After conquering Prussia in the autumn of 1806, Napoleon entered Poland to confront the Russian army, which had been preparing to support the Prussians until their sudden defeat.

However, realizing his mistake in allowing the French to cross the Vistula, Kamensky advanced at the beginning of December to try to regain the line of the river.

[8] French forces crossed the Narew River at Modlin on 10 December, and the Prussian Corps commanded by Lestocq failed to retake Thorn.

This led Bennigsen on 11 December to issue orders to fall back and hold the line of the River Wkra.

[10] Kamensky had reversed the Russian retreat and ordered an advance to support the troops on the River Ukra.

The 3rd Division under General Sacken, who had been the link with the Prussians, was also trying to retire via Gołymin, but had been driven further north by the French to Ciechanów.

Provisions became very scarce; no more wine, hardly any beer, and what there was exceedingly bad, no bread, and quarters for which we had to fight the pigs and the cows.

From the village, the road to Pułtusk ran south-east, that to Ciechanów north-west, and that to Maków (the destination for the Russian retirement) to the north-east.

He sent one regiment of infantry under the command of Prince Shcherbatov into the woods around Kaleczin (Kałęczyn) and posted the rest of his troops in front of Gołymin.

For the rest of the day the forces skirmished as Heudelet's men slowly pushed round the Russian right.

Golitsyn sent three infantry battalions into the woods and marshes to the south of Gołymin, and two cavalry regiments to cover the Pułtusk road.

The French attacks were also uncoordinated, late in the day and, as dusk fell, illuminated as targets by the burning villages.

Their fierce resistance led Murat to say to Napoleon: We thought the enemy had 50,000 men, quoting from Hoepfner, Gen. E von, "Der Kreig von 1806 und 1807" Berlin, 1855. iii, 126[21]While the French held the field, Golitsyn achieved his objective of withdrawing and Murat failed to stop him.

Captain Marbot noted: The Russian columns were at this moment passing through the town [Golymin], and knowing that Marshal Lannes was marching to cut off their retreat by capturing Pułtusk, three leagues farther on, they were trying to reach that point before him at any price.

Therefore, although our soldiers fired upon them at twenty-five paces, they continued their march without replying, because in order to do so they would have had to halt, and every moment was precious.

On 28 December Napoleon stopped his advance and, having lost contact with the Russian army, decided to go into winter quarters.

This list is derived from the units referred to in Petre's "Napoleon's Campaign in Poland 1806–1807",[24] and by checking the details for the same formations for the order of battles for Jena[25] and Elyau.

Stolarski's article appears to make too many assumptions about the Russian order of battle at Eylau to be reliable.