Napoleonic History- Crucial Information Resources

[OotKust]

L’ESTAFETTE… A Blog created in 2009 dedicated to Napoleonic history.
http://lestafette.unblog.fr/
No idea what the word meant… one site suggests ‘The Courier”- so be it.

One of the minions deposited deep in the bowels of a much thrashed bookmark system (c’mon you know I’m so anal retentive I have a prioritised reference library right..?) I hadn’t scoured to any degree before.

Certainly has a diverse, if mostly later part of our era, memoires, letters and ‘official’ captures of personal information on many participants of the period.

Much like the ‘de Neef’ blogs and books, brings new period material to our eyes.

On the technical layout, it is slim- a long list of titles adorns the r/hs panel; quick keys/ topics way at the bottom. You can just scroll, every article is ‘front page news’, and the working ‘index panel remains the same.

Articles are drawn from the authors direct transfer of things like historical magazines, from La Sabretache (1909) etc.

There are a few illustrations, not many but some are in much larger formats than I’ve seen before, without guarantee as to their accuracy these days!

All in all a few of the articles provided snippets of useful information, worthy of adding to the growing ‘snippets box’ of data.

Enjoy reading, cheers d

 

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

If not crucial, then at least important- a modern historian we should take notice of- numerous Ospreys etc. (won’t hold that against him, he wrote of the difficulties…); so the accumulated comments of Dave Hollins esq. on this site:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/generaldebrigadefr/search.php?author_id=9047748&sr=posts

Very up to date compared to 1980s research- he has done much (reading and travel of German and others source material) research to uplift the position of the Austrian K und K Army in English language terms.

I haven’t been through all 19 pages, but I’m sure to do so,

regards d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[Skip]

Dave Hollins shows up on at least 1 so far Napoleonic Quarterly podcast. He popped in elsewhere that’s how I found them. Have listened to half of them so far.

[OotKust]

Tue 29 August-

Just a note to advise that another minor to significant update by M. Frederic Berjaud to his own and compatriot Didier Davins articles on French regiments-

“Mise à jour 26/08/2023 “

Again there is one significant new entry ” Le 15ème Régiment d’Infanterie légère, 1796-1815 “- important if you know them. Nothing too specific on uniforms, but we know these are well covered by the petitsoldats range of historical paper figures.

Most other entries relate to ‘General’ Neys military memoires and orders for 1800 and again 1808.

cheers -d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

SEHRI

-you probably know it well enough. Still places I haven’t explored completly so no surprise I found another gem-

http://assosehri.fr/la-feuille-de-route-nouvelle-serie.html

la Feuille de Route- Roadmaps-

a single page of linked pdfs under various titles- mini articles with or withouT illustration, on diverse subjects. Up to approx four pages, these highlight some people and activities undertaken by French regiments and administration.

Well worth perusing and downloading,
cheers -d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Well hidden away, never before seen even a reference on any forum or web site- did you know about it?

https://www.junibis.be/

‘Site dédié à la cartographie de la Campagne de Belgique en Juin 1815’.

Not in my interests but may bring something (not apart from great map definition) to gaming arena…

cheers -d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Notice that another seasonal raft of updates (similar info throughout, though not exactly same) dated as ‘Mise à jour 22/10/2023′.

Most of the articles get a ‘refresh’ with content of;

Insertion d’informations tirées des mémoires du Général Pajol (1798, 1799, 1800, 1814)

though not all concurrent dates as above example.

As well Frédéric Berjaud has again dropped the premiere of the following ‘new’ regiments:

• Le 1er de Ligne, 1789-1815
• http://Le 28 de Ligne, 1789-1815
• http://Le 72e de Ligne, 1789-1815
• Le 100e de Ligne, 1789-1815.

Significantly some are just token placeholders for now, but all of these are important regiments one way or another over time- all articles by Frédéric Berjaud himself.
regards davew

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Ok, I realise it’s not crucial in this respect, but an online and relatively accurate colour composition is always handy.
And, while the site is in the doldrums of despair, it is still quite informative in the modelling genre.

So for Austrian facings (divided by ‘hues’):-

http://www.deepfriedhappymice.com/html/ref_sy_aus_colors.html

For artillery ‘brown’ go to Other.
Yes it really is a ‘liver’ shade not dark browns often seen.

Two points I believe of relevance to what may be cast off as ‘amateur sleuthing’-

• my pleasure to work with Dave Hollins and draw on his extensive knowledge of primary sources and contemporary artwork.
• One need only remember there is no extant Austrian uniform to appreciate the difficulty of the task.

