"Portuguese Legion for Wagram" Topic

For my sins I am trying to do bits of Oudinot's 2nd Corps for 1809 .

I am hoping to include some different units like the Portuguese Legion .

I do know that there were 2 battalions present at Wagram . I also know that these were Grenadiers and Voltigeurs( no fusiliers) .What I don't know is if these 2 battalions were mixed or separate and how many companies did they contain. If they were mixed what was the split between Grenadiers and Voltigeurs ?

Many thanks in anticipation

Commandant Boppe is clear in "La Légion portugaise, 1807-1813" link
– 3 battalions.

Napoleon to General Clarke, Minister of War on 7 March 1809:
1st battalion to be formed from 2 grenadier companies and 2 voltigeur companies of the 1st Regiment;
2nd battalion to be formed from 1 grenadier company from 2nd Regiment & 1 grenadier company from the 5th regiment, and 2 voltigeur companies from the 2nd regiment;
3rd battalion to be formed from 1 grenadier company from the 4th regiment and 1 grenadier company from the 3rd regiment; and 2 voltigeur companies from the 4th regiment.
all companies to be 120 men strong.

Many thanks.

I just new there would be somebody on TMP. with such information

Oudinot's II Corps Situational Report dated June 1, 1809 and the second on July 26, 1809. It shows three battalions. It is the first entry on the left.

To see a larger picture just right-click and press view image.

Michael

P.S. the Prince de Essling always has good info!

great stuff MarbotsChasseurs – from where do you get those images – link?

It is nice to see such original documents.

In case – also Guy Dempsey is providing concise information about this out fit in his "Napoleon's Mercenaries"

Thanks guys you have been brilliant .Yes Guy Dempsey's book I ordered yesterday for these and also for some of Oudi not s other colourful units like the Corsicans .

I just did up the entire Wagram OOB at the battalion and squadron level (in 2mm!). The Portuguese Legion had cavalry as well as infantry units. I've been wondering where the cavalry were positioned. Also, were the Portuguese treated as a command directly under Oudinot, or were they under a division commander?

von W,

I contacted an author of a book that I read and he was nice enough to help me with some documents. Mostly XB,YB, and C files from the archives pertaining to the 4th Division regiments. I use the website link which is down sadly to research the GR 21 regiment rolls for the line infantry. Is there anything you are looking for?

Michael

The Portuguese Legion was attached to Grandjean's Division (formerly St Hilaire's).

As at 1 June;
General de Brigade Carcome Lobo
ADCs Lieutenants Franco & Cordiero
13th Demi-Brigade Colonel Pego
1st Battalion Chef de Batn Xavier
2nd Battalion Chef de Batn Stuart
3rd Battalion Chef de Batn Sarmento
(54 officers & 1,417 NCOs and privates; in hospital 1 officer & 73 men)

1st Chasseur a Cheval Regiment (2 squadrons) Colonel d'Aguiar (11 officers & 122 men)

The cavalry was employed due to its weak strength "pour le service d'ordannances aupres des quartiers generaux" in other words attached to the headquarters.

Prince of Essling- thanks, that's super helpful. Always good to know what units are in which command!

mysteron

Gill gives the infantry number at Wagram as 1,422.

The cavalry were said to have made a charge at Znaim, but otherwise attached to headquarters.

Unfortunately, Napoleon's Mercenaries doesn't include the Tirailleurs Corses – because they were a French unit. You'll find the Tirailleurs du Po there, though.

Gill is using the Returns from July 26, 1809 since technically the effective strength counts even those who are sick in the hospital. So you have to subtract the 188 men from the grand total who were in hospital which would be 1,238.

According to Boppe on 20 July (2 weeks after Wagram) the effective strength of the infantry was 32 officers and 1,031 men

Prince de Essling,

Boppe would be considered first hand account so he is the closest correct?

@MarbotsChasseurs

Secondary but drawing on Primary sources

Thanks guys. Just got my copy of Napoleons Mercenaries delivered today.A very useful good and it's very helpful that it's very well laid out when it comes to obtaining Information on the various units. Just a pity that it doesn't contain colour plates which would have made it an excellent book rather than a very good one.

MB- Oudinot's II Corps Situational Report dated June 1,

Far be it from me to criticise, but what are these books called?
That looks like an 'order book'- as there are no dates. Or is that what the tabs represent?
Given neither commanders present in full, not the smae as Situations de campagne…
regards d

I still regard it is an excellent book.

For Boppe – see 2nd post in this thread!!!!!

Dave,

I believe I cited correctly, but they are C2 675 June and C2 676 July. These are the documents that Gill used according to his endnotes.

The tabs on the right show the different Corps.

The last picture is the III Corps on April 10th, 1809 which I am using for my own studies.

@MarbotChasseurs – excellent to see the whole corps returns.

I note my link for some strange reason went to Romana's Division not "La Légion Portugaise, 1807-1813" whiuch can be found at:
link

Reference to 20 July return on link which was taken from "etats situation" – see note at foot of the page.

Prince de Essling,

Funny enough in my mind I just thought the Legion was part of the Romana Division and didn't even thing twice it was wrong!

I would post the whole C2 675 and C2676 but they are over 300 pages. If anyone would like a certain corps return just let me know and I can post it.

Thanks again, those must be the reports Boney received every two weeks – are those from SHD in Paris?

von W,

They are from the SHD that I acquired. At the moment I will list what I have below.

Situational Reports:
2C 506 2e&3e Corps April 1809
2C 675 June 1809
2C 676 July 1809
In need of May 1809 if anyone has it and would like to swap.

Light Infantry:
2YB552 7.Légère An X.1811
2YB653 7.Légère 1805.1815
XB576 7.Légère 1809
2YB564 10.Légère An X.1811
2YB566 10.Légère 1810.1813
XB584 10.Légère 1809

Line Infantry:
2YB120 3.Ligne An X.1810
2YB641 3.Ligne 1805.1815
XB347 3.Ligne 1809
YB150 12e Ligne 1809-1815
2YB182 21e Ligne
2YB320 57.Ligne An X.1811
2YB321 57.Ligne 1808.1815
2YB646 57.Ligne
XB459 57.Ligne 1809
2YB370 72.Ligne An IV.1814
XB487 72.Ligne 1809
XB647 72. Ligne
XB527 105. Ligne 1809

I would like to start a place where we can share these types of primary source material. For example, I would have never known that the 72e Ligne at the Battle of Thann had no Colonel and two chefs de batallions who were recent transfers to the regiment with both arriving in February 1809. However, this regiment still performed well under the orders of chef de batallion Marboeuf and did well in the counter attack supposedly led on foot by General de Brigade de Stabenrath. I was able to find this all out by just reading some of the XB487 with my ok french.