"Cavalry breaking square 1794" Topic

In spring 1794 4 troops of the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons- the 'Scots Greys'- formed part of the Duke of York's force fighting in alliance with the Austrian Imperial army in Flanders.

"On April the 17th, after joining the army on the plains of Cateau, they supported the infantry attack on the villages of Vaux and Fremont.

At day-break on May the 10th, the army was in position on the heights in front of Tournay, the Greys being formed in column of troops behind the left wing. The Bays, Greys, and Inniskilling Dragoons forming one brigade, advanced in open column of half-squadrons, with the Duke of York at their head ; on approaching the enemy they formed line under a heavy cannonade and charged.

The following is in the Honourable J. W. Fortescue's account. Vol. IV., p. 249, of his splendid new History of the British Army : —

" At last, however, a little to the south of Willems, the battalion- guns of the British infantry came up and opened fire, when the French, after receiving a few shots, began to waver. The squadrons again charged, and an officer of the Greys, galloping straight at the largest of the squares, knocked down three men as he rode into it, wheeled his horse round and overthrew six more, and thus made a gap for the entry of his men. The sight of one square broken and dispersed demoralised the remainder of the French. Two more
squares were ridden down, and for the third time the British sabres had free play among the French infantry. . . .

Not for eighteen years was the British Cavalry destined again to ride over French battalions as they rode on this day ; and then Stapleton Cotton was fated once more to be present, leading not a squadron of Carabiniers, but a whole division of horse to the charge at Salamanca. But the 10th of May 1794 is chiefly memorable as marking the date on which the new French infantry showed itself not unworthy of the old."

From Almack, 'The history of the Second Dragoons : "Royal Scots Greys" (1908)

Despite the neglected state of the British army in the 1790s, British cavalry seems to have enjoyed spectacular success against both French infantry and cavalry in the spring and summer of 1794. By autumn, the effect of continual retreat followed by months waiting in cantonment, enduring foul weather and an uncertain future, took its toll on morale. After returning to Britain in 1795, the 2nd Dragoons remained in England until 1815 when they joined Wellington's army in Belgium.

"Despite the neglected state of the British army in the 1790s, British cavalry seems to have enjoyed spectacular success against both French infantry and cavalry in the spring and summer of 1794."

No saddle-sores, innit…

>>of his splendid new History of the British Army :

Hardly 'new' and in light of the hyperbole, I'd still want to see some confirmation, not just take his word for it.

>>But the 10th of May 1794 is chiefly memorable as marking the date on which the new French infantry showed itself not unworthy of the old."

Seems an odd and out of place piece of praise? I don't get it…
dave

It is unclear from the accounts if they were actually squares or just 'close columns'. The business about "the new French infantry showed itself not unworthy of the old." is that this was Chappuis' Brigade who not long before had fled at the sight of allied cavalry so -it is thought to be a testament to their 'improvement' that they stayed in formation- though having seen how badly running away from cavalry worked out for them previously it is more likely a case of safety in numbers – they retreated anyway…

I would imagine that the Honourable J W Fortescue is an English-type person, and therefore prone to understatement. 'Not unworthy' would therefore rank as high praise…

It goes without saying that the style of both narratives is of the era in which they were written. Fortescue warms to his subject but in general is clear eyed and level-headed.

One page earlier Fortescue states : " ..the French infantry for the first time, threw themsleves into squares and faced the galloping horsement with admirable firmness," fending off nine successive charges, and thereafter describes their steady retreat harassed by allied cavalry looking for an opportunity to attack, only wavering after a brigade of infantry is brought up and its battalion guns open fire, as described in the previous post. This explains the compliment with which the passage closes.

Fortescue lists his sources for this account as 'chiefly from:
Calvert, Journal pp 203-205
Narrative of an Officer ii, 241
Ditfurth ii, 75
Life of Lord Combermere i, 38-39
The first is the most important.'

('British campaigns in Flanders', 1690-1794 pp 317-320)

Calvert, too, is generally clear eyed and sceptical in his accounts.

Interestingly, Cannon's 'Historical Record of The Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons, now the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons…' (1839) merely describes how "The British squadrons dashed forward with the velocity and fury of a tempest and their charge broke the firts ranks of the enemy.'(p.96) (Well, I say 'simply').

Anyway, I thought the description might be of interest. YMMV.

G'Day "42" and Mr. Philip Ball,

It is an accurate observation that the French were not in squares, since most battalions were still lacking instructions sur manoeuvre de l'infanterie at this point in time.