So some excellent basis for accuracy shown there!
Given the enormous size and population of the Austrian Empire and duration I find it inconceivable that some ‘real’ uniforms don’t exist- they must be somewhere, despite the horrors of occupation that occured over and over.

However, some relevant books and catalogues exist (almanach style) to compare.

-d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Just in passing, as its the ‘holiday’ season for many, both here and afar…

If like me you’ve agonised over sodding ‘Revolutionary Calendar’ dates among French texts, wait no more…

Yes a site that I’ve known and used countless times for personalities, places and a few timeline events, even has the:-
https://www.napoleon-empire.net/en/republican-calendar.php

Your very own access to the
‘Date converter: Revolutionary calendar / Gregorian’ .

Yet no matter how long I think I know what’s on sites, they still surprise me with stuff…

Main page is https://www.napoleon-empire.net/en/ with a good variety of illustrations, however not top-heavy like some sites.
Highly recommended,

regards davew

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Just noticed, and could have sworn these were not present on the date cited (23-12-2023)  as ‘Updated’ however http://frederic.berjaud.free.fr/articles_en_ligne.htm has accomplished something for the period and updated nearly numbered every regiment with someone or others Memoirs.

Ranging from 1793 formations to 1814 there’s quite a lot of detail across them. Go fish___

-d

 

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Interested in ‘Collectors’ pieces?
Lots of documentation, signatures and anecdotal information.

I’ve chosen this page as entry point, simply because of the ‘Republican’ date, however site has AWI through to post Napoleonic memorabilia of all types.

https://www.jeanlannes.com/collection-1798-1799

Enjoy…
~d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Obviously I have not visited in the last week, however  the redoubtable and reliable Frédéric Berjaud has again dropped new material recently on the 18 February:
http://frederic.berjaud.free.fr/articles_en_ligne.htm

as ‘Updated’ are many of the regiments- although this time very limited data from mostly 1805 and a few 1812.

The material source seems to be additional notes (Correspdence etc.) from the ubiqitous ‘Alombert P. C., Colin J. : « La campagne de 1805 en Allemagne », Paris, Chapelot, 1902’, mostly marches, numbers and replacements of minor detail. And these are repeated across the many regiments affected.  So these updates may be of limited interest.

I do believe however, in my scanning of the 2eme Legere, that he has added more uniform plates from the early/ original versions of  the ‘Martinet’ sets of engravings.

The relevance of these for me being that, whislt some ‘approval’ of these self-witnessed uniform engravings from Martinet have PLD’s ‘blessing’, there seems some inconsistencies among them, leading one to use and advise caution. Already the rule for the later series (ie those created and propagated for colourists/ artists a decade later…) under the same ‘name’.

I note for clarity- the depiction of some round Swedish cuffs, sans flaps and all blue, whereas the regiment wore prior (Consulate- post Egypt) and after, pointed cuffs in scarlet piped white.

I shall expand on this uniform dilemma in my other thread, https://www.thewargameswebsite.com/forums/topic/general-truths-of-napoleonic-french-uniform/#post-195514 .

regards -d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Not an update per se, of much use, but as it was somewhat hidden until you crossed that bridge, I note:

OotKust wrote:

Good work. Ever the analyst, it would drive me insane! Don’t forget Shadow of the Eagles [ https://www.shadowoftheeagles.com/ ] which, Disclaimer: I took part in technical information supply and rules testing of sorts. cheers dave

Just a note that, as of end January 2024, that web site is no more !   The author KeithF. notes he’s moved to Fcbk:

“So there we are – I want to keep interest in my rules alive, and Facebook seems to be a good place to help that along.”

https://keefsblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/ah-yesfacebook.html

cheers~ d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

For the Russian Diehards- no on second thoughts, you probably already have this, so for the rest of us___ provided by the enigmatic Dr. Summerfield some time back:-

Russian Museum Library

“CHIEFS  [Shefs] AND COMMANDERS OF REGULAR REGIMENTS OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY (1796-1855)”

You will probably want a translator, but they work well!
Impressive amount of data- possibly all you could hope for!

