The allies began to retreat, the French followed.
The French pursued relentlessly, but with splendid skill and determination Bluecher himself in command of the rearguard fought them off.

Napoleon had foreseen this.

He had massed all the cavalry under Grouchy and had sent them on a long round-about march across country to get in Bluecher's rear.

Just beyond Champaubert, in a dense wood in front of the village of Etoges, the retreating allies found the road barred by the cavalry.

Grouchy had been provided with sufficient artillery to enable him to hold the retreat in check; but the mud still prevailed, many horses had been shot and killed, the peasants' horses drawing the guns had been unable to keep pace with the necessarily rapid movements of the cavalry, and the batteries had not come up.