Letters on: Pending British Firearms Legislation; Russian Regt. Names; Music; Waterloo Buildings; Napoleonic Association (re-enactments) of UK and Netherlands; Information on Dutch-Belgian Forces (1815) and uniform details of 1809 Hesse-Darmstadt Garde du Corps; and requests for info on Hungarian Insurrection Forces 1809, and Annan-area gamers.

Rally now!

Dear Mr. Watkins,

After the tragedy of Dunblane which has shocked us all, people who are involved in shooting are now being put on a par with criminals by the media. All of the political parties want to be seen to be doing something and either want to ban all guns or make it so difficult to pursue the hobby that people will simply "give up". The Police are putting pressure onto Parliament to remove guns from public ownership - we have no friends!

You may not shoot Rifles or Pistols or shoot at clays and you may be under the illusion that the humble flintlock musket will escape the threatened ban - it will not, for it is a shotgun.

Imagine re-enacting with a broom handle and shouting 'BANG' at every volley. You may laugh but that it is how it will be. If you value your hobby sit down and write a letter to your MP. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition explaining what you do and that you are no threat to the community. Do not be rude or aggressive but simply put your argument across. All letters can be addressed to "The House of Commons", London. If you can go and see your local MP and his opposite number do so.

This is your fight to continue the Re-enactment Hobby in peace, but also a fight for freedom which surely is what this country prides itself on.

Safety First?

I showed recently through an examination of photographs taken during re-enactment events and a practical experiment that the use of flash-guards could have enhanced volley-fire during the Napoleonic period by up to 30% - that the Government didn't wish to go to the expense of supplying these in the face of advice from officers and gun-maker's shows just where their priorities lay - a request and recommendation in 1808 for each infantryman to get a small waterproof cape to prevent the losses from exposure and cold was also ignored - the price of each cape would have been far less than the expense of a dead or sick soldier in the Peninsula through exposure to the inclemency of the elements there.

One such photograph shown recently in a new book shows the expectancy of receiving a blast from an over primed pan on his left causing one Guardsman to look away to his right and the muzzle of his musket consequently dropping close to the back of the front rank mans head .... flash-guards do stop this sort of disorder and hazard. Where do re-enactors draw the line between facility and safety? Metal ramrods are still in use by some units as part of the re-enactment event despite much debate and published guidelines which are unworkable and un-enforced and hence disregarded. Proof loads for blank - which are stamped on the gun barrel for all to see - are exceeded in some cases by almost 100% in the manufacture of paper cartridge by powder officers.

The grant of a Shotgun certificate and the possession of an Explosives Licence justifies a short drill from an FME (Five-Minute Expert) who puts a new recruit into a firing line with an almost Condemned Condition musket and a box-full of paper cartridges. An edged weapon (a light cavalry sabre) was drawn by a hitherto observing but unemployed dismounted trooper for no apparent reason other than a wish to join in the general excitement (I was the intended target in this instance).

All the above instances were at one NA event in 1996; I remarked on it to the persons involved and in each case got a weak smile in return in acknowledgement for spoiling their fun (Bonaparte always asked if a soldier was lucky - at some events you damn well need to be!). This year has seen some fearsome incidents for other re-enactment societies resulting in law suits and bad injuries; it could happen here despite what is thought by some so Buck Your Ideas up!

On Firearms in Briatin

Editor: My thanks to Mike Freeman for the following,

'I reproduce below an extract from the Guardian 14/08/96 ... . This is in the wake of the Commons Home Affairs Committee report, and the separate Labour minority report. If the Labour minority report were adopted and became law, it would effectively end black powder re-enactment.