Enjoy,

dave

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

An update of sorts to the ‘real world’ -given the malaise of aging, sudden influenza and a winding down of the plethora projects on modelling, even research of the mildest kind, I rely on sample emails from the few histoRical societies and others of ‘specialist’ nature to keep the brain and spirit alive…

So from ‘NAPOLEON.ORG’ two timely snippets- reminding me of events from 1984 when I was there, but did not have awareness of such ceremonies…

https://www.napoleon.org/magazine/evenements/ceremonie-du-5-mai-2024-aux-invalides/

A concept far beyond gamers and historians, yes there are real people who believe and beyond in and about Napoleon. Such was the impression on me, descending to his crypt and remains

of the greatest effect on me, a poor colonial from the other side of the planet, come to the presence of one so great.
A young American lady in a later tour party was so distressed she broke down in tears at the sight of it.

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Another matter, somewhat related to historical awareness, from the same source noted [*NB* ]:

https://www.cinematheque.fr/henri/film/149586-entrevue-de-napoleon-et-du-pape-georges-hatot-gaston-breteau-1897/

a film archive has restored over the past twenty years including reconstruction of the Lumière brothers ‘Interview of Napoleon and the Pope’, a brief but amusing 1897 composition from the earliest days of cinematography.

All quite interesting if your world of interest goes beyond the paint brush and gaming,
regards, davew

[*NB* ] You may need to disable your AV or other blockers as I couldn’t get the video to play otherwise… ymmv

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Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Oops, another update slipped by… yes Msr Berjaud added more details to a wide variety of regiments on 14 April, including this snippet from the 3eme de ligne, a personal interest of mine.
25 octobre 1805, le Général Salligny, Chef d’Etat-major du 4e Corps, écrit:

“I warn you, [all Generals], that Msr Marshal (Soult) has authorised General Lariboisière to reduce your artillery hitches (drivers?)  by one soldier of the train per limber or at most two for 6-horse-horse limbers, all available officers on the train must ride horses.

Unmounted light artillery gunners will lead the horses from the front.

The men on foot of the cavalry will also be used to drive the artillery of the light cavalry division.

In your division, you will provide for the replacement of the soldiers of the train who have been removed from you, by [replacing with] men of the 3eme infantry.

In this way, the soldiers you have sent to the Grand Park will be sent back to their bodies in proportion to the number of men on the train that the ordered reduction will have produced”.

All I’ve looked at are excerpts from the same 1805 related themes.
-d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[Skip]

I kick myself a lot for not learning Russian as a young man when I thought I should have tried to.

[OotKust]

Of minor interest I imagine, but the latest tome of the ‘series’ proposed from PLD/ Pen & Sword Publications, has arrived in the colonies.

Number ‘2’ in the series, though they are careful not to add such to either of the books so far… the Heavy Cavalry Cuirassiers and Carabiniers, 224 pages, is broad in approach and spotty in parts due to lacking original documentation.

The use of many more Hoffman ‘eyewitness’ illustrations throughout than I’d seen before, yet always very specific units and maybe not the ones you are interested in.

Nevertheless PLD adds commentary on variations in both documentation and the artistry, so you kind of look out for where they coincide is cited.

In my own reconstructions for gaming the Premiere Grosse Division (d’Hautpoul) there is minimal, yet useful information that will allow me to add the variations I seek.

Overall, in the early period, if you don’t like painting facing colours, pocket piping and turnbacks, you needn’t bother! Seems an all blue surtout was just as common in most regiments as ‘proper’ habits with all the designated facings [and no I haven’t analysed or counted them].

An important read for me will be my new Premiere Carabiniers- new and made from scratch as my old, surtout wearing 1980’s regiment was redesignated to the 2eme. Will they get a revised entendard>- not bloody likely!

Anyway, up to the purists to determine if they need the book over other more generalised [i.e. traditional] works.

Oh yes, theres blathering more on 1808 and then Bardin/ 1812-15 than for my period, but I’m not going to bother reviewing that much! However, it may be useful for that to others.
regards d

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Addendum: June 24/ 2024

Having completed the reading now I’m vindicated somewhat in my choice of painting a new regiment for me (1er Carabiniers c 1805) as I get to use the book as a confirmation of my own ideas. ‘Grande tenue’ full coloured habit with lapels etc. (scarlet); horses with some  housse and blanket/schabraques a la la garde Grenadiers, others with the adoptive sheepskin schabraques.

Sadly then of the book isn’t as great as the beginning- editing throught is better than other tomes, yet I’ve no idea what  ‘Conduction’ is or why it appears- in tables where it is referencing ‘clothing Condition’ ! Continues from p159 for another 15 or so pages.

Similarly the worst to find are duplication of entire sentences; contracted sentences that appear an afterthought, and sadly some badly worded if not precisely contradictory statements from one paragraph to another.

