Tuesday, 2 October 2012
La Garde Impériale
Les Chasseurs a Pied
2ème bataillon, Grenadiers à Pied
3ème bataillon, Grenadiers à Pied
4ème bataillon, Grenadiers à Pied
1ère bataillon deux Grenadiers à Pied, avec general Hulin
Garde royale italienne
la garde au feu
Sunday, 30 September 2012
Regimiento de la Victoria
1808
May
2 the people of Madrid rebells against the french attempt to take away the royal family strating thus the Peninsular War
June
11-24 the regiment is founded in El Ferrol (Galicia) with a teorical strength of 1200 men divided in 8 comenies, Manuel Miralles is appointed colonel, the soldiers come from Galicia and Madrid (the late fough in the events of the 2d May), the officiality comes majoritarily from the Navy.
27-31 The regiment marches to join the Army of Galicia in Lugo, with a real strenght of 366 men divided in 4 companies, their banner is a black flag with the motto "win or die"
July
5 men are executed after a mutiny; the regiment covers the passages to Galicia and don't fight in the battleMedina del Rioseco a Spanish Victory.
August
The regiment joins the army and continue the offensive following the french retreat
September
Battle of Dueñas where the regiment suffers great losses and is reduced to a simple detachment according to the sources; meanwhile the 2d battalion is being raised in El Ferrol, the cadre is completed with presidiaries.
October
The second battalion (358men) joins the remmants of their regiment.
8-12 Battles of Bilbao, Battle of Durango-Zangoza.
November
5 Battle of Mengray
7 Battle of Guñes, Bilbao is freed
8 Battle of Valmaseda (spanish Defeat)
10-11 31 men prisioner in the battle of los Monteros
The regiment, within the 2d division covers the bridge over the Esla eager to colaborate with the english army of Moore, but hte arrival of Napoleon and his 200.000 veterans changes the sutuation. Moore retreats to Coruña without warning his spanish allies, the 2d division is surprised by the french and withouth cavalry and most of it surrenders, the regiment survives and scapes to Galicia.
1809
March
6 the regiment retreats to Portugal with the army of the left harassed by the 2d corps of Soult.
19 in Villafranca participates in the surrendering of the french garrison battalion
23-27 assists at the siege of Vigo, in french hands. At this moment the regiment numbers 500 men, evidence of some kind of refoundation during the winter. The french surrenders at Vigo.
April
7 siege of Tuy
9 150 men of the regiment fight at Santa Comba
Soult and Ney launch an offensive over Galicia
17 fights in the combat of feria castro
18 " Lugo
19 " Loentia and San pedro
23 Ney occupies Santiago de Compolstela (capital of Galicia)
June
7-9 The regiment participates in the decisive victory of Puente Sampiyo where colonel Pablo Morillo defeats ney and obligue him and Soult to abandon Galicia, wich wouldn't be occupied more by the french during the war. Morillo, born as a sheperd, enlisted in the marine infantry becoming after liutenant, and during the siege of vigo ascended to colonel due to sheer merit, in 1811 he'll become general and later fight against Bolívar.
October
The Galician army moves forward in an attempt to draw the attention of the French force that garrisosn Madrid and open the way for the Centre Army to reconquer the capital.
18 Victory at Tamanes
23 Victory at Medina del Campo
November
19 the centre army is croshed at Ocaña, ruining the campaign and forcing to retreat the Galician army.
28 the army is surprised at Alba del rio Tormes and agian without cavalry is decimated, the regiment manages to form in square, but lefts the battle with only 121 men.
December
18 the regiment regroups and his 263 men join the regiment of volunteers of Catalonia.
1810
March
minor fights at Hornachuelos, Constantina, Lora. The spanish command uneager to accept great battles provocates small confrontations that reduce gradually french strenght.