The Law now

1. Certificates required for all firearms including shotguns.
2. Police must be satisfied applicant is fit to possess firearms or shotgun.
3. Handguns : they must be satisfied the person has good reason for having the weapon.
4. Person sentenced to 3 years or more jail banned from holding certificate.
5. Rejected applicant can appeal. Police must show reasons.
6. 3 month probation for gun club membership

Committee's majority recommendations:

1. Police to have right to refuse applicants on grounds of reasonable suspicion the applicant is not a fit person to hold a firearm.
2. Application to be signed by GP who would also have a hot-line to express concerns.
3. National system of sharing information between Police forces.
4. Names of those involved in violence to be checked against records of certificate holders.
5. Probationary membership to gun clubs increased to 6 Months.
6. Police to make regular visits to licence holders.

Labour Minority Recommendations.

1. Ban on privately held handguns
2. Onus on gun clubs to show guns would be kept securely
3. Stricter policy on issuing of shotgun certificates and certificates no longer granted to residents of urban areas.
4. Serious consideration given to bringing air rifles into licensing system

Editor: As can be seen unless extraordinary efforts are made to ensure public and participant safety at events then the Politicians will seize on the first accident to ban the firing of weapons.

More on Russian Regiments

Dear Dave, Congratulations on 30 issues; they just get better and better. I read John Cook's summary of the Russian regimental names question (in FE30) and can add some more information.

The Kexholm and Ingermanland names that he is having problems with are not Russian at all; they're Swedish. We need to add both Swedish and Finnish to his knowledge of Russian in order to sort out his problems. I need to go back 100 years to explain this.

At the start of the Great Northern War (1700-1721) both Kexholm and Ingermanland were Swedish. The war resulted in the breaking of the Swedish dominance of the Baltic, and a more important role for Russia in European affairs. The peace of Nystad in 1721 gave both Kexholm and Ingermanland to Russia.

Ingermanland (Izjorskajazemlja in Russian ?) is the area of land between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga but also extending south of the River Neva. So John's presumption that it was located in the area of Saint Petersburg is correct.

Kexholm, sometimes spelt Keksholm, is a town on the north west edge of Lake Ladoga. The name of this town in Finnish is Käkisalmi ("cuckoo sound"). In my American atlas it appears as Käkisalmi - maybe this will help you find it in TAW.

Explaining Russian Names and a Hofschröer whitewash!?

Dear David,

Re. John Cook's article on Russian Infantry Regimental Names (FE 30):

What the article did perhaps not make clear is that the Russian language tends to form adjectives where other languages form composites or use genitives. Thus the proper translation of the famous medieval hero Aleksandr Nevsky should really be Alexander of the Neva, while the main street of St. Petersburg, the Nevsky Propspekt, is really the Neva Prospekt. This 'adjectiv-isation' also applies in Regimental names (the designations pekhotnyi (infantry), grenaderskii and yegerskii before polk are also adjectives); as the word polk (regiment) is masculine, so are the geographic adjectives (most of which thus end with the suffix -skii). In some cases longer names are contracted when they become adjectives or you have to take into account certain consonantal changes (e.g. Velikiye Luki- Velikolutskii, Ladoga - Ladozhskii) or "vanishing vowels" (e.g. Litva - Litovskii, Moskva - Moskovskii, Orel - Orlovskii, Pavel - Pavlovskii).

During the years 1798-1801 the Regimental names apparently were formed with true genitives, at least that is what the transliteration Knyazyna (Prince) would seem to indicate (although the proper genitive case of Knyaz' is Knyazya.) (Also Samarina (as in Samarina 2nd's) would be the proper genitive of the name Samarin and that Shembeka, Shteingedya, Selna (from Selin?) and Scobelznja also look suspiciously like genitives). Some of the 1798-1801 names are Russian transliterations of foreign names. German "ü" and French "u" then became Russian "i" or "yu" (also in Schlüsselburg (literally: "key-castle") - Shlisselburg), German "ö" and French "eu" became Russian "e", and German or French "h" frequently became Russian "g". In other cases the spelling was simplified. Presumably the original versions are as follows:

Saken = Sacken (von der Osten-Sacken)
Galberg = Halberg?
de Gerve = de Hervé?
Shteinged' = Stinehead?
Engelgardt = Engelhardt
Lanzheron = Langeron
Fersen = Versen?
Stellikh = Stellich?
Shembeka = genitive of Schernbeck?
Vimpfena = genitive of Wimpffen?
Fershter = Förster?
de Lassyi = de Lacy?
Dreksel = Drechsel?
Kastelli = Castelli?
Gersdorf = Gersdorff?
Fensha = Fenshaw or Fanshaw(e)?
Lider = Leader?
Grinewald = Grünewald?
Shteder = Steder?
Shtempel = Stempel?

