"[Fr_1805] Marechal Berthier -Chef de l'Etat-Major-" Topic

Looking at the full household eventually, I'm seeking to identify the uniforms of the various retinue.
Starting with ADCs who were 'on duty' on or close to day of battle:

Marechal Berthier (Minister of War)
ADC's *1

Major? Girardin d'Ermenonville Aptd-03 (18e Drag but Hussar dress)
Capit de Colbert-Chabanais (Edouard) Aptd-05? (3e Drag)
Capit Lejeune (Louis-François) Aptd-0? (?)
Adj-Cmdt Dalton Aptd-0? (5e Drag)

*2 – There's a whole bunch more of the 'á la suite' roster available, who were given roles and duties as needed on the day.

I'm also looking at what actual formed troops may have been close; Gendarmes de l'elite' of course; and the elite company of the 21eme Dragons were on headquarters security detachment, charging later in the day with Boyés Dragoons (3e Division).

I've given their respective regimental affiliations, but I do not expect they'd be wearing those, like Girardin in hussar dress (not sure where I got that reference but it's in my notes).

*3 – I'm also doing same for M. Bessiéres as General-Commandant of the Imperial Guard. While it would be easy to just paint up a bunch of Chasseur officers, I'm sure the egalitarian Marshal would have spread his favour among the chosen regiments, subject to the Emperors permission of course.

Being less than Generaux, many of these ADCs fly below the radar when it comes to being documented.
Many thanks,
dave

I now see that Lejeune listed as a Capitaine is shown by Bucquoy to be an ADC as Chef d'Escadron.

For Mal. Bessiéres immediate ADCs, Major de Laville I can't place with any history or heritage.
His other two ADC's, CdE/ Major Barbanegre (Jean Baptiste) and Capt Desmichel both appear to be from the Chasseurs.
I'm anticipating some diversity of corps, but perhaps not!?

regards
d

Still looking… <:-|

Of course I was wrong in comment above including "Gendarmes de l'elite' of course" at all.

However on the ADCs, nothing forthcoming. Major de Laville for Bessiéres particularly missing, in or out of action, it seems.

regards
d

Still looking… <:-|

Marechal Berthier – Marechal Bessiéres – Marechal Soult.

Popular figures, with a staff of minions…. but who were they..? I'm beginning to feel like joe____

;-/
d

Maybe a snippet on Laville: from Tuetey/Picard, Unpublished correspondence of Napoleon I : preserved in the War Archives Vol III

link

December 1810:

'Request for six months' leave for reasons of health presented by Adjutant-general Laville, chief-of -staff in the 1st division of heavy cavalry of the Army of Germany, presented to His Majesty.'

Maybe the same guy? Logical career progression.

OK, so the French OOB for 1813 shows a GdeB Laville serving under Davout. Checked in Six:

Turns out that the unhealthy guy above is Joseph-Alexandre-Felix-Marie Laville, but he isn't your Laville.

However, the guy in Hamburg *is* your Laville: Gaetan-Joseph-Prosper-Cesar Laville de Villa-Stellone:

link

Whew, Ok got me a download copy so now i can search electronically.

Thanks again for the help. So a Piedmontese in French service, naturalised late in the Empire.
Must have been a good worker- he allied with Bessieres for number of years and several occasions, including Spain. Slow advancement and no gongs but steady.

He will get a unique ADC uniform while others are mostly Garde Chasseur officers.

~d

UPDATER
Quoteth hisselfs… from above OP:-

*3 – I'm also doing same for M. Bessiéres as General-Commandant of the Imperial Guard. While it would be easy to just paint up a bunch of Chasseur officers, I'm sure the egalitarian Marshal would have spread his favour among the chosen regiments, subject to the Emperors permission of course.

I am closing on the auspicious regiments and in turn their leadership, so having raised MARSHAL Bessiéres here I continue.

The precision is 1:1 figures in my 'command structure', so these are the Gentlemen involved:
(the tabular divisions below are Title/ Rank: Name: LoH rank-date: Unit: status/ progress).

