Napoleon's Carabiniers

Napoleon's Carabiniers

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INTRODUCTION

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arabinj r regimenLS n 'ulal' and Empir

1805-09: THE YEARS OF GLORY RONALD PAWLY, born In Antwerp, Belgium, In 1956 and stili living and working In that city, Is a respected member 01 several Intemational societies lor Napoleonic studies, and an expert on 19th century military portraiture. He Is the author 01 the monumental The Red Lancers: Anatomy of 8 Napoleonic Regiment (Crowood Press, 19981, and of a study 01 Napoleonic veterans' tombs in Belgium. He has previously written several books In the Men-atArms series including MAA 355: Wellington's Be/glan Allies 1815; MAA 371: Wellington'S Du1ch Allies 1815; MAA 378: Napoleon's Guards of Honour, MAA 389: Napo/eon's Red Lancers.

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• The 1805 ampaign - usterlilZ • Th 1 06-07 campaigr - F.-icdland • h 1809 campai n • I 10: Arm llr and n w uniJOl111

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1812: RUSSIA • Tb advan e - m lensk • Bororuno - Mo'cO\ - inkovo • Th rcrreat- th d quadran - th R 'gim nt Piqu t

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1813: GERMANY • The Leipzig campaign • 1 13-1 : arri n ervic in

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1814-15 • • • •

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Th campaign of France Th Fir t R storauon Th Hundr d Da Table af regim mal aloneL

UNIFORMS & EQUIPMENT

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• Th pr -l 10 unifOt111: ap - coats - mall I th . - rank di,tineti n- - b Its 'wap os - table dre - ridjng manu hal'. furnitur - ffie r . uniform • h 110unifoI111:helmt- uira -jakt-malllth rank di tin lions - weapon - riding manti - hor e urnitureoffic r . uniform • The 1812Bardin 111 difi alion

PATRICE COURCELLE was bom In northem France In 1950 and has been a professional illustrator for some 20 years. Entirely selftaught, he has Illustrated many books and magazine articles for Continental publishers, and his work hangs In a number of public and private collections.

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

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THE PLATES

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INDEX

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Men-at-Arms· 405

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Napoleon's Carabiniers

Ronald Pawly . Illustrated by Patrice Courcelle Sertes editor Martin Windrow

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Readers may eate to IlOl8 !hat the origlnaI paintIngS fI'om wtodl the coIcu plates WI this book were preparBd ant availabllt lor private sale. AI ~ copynght whatsoever is re~ by the PubIish8rs. AI etllJM'\eS shouki be aoctessed to;

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Prlnt..:lln C!l1na \I'IrCoJlt> WorIs was some W'd)' behind their left flank, before HoI7.hausen, As the baule progressed this wing \,'cre driven in north-weslwards, and by lhe mOnlill~ of the 18th, Sebastian;'s 4,800-0dd troopers would be behind Macdonald's infantl1' di\'is;ons before lhe \'illagc of Slot!erilz. The Cuirassier officer SILt Rilliel wrOte in his journal (published in 1908) thaI the 2nd Cavillry Coq)S was deployed in column of regiments, with the lSI C;mlbi"iers in from and Cen SCbastiani with his sl.'lff off 10 their right. Suddenl)' a lllass of enemy cavall1'. mainl)' Hungarian hussars, charged c10\\'11 on tile Qmtbiniers. The general waved his aiding crop and exclaimed. 'Brd\'Q! This \,ill l>e channing - hussars charging Carabiniers!' But instead of accepting the challenge. which their ;lnnour. \,'eapons and training should ha\'e fitted lhem 1,0 meet without difficulty, the lst Car:tbiniel'$ reponedl)' tumed lheir horses and fell back. Far from reSloring the situation, the 2nd Regt followed them, pulling the 1st Sqn of tile 1st Cuirassiers with them, On I)' the last two Cuirassier squadrons kept fonnation and charged, supponed b)' the ad\'ancing 2nd Bde ofGen Saint-Cermain's di\ision. Rilliet claims that '5M~z!.~I',j

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An Impression of the rear view of the Carabinier uniform of 1810, by Job. (Author's collection)

