The Battle of Saltankovka (French: Bataille de Mohilew) was a battle of the 1812 French invasion of Russia.

The Russian 2nd Army, led by Pyotr Bagration

Pyotr Bagration

Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration was a general of the Russian army. He was a descendant of the Georgian royal family of the Bagrations.- Life :...

 aimed to join main Russian army under Barclay de Tolly after the French forces took Mogilev and blocked Dnieper river crossing. Bagration sent general N.N. Rayevski

Nikolay Raevsky

Nikolay Nikolayevich Raevsky was a Russian general and statesman who achieved fame for his feats of arms during the Napoleonic wars. His family left a lasting legacy in Russian society and culture.-Early life:Nikolay Raevsky was born in Saint Petersburg...

 against 5 French divisions led by Louis Nicolas Davout

Louis Nicolas Davout

Louis-Nicolas d'Avout , better known as Davout, 1st Duke of Auerstaedt, 1st Prince of Eckmühl, was a Marshal of France during the Napoleonic Era. His prodigious talent for war along with his reputation as a stern disciplinarian, earned him the title "The Iron Marshal"...

, who was between the 2nd Army and Barclay's main army. The French Corps had over 28,000 troops present, including 3 infantry divisions under generals Compans

Jean Dominique Compans

Count Jean Dominique Compans was a French Divisional General from 1811 and a participant of Napoleonic Wars....

, Dessaix

Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix

Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix was a French general.He was born at Thonon in Savoy...

 and Claparède

Michel Marie Claparède

Michel Marie Claparède was a French general. His name is engraved on the Arc de Triomphe.- Life :...

 and a numerous cavalry under generals Bordesoule

Étienne Tardif de Pommeroux de Bordesoulle

Étienne Tardif de Pommeroux, comte de Bordesoulle was a French nobleman and soldier, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and the Spanish expedition.-Early career:...

 and Valence, but only a fraction of the French Corps was engaged in this battle. Meanwhile, the Russians engaged around 20,000 troops.

Davout was able to repulse the Russian attackers throughout his line, despite the determination of Rayevski's men. The French then launched a counterattack and pursued the Russians for about a league

League (unit)

A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...

. The battle prevented Bagration from joining the main Russian army under Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly

Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly

Prince Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly , was a Russian Field Marshal and Minister of War during Napoleon's invasion in 1812 and War of the Sixth Coalition.-Early life:...

 at Vitebsk

Vitebsk

Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...

, forcing Bagration to retreat to Smolensk

Smolensk

Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...

. The Russians lost between 2,500 and 5,200 soldiers, with the higher estimate being provided by Marshal Davout and including 1,200 dead and 4,000 wounded. Estimates of the French losses vary between 1,000 men, which include 100 prisoners from the 108th line regiment and a higher estimate of 4,134 killed, wounded and missing.