Auerstädt

Auerstädt, a village in the Prussian province of Saxony, 10 miles W. of Naumburg. It is famous for the great battle which took place there, October 14, 1806, between the French under Davoust, and the Prussian army under Duke Charles of Brunswick, which ended in a great victory for the former. The Prussians, who numbered fully 48,000, left nearly half their men, dead or wounded, on the ground, while the French (30,000) escaped with a loss of only 7000. Napoleon, who had, on the same day, defeated the main army of Frederick-William III. at Jena (q.v.), made Davoust Duke of Auerstädt.