Regimental History

Intent on strengthening his army, Napoleon commenced a re-organisation of the Imperial Guard artillery during 1806-1809. 

The decree of 15th April 1806 formed the Regiment du Artillerie a Cheval de la Garde, consisting of 3 squadrons of 2 companies. it appears that from this point on Napoleon had the idea of creating artillery units to accompany both his cavalry and infantry of his guard. The material issued to the regiment was as follows:

The presence of the 12lb and 8lb guns, clearly shows that the guard artillery was already a heavy reserve, and that 12lb could and were used as horse artillery guns.  Attached to the Guard was an additional foot artillery battery of 6 8lb and 3 6inch howitzers and a horse battery of 6 4lb. These line batteries came from Division Oudinot.

The organsiation of the Guard artillery was as follows:

Staff:
1 chef de brigade
2 chef d'escadron
1 quartier-maitre
1 adjudant-major
1 adjudant sous-officier
1 brigadier trompette
1 artiste veterinaire (veterinary)
1 sellier (saddle-maker)
1 bottier (bootmaker)
1 tailor

Horse Company

Captain (either 1st or 2nd class)
1 1st class lieutenant
2 2nd class lieutenants
1 chef
1 fourrier
4 marechaux des logis
4 brigadiers
2 trompettes
30 1st class gunners
30 2nd class gunners

Total: 76 men

The artillery of the Guard is troublesome in the Winter Campaign. Most sources agree that the Guard had 42 guns present during the campaign and at Eylau. As noted the Guard artillery consisted of 24 guns up until April 1806, thereby raising the question of where did the other guns come from?  It had 51 in May 1807, all of which can be accounted for, so what happened between April 1806 and May 1807?

  Foucart & Lechartier's careful review of the French Army Archives notes for the Guard during the Winter Campaign had: 20 pieces de 8, 14 pieces de 4, 8 obusiers (42 total); 4 Companies ARC de la Garde and 3 Companies ARC de la Ligne, under the command of Brigadier General Couin.

  Nafziger's recount of this is "42 guns w/6 as horse." At Jena only weeks before the November 1806-February 1807 Campaign began, the Guard is also noted by most histories as having 42 guns: 20 8pdrs, 14 4pdrs and 8 6" howitzers; further they note that there were 2 Guard "Volante" Squadrons (4 companies-24 guns) with 2 foot artillery companies (2e and 6e) from the 1st Foot Artillery Regiment and 1 company from the 6th Horse Artillery Regiment of the line, and were taken from Oudinot’s elite Grenadier Division. If these companies followed the notional batteries rules set out above it would give 42 guns, but the distribution of guns becomes muddled as it would require the old 1805 battery form (8 guns) for the Guard units, two strange foot batteries (10 guns each of 4 8lb, 5 4lb and 1 howitzer), and a normal horse artillery battery of 6 guns (Source Osprey's Jena). An alternative distribution derived from British text (Chandler?) is to have 5 horse artillery batteries of 8 guns each (as Petre notes two guns from the Guard were "held in reserve" with the baggage train), or yet another assumption based upon Foucart is to say that the 4 Companies of HA assigned to the guard had 4 8lb guns 2 howitzers, while the 3 Companies from the line were two foot (2 8lb, 2 4lb and 2 howitzers) and one horse battery (4 4lb and 2 howitzers). This yields the desired number of 8lb cannon, while inverting the howitzer and 4lb.

 However by May 1807 the number of guns in the Guard artillery can be proved beyond doubt, and one wonders if this organisation took place after Eylau or before. This table also disproves Foucart in saying that the guard had 4 companies of HA assigned, it only had 1 assigned company of FA and one of HA, and totalled 51 guns, of these 6 were 12lb,  18 8lb,  16 4lb and 11 howitzers. The guard guns were organised into 6 6gun batteries and the attached batteries into a FA battery of 6x 8lb and 3x howitzer and a HA battery of 6x 4lb.  With out Oudinot’s two batteries the Guard had 36 guns, so evidently the two guard companies being formed in April 1806 reduced the need to borrow guns from the Line. When these two companies became active is open to speculation, but it seems logical as no 12lb are listed for Jena, that they became operational after Eylau.