The matter of wearing ‘trumpeter dress green’ 1812-15 seems resolved by saying no cloth was in the Depot. Hardly a justification- a negative implying a fact, or that’s what it reads like. And whilst I like the illustrations used, given they are absent copyright costs (I presume), printing some at full page sizes AND adapting to text layout planning could be a large improvement for readers.

So while not disappointed in the work presented,  I feel publication cost cutting and jaundiced editing has reduced the value somewhat.

*Lest anyone wants to criticise my views, I did offer to assist in proofreading and editing, to no avail. regards d

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Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

And, whilst NEW is fresh… who else will be after —
https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/citizens-to-arms-uniforms-of-the-french-revolutionary-armies-1792-1799.php?sid=4518aacb60cad67a900c166aa31fcf65

Yves Martin not to be sneezed at as a writer and historian, but I wonder about the origins of much secondary sourced ‘reproductions’ in flashy modernised styles.

Still I’m guessing a ‘modernised’ FUNCKENS delivery, with prose for a most interesting and under-reported epoch. The contentious debates over regimental vs army wide uniforms will however never end…
-dave

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

OotKust wrote:

I’ve added an Addendum to the post above.

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Hot off the Press!!

Yes, 1st July  the redoubtable and reliable Frédéric Berjaud has again just added new material :
http://frederic.berjaud.free.fr/articles_en_ligne.htm

• Updated are many of the regiments- although this time some limited data but several have extensive additions (no I have examined before posting this) from 1800 to a few of 1812). Massive!
• Also several ‘new’ Regimental entries- de ligne 24eme, 103eme.
• Note two of the three ‘cavalry’ also received updates.

Good hunting everyone,
-d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Known this one for a while, and on revisits have found, I think, more material uploaded and accessible.
http://www.memorandum.ru/index.html

Being Russian language I needed a ‘translator’ and despite misgivings, use the Extensions/ Plug-in’ from https://github.com/FilipePS/Traduzir-paginas-web which facilitates ggl/yandex translations.

That being said, the site has a variety of subjects and topics, lots of media both photographs and videos…

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About “Memorandum.ru”

On our website you will find a collection of documents on European military history. The priority for the compilers of this information resource is the period of the so-called Napoleonic wars.

The second significant part of the collection is devoted to covering issues of military-historical reconstruction or living history and includes: information about material objects of the reconstructed historical period, methods of their manufacture and places of acquisition; works of the epistolary genre about reconstruction; albums of photographs from military-historical events; links to interesting Internet information resources about living history.

Memorandum.ru is a branch of the Internet project “1812” – the largest information resource on Napoleonics in Russian.

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Yes significant enough to warrant your attention.

http://www.prokopovich.memorandum.ru/about.html

The owner and his remarkable reproduction uniforms! I’ve found very little to criticise [Not that I should]!

http://www.memorandum.ru/map.html

Site map details.

http://www.memorandum.ru/clubs.html

‘Clubs’ has the three main elements to history you will find useful- the last is the personal site of  “one of the leading specialists in sewing military-historical uniforms Sergei Vladimirovich Prokopovich !”

From here he has direct links to a myriad of Russian, and some foreign, reproduction uniforms and equipment, including multiple eras, made for both private and state museums clientele!

Enjoy the site!
NB- there is much humour and flippency in the video works of reenactors enjoying themselves- including nearly getting blown up.

Grenadier of Semenovsky Life Guards Regiment 1812.

http://www.prokopovich.memorandum.ru/images/planchet068_1.jpg

~d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Another mini-event, and a bio that I hadn’t known about before- being one of the chosen few, and effective both in his corps as Engineer and his generalship. A research thesis on –
Witness to Glory: Lieutenant-Général Henri-Gatien Bertrand, 1791-1815.

https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu%3A168940

Abstract
Henri-Gatien Bertrand is perhaps the least known of the generals who occupied a prestigious position near Napoleon during the years of the First French Empire. Born in 1773 to a family of the lesser nobility, Bertrand’s life encompassed all of the great and momentous events that shook France and Europe during the ensuing fifty years. He played a direct role in many of these events.

Commissioned into the French army as an engineer officer in 1793, Bertrand served as an engineer during the siege of Metz in 1794, in the Egyptian Campaign from 1798-1801, at the camp de Boulogne from 1802-04, and during the 1809 Campaign.

He also served as an aide-de-camp to Napoleon during the 1805, 1806, 1807, and 1808 Campaigns. In 1811, the Emperor appointed him to serve as the Governor General of the Illyrian Provinces where he remained until being recalled to the army in 1813.