Alt- and Jung- (German for "old" and "young") was the common shorthand German method to differentiate between two chefs of the same name. Graf is German and Russian for Count, Fürst is German for Prince. Kutuzov's full family name is Golenishchev-Kutuzov, not Goldenish-chev--Kutuzov.

Some Regimental names are not geographic: Leib- is the German word for "body"; in conjunction with "regiment" it is best translated as "the reigning monarch's own", but in conjunction with "guard" the translation "Life Guard" offers itself. The Regiment popularly referred to as the Pavlov or Pavlovsk Grenadiers was named for Czar Paul (Pavel), not someone called Pavlov or the palace of Pavlovsk south of St. Petersburg. It thus really should be called the Czar Paul Grenadiers.

The three senior Guard Regiments were named after villages: Preobraz-henskoe, Semenovo and Izmailovo. I assume the naming after their chefs (Czar Paul and his sons Alexander and Nicholas) was not changed in the 17 days between the murder of Paul I and the reversion to the old names on 29 March 1801?

Apsheron is a peninsula on the western coast of the Caspian Sea; Apsheronskii is the adjective derived from this root. Fanagoria or Phanagoria is a fortress town at the mouth of the Kuban river into the Sea of Azov. Little Russia (Malorossiya), it should perhaps be pointed out, is part of the Ukraine; it consisted of the gubernii of Kiev, Chernigov, Poltava and Kharkov. Nizhegorod was an alternative (shorter) name for Nizhnyi-Novgorod (city and guberniya). Staryi-Oskol (literally: Old Oskol) is a town on the river Oskol near Kursk.

The guberniya of Tauria (Tavriya, adjective: Tavrichevskii) consisted of the Crimea and part of the adjacent mainland. Ingermanland (or Ingria) is the area south of St. Petersburg, bounded by the Neva and Narva rivers and the gubernii of Pskov and Novgorod. It got its name (after a people related to the Finns) after it was conquered by Sweden in 1617. It was conquered by Peter the Great in 1702 and amalgamated with the St. Petersburg guberniya in 1783.

To Aide de Camp FE32

Re. Peter Hofschröer's letter [A Reply to Gibbs] in (FE No.30):

Please remember that Scharnhorst had received his first military education in the small principality of Schaumburg-Lippe and took his most essential career hurdles in the Hanoverian army. By the time he was approached by the Prussian government, he had already risen to the rank of Major, served in important staff positions in the field (in other words had proved that he was not "just" an artillery specialist) and achieved a reputation both as a soldier (e.g. for his role in the breakout from Menin in 1794) and as an instructor.

To use a sports analogy, Scharnhorst's "transfer" from Hanover to Berlin (a mere five years before Jena!) is akin to a big football club buying a star player from another club, which has exactly nothing to do with spotting, attracting and developing young talents in the junior squads. Isn't using the anomalous case of Scharnhorst (and nothing else!) to counter claims that artillery and non-noble officers were heavily disadvantaged in the Prussian army a bit like saying that just because Glasgow Rangers FC once got an established Catholic player on their first team (through a major transfer), the club's sectarian reputation was not only ended at a stroke, but had always been undeserved? Prussia made quite an effort to get his services (offering rapid promotion and the prospect of an early "raising" to nobility as inducements) and that could be seen as an indictment of the state of affairs there -- apparently they could not find a man to do the job in Scharnhorst's key staff and staff college positions without going abroad for candidates! Thus Scharnhorst might with some justification be described as an exception that proved the rule.