  The guard also seems to have been issued more ammunition than the line. The guard’s 6x 12lb had 26 caissons, the 6x 12lb of 3 corps had only 19 caissons. The 12x 8lb of the guard had 36 caisson, and the 12x 8lb of 6 Corps had 34 caissons. When one looks at the Guard’s 18x 8lb, they had a total of 54 caissons a slightly more than average for the army as a whole.

The Foot Artillery of the Imperial Garde was formed on  7^th April 1808, consisting of six companies plus one of Pontoniers. The attached horse artillery was reduced to two squadrons of two companies each. Each foot company comprised of four officers, 6 NCO’s, 4 caporals, four artificers, 20 gunners first class, 48 gunners second class and two drummer. They were equipped with 2 6-inch howitzers, the first four companies with 6 12lb, and the last two with  six 6lb.

The decree stipulated that each artillery regiment of the Line was to furnish the guard with 73 men of the required service, and height to join the guard.  General Lariboisiere opinion was that every man in the regiment was to be a gunner, even the drummers and mathematics professor. In charge of the new regiment, the General proposed that a Lt-Colonel of the Line who can organise and make the companies and instruct them so as to make them capable of appreciating the honour of being in the guard.  On 27^th August 1808  Antoine Drouot of the 3e Regiment was appointed as Major of the newly formed regiment, which was still a paper organisation. The grande armee was spread across Europe, and so being able to concentrate the required man power and guns, was not possible until the end of hostilities in Spain.

On 14^th August, Lariboisiere recommended that 14 officers of the horse batteries whom he considered undesirable be transferred to the Line, and gave his reasons. The Emperor accepted his recommendations; but the plebeians of the corps like Couin, Dogureau and Digeon howled with rage. Pion des Loches notes that all three were in-subordinate and tried to blame Lariboisiere for any ill that befell them. They complained to the Emperor that Lariboisiere was a Royalist of the old regime and prejudiced. It was an artillery war.

The internal war rumbled on, so on 4^th September, the Emperor assigned the task of arbitration to the New Minister of War. The following day, General Clarke proposed a solution.

He wrote that General Lariboisiere had suggested dropping officers because they had not served in the artillery before entering the guard. It seemed quite proper to the Minister that the regiment of artillery of the guard should have officers who were trained in gunnery. He also suggested a conciliation, that instead of sending officers into the Line, that they be sent into another corps of the guard.

Clarke presented two decrees to the Emperor, the first nominating the 14 officers to be transferred to the infantry and cavalry of the guard, the second annulling the decree of 27^th August.

The Imperiale decision was swift and decisive. He insisted on a report for each man recommended to be dropped from the guard before any decision was made.  Drouot was placed as director of the artillerie parc for the entire corps in this reshuffle of the regimental organisation.

By 9^th October two companies had been organised in Spain, one commanded by Pion des Loches, the other by Fourcy, the division being commanded by newly promoted Chef du Bataillon Martin.

The regiment was at Bayonne by 3^rd November, and Vitoria on the 5th. The regiment was involved in the action at Madrid and in the operations against the British at Corunna. One battery was attached to the Grenadiers, the other the Chasseurs a Pied. At this time, each battery only had 6 guns.  Napoleon entered Madrid on 4^th December, after a 2day siege. It was now that napoleon turned to the organisation of his guard artillery. He took 16 guns from Senarmont’s command

It was not until 15^th December that Drouot was proclaimed commander of the regiment d’artillerie a pied de la Garde. This was due to rhe Emperor approving the transfere of Major Couin (commanding officer of the regiment), Chef du Bataillon Digeon and Chef du Escadron Dogureau to the line as they had failed to administer their commands sufficiently well. Again they howled with rage, but the Emperor’s  mind was made up. D’aboville was drafted to the guard to replace Dogureau. By this point, the regiment consisted of four batteries in two divisions, the first commanded by Boulart, the second by Marin.

