The marshal DuRoc and the Hoterberg

Occurrences of the year 1813...

Up to his forced retreat on 20th March 1813 Napoleon gathered considerable troops in the surroundings. A regiment of 1000 man took also position in Holtendorf, Markersdorf and Girbigsdorf. The 20th / 21st May Napoleon triumphed in the battle at Bautzen.

Now the Prussian and Russians were retreating and took installation in the "Kanonenbusch", as this forest piece is called since those days. 22nd May the French kept on moving forward. The hostile army of the Prussia and Russians went back until Holtendorf/Markersdorf. On the Hoterberg, Nikitin, the general of the Prussian and Russian army, put a heavy battery of artillery. This fired 3 shots when the French occupied Obermarkersdorf and Napoleon passed the village. It was actually only test-shots

The third bullet bounced off a tree, killed Engineer-General Kirchner and shattered the right leg of the Grand-Marshal DuRoc, Duke of Friaul. Napoleon, deeply affected by DuRocs wounding, stopped the pursuit.

A stirringly sentimental story remained from these hours:

Napoleon found the marshal on the deathbed cold-blooded and with full consciousness.
DuRoc spoke: "My whole life was dedicated to your service and I lose it only reluctantly because it would still be able to be useful for you."
Napoleon answered: "There is another life. There you go to expect me; there we will find ourselves again."
DuRoc parting: "Oh Sire, go away, this drama will be painful for you."
Napoleon: "Goodbye my friend".

Marshal DuRoc belonged to the emperor's relatives. He died the following morning at 10 o'clock. His corpse was brought to the Brüderstraße 3 to Görlitz and was embalmed there. In the escort of two guard-companies, marshal DuRoc was transferred to Paris. Engineer-General Kirchener was buried in Markersdorf. On the 18th august 1813 Napoleon was once again in Markersdorf, he handed over an instruction to the farmer Hansprach for 4000 thalers and 1000 thalers to the community Markersdorf for a monument. 1830 a monument was erected at the position where DuRoc was killed.         

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