Les soldats ont eu peu ou pas de formation en deux ans, dans des corps isolés, ils ont pratiqué les détails, mais pas beaucoup à l'école du bataillon (à l'exception de quelques-uns)

From 1792 to 1794 a different ordre was established contrary to en masse (either l'ordre profound of l'ordre mince), and due to the particular circumstances of the time, les bataillons combatant a la debandade.

In the reglement de 1791 there are only instructions for a carre plein for an isolated battalion, and it was realized in 1792 that une carre vide was needed for isolated battalions. For the untrained during this period, the French would arrive en colonne par bataillon ou colonne d'attaque, and deploy en debandade when the great body of troops were approximately 450 to 500 meters from the enemy artillery.

Best Regards
Art

How is 'debandade' best translated in this context? Does it have a formal sense or does it imply in no particular order?

G'Day "42"

Best way to describe this body is to envision a loosely formed mob / crowd. -and here's a perfect example of commander et diriger par le derrière / command and lead from the rear…the officer would herd his men in a direction given…

O one of your last postings also has a good example: "everyone appeared to follow his own inclination without being under the least control of his officer"

O Colonel George Hanger said the following: "troops a la debandade were inferior to skirmishers acting in open order, who imitated the subtle art of the Indian. Who endeavors to steal away the life of an enemy without exposing himself to danger."

I have figures based as tirailleurs / skrimishers…and then I have troops en débandade (figures) based on general oval or ellipse basing to represent a mob / crowd moving.

Best Regards
Art

Calvert makes no mention of squares only columns and also makes reference to the ground being unsuitable for good cavalry movement . He does however make reference to "the good countenance shown by the French infantry".

G'Day Pete,

I find this interesting as well:

"…and thereafter describes their steady retreat harassed by allied cavalry looking for an opportunity to attack…"

The first hand accounts states that the French battalions were in column when retiring…

There are only six epagogique colonnes that permit a body of troops to retire with enemy cavalry present, and we can safely eliminate four.

That leaves in my mind one category best suited for the time period, either en colonne par bataillon ou colonne d'attaque (depending how the body of troops were previously formed).

The commander of the great body of troops would be concerned about commander et diriger…

Best Regards
Art

Presumably a commander would not deliberately report: "I then ordered my men to spread out and then herded them forward in the customary mob order."

'Debandade' seems to be an elegant euphemism, adding tone to a vulgar brawl- leaving superior officers to read between the lines.

I had a look in a recent book "The Duke of York's Flanders Campaign" and the author quotes an officer of one of the cavalry regiment, 6th Dragoon Guards I think, that the French were in square and resisted several charges until one of the squares was broken.

He may well have been quoting Fortescue in relation to the Scots Greys, as above.

This is an account of the 6th Dragoon Guards at Tournay from the 1839 'Historical record of the Sixth Regiment of Dragoon Guards, or the Carabineers' (In a different brigade from the Greys, I think).

'…the Duke of York directed Lieut.-General Harcourt to attack the enemy's right flank with sixteen British, and two Austrian squadrons, and the Sixth Dragoon Guards were among the corps selected for this service. Having gained the flank, dark lines
gleaming with bayonets and sabres, and emitting streams of fire, opposed a formidable resistance, and many troopers and horses were soon stretched on the dusty field ; but the heroic squadrons rushed forward, breathing vengeance and slaughter, and the fury of their charge broke a French corps into fragments. The British troopers plunging their horses among the oppo-
sing ranks, trampled and cut down their adversaries with terrific violence; and the French army being thus attacked in flank, commenced its retreat, in the course of which it was broken by a second charge of the cavalry.' (p.77)

link

A brief summary from the French perspective

Farther south an attack was made on the 10th May 1794 on the Duke of York at Marquain, before Tournai, by the division of Bonnaud, late Chapuis, which Pichegru had ordered up from Cambrai to Sainghin4 and which, taking up Osten's brigade, was now 23,000 strong.5 The chief part of the fight took place at Baisieux and Camphin, on the road from Tournai to Lille.

The Duke turned the French right with his heavy cavalry under Dundas, Laurie, and Vyse, when part of the French cavalry became demoralized and fled. Their infantry then retreated in what seemed to the English good style, but at the end Dundas's brigade cut into them, and when this attack was supported by some guns the French went off in disorder, leaving,. says Calvert, 14 guns. The French acknowledge a loss of 5 guns and 500 men.'

(-Phipps 'Armies of the First French Republic: Nord' pp. 294-95)