  On 31^st December a number of men were dismissed from the guard. One of them was Quartermaster Robert, who was imprisoned for lying and stealing regimental funds. 

  Drouot and the companies raised in Spain did not leave for France until the regiment had taken part in the operations against General Moore at Corunna. Drouot and the Emperor quite Spain on 17^th January with the rest of the guard, and still commanding a regiment that only had four companies of the required 7. General Lariboisiere was replaced by general Senarmont as commander in chief of Artillery.  At the same time, General Lariboisiere  was charged by the minister of War of selecting the officers for the new regiment, all of whom had to be sent to Paris as a matter of urgency as War with Austria was plainly coming, to receive their orders and join the Army of Germany via Strasbourg.  Evidently the problems of August were still lingering. On 9^th February 1809 Colonel Evain was made Colonel of the regiment, and on the 27^th April was placed in command of the regiment until Drouot and the staff reached Strasbourg.

  Drouot arrived at Paris on 27^th April and reached Vienna on 13^th May. On the 14^th Drouot and his staff began training and equipping his regiment.  On 15^th May, Capitain Mabru was appointed Officier d’Habillement. 

  The regiment had been in existence for over a year, but did not exist as a physical entity until this date. Under the Walls of Vienne, and the ever watching eye of the Emperor, Drouot and his officers set about welding his collection of gunners into a single fighting force worthy of the title, ‘Garde Imperiale’.

Part of the regiment was able to partake in the action of Aspern-Essling on 21-22 May. It was here that Drouot showed that he was a capable commander and a good and able replacement for Senarmont who returned to Spain.

The organisation of the regiment in 1808 was as follows:

Staff

1 chef de brigade
3 chefs de bataillon
1 quartermaster (quartier-maitre)
2 adjudants-majors
1 officier de sante (doctor)
4 adjudants sous-officiers
1 drum-major (tambour-major)
1 caporal tambour
8 musicians
1 tailor
1 cobbler
1 armourer

Company

2 captains (one 1st class, one 2nd class)
1 lieutenant en premier
2 lieutenants en second
1 sergent-major
1 fourrier
2 tambour
6 sergeants
6 corporals
35 gunners, 1st class
40 gunners, 2nd class

Pontoon Company

1 Captain (1st or 2nd class)
1 Lieutenant (1st or 2nd class)
1 sergeant-major
2 sergeants
1 caporal fourrier
4 corporals
7 workers
2 drummer
56 pontonniers

It should be noted that the band was not created until June 1809 when the regiment was quartered in Vienna after the victory at Wagram.

After the great victory at Wagram, 2million francs was distributed between all the battery commands, chef du Bataillon and senior officers of those which formed part of the grand battery. Sixty silver stars of the legion were awarded to the foot artillery whose losses totalled 28offcers and 357 men killed or wounded. Captain Martin died of his wounds in Vienna. At his funeral, Boulart, the new colonel commandant, delivered the eulogy for this veteran officer of sterling merits. At the end of the ceremony, one Hubert Lyautey, a young graduate of the Ecole de Metz was admitted into the regiment.

  On 8^th July 1809, Napoleon wrote to General Clarke, ordering that the artillery of the guard be increased, and to act as the reserve artillery of the army. He noted that the guard had 60 guns, and demanded that 24 guns be cast for the then forming young guard companies. He noted that the foot artillery already had 36guns, but it was still being properly organised.

  The regiment remained in Austria until the last days of December 1809 when they were ordered to return to Spain. No sooner had they set off, when the regiment was ordered to Paris and to enter cantonments at Beaugency, where they remained till June 1812.

After Wagram with the war in Spain lingering, and war with Austria almost certain, Napoleon raised three companies of Artillerie-Conscrits for service with the Guard in Spain:

9th June 1809: 3 companies of Artillerie-Conscrits raised.

