II Corps: Regimental Histories

  2ème Hussars 

 Formed in Strasbourg in 1735, partly from Hungarian volunteers, this regiment was given the royal title "Hussards de Chamborant".  Renamed 2eme Regiment de Hussards in 1791, the unit continued to be known as the Chamborant Regiment until well into the early Empire.  Throughout this period the regiment drew its recruits from the eastern borders of France; many of its members spoke a German-Alsatian jargon and could not communicate in French.  The light cavalry known as Hussars had originated with the Gunalis, the horsemen of the Ottoman Empire whose outlandish uniforms set military fashion in Eastern Europe and eventually spread to Germany and France.  

The 2nd Hussars were attached to Bernadotte's division (under Simon) at Wurzburg in 1796.  The regiment served under Bernadotte again, from 1805-1808, as part of the light cavalry of the I Corps d'Armee of the Grande Armee.  The 2nd was engaged on the French left flank at Austerlitz in 1805.  Absent at the Battles of Jena and Auerstaedt in 1806, the regiment participated in the devastating pursuit of the Prussians which followed.  The 2nd were a part of the force which crushed the Prussian Reserve at Halle (17 October, 1806) but received a check two weeks later at Crewitz where their commander, Colonel Gerard, was captured. 

During the campaign in Poland, the 2nd saw action at Mohrungen on 25 January, 1807 but missed the Battle of Eylau.  At 4 PM on 14 June, three squadrons of the 2nd arrived on the field at Friedland and formed part of the army reserve under Victor.  Together with Ney's corps, the reserve smashed the Russian left flank when the battle was renewed.  From 1808-13, the 2nd Hussars served a long tour of duty in Spain.  During their stay on the Peninsula, the unit saw action at Medellin, Alcabon, Ronda, Sierra de Cazala, Gebora, Los Santos, Albufera and Somanis.

Transferred to Germany in 1813, the 2nd Hussars were with the Grande Armee at Leipzig.  In 1814, the regiment

participated in the action at Montereau, and on Napoelon's abdication was renamed the Regiment de Hussards de la Reine.  When Napoleon returned in 1815, the unit reassumed the designation 2eme Regiment de Hussards and was attached to the corps d'Observation du Jura, where it saw its final action at the defence of Belfort.  The regiment was disbanded in September of that year.  The motto of the 2nd Hussars was "Noblesse oblige, Chamborant autant".     

Uniform characteristics: dolman, pelisse, collar - brown, breeches and cuffs - sky blue, lace - white/silver

(The pelisse was the hussar's braided, fur-trimmed outer jacket, worn in winter as a short overcoat, or slung back over the left shoulder.  The dolman was the equally braided inner jacket).    

The 12th Chasseurs a Cheval had its origins in the Legion Corse, formed after the French conquest of Corsica in 1769.  In 1775 the unit was renamed Legion du Dauphine, a short-lived connotation which lasted just three months.  Reconstituted in 1779 from four squadrons of the old Legion Corse, the formation was designated 6eme Regiment de Chasseurs a Cheval.  After its amalgamation with infantry companies in 1784 the unit was known as the Regiment de Chasseurs des Ardennes (No. 6), but it was again renamed four years later as the Regiment de Chasseurs de Champagne (No. 12).  In 1791 the regiment was finally designated 12eme Regiment de Chasseurs a Cheval de la Ligne, the name it was to carry throughout the Napoleonic wars.

The 12th Chasseurs a Cheval were present at Wurzburg (1796) when the Archduke Charles defeated the French under Jourdan.  For the campaign which ended with the capitulation of Ulm in 1805, the regiment was attached to the light cavalry brigade of Davout’s III Corps d’Armee of the Grande Armee but missed the Battle of Austerlitz.

The 12th continued to be brigaded with the 1st and 2nd Chasseurs a Cheval and attached to Davout’s army corps during the Prussian campaign in 1806.  The light cavalry brigade, under Vialannes, distinguished itself at Auerstaedt, suffering heavy losses in the brilliant victory over the Prussians.  Commanded by Marulaz on the snowy field at Eylau (1807), the 12th and 1st Chasseurs a Cheval were at the head of Davout’s relief column which decided that sanguinary battle in favour of the French.

The 12th, 500 strong and brigaded under Jacquinot, were again a part of III Corps d’Armee’s light cavalry at Eckmuehl and Ratisbon during the opening stages of the campaign on the Danube.  At Wagram (1809), 718 troopers of the 12th served in Montbrun’s light cavalry division.  225 troopers of the 12th rode into Russia in 1812 as part of 7th Light Brigade (Saint-Geniez), 2nd Light Cavalry Division (Sebastiani), II Reserve Cavalry Corps (Montbrun).  At Borodino, the regiment endured a destructive Russian cannonade in front of the Great Redoubt.