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wi1h other d tachments int provi ional r iment.,; til . - weI' to join 111 main ann' in recapturing nnan and Polj h tcniLOry. he Ci t dctachm nt w n f 60 bini r. r the 1 t Re and 33 for th 2nd, all di mounted. larchin \'ja tr I w' ainz and W ' I. til )' aniv d at M gd bw'g n U 1St I 1~. and \ er ir u d with the . hon; . a thi mall d lacllm III added cvernl Carabinie still ani\ing fr m Russi and [Tom hospital. Th Lun ',iIle 1 pt. )011 'CIll an 111 r 1.\ d tachmen • and with number ri ·jng two quadron c uld b rganiz d: on of th 1 I R 'gt mmand d b· pt uillawne, and ne of the _nd led b' apt F r-t. g ther the quadran COUIlL d 16 ollic ,four ergeant-m,y n;, r. ur JOlll7iers and uffi i III corp rals. During the amli ti e rJun - uguSt I 13, '(agd blll'g b came J entr for th n 11U ti l10ftr p ,arm and ammunition. tth nd f Ih armisti e lh lag 1 burg garri 11 had b n il1l nded t make a rti t j in Ma 'h I udin t'. mar h t wards B din, hut in tll v III \.hi exp dition nev r happ ned, and IJagdeburg', 25.0 tfong garri on " n under . i e b AJlied tr p. The gani n remain d a ti\'e, how vcr: th v anied ul'e eral u cessful .ortie t lind a tJ ,r cider and r. od. and at 0 in rder to k ep up the I. n i n in the t n'ur Lhal m re u'o p \ ere ti d lown b ' lh ie II 14 April I 14 new r a hed the i ' ilial \.h Emp r r had abdicat d. n 23 pril an i n d. and la~debur w . handed over to th Hie. on 1 en I'ill L Marai.. military gov mor of thc cit)' and AD t the Emp 1'01'. left for Fran e with the I' main fth gan'ison - . m 1 ,Om nand 4 gtl11 .

Painting by Vemet of an officer In full dress but without cuirass, following the 1812 Bardin regulat ons (as so often, the gauntlet cuffs hide the Jacket cuff detail whIch are the only way to distinguish the 1st from the 2nd Regiment). It Is Interesting to see two saddles: the entirely blue one on the horse WiIS probably for everyday use, and the sliver-edged one (right) for full dress. In several

1814-15

paintings Vemet shows the pistol holster covers In cloth

Tn 1 14. re rganized el again, th ara ini r brigade parti ipated in til "ampaign of France', now 1 db·.-h fOllner alan I of Ih 2nd Regt. n Bhncard. The I 1 campaign was one f ~ rced march and c unter-marche' a p I 11. med t I' eli 0'1' I' hi' old brillian e. VI ith a mall but v ry m bile arm}. he kept at b r; r month' th mu h tr I1g rand IW rging armi. 01" th alition; on o a i n. ind ed, h cam do La d i'i\' vi tori . TIl Carabinie' ·till pan f en ailll- rmain" h a\' avalt divi i 11. di tingui bed th m '1'1' at Brienn (31 January 1 14), ulna (3 FebrualJ'). auchamp (14- ebruary), raonne (7 arch), Laon ( 1\farch), rci ur- ube (20 March). and on 2 ~Iar h at Fere-Champ noi.e - all de p rat I auk ~ ugbt ag-ain l h 3\'V dds. But th v ,wh Imin I, 'up ri r numl e' th iii ~ rCf'r1 lh Fr n h lroops awa from y

rather than In the usual bearskin. The red plume on the left of this helmet Is also unusual. Before 1810 the Junior officers wore red plumes on their bearsJdn caps, and senior officers white plumes, this might also have been the case after 1810. but we only know of white plumes for senior officers In full

dress. (Author's collection)

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Paris: after a fierce but brief resistance the capital capillliated, and lhe fil1it signs of defections from Napoleon's anny - and from among his seniOl' commanders - became apparent. The Emperor tried to :lbdicate in fa\'our of his infant son at Fomaineblcau on 6 April, but the Allies reject.ed this pia)' and insisted on unconditional surrender. This ....'as agreed on II April, and soon afte.....'ards Nilpolcon took thc road to the south and exile on the lillie Mediterranean island of Elba. Wit.h the monarchy restored and peace rClUl"Iling to the European continent. the Carabiniers retul1lcd to their depot at Llllu~\il1c on 13June 1814. The First Restoration

