casualties and losses
10 killed 60 wounded	100 killed 500 wounded

The Battle of Rocheserviere was fought at Rocheservière on the 20 June 1815, between Vendéan Royalists, who had remained loyal to King Louis XVIII during the Hundred Days, and Napoleon's Army of the West, commanded by General Jean Maximilien Lamarque. The battle ended with the defeat of the Royalist forces. Five days later the Treaty of Cholet was signed, ending the hostilities.

The Army of the West had been formed to pacify the region and support the new French government instigated by Napoleon Bonaparte after his return to Paris at the start of the Hundred Days in 1815. While Napoleon marched north to deal with the threat from the British and Prussian armies during the Waterloo campaign, Lamarque was sent to pacify the Royalist stronghold of the Vendée. Assisted by Michel Silvestre Brayer, he left Nantes with 3000 men on June 11. By the 17, his force had increased to 6000 men. He soon learned that a Vendean army of around 8000 men under Charles Autichamp and Pierre Constant Suzannet was concentrating in the vicinity of Rocheservière.

The Vendée Royalist forces were well protected in defensive positions, but were divided into separate armies. Suzannet occupied the heights of Rocheservière, protected to the west by the Boulogne river, which was difficult for an army to cross. Another force under Bertrand Saint-Hubert was in Saint-André-Treize-Voies, nine kilometers east of Rocheservière. As for Charles Autichamp, he was positioned Vieillevigne north-east, 7 kilometers from Rocheservière and 4 km from Saint-André.

These positions would be difficult for the Bonapartists to attack, but on June 19 Suzannet's force suddenly withdrew from Rocheservière and occupied Mormaison to the south east. The Bonapartists took the opportunity to launch an attack on the Vendeans. The chasseurs under Jean-Pierre Travot clashed with the Vendeans at La Grolle between Rocheservière and Saint-André. However Suzannet's cavalry were sent in, forcing Travot to retreat. Suzannet then brought all his troops up to La Grolle.

...
Wikipedia