  October 1809:

7th comp attached to Grenadiers-Conscript and Conscript-Conscript                    

 :8th comp attached to Grenadier-Tirailleurs and Tirailleurs-Tirailleurs                    

 :9th comp attached to Grenadier-Fusiliers and Fusiliers-Fusiliers.

Between 1809 and 1812, regimental artillery companies were authorized and organized. These were sometimes referred to as 'battalion guns.' They generally were authorized two guns per company, the men to man them and the train to pull them and their vehicles also to come out of the infantry regiment. Generally, they were not a success, and as all the battalion/regimental guns were lost in Russia, they were not reactivated. The intention in organizing them was to give the regiments, which had gradually gotten larger after the 1808 reorganization of the infantry battalions, added punch and the ability to perform semi-independent operations. Generally, it appears they weren't too skilled and were more of a nuisance than an asset. General Merle, who commanded a division in Oudinot's II Corps in Russia, in 1812, remarked that the regimental artillery had 

‘poor drivers and poor horses. It daily blocked the roads, impedes the march of the regular artillery, and deprived the ranks of seventy to eighty bayonets which would do the enemy much more damage than these poorly served cannons which cannot march.'

 Some, though, such as the two-gun company of the Swiss Battalion de Neufchâtel, served well and ably, but lost heavily in Russian and was not reformed for 1813.

Attached to these three companies was the Bataillon bis du train d’Artillerie de la Garde, commanded by Major Baillard. The train d’Artillerie de la Garde served both the foot and horse batteries.

The artillerie a pied grew into a fully organised regiment during 1810, which increased its strength to 9 companies.

The artillerie-Conscript became the Young Guard artillery in 1811 when a fourth company was added on 12 December 1811, two more being formed on 2 January 1813. 10 more companies were formed in April 1813.  The first four companies were formed by mobilising the artillery of the National Guard.

  On March 13 1813, the guard horse artillery was increased in strengthened by the addition of a third squadron, one of which being designated young guard in late 1813.

  By this time, artillery of the Imperial Guard consisted of the following guns:

Old guard foot: 6 companies 48 guns (1st & 2nd Division held in reserve 24guns)

Young guard foot: 14 companies 80 guns

Old guard horse: 3 squadrons, 8 companies 30 guns

Young guard horse: 1 company, 6 guns

(Reserve: 32 guns)

Total no. of guns: 196.

Of these 196 guns, 24 were 12lb, 120 6lb, 8 6inch howitzers, 44 5 1/2inch howitzers, which were served by 728 caissons.

  The organisation of the foot artillery in April 1813 was as follows:

1 Colonel-commandant:  Dulauloy

1 Chef de etat-major: Lallemand

1 Lieutenant en premier garde-general du parc: Guillon

1 Lieutenant en premier adjudant d'habillement: Duval

Old Guard Company Staff

1 Mjr.-Com.: Colonel Griois

3 Chefs de bataillon: Couin, d’Hautepoul, Capelle

1 Adjudant-major: Beranger

3 Sous-adjudant-major: Cornuel, Mainville, Raoul

1 Chirurgien-major: Souchotte

  Each Old Guard company was commanded by 4 officers. For example :1st company of 1st battalion:

1 Capitaine en premier: Eggerie

1 Capitaine en second: Demetz

1 Lieutenant en premier: Dumas

1 Lieutenant en second: Breon

  Young Guard Company Staff

1 Mjr.-Com. Henrion

7 Chef de bataillon: Breux, Aubert, Oudin, Faivre, Renaud, Lafond, Levis

1 Capitaine Adjudant-major: Hortel

7 Sous-aide-major: Charpentier, Bichaux, 5 vacant

1 Chirurgien-major

Each Young Guard company was commanded by 4 officers. For example 1st company of 1st battalion:

1 Capitaine en premier: Lefiselier

1 Capitaine en second: Maingard

1 Lieutenant en premier: Marechal

1 Lieutenant en second: Faudin

  Combined, both foot units of the guard comprised an army corps, which had an attached veterans company, a company of ovriers et pontonniers, a 12 company artillery train. The corps of Artillerie a pied de le Garde Imperiale had its own administrations, one officer being responsible for all uniforms. Nicholas Songis was the chief Inspector.

