"Neuchatel Battalions Combat History" Topic

What is the combat record of the Neuchatel Battalion? Were they worth their powder or just a unique looking unit?

Definitely a worthy unit; served in the 1809 Austrian campaign, then sent to Spain. Dealt with guerrillas there led by Don Sanchez. In 1812 went to Russia with the Grande Armee. Reformed after heavy losses in Russia to fight at Lutzen, Bautzen, Dresden, Leipzig and Hanau. Defended their depot at Besancon a few weeks after Napoleon abdicated. Disbanded June 1, 1814.

DeanMoto:

Was it an all-volunteer outfit or was it raised along the lines of a militia force?

Well…according to the book I have by Haythornthwaite – the principality of Neuchatel was annexed by France in 1806 – Berthier becoming the Prince of Neuchatel the same year. In 1807 a battalion was raised under Berthier's command. I plan to paint up a unit of "canaries" too. Barring the 100 Days, a versatile unit to have. Dean

Guy Dempsey's "Napoleon's Mercenaries" is the indispensable reference for any of the foreign units in the French Army

link

Rick

I have the 1st Swiss in 15mm and the 1st, 2nd & 4th in 6mm.

I really do fancy doing the Neufchatel Battlaion in 15mm I have always thought how good they were.

Does anyone have a full listing of where they served????

Martin

The Canton flag is quite bright; I am tempted to copy that tone of yellow for the uniform, as its more likely to be the uniform colour.

What do you think????

I lived in Neuchatel many years ago and found an interesting book on the history of the regiment in the library. Unfortunately I cannot immediately find my notes but I recall from memory that when the unit was first formed that men from Neuchatel serving in the Grande Armee were sought out to form the cadre of the battalion.

There was a company of artillery as well.

No reason to think that they were in any way unworthy in the field.

The uniform colour is interesting. Many describe it as orange but the canton colour is a bright yellow as bgbboogie mentions. The unit was nicknamed the Canaries.

Canaries = bright yellow
flag is bright yellow

Then logic says; on first issue the untiform was bright yellow but faded and stained with use.

From this link

Batailllon de Neuchatel

Regimental History

1807: Created, Batailllon de Neuchatel
1814: Disbanded

Chefs-de-Bataillon

1807 : Bosset (Jean-Henri de)
1812 : Gorgier (de)

None of the above officers attained the rank of General-de-Brigade

Chefs-de-Bataillon killed and wounded whilst serving with the Batailllon de Neuchatel

Chef-de-Bataillon Bosset – wounded 17 November 1811
Chef-de-Bataillon Gorgier – wounded 15 November 1812

Officers killed and wounded whilst serving with the Batailllon de Neuchatel during the period 1807 – 1814

Officers killed: Three
Officers died of wounds: One
Officers wounded: Sixteen

Regimental History (battles and combats in which officers were killed and wounded)

1809: Wagram
1811: St-Evangi-del-Alto, Santivanes, and Alcoa-Fuente
1812: La Moskowa and Krasnoe
1813: Leipzig and Hanau
1814: Paris

Quoting from Dempsey's book to supplement DeanMoto's information, "In early 1810 the Battalion was transferred to Spain, where it spent the next two years as part of the Army of the North combating guerilla chiefs such as El Merino, Mina and Julian Sanchez (Guyot, pp. 108-109). The tasks of the unit fell into three main categories: (a) guarding convoys, (b) foraging and (c) taking part in punitive expeditions. . . .

"Although the Battalion was regularly and routinely involved in action with the enemy during this period, only a few of its combats are worthy of special note. In the summer of 1810 the Battalion participated in the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, but it never entered Portugal. It was then assigned to General Michel Marie Claparede's division as the 9th Corps formed to protect the rear of the Army of Portugal. In March 1811 Captain de Gorgier of the Battalion had two important successes against Don Julian Sanchez, but on the 21st of that same month the Battalion was ambushed at Bivisqua by 500 men hidden in a village (Schaller, p. 131). In addition to taking casualties, the unit lost 23 men captured.