He served in the ensuing 1813 Campaign as the commander of the 4th Corps, leading his corps in the battles of Lützen, Bautzen, Gross Beeren, Dennewitz, Wartemburg, Leipzig, and Hanau. At the end of that campaign, Napoleon elevated Bertrand to the position of Grand Marshal of the Palace. Bertrand retained that position during the 1814 and 1815 Campaigns and throughout the Emperor’s exiles to Elba and St. Helena.

He remained with Napoleon on St. Helena until the Emperor’s death in 1821. Bertrand’s service to France and Napoleon during these many years is singular for its length and the devoted manner in which he performed it. He possessed an unshakeable conviction in Napoleon’s greatness and he conducted himself in both victory and adversity in a distinguished and dignified manner that speaks highly of his character and integrity. He garnered the admiration, respect, and esteem of many for his unimpeachable service to France and Napoleon during these momentous years.

~d

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Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[Skip]

Nice treasure trove, but finding my phone translates and tablet won’t, so using phone for words and tablet for pictures.

[OotKust]

Skip wrote:

Nice treasure trove, but finding my phone translates and tablet won’t, so using phone for words and tablet for pictures.

That’s a pain. You’re using ‘tablet’ so I presume Windows based? There should still be ‘extensions or plug-ins’ you can add to a browser to help you. I have no current knowledge on W. any more but I’ll ask a tech buddy for his thoughts.

cheers d

 

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Not quite crucial, but an ‘Errata’ update is always useful IMO, so only recently having purchased the book myself, some of you older die-hards may have had it a while.
But the presence of this on the web is obfuscated by the poor coding of the N-S site itself… they record this under ‘Reviews: The Purchase System in the British Army, 1660 – 1871’  rather bizarrely, even though the URL is correct as below!

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Corrections to Napoleonic Artillery
By Stephen Summerfield

Anthony L Dawson, Paul L Dawson and Stephen Summerfield (2007) Napoleonic Artillery, Crowood Press.

https://www.napoleon-series.org/reviews/military/c_NapArtyCorrections.html

I’m sure there’s been more since whenever this was posted! Neither the page nor meta-data give anything away as to when!

regards davew

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

OotKust wrote:

Online

It seems that https://napoleon-online.de/ has recently had a makeover/ upgrade of presentation. I’d been having failures and conflicts for some time, but today established that the main site, has a new face:::

I’ve not gone deeper than the front pages !
-davew

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

Hot off the Press!! Again !!

Yes, 31 August 2024 the redoubtable and reliable Frédéric Berjaud has again just added new material in a variety of factors:
http://frederic.berjaud.free.fr/articles_en_ligne.htm

Whilst there are many ‘Updates’ showing, this batch seems a lot less data throughout the range, so pick your own carefully.
[Edit*1 -04Sep] To be clear, a couple of the units updated only had a single rather bland sentence added to them.
[Edit*2 -11Sep] Going back for a second and third look at various units of interest, I notice a bit of ‘laissez faire’ in placement of the latest snippets. Both in indexing on front page (e.g. 1812 before 1807), and in situ in posts- for example insertions dated for say 1803, are appearing after 1805 sequence and timeline.
Found because I habitually fast click to region expected, only to find the latest inserts, sometimes, further afield.
I try to save my space-bar from endless bashing on page scrolls!
–

One extensive addition is to the new [as of 1st July]  103eme de ligne. While it still carries it’s ‘ Nouveau’ banner gif, actually a large amount of regimental history has been added, deserving the label. Massive indeed!

Unless I missed it elsewhere, particularly notable is the day long account of ” Combat de Diernstein, 11 novembre 1805“, a particularly dicey affair for the French!
Good hunting everyone,
-davew

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[OotKust]

The Finnish War 1808-1809

Interested in the War or ‘Occupation’ of Finland, by Russia 1808-09?

Heres a search [internally they contract ggL] giving multiple points of entry, and the Home Page of the Project.

https://www.google.com/search?q=finskakr+%2bsite:runeberg.org

https://runeberg.org/finskakr/

Foreword to the electronic edition
Our digital edition was photographed during October-2005. Many thanks to Jan-Inge Fransson who lent us the book.

The illustrations were scanned by Joakim in October 2009. The book they were scanned from was borrowed from Halmstad Library. The posters remain, as they cannot be scanned without the book being shared.
– –

An alternative to current renditions I gather.
regards d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[Author]

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