The Battle of Borodino: Napoleon Against Kutuzov

Home > Nonfiction > The Battle of Borodino: Napoleon Against Kutuzov > Page 39
The Battle of Borodino: Napoleon Against Kutuzov Page 39

by Alexander Mikaberidze


  2nd Company of the Polish Artillery Train Battalion

  Auxiliary

  A Company of Polish Sapper Battalion

  CORPS CAVALRY: General of Division Kaminski

  18th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Joseph Niemojewski

  4th Polish Chasseurs a Cheval

  19th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Tadeus Tyskiewicz

  1st Polish Chasseurs a Cheval

  12th Polish Lancer Regiment

  20th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Prince Antoine Sulkowski

  5th Polish Chasseurs a Cheval

  13th Polish Hussars

  RESERVE ARTILLERY: Colonel Antoine Gorski

  2nd Polish Horse Artillery Company (6 guns)

  14th Polish Foot Artillery Company (6 guns)

  Polish Regimental Artillery (3 guns)

  Auxiliary

  4th and 5th of the Polish Artillery Train Battalion

  One Company of Polish Pontonniers

  Two companies of Polish Sapper Battalion

  4 companies of Polish Battalion of Military Equipage.

  VIII CORPS: General of Division Andoche Junot

  23RD INFANTRY DIVISION: General of Division Jean-Victor Tharreau

  1st Brigade: General of Brigade François Auguste Damas

  3rd (Westphalian) Light Battalion

  2nd (Westphalian) Line

  6th (Westphalian) Line

  2nd Brigade: General of Brigade Karl Heinrich von Borstel

  2nd (Westphalian) Light

  3rd (Westphalian)

  7th (Westphalian) Line

  Artillery: Captain Frede

  1st Westphalian Foot (8 guns)

  1st Westphalian Artillery Train Company

  24TH INFANTRY DIVISION: General of Division Adam Ludwig von Ochs

  1st Brigade: General of Brigade Edouard Legras

  Westphalian Guard Grenadiers Battalion

  Westphalian Guard Jäger Battalion Westphalian Jäger-Carabinier Battalion

  1st (Westphalian) Light Battalion

  Artillery: Captain Lamaitre

  2nd Westphalian Foot (8 guns)

  Westphalian Guard Horse Artillery Battery (4 guns)

  3rd Westphalian Train Company.

  CORPS CAVALRY: General of Brigade Hans Georg von HammersteinEquord

  24th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade von Hammerstein-Equord

  1st Westphalian Hussars

  2nd Westphalian Hussars

  Guard Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Marc François Wolf

  Westphalian Chevau-léger Regiment of the Guard

  Artillery

  Westphalian Guard Horse Artillery Battery (2 guns)

  Artillery Park: Chef de battailon Schulz

  Detachment of Westphalian reserve artillery (no guns)

  4th Westphalian Train Company Westphalian sapper Company

  Detachment of Westphalian Artillery Artisans

  Detachment of Westphalian Military Equipage

  Detachment of Westphalian gendarmerie.

  CAVALRY RESERVE: Marshal Joachim Murat, King of Naples

  1st RESERVE CAVALRY CORPS: General of Division Etienne-Marie-

  Antoine-Champion Nansouty

  1ST LIGHT CAVALRY DIVISION: General of Division Pierre Joseph Bruyères

  3rd Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Claude-Charles Jacquinot

  7th Hussar Regiment

  9th Chevau-léger Regiment

  4th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Hippolyte-Marie-Guillaume Pire

  16th Chasseurs a Cheval Regiment

  8th Hussar Regiment

  15th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Joseph Nienwieski

  6th Polish Lancer Regiment

  8th Polish Lancer Regiment

  2nd Combined Prussian Hussar Regiment

  Brandenburg Hussar Regiment No. 3 (3rd & 4th Squadrons)

  Pomeranian Hussar Regiment No. 5 (1st & 3rd Squadrons)

  Artillery

  7th Company of the 6th Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  1ST CUIRASSIER DIVISION: General of Division Antoine Louis St Germaine

  1st Brigade: General of Brigade Adrien-François Bruno

  2nd Cuirassier Regiment

  2nd Brigade: General of Brigade Bertrand Bessières

  3rd Cuirassier Regiment

  3rd Brigade: General of Brigade Mathieu Quenot

  9th Cuirassier Regiment

  1st Squadron of the1st Chevau-léger Regiment

  Artillery

  1st Company of the 5th Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  3rd Company of the 5th Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  5TH CUIRASSIER DIVISION: General of Division Valence de Timbrune de Thiembronne