Another thing: Does his (Scharnhorst's) rise to the position of chief of staff to the Duke of Brunswick really qualify as what Napoleon meant by "higher command"? Given that Napoleon (an artillery man!) treated his chiefs of staff more or less like "glorified clerks", would it not he logical to assume that he meant positions where you had the authority to command yourself and not the indirect influence a good chief of staff or a trusted advisor may wield through a field commander? (The chief of staff's institutionalised importance came only as one of the consequences of Scharnhorst's post-1807 reforms and even that did not prevent Gneisenau from finding himself in a rather awkward position when Blücher fell ill at Laon in 1814).

I'm not as big an expert on the Prussian army as Peter Hofschröer is, but wasn't the highest command achieved by any Prussian artillery officer during the Napoleonic Wars the brigade (equivalent to a non-Prussian division) handed to Prince August of Prussia in 1813? He had the double advantage of being the King's uncle and having served in the infantry until 1806 (his transfer to the artillery after the War of 1806/7 was largely an effort to raise the morale and prestige of his new arm of service). But how often did artillery officers command corps, division or brigade-sized field units in the preceding century? It seems that at least in this point Peter Hofschröer is trying to whitewash an unpleasant fact.

More Music...

Dear Sir,

At the end of Russell Thompson's letter [More on Music] in FE30 you asked if anyone can expand on sources of music for the Napoleonic period. As a keen re-enactor with the 9th (East Norfolk) Regt of the NA and, until work intervened, a member of my local choral society, I decided to undertake some study into the music of the time. I must admit that my interest has been mainly on the folk song side, but in the process I have found one or two sources of martial music. For obvious reasons my research has been mainly into British music, and I can recommend the following records and CDs:

"Drums and Fifes" by the combined Corps of Drums of the 1st and 2nd Btns of the Grenadier Guards - I have this on record by Bandleader, number BND 1012 but it has I believe been reissued on CD. This is a collection of pieces including some by their recreated "18th Century" band, but this music was in use until well into the 19th Century and gives a flavour of the music of the time
"Beat the Drum" is a CD available from "Pastimes" and made by Soundalive Music, number SAMHC/CD/ 004. A mixture of songs and marches from the 18th and 19th Centuries, the sleeve notes are very poor but with the exception of "Balaclava" (now there is a surprise) most seem to be from before or during the Napoleonic Wars. There is even a proper, non-John Tams version, of "Over the Hills and Far Away".
You will note I have not listed "Over the Hills and Far Away - The Music Of Sharpe" as I must admit to finding this mishmash of period and modern music disappointing. Perhaps I have missed some of the episodes as I do not remember some of the music being in the series!

Anybody interested in reading about the music in use by the British Army should try to get hold of a copy of "Songs and Music of the Redcoats" by Lewis Winsbeck and published by Leo Cooper in 1970. Long out of print, but well worth reading if you can get a copy since it is the authoritative work on British military music from the English Civil War to the First World War. Another book worth exploring is "The Rambling Soldier" edited by Roy Palmer which was published in paperback in 1985 by Allan Sutton publishing (ISBN 0-86299-246-X). I have also produced the "9th Regiment of Foot (The East Norfolk's) Song Book" which contains the words of songs that even the alcoholically challenged can remember the tunes of; it can be obtained from the 9th Regt publicity table at NA events at a cost of 1.00 pound per copy.

I am continuing to collect appropriate music and songs where I can locate them, but it is really a case of perusing the shelves of libraries and music stores and getting lucky!

And the beat goes on!

Dear David

In response to your request for more information on Napoleonic Music I can recommend the following:- Napoléon et la Garde Impériale which is a musical history of the Garde written by Commandant Henri Lachoque and played by the band of a French army unit. The record was released by SERP, 6 Rue de Beaume, 75007 Paris and can be bought at the Hôtel des Invalides army museum.