DIVISION DE LA GARDE IMPERIALE

Commandant en Chef Marechal Bessieres GALH12-04 ✔ TBC

ADCs
CdE/ Major Barbanegre (Jean Baptiste) Ofc604 *Gr à Ch WIP
Major/ CdE ( de Laville (César de) Ch *ADC Undress WIP
Capt Desmichel (nom?) Ofc *Ch à Ch ✔

Two additional characters, necessary to 'promote' one of the most senior of army commanders and roles:
Valet# MDL-Chef Chasseurs Veteran *Ch à Ch ✔
Escort- Ch á Cheval trooper w carbine – ✔ .

Now, on checking my painting, superdetailing and otherwise casting an eye of scrutiny over the impeccable Marshal, it occurs to me that his ever so well published and repeated portraits, as well as that of his master, appear to be anachronisms of uniforms.

Both wear a green habit, or surtout, with a red (ecarlate) collar.
This is not the official regulated uniform for the regiment de Chasseurs á Cheval de la garde imperialé.

These garments, as I created the regiment, were all green including collars, except cuffs and piping for all other ranks.

Why then do these two, who are cited as wearing the regiments uniform not comply?

All I can see is that the red collar belonged to their predecessor unit, in la garde consulaire, prior to the (1801?) adoption of the hussar dress when the surtout was indeed, dressed with a red collar.

I consulted both Bucquoy (cited verbatim including Eugenes directives from 1800) and Malibran on the regiments regulations.

So these two, the very highest of regulating commanders, continued to wear an anochronism for full dress uniform in front of the army?

I won't be changing anything, but it seems an attribute that is overlooked in the ongoing anomalies of Napoleonic uniform debates.

Or did I miss something…
cheers
d‌

>>Or did I miss something…

Seems I did.
Looking in on Rousellot he illustrated same surtout as above.

Quite why there's a change with red/ green collar I'm not sure, unless the green ones are fakes?

Same for Rigo. And all sorts and ranks including walking out/ Sunday dress showing the same.

link

Ah well, back to painting horses… as you were…
d

Bessières was the colonel général de cavalerie de la garde
This post had its own uniform
"grande tenue"

Painted by Lejeune, who was there.
The night before Austerlitz.

I think we have Bessières to the left of Berthier in blue.
This looks like a "2e tenue" uniform for a colonel général de cavalerie :
--- no gold on cap
--- habit all green – the cut/style appers like a consulate era general's coat
--- green riding pants without decoration
--- boots without decoration
--- no sashes
--- no hair powder

Non monsieur, on this we will have to disagree.
Yes I really know who and what he was, but your 'evidence' is a tainted delayed portrait of an event.

Those figures and I have a close up, are both in blue.
Berthier had been using powder to some point; Bessieres always.
Those figures are at left, Roustam, then servant or chassuer perhaps in green carry a faggot of wood for the fire; the next is definitely in blue and I'd have said HE is Berthier- the full uniform, aiguillette and large white frnge on chapeau; OR it is Bessieres in his occasional Marshals uniform??

The next in contrast in his 'redingote', has a minor fringe on his chapeau, with no rank insignia visible- I'd hazard a guess and state he will be GDV Duroc- Grande Marshal du Palais- likely because he was a very close confidant of N. inner circle. And the only 'non-Marshal of the Empire' who appears to have had the 'minor fringe' of white ostrich feathers, otherwise an affectation of genereaux-en-chef and Marshals.

I'll drop the close up shortly…
[Detail]

‌Austerlitz detail 1B_ ©dww_2022-03-07
by DaveW, on Flickr.