April
15,19,20 fights at Roca de la Sierra
May
13 within the 1st division of the army of Extremadura
14 fight at Caceres
15 " Trujillo
June
5 fight at Jerez de los caballeros
9 joins the 5th army, vanguard division
28 " Burguillos
July
5 action between Jerez and Salvatierra
23 still in the vanguard division with an strength of 292 men
August
11 battle of Cantaelgallo
September
1 Barracks at Fuente de Santos
1811
February
5 march towards the besieged Badajoz
7,9 Victories at El Almendro
19 The regiments is anihilated by the french after the imperials cross the passage at Gevora, the new colonel Palma forms in square but the french virtually destroy the regiment.
March
refoundation with forced recruits
4 march to Albuquerque losing 230 men due to desertion
July
6 at Valencia de Alcantara, Pablo Morillo takes command
28 fights at Arroyo de la Luz
September
2 battle of casar de los Caceres
14 Combat in Caceres and posterior retreat to Valencia de Alcantara
October
28 Victory at Arroyo Molino
December
United with the regiment Leon forming the 1st Provisional Regiment
1812
January
Still in the 5th army
16 March- 6 april besieges with morillo Badajoz
April-December
fights at Feria, Almagro, Lasperra, Castilleja, and second Feria
28 December, renamed regiment of Victory with an strength of 700 men.
1813
January
With Pablo Morillo in the 4th army, 500 men strength and garrisoning Badajoz
April
19 march from Badajoz to Plasencia
May
26 battle of Alba de Tormes, attack over the basque country following the final retreat of the french army and their king: Joseph Bonaparte
June
21 at the battle of Vitoria, under command of Pablo Morillo, clears the hights of La Puebla from enemies assure the link between the 1st spanish brigade and Hill's column. Strength: 746-681, losses (depending on source) 196/75/63.
July
25 Battle of San Marcial: within the army of Galicia repels marshal Soult and the last attempt by the french to conquer the spanish soil.
November
10 after the invasion of France, fights at the action of the Nivelle and Ainhoa-Ascain.
1814
January
23 their grenadiers prisioner at Irún
February
14 combat at Ezpelta
15 Saint Germain
March
24 advance towards tolouse
April
10 Tolouse, last battle of the war
11 abdication of Napoleon
Sergeant, Officer and Drum
Thursday, 16 August 2012
200 years of the battle of Smolensk
The city awaits the french assault. Tho the right of the brech is the Brtislavl subrub and in the centre the orad to Moskow.
The protagonists of the battle the artillery batteties
first blood: an impetous russian brigade is routed by concertated fire of artillery and polish voltigeurs
the frenchs advance on the ciry, in the foreground Poniatowski's polish division (whose voltigeurs are shooting the jägers inside bratislavl), in the centre veteran french infantry that fought in Eylau and Friedland with some austrian allies, and in the background french recruits (the blue ones).
the pride of the french cavalry is destroyed by salvoes from the russian cannons
but the imperials keep their advance, with some hand to hand between skirmishers
closing up: the fire from the french batteries destroys one of the infantry brigades in the russian left, while the polish voligeurs are overhlemed in hand to hand by the jägers, the suburb has accumulated 6 woundss from artillery and so we decided that it was burning and impenetrable. In the background a unit of french recruits has also routed under canister.
The cossacks appear out of the breach and charge under cannonnades against the autrians in Bratislavl that have suffered terrible losses due to canister wrom above the wall.
the riders of the steppe continue their slaughter of imperials...
until being also destroyed by french shells
the last russian unit in the backgroud brecks under explosion and thunder
the french cannon also finishs with the jägers
to avoid destruction the veterans and hussars falls back leaving the battle in hands of their gunners
the artillery duel looks bad for the russians as one by one their batteries crumble under the expert shotting of the imperials
Murat and the remmants of the french army contemplate the bombardement from a secure distance
the final movements: after eliminating the russin guns the french come closer to the city, with infantry and cavalry support the cannons strart to set fire onto the centennary city. Uwilling to risk their men in a frontal attack against the canister the russians abandon the place burning everything and destroying bridges ans stocks behind them.