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Undcr the First Restoration the ann)' was reduced to normal peacetime proporrions. A ro)'al ordnance of 12 Ma)' 1814 recognized the Carabiniers' honorary precedence in the Line ca\'alry', ....ith two regiments each of four squadrons of {\\'o companies. The regimental 'itaffs would consist of eight officers and 12 rankcrs ....i th 23 hOl'SCS, and e:'lch compan}' ....·ould ha\'e four officers. 74 mcn and 63 horses: the regimental strength was thus 40 officers. 604 rankers and 527 horses. The restoration of outward signs of the (mC'im rigi"1L saw I.he Carabinier brigade become Le Corps de Carabiniers de Monsieur. under the command of Marechal-de-cunp Coone d'Escars and the Comte d'Anois - King Louis ~'Vl1l's unpopular )'ounger brother, who receh'ed the rank of honor:tf)' colonel by ro)'al ordnancc on 20 May 1814, On the e\'ening of the following 30 October thc CoUIlI. of Artois, weating C;lrabinier unifonn, came to Lune\'ilIe for an inspection: the next da)' he had both regiments paraded ill frout of him, and on I November. the da)' before he left. he g;lthered both regiments on foot in the manigr or riding school. There twO long tables were set for the troopers and NCOs, crossed at the ends b)' another long t..,ble for the count. officers and guestS of both regiments. After a distribution of dccomtions, the officers and men were itl\~ted to a luncheon presided o\'er b), their honorary colonel. After drinking the hcalth of the regimenls, some members of the count's elllourdge, in the traditional manner, threw their emptied glasses to slllash on t.he ground. At this, lhe Carabinier officen; followed their example br dl'awing their long swords and smashing up lhe elaborately dressed tables. Bollles. plates, glasses and dishes flew through the ail' in frab'1lICllts. 1.0 thc considerable shock of thc Comtc d'Artois, The next da), the COUIll left Lunc\'ilIe \\ith an escort of Car'abiniers who followed him I.Owards Nanc),. Shortly afterwards. Cen Pail hold distributed the new regimental standards which were to replace the old eagles. This was not. the only impelial emblem that the anny \'~.-lS ordered to discontinue by the nc\.' go,·cnllllel1l.. On 22 July 1814 ncw helmets were distributed 1.0 both Carabinier regimentS. in the same st),le as pre\iollsly but tlOW ...·ithout the 'I'hite metal frOIll plate sho,\ing the crownt..d C)vher 'N'; instead the plate sho,,'cd the honol'af)' colonel's blazon of arms, When Napoleon escaped from Elba in ~Iarch 1815 and retllmed to power, he found a full)' equipped and full strength brigade who were eager to unscrew the Count of Anois' amls from their helmets, (Officers, who had to pay for their own equipment, probably still had their old impelial helmets.)

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Officer In winter undress uniform with overcoat, and senior officer In winter petit tsnus de ville, c1810. Off duty, the officer on the left wears his blcom. With the comfortable sky-blue double-breasted overcoat he wears black stockings for wInter, and black shoes with silver buckles. On the right, his senior colleague wears a sky-blue singlebreasted uniform coat with collar and cuffs In the same colour piped sliver, and white tum backs. For winter he wears dark blue trousers and the traditional heavy cavalry boots, and an epee Is frogged to a belt passing under his clothing. (illustration by Pierre Benlgnl, Le Bivouac)

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01 Le pold and 2 h r Drag n [[j ·uiton. Col ourticl' and 20 t11 r uira ier ollie >rs. Tn the 121.h Div, ell ROll al d 'H urbal and Donop. 1- randj .U1 an La rai , and 28 oth I' £fie r becam c, ualti The Linc cmrab ofch 3rd m'p' wcr followed up Lh ,101 es, in th ir (Urn, b, en uyot', H a avail of th uS ;U:COUl1l 3:'1. 31 Rus.~i:tl1 :If'Il1;es 7

Elbing 9 F:llln~;lII, Antoine Fr.m~oi~ :1 Friedland. b;lIl1e of 9-10 Friedrich Wilhelm, King nf I'russia

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Bcssicrcs. Marsh:.1 11 Blancard, Colonel 8.9. 10. 19,20.35.

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37,38,39 Bliichcr. Gcm:rnl Gd)bard 2·1. 2fl Borghcsc. PI'ince C;llnillc 7.8. 9 Borodino. b..111lc of 17-20

18.19.20 Laroche, Colonel Frall,ois 7.9,21 ~s h1\'alide~. Army Museum 3 LOllis XIV, Killg of Fr;lllce ·1

campaiJ:"lIs 1'oiapoleonic (1805) 6-7

l\'lad.. (;cucrnl Karl fi

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(1812) 1.'l-23 (1813) 23-1.33-5

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The uniforms, equipment. history and organization of the world's military forces, past and present

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r nch R olution with their lite statu intact. They co ered them elves with glory at Au t r1Hz, Fri dland, Ratisbonn and Wagramwhere their blo dy 10 se hocked ap I on into ord rin th m n whelm t and cuira se . R -form d aft r Photographs Full colour artwork

near annihilati n in Ru ia in 1 12, th f u hl at Leipzig and in man actions f th 1814 French campaign, and m de n

f the final charg at Wat rio. illustrated with rare earl print and m ticuJous lour r

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