Bio:
link

care of 'napoleon-monuments.eu' (same place as Hachette figures).
dave

The Duchess d'Abrantės' description :
"Bessières était bien jeune encore pour mourir …. Sa figure était agréable …. Sa taille était haute, élancée, élégante, surtout sous l'uniforme de colonel des guides de la garde, qu'il a longtemps commandés …. Il ne voulut jamais quitter la poudre, ni couper ses cheveux."

aides de camp du maréchal Bessières à la bataille d'Austerlitz
--- prémier aide de camp (12 september 1805) adjudant-commandant d'état-major général de la garde Stanislas Marie Joseph Ignace Laurent d'Oullenbourg, membre de la Légion d'honneur, ancien major du 10e hussards (Landau 1766 – Nancy 1833)
--- aide de camp (23 septembre 1800) chef d'escadron d'état-major général de la garde Jean Baptiste Barbanègre, officier de la Légion d'honneur, récompensée par un sabre d'honneur après la bataille de Marengo (Pontacq, près de Pau 1775 – tué à la bataille d'Iéna 1806)

--- aide de camp (24 septembre 1805) chef d'escadron d'état-major général de la garde Gaëtan Joseph Prosper César de Laville de Villa-Stellone, membre de la Légion d'honneur, fils du chambellan de la mère de l'Empereur (Turin 1775 – Toulouse 1848)
--- aide de camp (16 septembre 1805) capitaine d'état-major général de la garde Louis Sébastien Leisten-Schneider, membre de la Légion d'honneur, ancien officier du 1er hussards (Sarrelouis 1769 – mort de fièvre contagieuse à Mayence 1813)
--- aide de camp (17 janvier 1804) lieutenant d'état-major général de la garde Fabien Sébastien Jacques de Lapeyrière, membre de la Légion d'honneur, beau-frère du maréchal (Cahors en Occitanie 1778 – Paris 1831)
--- aide de camp (~1 décembre 1805) sous-lieutenant d'état-major général de la garde Jean-Baptiste d'Andréossy, neveu du général d'artillerie (Agde, près de Montpillier ~1783 – 1807+)

La maréchale Bessières, Marie Jeanne Madeleine, dite "Adèle", née de Lapeyrière (Cahors 1781 – Paris 1840)

The maréchal Bessières may have had additional, maybe unofficial, aides de camp at Austerlitz, but I could not find any.
I do not see this officer as an aide de camp of the maréchal Bessières :
--- capitaine (18 décembre 1805) au chasseurs à cheval de la garde Louis Alexis Desmichels, membre de la Légion d'honneur (Digne, près de Monaco 1779 – Paris 1845)
link

For the maréchaux Davout, Soult and Mortier, the other colonels-général de la garde, each had a similar set of aides de camp who were part of "l'état-major général de la garde".

Also part of "l'état-major général de la garde" was a fairly typical corps sized staff :
--- chef de l'état major général de la garde général de brigade François Xavier Roussel
--- 4 capitaines adjoints d'état major : Hubert Vautrin, François Baron de la Villebaud, Joseph Philibert Bottex & Martin Laforêt
--- 2 sous-lieutenants adjoints d'état major : Ferdinand Waldner & Gabriel (?) de Bourran
--- inspecteur aux revues Chandelas
--- 2 commissaires des guerres de 1ere classe : Charamond & Jean-Baptiste Gilbert Dufour
--- chirurgien major en chef Dominique Larrey
--- bibliothécaire Verry

Gérard's depiction of the maréchal Bessières at Austerlitz

Thanks for the added info mich.

My turn- I've never seen or read of any of these ADCs you cite:
- d'Oullenbourg
- Leisten-Schneider
- Lapeyrière
- Andréossy or Prosper.

Desmichel on the other hand, is reported in English several times so I did not question this. But I don't have a footnoted source specifically, which means to me it is in plain sight.

Laville was ex-Piedmontaise 1er Chasseurs seconded ADC and not of a Garde regiment/ rank as far as I know. He was known to Bessieres since 1800 campaign, for obvious reasons.
So I am giving him a guard 'staff undress' uniform to break up the 'green-ness' of the group. [In fact I'm using some other 'plain' general as this man!].

Thank you for more names of the GI Etat-Major. While it will be a long time before I create one, I shall file the info.

I don't doubt there were 'extras'; can you assign regiments to those names at all?

