From:THE ASSAULT ON STRALSUND 1809
By T. Snorrason
"After the peace in December 1807, the army was reduced. Those regiments, which had not behaved very well were disbanded. Von Schill had the honour to be raised from second lieutenant to major and commander of a regiment consisting of the men he had led at Colberg. His four squadrons were given the title of "2nd Brandenburg Hussars". The light infantry, which had fought under him, was turned into a battalion of light infantry, as a part of the King's Life Regiment, under the title of the "Light Battalion von Schill".
In the years after the Prussian defeat, the German states and Austria awaited the time for an uprising against Napoleon. Numerous secret societies developed under leaders such as Stein, Jahn, Dörnberg, Katte and the Duke of Brunswick. In Hessen the leader was Colonel Dörnberg, who planned a general uprising on the 22nd of April 1809. The time was thought auspicious, as the French had difficulties in Spain as well as in Austria. The northern parts of Germany were very short of French and Allied troops. Furthermore, it was hoped to raise the population in a guerilla movement as in Spain, and that the former German troops in French service would rebel. The plan for the uprising was that Kassel, the main city of Westphalia, should be attacked and King Jerome be taken prisoner. By chance the plan was revealed to the King, and Colonel Dörnberg, whom the King did not suspect of taking part in the uprising, was sent off with the Guard-Chasseurs to subdue the revolt raised in Wolfshagen. On the march the Colonel stopped and invited the troops to follow him in a revolt to liberate their country. A few joined him, but the rest returned to Kassel and reported what had happened.
Dörnberg continued and collected those troops, who had rebelled in the towns around Kassel and a squadron of cuirassiers. With this force he started to march on the city. On the way they met troops from the Westphalian Guards who had all remained loyal to the King, and after a short fight the rebels were repulsed.
Von Schill had been engaged in the plans of a general uprising, but although he had heard of the unsuccessful risings, he decided to try his luck himself.
After his march from Berlin he addressed the men and asked them, if they were willing to follow him. All the men joined him with loud acclaim. The Prussian authorities tried to stop him, when they heard of his march, but he decided the dice had been cast. On the march toward the middle of Germany the news of the Austrian defeat at Regensburg reached him. The success of his expedition depended on Austrian victory – and Napoleon was advancing towards Vienna.
Von Schill asked his officers advice and several plans were discussed – either to join the Austrian forces through Bohemia or march to the coast and there be taken on board an English fleet and join the forces fighting in Spain. Von Schill could for the moment not settle on any plan and declared that first they must prepare for the attack, which was awaited from the French.
On the 5th of May an engagement took place between the revolutionaries and a contingent of Westphalian troops. Altogether the French were only able to put in the field two companies of the French 22nd Line Regiment, four companies of the 1st Westphalian Line Regiment and two six-pounders, all under the command of General Uslar. This little corps amounted to about 1.000 men and most of them were raw recruits.
Against them von Schill had about 400 hussars, 60 mounted riflemen and 50 infantrymen. The affair ended with the rout of the Westphalians and about 200 of them being taken prisoner. Von Schill lost five officers and 70 men.
On the 4th of May almost a whole company of the Light Infantry battalion von Schill deserted from Berlin and marched to join the rebels. On the 12th of May they joined with much enthusiasm at Arneburg. By this time so many had gathered under the standard of rebellion that a full battalion of light infantry could be raised."
…………"Stralsund, which was an old fortress, had after the war in 1806 been in French hands. The French had destroyed the outworks and had drained away the water around it. Yet, there were considerable military supplies from earlier times. The fortress had a garrison of 100 Polish uhlans, some Mecklenburg troops and a small unit of French artillery. The French general, Candara, who was the governor of Pommerania and held the command at Stralsund, did not wait till von Schill reached Stralsund, but decided to meet him at the defile at Damgarten, a very easy place to defend.
On the 24th of May von Schill came to the place and commanded the attack, which ended successfully for him. The Mecklenburg Life Grenadier Company was taken prisoner, the French artillery refused to surrender and was cut down, while the rest of the garrison fled. The booty was great and consisted, for example, of an artillery-park of some hundred cannon (among them two fully equipped batteries) and plenty of powder. Besides this there was plenty of other military equipment. Von Schill's losses were very small, and he had taken 30 officers and 200 men prisoner and captured four colours.
Although earlier he had not been able to decide what he should do, he now arranged to defend Stralsund instead of going to the island of Rügen and from there with an English fleet to Spain. He wished to use Stralsund as a base for future expeditions into Northern Germany. The fortress was strengthened as fast as possible, the water let in around it. The militia of Rügen was raised, as the troops he had with him were not strong enough to defend a place like Stralsund, although numbers of recruits had come to his colours.
In all he had four squadrons of hussars, four of uhlans, four of mounted riflemen and about 1.800 infantry, mostly experienced men from the last war. To this came the newly raised militia of which only about 600 had arrived, when the Dutch-Danish attack on the town took place. Of artillery he had 450 pieces, however, only 51 of which had crews, which could handle them properly."
Image from Kurzer Abriss des Lebens des Majors Ferdinand von Schilllink
Uniformen des Schillschen Freiforps 1809 nach Knötel
von links nach rechts
1. Fußjäger
2. Artellerie Unteroffizier
3. Leichter Infanterist
4. Husar
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returns to Flintloque to paint an Ogre.