Another based on the life of Napoleon is Epopée Impériale which has marches and fanfares with narration from Napoleon's letters by Jean de Faucon. This is availble from Editions d'art L.R. 19 BoulBoulevard Malesherbes, Paris (8è) originally recorded in 1969! For French and Russian Music, battle noise, cannon, carts, horses and muskets, I recommend the sound track to the Russian version of War and Peace, "Original Sound track recording of the film War & Peace" That's Entertainment Records, Capitol Records 1982, Stereo TER1020. First released 1971. I do hope that this has been of some assistance. By-the-way the tape that Mr. Thompson mentioned is now available on CD with a new title - "les marches Napoléoniennes" from the same address that he quoted.

Thanks for Waterloo Help

Dear David

I should like to take this opportunity to thank you for publishing my recent "cry for help" relating to buildings at Waterloo. I would also like to thank those many "ordinary" readers who responded so generously with useful information. People wrote not only from all parts of the United Kingdom but also from Scandinavia, Germany, France and Canada. I am very grateful to all of them for their trouble, as I am to Andrew Thorpe of the 21ème de Ligne.

Unfortunately, the "experts" have been less forthcoming: very few "acknowledged authorities" responded (although one leading Waterloo enthusiast did speak to me on the phone.) A notable exception has been Richard Moore who provided masses of information at his own expense for which I offer hearty thanks.

I am also very grateful to Andrew Uffindell, not only for co-authoring such an excellent book as Fields of Glory, but for also responding so copiously to my enquiries.

Growth in the ranks of Napoleonic enthusiasts clearly depends on the splendid encouragement to budding interest provided by people such as this.

In answer to Mr Newman's (letter in FE30) request for 25mm Waterloo (Napoleonic) buildings, may I recommend the range provided by 'Hovels'. These are also available from 'Essex Miniatures'

For Waterloo accommodation I can recommend the Abouge de Waterloo at the northern end of the town, a little pricey but very nice and 'disabled friendly', also the Three Keys at Sombreff - very good for Ligny.

A Tower of Fun!

Dear Dave,

All good societies have healthy debate going on their ranks and it is with this in mind that I have decided to exercise my right to reply to the remarks made in Rob Martin's letter [in FE30] about "dismissive" remarks that I had made about the rest of the re-enacting fraternity. First off, I have to plead a certain amount of culpability here since the letter that I wrote was not meant to be taken entirely seriously. However, one always runs the risk of a particular sense of humour not being picked up by the reader. I had no intention of deriding those with campaign kit. Indeed, I actually quite envy them. As a senior NCO in a British brigade, I often gaze wistfully at those members wandering around in greatcoats and cross belts whilst I'm loaded down with brass-work, sword etc. - all needing frequent cleaning.

But to get back to more serious matters, there are some comments that I made that I stand by entirely. I did not suggest that the only reason that members of other societies was to engage in fisticuffs, but the case of melee fighting is a valid one. This is not some conclusion that emerged into my head one morning on a campsite, but one borne out by 10 years of re-enacting and 7 years in the NA. I have many friends in other societies and one of the main reasons that they cite for not having joined the NA at any stage is that during the battles, the combatants don't get close enough to each other. These people enjoy close physical combat. I don't. They do their thing, I do mine.

Anyone who says that they have never made a sweeping generalisation about another society is a liar. I've heard very good friends of mine referring to "chocolate box soldiers" etc. It's part of the give and take within the re-enactment fraternity. I consider myself a re-enactor first, and a Napoleonic re-enactor second.

As for accusing me of having an aloof manner and an attitude of " we are not here to have fun", a chap could quite easily choke on his beer. This idea suggests that Rob doesn't know me very well. For the last few years I have been pushing for the battles that we fight to be made far more entertaining and to include cameo roles for those best suited to them. I feel that the NA has started to come around to my way of thinking and I am not alone. The time to educate people is in the camp sites and during the displays. The battles are there to entertain them, then those that did not come and speak to you before may do so after.

As far as I am concerned, that's my last word on the debate. Anyone who wishes to continue is welcome to do so at almost any NA event - I go to most of them. If you don't know who I am, just ask someone - I'm known to most people. Alternatively, you could find me in the evening. I'm fairly easy to find. Follow the singing - I'll be the one in the middle of it.