Wherever Barbanègre had been sent, it was Laville who was on foot, walking with Bessieres up the Western facing slope toward the Stare Vinohrady, when that fateful event occurred…

Gerards painting wasnt completed until? 1810?

regards
≠davew≠

I put the Gérard and Lejeune here for interest. As sources, they have issues as you note and the benefit of being near contemporary.

All the 6 listed aides de camp had been transferred, as of the dates noted, to the état-major général de la garde. There was supposed to have a specific uniform for this. See the Ospreys on Napoleon Headquarters or the illustrations of Peter Bunde.
brigade-uniform-tafeln.de

With the exception of Barbanègre, all 6 were rather rich officers who should have able to have someone make-up a correct uniform in time for Austerlitz. And Barbanègre was appointed years in advance. Maybe young d'Andréossy would be an exception due to short timing and still wear parts of his prior uniform.

Here are their last prior positions before being named aides de camp to the maréchal Bessières.
--- adjudant-commandant d'Oullenbourg : major du 10e régiment de hussards
--- chef d'escadron Barbanègre : lieutenant au grenadiers à cheval de la garde consulaire
--- chef d'escadron Laville : chef d'escadron prémier aide de camp du général Fresia
--- capitaine Leisten-Schneider : chef d'escadron au 1er régiment de hussards
--- lieutenant Lapeyrière : lieutenant aide de camp du général Darmagnac
--- sous-lieutenant d'Andréossy : sous-lieutenant au 43e de ligne

The lieutenant, later capitaine, Desmichels does not appear as an aide de camp to the maréchal Bessières in either the linked above biography or the Almanach Impérial. If he acted as one at Austerlitz, I think this would an example of an "extra". I would imagine any "extras" would be lieuetenants of chasseurs à cheval de la garde who had served in the guides – of which there were several, including Desmichels.

Bessières may have taken a civilian family friend on campaign. Someone like François Pouqueville.
link
Another friend was in uniform, and maybe over-complement in his own regiment – chef d'escadron au grenadiers à cheval de la garde Pierre Alexis Duclaux.
link
I like your idea of veteran sous-officers of the chasseurs à cheval for batman, and also for palefrenier and piqueur. But he could have taken purely civilian servants on campaign.

As a maréchal, Bessières would have been entitled to personal escort of 1/2 a mounted company. I do not know if he used one. If he did, I would assume it came from the chasseurs à cheval de la garde, or maybe his brother's regiment, the 11e chasseurs à cheval.

Hey mich,

Just a couple of things before I have to go out 'en mission' shortly, but thanks for the added info, very expansive!

1. I think, we are all confused by Bessieres, given he was but one year older than Napoleon, 37, but looks more like the oldest Marshals (Serurier/ Kellerman etc.) due to his adherence to the 'revolutionary' style of hair-do! Im sure this irked N!

2. He'd been at war now for 13 years, cadet in 1792 and corps commander in 1805. So he was no novice, softie or even a pessimistic follower of glory like he gets portrayed.

3. I believe personally that his acute military instincts would not have permitted the risk of 'civilian' staff en campagne. HQ in Paris is a different matter.

>>I like your idea of veteran sous-officers -
for which I am grateful- somewhere, sometime I read [French] that 'old soldiers' who otherwise were put to pasture once beyond their prime, if not elegible for 'Invalides' would have very hard lives. And as such a senior, money officer or General would 'adopt' and employ them.

Thus I believe, though I have no conscience of an actual person, that Bessieres would have taken a 'veteran', possibly from the early wars or just 'Italie' (whichever campaign) as a consummate 'mate' and support who would know what his master wanted or needed on campaign.

Thus I've presented this man in a unique uniform variation to differentate him from the 'corps des chasseurs' as a member of the staff. It is a remodelled figure I made for myself which will emerge in due course.

4. On á la suite officers, what goes unrecognised by most gamers is that this pool of 'extras' was used for many diverse roles.