"It appears that the Battalion faced the British army on two occasions. In April 1811 it may have skirmished with British troops as Claparede's division advanced to cover the return of Massena's defeated army. . . . On 27 September 1811 the unit, including its artillery company, went into action against the Fusilier brigade of the British Army at Aldea da Ponte."

It sounds like their are some good Sharp Practice scenarios that can be generated from these actions.

Rick

It wasn't at all bright yellow, more like buff – there were endless discussions about the colour of the canaries – and finally the conclusion – not bright yellow

I've had the Neufchatel Battalion in my 25mm French Army ever since Jack Scruby released them as a special unit deal in the early 1970s. They have performed admirably on many a miniature battlefield.

Jim

It wasn't at all bright yellow, more like buff – there were endless discussions about the colour of the canaries – and finally the conclusion – not bright yellow

Party pooper. I've never seen a Neufchatel unit that wasn't bright yellow and anybody who painted one buff would be subjected to endless ridicule for behaviour contrary to the spirit of the period. Possibly.

Like ColCampbell,I had a battalion for years in my 28MM army. Not sure why I parted with it. Before I painted the unit, I saw a zillion variations in it uniform color. Anything from an orange hue, buff and several shades of yellow. Campaigning probably altered the colors anyway. I eventually chose a 50/50 yellow/buff hue. Looked fine to me… Wish I still had them. They performed admirably.

The holy grail is a description of the standard carried by this unit.

The uniform coat I saw on display at the Musee de l'Armee this spring was a pale yellow (I wouldn't have called it buff, just faded.)
Phil

Yes I too have had a Neufchatel unit in my allied force. Along with Irish (Green) Croatian(Light Blue) and Swiss (Red) it has made for a colourful French allied brigade on the table.

Coat is Ochre/Saffron. Not bright.

You're working with natural dyes which don't colourfast as well as modern ones. You're best off with a straw colour and maybe a brighter deeper golden yellow for the new recruit and officer figures. The unit is a good one to recreate as it must have a half doz different uniforms in the one unit. Has a grenadier, voltigeur and 4 fusilier companies (grenadiers with carabinier style bearskins), plus artillery 'company' (really just half strength though), an escoude of engineers in addition to its sapeurs, plus some transport chaps. Neuchatel also had a Garde d'Honneur unit of local bigwigs-they'd only muster for parades and fairs (etc). I'd get the gen for you as I have all the regimental histories and other stuff besides but they're 30 miles away at present.

You could try the book:

Le batailon de Neuchatel dit des Canaris au service de Napoleon 1807-1814 by Alfred Guye pub 1964

All good stuff, I am Definitely raising them to sit alongside my Swiss. Sorry guys but it will be bright yellow, fresh unit and all that, I may fade the uniforms a bit when the bcome tried and tested.

Hey Ya'll,

Settle down and breathe. Let's differentiate between what the uniform was supposed to look like and what the sun did to it. Deep yellow, yellow, light yellow, buff, tangerine, marangue, saffron, light saffron, on a game table its gonna look good no matter what.

Now, do I invade Russia with an army full of these people or are they garrison troops?

Secondly, if they are Berthier's command, wouldn't they have been attached to the Guard?

Please, don't away any more blather on uniform color, yellow will suffice.

Will they stand up to a bayonet charge by the British Guards?

Thanks to everyone, I love these discussions?

I meant to write:

Thanks to everyone, I love these discussions.

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its a staff guard unit for 1812, otherwise a typical rear area garrison unit. I'd rate them as a decent average unit-nothing too special but as an all arms (cavalry excepted) force.-use them as a detached unit? They'd be good for skirmish games.

Wagram, I think the book by Guye is the one I was trying to recall.

A version of the Uniform:
link
And someone's version of them.
link

Nice looking unit 11thACR