| Old Smokie | 25 Mar 2015 5:02 p.m. PST |
is there any hard evidence that the French Guard Light Cavalry were at Quatre Bras either at the begining of the battle or through out |
| vtsaogames | 25 Mar 2015 5:52 p.m. PST |
They scouted early on but Ney had been told not to commit them. |
| Camcleod | 25 Mar 2015 6:15 p.m. PST |
The Guard Lancers had been engaged around Frasnes on the 15th with some Nassau troops.
During the 16th they were kept in reserve.
The Osprey book on them has an account of the Poles and Red Lancers in combat on the 15th and mentions that the rest of the Brigade (the Chasseurs) were a mile to the rear. |
Ligniere  | 26 Mar 2015 6:00 a.m. PST |
My understanding is that the lancers were certainly engaged on the 16th, both early on and at the end of the day. The chasseurs not so sure about.
The Guard light cavalry represented, potentially, the most experienced light cavalry in the French army, having them in the van and/or maintaining contact at the end of the day of battle would be the best use of these fine troops.
The other unit detached from the right wing forces on the 15th and 16th were the 1st Hussars, and on the 16th they were apparently scouting to the west of the French positions, towards Nivelles. |
| marshalGreg | 26 Mar 2015 11:29 a.m. PST |
From my limited resources for the 16th…
The Guard cavalry mostly reconnoitered on the west side of Bosso Wood late in the battle with some evidence of a squadron or two of the lancers making a charge to support the Cuirassiers on the east side against Alten's troops.
Though I have not been able to confirm. I too ran across that the 1st Hussar were present but nothing on where and what for the 16th. They had not definitive documentation of doing anything on the 15th, in addition to the 16th, as to most of Ney's forces as they approached the battle field.
Sources for their reconnoitering towards Nivelles would be good to read/know!
I had them available for my QB game but since pulled them out. MG |
| Ligniere | 26 Mar 2015 1:42 p.m. PST |
@MG
My information came from John Franklin's recent Osprey's related to QB and Ligny.
The info on the 1st Hussars was fairly limited, but it drew my attention because if they were out towards Nivelles and the west of Ney's line of advance, I would have assumed that would have put them in contact with some of the Allied troops in that region – but I guess not. |
| marshalGreg | 26 Mar 2015 1:49 p.m. PST |
@Ligniere
That would be my thoughts exactly.
Perhaps memoirs from the Allied cavalry who were there would have something about some "run ins" with French scouting parties, if such memoirs still exist? MG |
| Ligniere | 26 Mar 2015 2:28 p.m. PST |
@MG,
I just found a French source related to the history of the 1st Hussars, and it says that the regiment returned to Pajol late in the day of the 16th and took no part in any cavalry charges at either QB or Ligny. |
| Allan F Mountford | 27 Mar 2015 11:20 a.m. PST |
Captain Jean Baptiste Cabard and Captain Claude Nicolas Benoit Gauthier were assigned or appointed on 14 April 1815 to the Lanciers de la Garde Imperial (the composite Dutch and Polish Guard Lancer regiment during the Hundred Days campaign). Both are recorded as being wounded at Ligny on 16 June 1815. Cabard survived the campaign and was removed from the muster roll on 9 November 1815. Gauthier was killed at Waterloo. It should be noted that Ligny and Quatre Bras are recorded as one action not two in some French records. The 16 June 1815 muster roll for this regiment showed 47 officers and 833 other ranks. This suggest the unit may have sustained 35 to 40 casualties on 16 June. Allan |
| John Franklin | 27 Mar 2015 11:48 a.m. PST |
@Allan The Imperial Guard returns state that the Light Cavalry losses were sustained at Fleurus (not Ligny). We know a duty squadron was present with Napoleon, but the losses could only (realistically) have happened at Quatre Bras. With regards to Allied accounts which mention the French 1er Hussards. Yes, there are at least two – written by Dutch troops – which mention their surprise appearance close to Nivelles. These accounts are in my books on the Netherlands troops. Kind regards John |
| Allan F Mountford | 29 Mar 2015 4:00 p.m. PST |
John I agree the losses would have been at QB. The names of the two officers are from the regimental records reproduced in Pawley's book on the Red Lancers and states 'Ligny' not 'Fleurus' (unless Pawley chose to change the name). Is your information from a different source? Allan |
| John Franklin | 29 Mar 2015 11:28 p.m. PST |
Hi Allan, Yes, my information is from Vincennes (and Ronald has undoubtedly changed the name). Best wishes John |
returns to Flintloque to paint an Ogre.