While these men had to frnd for themselves, I note that most ADC's received a 'bump' in rank almost immediately or prior to being assigned. Capitaine to Chef'dEscadron was common in the cavalry corps; Major or Adj.Major to Chef de Bon in the infantry for instance.
Added confusion comes when a 'ranking' officer becomes a pure 'Adjutant-Commandant' as well (Soults Premiere ADC was Colonel Adj-Cmdt Etienne P.S. Ricard).

Even those designated as 'aides' were I believe subject to the same diversity; it was not a one-man, one job affair. Thus we see those who are 'Etat-Major' then designated as ADCs- but what was their day job in non-war Paris barracks?

And the 'designation' as ADCs didn't mean they left their 'day job'. I'll give two examples from Mal. Soult:-

Col. Franceschi (CLH) of the 8eme Hussards and

Chef de bon Hulot (OFCLH) of the Tirailleur du Pô.

Neither of these gentlemen were in attendance on Soult, both being with their respective regiments (Franceschi critcally so) on the day.
Despite their 'status' as Imperial ADCs, these were sinecures to some extent when 'day jobs' took precedence (IMHO).

5. Given Bessieres was GI Cav-Commandant I'd doubt he needed an escort any time unless he was separated from the Brigade completely.
Naturally the 11eme Chasseurs are an integral part of my IV Corps d'Armée for 30 years now!

Which reminds me I need to examine the breakdown of the Garde corps into the echelons that operated that day.**

**This being a cross reference of sorts- the Russians and Austrians criticised often for 'breaking apart' full regiments, yet here we have a good example of the same happening, even if exceptional, by the French.

Many thanks,
en avant______ davew

More info ….

Until the formation of l'état-major général de la garde, Hulot was an officer of the 25e légère serving as a general's aide de camp. Upon its creation, he passed to l'état-major général de la garde, still an aide de camp. In November 1805 (*before* Austerlitz), he was promoted commandant of the tirailleurs du Pô. Exceptionally, from January 1806 (*after* Austerlitz) to March 1807, he was an aide de camp à la l'état-major général de la garde and also commander of the tirailleurs du Pô. From March 1807, he lost this dual assignment, remaining only an aide de camp.

Étienne Hulot (Mazerny dans les Ardennes 1774 – Nancy 1850)
--- 29.VI.1796 promu sous-lieutenant au 25e demi-brigade légère de deuxième formation
--- 20.III.1799 passé sous-lieutenant officier d'ordonnance près du général Soult
--- 30.VI.1799 nommé lieutenant provisoire aide de camp du général Soult
--- 30.V.1800 fait prisonnier à Monte Cretto
--- 9.IX.1800 échangé
--- 13.VI.1803 capitaine aide de camp du général Soult
--- 19.V.1804 le général Soult est fait maréchal et colonel général des chasseurs à pied de la garde
--- 29.VII.1804 décret d'organisation de la garde impériale : le capitaine Hulot devenu capitaine aide de camp à l'état-major général de la garde, près du maréchal Soult
--- 5.VIII.1805 fait membre de la Légion d'honneur
--- 1.XI.1805 promu chef de bataillon commandant les tirailleurs du Pô
--- 26.XII.1805 promu de la Légion d'honneur
--- 3.I.1806 nommé chef d'escadron aide de camp à l'état-major général de la garde, près du maréchal Soult tout en conservant le commandement de son bataillon
--- 22.III.1807 remplacé dans son bataillon et maintenue aide de camp du mar´´chal Solt
--- 2.VI.1808 promu colonel
--- 31.1.1810 fait chevalier de l'Empire
--- 14.VI.1811 passé commander d'une brigade d'infanterie
--- 9.VIII.1812 promu général de brigade

===========================

Franceschi was an officer of the 4e hussards serving as a general's aide de camp from 1799 to 1801. He again, now an aide de camp à l'état-major général de la garde, served with géneral (later maréchal) Soult from December 1803 to February 1805 (*before* Austerlitz), when he became the commanfer of the 8e hussards.