In 1813 the army had, including the Guard, 1,080 guns in the field, forming 82 foot artillery divisions, 40 horse artillery divisions with 21 divisions in reserve. In 1807 the army, including the guard had roughly half this number of divisions, some 468 guns. 

  The young guard artillery was placed under the command of Major Francois-Joseph Henrion. Attached to the young guard artillery upon formation in 1813 was the 2eme regiment de train d’artillerie a de la Garde (Jeune garde), and attached to the Guard Foot Artillery Corps was the Parc du Material de la Garde Imperiale under the directorship of Colonel Jean Francois Boulart and command of Major Henri-Antoine Bon de Lignum and the Parc d’Artillerie de la Garde Imperiale.  Henrion was born on 27 January 1776, and on 27 March 1813 he was appointed major commandant of the 15 young guard foot artillery batteries, appointed Commander of the Legion d’Honneur 6 November 1813, made Baron of the Empire 16 August 1813. He was wounded three times: 29 December 1793, 26 August 1813, and 29 January 1814. Died: 5 August 1849.   

    The large scale increase in the young guard in April 1813 was a turning point in the way that Napoleon viewed the Guard, especially the Young Guard. In 1813, the Imperial Guard, especially the young guard formations, transitioned from a tactical reserve to became a major battle formation. The Guard had replaced the Grande Armee.

  The enlarged young guard artillery of 1813 was uniformed and equipped as a line battery, paid as line, but had the status of ‘Guard’. These new units were armed with the old 8lb taken from the arsenals, but with an emphasis on 12lb and 6inch howitzers. The young guard artillery essentially became the artillery arm of the French Army.

The regiment was disbanded in 1814, after putting up a strong fight. On 15April, Griois took the artillery to Vendome where the companies were scattered. The officers split into political cliques: Pion des Loches, Bitch and Leclerc willing to serve the Bourbons, and Boulart, Marin, Griois, Capelle and the rest of the officers unhappy with their fate. Inspected by Count d'Osmand to asses the regiments loyalty to the King, the gunners made their sentiments clear. Madame Boulart wept openly when a Te Deum was sung for Thanksgiving for the Bourbons return. Before the regiment left for La Fere on 13 may, Griois ripped up a testimonial saying that the regiments moral and esprit de corps had improved during their stay and threw it in the face of Bourbon officials. 

These incidents combined with the horse artillery charging the Prussian Garde du Corps at Compiegne in the manner of the Chasseur cheval, coupled with Griois open hostility to the Bourbons did not aid Dulauloy's efforts to encorporate the regiment into the Royal Guard. Dogureau was made Major general commanding the regiment, and 3/5 of the gunners were discharged, the remainder seperated and encorporated into the Royal Corps of Artillery.

With their masters return, the regiment was re-formed  for the Cent Jours campaign. 6 Old Guard companies were organised in time for Waterloo, the 4 young guard companies were not organised in time to take part in the battle. The regiment was presented with a new eagle and colour in 1815, as shown below:

The artillery of the guard finished its last battle with courage and honour. At the end of everything, with the Old Guards last two squares withdrawing in superb order, at least one battery fired its last round into the mass of the pursuers, and then stoically stood by their guns as if ready to fire again, bluffing with their lives to save those of their comrades. They were cut down to a man. Never was the epitaph 'The Guard dies but never surrenders' more apt than for the foot artillery of the guard.

The regiment was finally disbanded on 29th October1815, the regimental stores full of equipment ordered by the methodical Drouot in May. Between 30-80 men from each company was transferred to the Royal Guard Artillery, and 20-60 to the Line. The remainder were discharged, and the eagle was destroyed. The regiment served the King until the return of Napoleon when it became once again Artillerie a Pied de la Garde Imperiale in 1852.

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