Category: Imperial Guard
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Fourrier François Hinard’s letters on the Austerlitz Campaign …
Here are several lengthy letters of Fourrier François Hinard who served in General (future marshal) Suchet’s Division during the Austerlitz campaign. He provides many interesting details on daily life in the Grande Armée, hardships, money issues, family matters and battlefield experiences. Landshut (1) in Bavaria, 29 October 1805. Dear Rosalie, I can still enjoy the…
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The Military Life of Bruno d’Ast … (III)
In the meantime, Bruno d’Ast’s family was delighted to receive the news that he had been promoted to the Legion of Honour: they knew that this was the award that their son sought above all else, and we will see in one of the following letters the emotion with which he received this distinction, the…
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Guard Grenadier Philippe Ballut at Lützen and Bautzen, 1813 …
In the evening, with the 2nd Grenadier Regiment occupying the ground on a plateau, the soldiers sighted the town of Lützen, with its round bell tower and a tall belfry tower dominating the large tile roofed buildings. The French cavalry had already entered the town to capture a few stragglers. It was known that Blücher…
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The Military Life of Bruno d’Ast … (II)
Moscow, 20 September 1812. My dear father, you must have received my letter from Smolensk by now. I hope that it finds you in as good health as I am at the moment, despite the fatigue and hardship we had to endure before arriving in this city. I spoke to you in my last letter…
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Three Letters from J. J. Delvau, Soldier of the Imperial Guard … (1812)
IMPERIAL GUARDGrenadiers Tirailleurs6th Regiment – 1st Battalion4th Company At Courbevoie, 24 March 1812. My dear father and mother, brothers and sisters, I want you to know that we are leaving for Magdeburg in Germany to join the regiment, which arrived there not long ago. However I do not think we will pass by your side.…
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The battle of Fuentes de Oñoro, recounted by a staff officer …
Here follows an excerpt from Emmanuel-Frédéric Sprünglin’s (1773-1844) exceptional memoirs, which he wrote based on his detailed journal he kept during his service in the Peninsular War. On 3 October 1810, our Swiss-born officer was appointed deputy (adjoint) battalion commander in the general staff of the Army of Portugal. When the decision was made for…
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A report on the battle of Craonne, March 1814 …
On 7 March, the general received the order to proceed to Craonne; he was far from expecting to enter the line with troops comprising conscripts who only had been assembled for twenty days, during which time they had travelled more than a hundred leagues and had barely had time to learn how to load a…
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Some notes of a grenadier of the Imperial Guard, 1813 …
A couple of passages of a journal kept by Philippe Ballut, a soldier serving in the 2nd Grenadier Regiment of the Guard, related to the early stages of the 1813 Campaign … Thursday, 29 April. – The Old Guard arrived at Naumburg before noon and we lit our fires at the foot of the tower,…