Jean-Baptiste Francesqui, dit Franceschi-Delonne (Lyon 1767 – mort prisonnier en Espagne 1810)
--- 17.II.1797 passé lieutenant à la suite du 4e hussards
--- 18.IV.1797 nommé capitaine provisoire
--- 2.II.1799 passé capitaine provisoire adjudant du adjudant général de Billy
--- 29.VI.1799 passé capitaine provisoire aide de camp du général Soult
--- 1.IX.1799 confirmé capitaine
--- 13.X.1799 nommé chef d'escadron provisoire
--- 19.X.1799 confirmé chef d'escadron
--- 24.VIII.1801 revint au 4e hussards
--- 16.X.1803 passé chef d'escadron prémier aide de camp à l'état-major général de la garde consulaire, près du maréchal Soult
--- 2.XI.1803 promu colonel
--- 19.V.1804 le général Soult est fait maréchal et colonel général des chasseurs à pied de la garde
--- 15.VI.1804 fait commandant de la Légion d'honneur
--- 29.VII.1804 décret d'organisation de la garde impériale
--- 1.II.1805 passé colonel commandant du 8e hussards
--- 24.XII.1805 promu général de brigade

===========================

Sources :
-- Six
-- Base Leonore
-- Almanach Impérial
-- État Militaire

I don't think that a NCO as batman is visible, unheard of, he would be missed as integral part of a squadron where he had just more functions than to draw a sword / sabe.

Servants in civilian dress – I think yes, especially for higher ranking officers, such as divisional generals of Marshals, they would have had more than one. They usually stayed behind the lines of battle.

For the Lejuene painting, I would agree with Michman that the officer with powdered hair is Bessieres. I am always amazed how he could keep up that powdered hair – which usually takes quite a preperation time.

"I don't think that a NCO as batman is visible, unheard of"

Agreed. It was against regulations to thus "misuse" as soldier or NCO who was supposed to be fighting for the State, and to force him to act as "minion" or "body servant". Bad for his unit, and too much like the class system of the ancien régime. The Emperor himself had civilian employées.

The discussion was of "vétéran" sous-officiers.
The "compagnie de vétérans" had limited number of billets for the most elderly/afflicted men at the guard hospital of Gros Caillou in Paris' 7e arrondissement, the traditional hosptal for gardes-françaises. In 1899 :

This was limited to 102, later 200 gardes, plus a few sous-officiers. Guardsmen could also be entered into Les Invalides.

The more physically capable would be sent "home", but attached administratively to the "compagnie des vétérans", with a living allowance. These men could find civilian employ. If engaged by a maréchal on campaign, I think they would want to wear something like their former undress uniform (tenue de campagne, tenue de route or tenue d'écurie), although a plain blue-coated "vétérans" uniforme did exist per regulations, and civilian servants were not supposed to dress as active duty soldiers …. So maybe something like the guides old uniform that Bessières himself seemed to have preferred, with plain buttons, plain shoulder straps, etc. ?

"usually stayed behind the lines of battle"
Yes. That's why I suggested a palefrenier and a piqueur – mounted (not driving a carriage or wagon) and more likely to be near the maréchal.

I am rather agreeing that the officer with powdered hair and queue is Bessieres. As for NCOs very valuable stuff, they can read and write.

Thanks learned gentelemen for the additional info.

My position is that, like 1807/08, even in 1805 many many old soldiers and invalids retired after being in the forces from the old regime across a decade of revolution and replublican wars, uo to twenty and more years of drill and campaigns across most of civilised Europe, with more to come thereafter.

Places of refuge for even able bodied, let alone handicapped and maimed veterans (their expertise is irrelevant) were very few, and the barracks hospitals and Invalides quite a tiny proportion of the overall number; one could be cynical and state that they too were largely government 'propaganda' for a 'surviving' members prestige.

On the other hand- without taking notes I recall reading sveral memoires that recited 'old soldiers' being employed as 'servant' but with due dignity to their abilities and previous roles. Oudinot springs to mind, perhaps Thiébault, Lannes was fairly generous, and of course Bessieres under discussion.

Bluchers bio recounts his generosity to old compatriots at his own expense (ie debt that the King refused to pay) etc.

cheers d