  1st Brigade: General of Brigade Nicolas Reynaud

  6th Cuirassier Regiment

  2nd Brigade: General of Brigade Pierre-François-Marie-Auguste Dejean

  11th Cuirassier Regiment

  3rd Brigade: General of Brigade Armand-Charles-Louis de Lagrange le Lievre

  12th Cuirassier Regiment

  1st Squadron of the 5th Chevau-léger Regiment

  Artillery

  4th Company of the 5th Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  5th Company of the 5th Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  II RESERVE CAVALRY CORPS: General of Division Louis-Pierre Montbrun

  2ND LIGHT CAVALRY DIVISION: General of Division Claude Pierre Pajol

  7th Light Brigade: Colonel Desirat

  11th Chasseur a Cheval Regiment

  12th Chasseur a Cheval Regiment

  8th Light Brigade: General of Brigade Andre Burthe

  5th Hussar Regiment

  9th Hussar Regiment

  16th Light Brigade: General of Brigade Jacques-Gervais Subervie

  3rd Württemberg Jäger zu Pferd

  1st Combined Prussian Lancer Regiment

  Silesian Lancer Regiment No. 2 (3rd & 4th Squadrons)

  Brandenburg Lancer Regiment No. 3 (3rd & 4th Squadrons)

  10th Polish Hussar Regiment

  Artillery

  1st Company of the 4th Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  2ND CUIRASSIER DIVISION: General of Division Pierre Wathier (de Saint Alphonse)

  1st Brigade: General of Brigade Louis-Chrétien Beaumont

  5th Cuirassier Regiment

  2nd Brigade: General of Brigade Jean Louis

  8th Cuirassier Regiment

  3rd Brigade: General of Brigade Joseph-Philippe

  10th Cuirassier Regiment

  1st Squadron of the 2nd Chevau-léger Regiment

  Artillery

  1st Company of the 2nd Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  4th Company of 2nd Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  4TH CUIRASSIER DIVISION: General of Division Jean-Marie Antoine Defrance

  1st Brigade: General of Brigade Louis-Claude Chouard

  1st Carabinier Regiment

  2nd Brigade: General of Brigade Pierre-Louis-François Paultre de Lamotte 2nd Carabinier Regiment

  3rd Brigade: General of Brigade Joseph Bouvier des Eclaz

  1st Cuirassier Regiment

  4th Squadron of the 4th Chevau-léger Regiment

  Artillery

  3rd Company of the 1st Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  4th Company of the 1st Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  III RESERVE CAVALRY CORPS: General of Division Emmanuel Grouchy

  3RD LIGHT CAVALRY DIVISION: General of Division Louis-Pierre-

  Aimé Chastel

  11th Light Brigade: General of Brigade Pierre-Edme Gauthrin

  6th Hussar Regiment

  8th Chasseur à Cheval Regiment

  10th Light Brigade: General of Brigade François-Joseph Gérard

  6th Chasseur à Cheval Regiment 25th Chasseur a Cheval Regiment

  17th Light Brigade: General of Brigade Jean Baptiste

  1st Bavarian Chevau-léger

  2nd Bavarian Chevau-léger Regiment Saxon Prinz Albrecht Chevau-làger Regiment

  Artillery
<
br />   6th Company of the 6th Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  6TH HEAVY CAVALRY DIVISION: General of Division Armand Lebrun La Houssaye

  1st Brigade: General of Brigade Nicolas-Marin

  7th Dragoon Regiment 23rd Dragoon Regiment

  2nd Brigade: General of Brigade Denis-Etienne Seron

  28th Dragoon Regiment

  30th Dragoon Regiment

  Artillery

  4th Company of the 6th Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  5th Company of the 6th Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  IV RESERVE CAVALRY CORPS: General of Division Marie-VictorNicolas de Fay de Latour-Maubourg

  4TH LIGHT CAVALRY DIVISION: General of Division Alexander Rozniecki

  29th Light Brigade: General of Brigade Kazimierz Turno

  3rd Polish Lancer Regiment

  15th Polish Lancer Regiment

  16th Polish Lancer Regiment

  Artillery

  3rd Polish Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  4th Polish Horse Artillery (6 guns)

  7TH CUIRASSIER DIVISION: General of Division Jean-Thomas-Guillaume Lorge

  1st Brigade: Generalmajor Jobann Adolf von Thielemann

  Zastrow Cuirassier Regiment

  Saxon Gardes du Corps

  14th Polish Cuirassier Regiment

  2nd Brigade: General of Brigade Helmut Auguste von Lepel

  1st Westphalian Cuirassier Regiment

  2nd Westphalian Cuirassier Regiment

  Artillery

  2nd Westphalian Horse Battery (6 guns)

  2nd Saxon Horse Battery von Hiller (6 guns)

  Glossary

  Abatis: An obstacle or barricade of trees, often with bent or sharpened branches directed toward an enemy.