Virtually destroyed along with the bulk of the French cavalry arm during the retreat from Russia at the end of 1812, the 12th Chasseurs a Cheval were resurrected the following year and  participated in the campaign in Germany at the actions of Koennern, the Katzbach and Leipzig.  For the 1814 campaign in France, the 12th were a part of Saint-Germain’s division at Bar-sur-Aube.

In 1815, 375 troopers of the 12th Chasseurs a Cheval served under Colonel de Grouchy as part of 2nd Brigade (Vinot), 3rd Cavalry Division (Domon),  III Corps d’Armee (Vandamme) of the Armee du Nord in the regiment’s final campaign, and saw action at both Ligny and Waterloo. 

Uniform characteristics: collar - crimson, cuffs - green, turnbacks - crimson. 

7.-8. February 1807 Eylau:

IV Corps (Soult)-2ème Div. (GD Leval)- 3ème Brigade (GB Vivies) -Colonel Latrille- 1000 men- 2 bns)

May-July 1809 Aspern-Essling & Wagram:

IV Corps (Massena)- 2ème Division (GD Carra St. Cyr)- Brigade Schiner. 

[Aspern: Arrived on the battlefield at 18:30 on the first day of the battle and were immediately ordered towards Aspern which had shorly before been taken by the Austrians.  The 46ème with 24ème Legere retook the village in a ferocious charge, but were almost driven back shortly after when the Austrians regrouped and counterattacked.  The 46ème clung to lower part of the village when night fell.]

[Wagram: To secure the French advance towards the Wagram ridge, it was necessary to capture the village of Gross-Enzersdorf.  The village was held by the Austrian advance guard.  "An attack spearheaded by 46ème Ligne ultimately met with success after fierce hand-to-hand fighting among the ruins and earthworks."]

May-July 1809 Aspern-Essling & Wagram:

[Wagram: Following the 57ème Ligne who went on to attack Baumersdorf, the 10ème Legere passed the village and crossed the Russbach stream in front of the Austrian position and struggled up the steep incline.  On reaching the top they found themselves confronted by Buresch’s brigade of II Corps....disordered by their advance, the 10ème were now exposed to heavy musketry followed by a charge of the Vinvcent’s Chevauxlegers led by Hohoenzollern in person.  Alone and unsuported, the 10ème fled back down the escarpment and past the village of Baumersdorf, taking the 57ème with them.]

(May-July 1809 Aspern-Essling & Wagram: II Corps (Oudinot then Lannes)- 3ème Division (GD St. Hilaire)- Brigade Lorencez- 1860 men –3 Bns.

May-July 1809 Aspern-Essling & Wagram:

[Aspern: The sister regiment of the fearsome 57ème Ligne.  It was positioned in between Aspern and Essling and followed closely in the footsteps of the 57ème in the breakthrough attempt.]  

30.-31. October 1813 Hanau:

IX Corps (Macdonald)- 36ème Div. (GD Charpentier)- 2ème Brigade (GB Meunier) -3 Bns.)

The Corsicans always have had certain military reputation -many Italian states had recruited them as mercenaries through the ages.  In 1803 Napoleon ordered Berthier to form an all-Corsican light infantry battalion, and promotion was to be strictly withing the unit so the Corsican character of the unit would not be lost.  Normally serving with the Tirailleurs du Po, it distinguished itself in Davout's defensive battling to hold the French right flank at Austerlitz.  In 1811 the unit was disbanded and formed into the 11ème Legere with the Tirailleurs du Po, the  Legion du Midi and the Battalion Valisan.

The unit was always called in jest "Les Cousins de L'Empereur" by other units of the French army.  The uniform they wore was brown, faced originally with red and later with green.

Belonging to 1ère Division of Davout's III elite Corps, commanded by the able General de Division Morand.  Brigade commander was GdB Debully.  The 61ème was commanded by Colonel Nicolas and at the battle there were 2 battalions of 2140 men present.   The 61ème arrived late on the battlefield with the rest of Morand's division (around 1100 hrs, the battle itself had started at 0700 hrs) and proceeded to deploy on the left flank.  The Prussians attacked Morand's Division with cavalry but were repulsed.  Morand then advanced and crushed Wartensleben's command,  crushed an attempted counterattack by Orange's Brigade, and literally destroyed the Prussian right wing.  Davout mentioned the 61eme in his Journal: "We were withing pistol range, and the cannonade tore gaps in their ranks which immediately closed up.  Each move of the 61st Regiment was indicated on the ground by the brave men they left there."

 Back to the IIeme Corps HQ Page