[8] On 24 May 1807, the Siege of Danzig ended when Prussian General Friedrich Adolf, Count von Kalckreuth capitulated to French Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre.

This gave Napoleon the opportunity to engage the Russian forces led by Levin August von Bennigsen and then Andrei Ivanovich Gorchakov.

Though he lost his baggage train, two guns, and 2,042 men, Ney managed to escape to the southwest over the Pasłęka (Passarge) River with the bulk of his soldiers.

Aware of their approach, Bennigsen ordered his troops to fall back on Lidzbark Warmiński in the Prussian Partition of Poland (Heilsberg in German).

[13] In order to storm the fortifications, Napoleon had to choose between an immediate advance or a flanking movement, threatening the Russian supply base of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad).

At this time, however, Major general Kozhin's mounted detachment (1,000 men), which formed the left-hand column of Lieutenant general Uvarov's troops (3 jaeger regiments and 25 squadrons), moved by Bennigsen in support of Bagration, came to his aid; it temporarily held back the onslaught of French cavalry, and the Guard Battery, located on the right bank of the Alle opposite the mouth of the Spuibach, stopped Soult's infantry; Bagration's vanguard was able to withdraw to the main position, where it became a reserve; Kozhin's detachment, having joined with Uvarov's right column, which had failed at Lawden in the battle with Legrand's division, withdrew to the right flank.

Failure in the centre forced Napoleon to shift his main attention to the enemy's right flank; but even here, despite the arrival of the rest of Lannes' corps, the attacks were unsuccessful.

Tightly pressed by the Russian cavalry, the French army withdrew behind Spuibach stream, holding back only the grove of Lawden.

[2] Smaller French units proved ineffective, especially when Prussian reinforcements arrived, sent by Anton Wilhelm von L'Estocq at Bennigsen's request.

[citation needed] Strong artillery cannonade from both sides continued until darkness fell, when Lannes with Verdier's division made a new attempt to capture the central redoubt, but was forced to retreat, which cost the French 3,000 casualties.

Andrey I. Gorchakov, on Grand Duke Constantine's orders, due to the illness of сommander-in-сhief Bennigsen, took over general command for the rest of the day in the final hours of the battle,[14] bringing it to a tactical draw.

On 11 June, the substantial casualties on both sides and the success of the Russian defence gave Bennigsen and Napoleon little choice but to call an undocumented truce to end hostilities.

Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult's IV corps sustained the majority of losses: 8,286, and General François Xavier Roussel, Chief of Staff of the Imperial Guard, was killed.

[3][4] In addition, generals Koschin, Warneck, and Pahlen were killed; Dmitry Dokhturov, Werdrevski, Fock, Zakhar Dmitrievich Olsufiev, Duka, Laptiev, Passeck and Duke Charles of Mecklenburg were wounded.