  Auxiliary: Non-combatant, support, troops.

  Bataillon de Guerre: Active battalion in a French regiment.

  Brigade: Military unit consisting of two or more regiments.

  Brustwehr: A defensive wall or elevation in a fortification.

  Cantinière: Female camp-follower selling food and drink to the troops.

  Carabinier(s): Mounted trooper armed with a carbine.

  Chasseur(s) à Cheval: In the French Army, a light cavalryman.

  Chasseur(s) à Pied: In the French Army, a light infantryman.

  Chef d’Escadrons: French military rank, in charge of two squadrons.

  Chef de Bataillon: French military rank, in charge of a battalion.

  Chef(s): In the Russian Army, a colonel-proprietor in charge of a regiment.

  Chevau(x)-Léger: In the French Army, light cavalry units, often Polish.

  Company: Tactical unit, part of a battalion.

  Corps: Self-contained military operational unit consisting of two or more infantry and cavalry divisions, with artillery and engineer forces.

  Corps de Bataille: At Borodino, ad hoc Russian military component that included two corps, e.g. corps de bataille of Gorchakov and of Miloradovich.

  Cossack(s): Irregular cavalry force in the Russian Army, famous for their harassing tactics.

  Cuirassier(s): Heavy cavalryman protected by an iron breastplate (cuirass).

  Division: Military unit consisting of two or more brigades.

  Dragoon(s): Heavy cavalryman armed with a short musket.

  Ekipazh/Equipage: Russian military unit established from the crews of the Imperial court’s yacht and galleys in St Petersburg in 1810.

  État Major: General Staff of the French Army.

  Fascine: A long bundle of sticks bound together, used in building earthworks and in strengthening ramparts.

  Flèche(s): Small V-shaped military fortification.

  Flügel Adjutant: Special rank granted by the Russian Emperor to staff and junior officers of the imperial suite.

  Fusilier(s): Soldier armed with a light flintlock musket called a fusil.

  Gendarmerie: Military body charged with police duties.

  General-proviantmaster: In the Russian Army, an official in charge of supplies and forage.

  Grand Equerry: Master of the Horse, one of the Great Officers of the French court, in charge of the royal or imperial stables.

  Grenadier(s) à Cheval: Mounted grenadiers.

  Grenadier(s) à Pied: Foot grenadiers.

  Grenadier(s): Originally, a specialized assault soldier who would throw grenades and storm breaches; by early 19th century, élite troops drawn from veterans and noted for their size and discipline.

  Horse Artillery: Artillery drawn by horses, which allowed for higher manoeuvrability.

  Howitzer: Type of artillery piece with a relatively short barrel, used to propel large projectiles at medium velocities over a curved trajectory.

  Hussar(s): Light cavalryman, armed with sabre and dressed in an elaborate short cloak

  Imperial Guard: Napoleon’s élite military formation.

  Jäger(s): Light infantry, often employed to skirmish ahead of the main infantry lines, and harass and delay the enemy advance.

  Leib: In the Russian Army, a term indicating unit’s special status, i.e. Leib-Grenadier or Leib-Cuirassier Regiments; used as “Leib-Gvardii” for élite Guard units.

  Licorne: In the Russian Army, a type of cannon that combined characteristics of howitzer and cannon.

  Lieue: French unit of measurement equal to an English league or 2.4 miles.

  Lunette: A wide-V shaped fortification with two projecting shoulders.

  Musketeer(s): Infantryman armed with a musket; in the Russian army, a generic term for infantry units until 1811.

  Nagaika: A short, thick whip with round cross-section used by Cossacks.

  Old Guard: Napoleon’s élite unit, part of the Imperial Guard.

  Opolchenye(s): In the Russian Army, a militia force that was recruited in provinces.

  Opisaniye: Title of the official account of the Battle of Borodino written by Karl Toll

  Palisade: A fence of pales or stakes set firmly in the ground for enclosure or defence.

  Peloton: Tactical unit within a company or squadron.

  Pioneer(s): Combat engineers.