Outcome: Napoleon manages to capturate just a pile of ashes suffering greater losses than their enemies, the road of Moskow is opened but it remains the challenge of facing the whole russian army in a great battle that decide the campaign: Borodino.
The burning of Smolensk
Sunday, 24 June 2012
The siege of Riga: 2 the storming
We could
see the advancing foes very clearly I could even distingue the individual faces
of the soldiers, the grenadiers with their big moustaches the line troopers
advancing in their hundreds, a compact block moving as one against our lines of
green. And then I realized that actually they were chanting, above the infernal
thunder of the artillery or the sound of drums and fifes we could clearly hear
fragments of their chanting: la libertè nous over la barriere…. le peuple
souvereign… pour elle un français dois
mourir. So they chanted as made the earth shake under the passing of their
boots. –Holy Basil they are taking it terribly serious aren’t they?- asked one
colonel near to me –then we well have to shut them down with the roar of or
muskets sir- replied the major of his regiment a tall man immaculately uniformed
who was standing by him. –look our skirmishers are starting to reply- said
pointing to the clouds of green jackets ahead of our lines. The jägers opened
fire, white puffs of fire emerging sporadically amongst them, but their anarchic
fire nor stopped nor slowed their progress.
They kept
on coming for us as the furies of hell, the rhythm of their drums was a perfect
harmony with their pass- a great spectacle isn’t it?- asked one of my adjutants
to an old lieutenant –it’s the spectacle of death my dear, you will get used to
it- said he with a stern grimace.
Then as one
man, with a marvelous discipline they stopped, one of their officers in a brown
coat and wearing an ornate bicorn advanced from the monolithic ranks and lifting
his sword with enthusiasm ordered feu! with a spasm the sudden silence
was broken when a line of men of half a kilometer length opened fire, it was like the time
stopped, as their volleys crossed the space hitting home amongst our jägers
making them retreat. The cut was bloody but not deep, and now our own men
advanced to counter the attack.
But the
battle was going on in an large front and eventually arrived to me notices of
what was going on in our extreme left flank, which I had left in the care of
General Pavel, was few paces behind the lines of men who were fighting by
musket and fire against the columns of Frenchmen, when suddenly an envoy of the
general arrived. He was in a deplorable state, his uniform had been ripped in
some parts by bullets and was stained by blood and dust, but his face showed an
expression of evident joy. –General, general we have smashed the flank, the
poles are in the run, our men have penetrated into their lines and are about to
take the redoubt by the rear- -excellent news, now the only thing we have to do
is to push simultaneously by the front and trap them between the anvil and the
hammer- then I called on my officers- let’s go gentlemen we have a battle to
won, ride towards the center- As we rode we could clearly see the dying and
wounding of hundreds of men, but this flank was secured and our attention was
needed in the key point: the central redoubt.
The battle
was by now in its peak, at the left the Pskov regiment had opened a gap routing
the entire right flank and was menacing their center. The french grand battery
was opening an infernal fire on our advancing regiments and one of our brigades
had come to a halt when canister ripped their ranks and created the chaos, but
another brigade was closing in and soon would be over them. Next to them was a
french brigade who haven’t moved a lot and was trying to put order in their
ranks, an in our right, three of our brigades were entangled against two in an ferocious
firefight at close distance. I arrived
next to general Vasili. –How are the things going over here? - I asked holding
my hat against the wind –up to now pretty well sir, they had been pounding us with
grapeshot for almost a quarter of our, but their shooting is quite inaccurate
and my boys will cut through them with no effort- responded him –let’s hope so
general, I hope colonel Boris (who was commanding the heading regiment facing
the redoubt) will lead them in his usual style – you mean charging sword in
hand? Surely he will, at this step we won’t have space enough for decorations
in his chest- replied him with amusement.
But action
was also taking part elsewhere; -look sire over there- said one of my adjutants
pointing to our right-damned they are finally moving- I said seeing the remaining
french brigade from Mc Donald corps charging against the flank of the troops
who were surrounding their brothers of the extreme right. Thanks to God our
officers spotted them in time and turned one brigade to face them, the clash
was very fierce, with the majority of the shots being fired at practically at
blank range, but at the end, our men imposed themselves an despite suffering a
fifty percent of casualties smashed their opponents and took their flags, which
were later presented to me by the injured officers from the regiments that had
such honor, a total of two french eagles were taken in this action from the 9th
of line and the 3rd light.
I was at
this moment ridding around the fights in the center then one tenant of infantry
had my one of the captured eagles, holding it in a safe hand I looked at the
colonels and staff officers who surrounded me and said –keep this moment in
your mind gentlemen, we could be losing the war by now but learn that victory
and defeat is just a matter of attitude and cunning, and through them we will be
finally victorious- -god willing- said
some of them crossing themselves, then I looked towards, where the fire had
engulfed already some of the buildings of the city and columns of smoke stained
the sky with their grease and black path
–it’s a pity all this destruction, we go to war thinking about it as a clean
affair, but the reality is far more harmful- let’s hope that this will b the
turning point and drive soon the french back to Paris- said grimly one of the
oldest members of my staff.
The imperials
were cornered, the lone brigade of poles remaining, from the Vistula legion
according to their colours were retreating in front of our victorious troops.
They closed themselves inside the cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevsky which had
dominated the battlefield, trying to make there their last stand. Then I decided
one of my best movements of the day, in spite of charging towards tot the
sacred building which would have been the usual russian manner of solving a
problem I decided to hold back my men and bring forth the artillery. I was
decided to bomb the church to the ground if necessary in order to slaughter the
poles without losing men that would be of more use in the coming campaign. My
orders were passed by, the colonels decided to sit down their men for more
insurance and so they did resting in the redoubt they had just taken joking
with the dad french artillery and passing amongst them bottles of vodka and
curious objects plundered from the dead.
The fight
of our right resolved slowly and in our favor, the columns and lines had
been fighting an endurance test, one of their massive columns had managed to
break through the Smolensk grenadiers, capturing their flag and leaving behind men
by hundreds, allied and enemy alike. Next to them we managed to envelop their
twin column the brigade that had ruptured the french brigade before managed
with great discipline to attack by the rear the remaining imperials. And so
they died standing to the last men, I had to admit their great valor, that
brigade formed by the 4th and the 180th of line fought
with the strengths of a lion causing us great losses, but at the end we killed
or captured all of them and took possessions of one eagle and three flags. Finally
the brigade that had managed to cut through was dispersed by crossfire from the
jägers by the flank and an infantry brigade by the rear.
With that
the battle was over and over the dead body of their enemy the russians took rest
of all the fatigue all the day, in the redoubt where troops had been less engaged
soon fires were lit and at the sound of the balalaika the chanting and the
dancing started to celebrate the victory with sobers of vodka and popular
songs.
The battle
was a coming and going of envoys who handed me flags, poles and french alike
were beaten all along the day and their flags taken some of them saved their
eagles through putting them out from the
staffs and hiding them into their uniforms while running out, all those flags and trophies where presented a week
later by myself to the emperor in person who received me in a room of the
winter palace, there, surrounded by treacherous courtesans and the general
sadness of war he , holding one of the golden eagles touched by Napoleon himself,
asked my the words that I will never forget: are you General Count Barclay de
Toilly –yes, I’m your imperial majesty- I kneeling replied –then I appoint you
field marshal and chief of all my imperial army- the whole crowd kept silence
at this, then the emperor with his blue ys filled with humble humanity crossed
himself four times in the orthodox manner add- may God our lord will have mercy
of Russia, you may go now Barclay, the fate of our holy mother is now in your
hands- .
And what
happened to Mc Donald you will be wondering? Well we found him killed by a
jäger bullet, struck down lading the retreat of his troops, the dead all warrior
could have wished.
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