  Pontoon: Flat-bottomed boat or a float used to cross water obstacles.

  Pontonnier(s): Combat engineers used to construct crossings over the bodies of water.

  Pud: Russian measurement of weight, equal to 16.4 kg or 36.2 pounds.

  Redan: French term for a V-shaped fortification.

  Redoubt: Military fortification consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement.

  Rezervnii: In the Russian Army, a reserve unit.

  Rotmistr: In the Russian cavalry, a rank of the 9th class (in the Guard cavalry – 7th class), equal to a captain in the infantry.

  Roubles: Russian currency.

  Sapper(s): Combat engineer(s).

  Sazhen: Russian measurement of length equal to 3m or 7 feet.

  Shantsy: Old Russian term for a fortification.

  Sotnya: A Cossack unit, literally meaning ‘one hundred.’

  Sous-Lieutenant: French junior officer rank.

  Sub Lieutenant: Russian junior oficer rank of the 13th class in regular infantry (in guard – 10th class; in artillery – 12th class), below a lieutenant.

  Tartar(s): Collective name applied to the Turkic speaking people within the Russian Empire.

  Tirailleur(s): Sharpshooters, light infantry trained to skirmish ahead of the main forces.

  Toises: French measurement of length equal to 1.94m or 2.13 yards.

  Uezds: Russian administrative unit.

  Uhlan(s): Light cavalrymen armed with lances and known for their double breasted jackets (kurtka) and a square topped Polish lancer cap (czapka).

  Versta: Russian measurement of length, equal to 1,066m or 3,500 feet.

  Vzvod: In the Russian Army, a tactical unit (platoon) within a company (which contained two vzvods) or a squadron (which contained four vzvods). Each vzvod was sub-divided into two half-vzvods (poluvzvod). In the Russian artillery, a vzvod contained two guns and six vzvods formed a battery.

>   Young Guard: Napoleon’s élite unit, part of the Imperial Guard.

  Zapasnoi: In the Russian Army, a replacement unit.

  Notes and Sources

  1. L. Beskrovny, Otecbestvennaia voina 1812 g. i kontrnastuplenia Kutuzova, (Moscow, 1951), 66.

  2. N. Garnich, 1812 god, (Moscow, 1956), 181.

  3. V. Pugachev and V. Dines, Istoriki, izbravsbie put Galilea: statii, ocberki, (Saratov, 1995), 137. Also see Rodina 6–7 (1992): 172.

  4. N. Ryazanov, ‘M.I. Kutuzov i ego pisma,’ in Kutuzov M.I.: pisma, zapiski, (Moscow, 1989), 554; B.Abalikhin and V. Dunayevsky, 1812 god na perekrestkakb mnenii sovetskikb istorikov, 1917–1987, (Moscow, 1990), 79, 112–113; O. Orlik, Groza dvenadtsatogo goda …, (Moscow, 1987), 105.

  5. Yu. Gulyaev and V. Soglayeva, Feldmarsbal Kutuzov: Ist.–biograficbeskii ocberk, (Moscow, 1995); V. Dunayevsky, General–feldmarsbal, svetleisbii knyaz M.I. Golenisbcbev–Kutuzov v sotsiokulturnom kontekste, (Moscow, 1997); I. Andrianova, Spasitel otecbestva: zbizneopisanie M.I. Golenisbcbeva–Kutuzova, (Moscow, 1999); A. Shishov, Neizvestnii Kutuzov: Novoye procbtenie biografi, (Moscow, 2002).

  6. Napoleon to Champagny, 5 April 1811, Correspondance de Napoleon Ier, XXII, No. 17571.

  7. V. Pugachev, ‘K voprosu o pervonachalnom plane voiny 1812 g.,’ in 1812 god: sbornikstatei, (Moscow, 1962), 32–34.

  8. Fabry, I, i.

  9. Barclay de Tolly to Alexander, March 1812, Otecbestvennaya voina 1812 goda. Materialy Voenno–ucbebnogo arkbiva Generalnogo Sbtaba, [hereafter cited as General Staff Archives], I, part II, 1–6.

  10. Bagration to Alexander, circa March 1812, General Bagration: Sbornikdokumentov i materialov [hereafter cited as Correspondence of Bagration], ed. S. Golubov, (Moscow, 1945), 134–136.

  11. V. Bezotosny, ‘Analiticheskii proyekt voyennikh deistvii v 1812 g. P. A. Chuikevicha,’ in Rossiiskii arkbiv, 7(1996): 43–49.

 

‹ Prev