The Napoleontische Associatie der Nederlanden Awakens

Dear Dave,

Our congratulations for the 30th issue and the first five years of your splendid magazine. One of the major reasons behind setting up a Napoleonic Association of the Netherlands was the lack of real knowledge of the part which the Dutch troops played in defeating Napoleon's troops at Waterloo in the Netherlands and abroad. In 1990 most of our current members saw the re-enactment of the famous battle in Waterloo.

We saw a Napoleon, a Wellington and even a Blücher, but no Dutch general staff and no Prince of Orange. Not one single Dutch flag flew over the famous battlefield.

In 1995 we were able to put things right. The N.A.N. was there with real Dutch re-enactment units. In 2000 we will be there again with more real Dutch units and a general staff and a Prince of Orange.

The Dutch army was present in Waterloo In 1815 with more troops than the British Army. Waterloo was situated in the Southern Netherlands and our country was invaded by Napoleon. Sometimes it seems that some people forget this!

The biggest war-monument on the famous battlefield is a Dutch war-memorial. The Lion-Hill (Butte de Lion) was erected on the spot where our Prince was wounded during the battle, also as tribute to the fierce resistance the Dutch troops put up against the French enemy.

Even though we think it could have been better to place the monument on a site other than on the battlefield, it still has to be treated with respect for all the Dutch young lives that have been spilled on these famous grounds.

The part our Dutch troops played during Quatre-Bras and Waterloo was a very important and influential one. Fortunately more and more British re-enactors are realising this now. Still there are some people who still cherish the old non-historical Siborne sentiments about the Dutch troops and the Prince of Orange.

They are quickly to be recognised by their usage of the term Dutch-Belgians. Most of the times this is done to give room to the idea that our Southern compatriots were of dubious quality and didn't know whose side to join.

There is NO historical evidence to support these thoughts. Yet there is historical evidence enough to prove that without the Dutch initiative to delay the French at Quatre-Bras and the famous charge of the Dutch troops under General Chassé against the French Imperial Guard at Waterloo things could have gone wrong for Wellington.

A nice thing to remember is that our young Prince was British trained. This fact is often used against the many British critics of his role played during the Battle of Waterloo. This fact can be used in many ways. His faults can blamed on bad British training. Or the fact that the Dutch troops played such an influential role on the battlefield was because of his splendid British training.

In the Netherlands we think that our Prince was fortunate enough to have some of the best trained generals in his staff. Such as de Constant-Rebeque, Perponcher-Sednilitzky and Saksen-Weimar, Chassé etc.. Although we highly respect the historical knowledge of the readership we still think there is more to write about Dutch Napoleonic re-enactment, Dutch Napoleonic units and Dutch Napoleonic military history. For this I render my services as correspondent on Dutch Napoleonic matters for your splendid magazine.

From now on I will cover your desk with information and articles and let you decide what to do with it. I hope I can contribute to the high quality of your magazine.

Editor: I am sure information on the Dutch and Kingdom of Holland will be welcomed by all. We are all looking forward to your contributions.

Sources on Dutch-Belgian Forces

Dear Sirs,

Further to Paul Brunyee's request for information of the Dutch-Belgian forces in the Campaign of 1815, I hope the following reading list will be of use:

The standard reference work on this subject is:

Wüppermann, W. E. A., "De vorming van hat nederlandsche leger na de omwenteling van 1813 en hat aandeel van dat Ieger aan dan veldtocht van 1815" (Breda, 1900)

Hessen-Darmstädt Garde du Corps

Dear David,

Here is some information about the Hessen-Darmstädt Garde du Corps, for your correspondent Mike Madin. According to 'Hessischen Militär', by Fritz Kersten and Georg Ortesburg, (Beckum, 1984), their uniform in1809 consisted of:-

'blue Kollette with red collars and red cuffs. The turnbacks were likewise blue and provided with red piping, with white grenades in the corners. On the collar at each side was a white lace with tassel, on each cuff two, on the chest seven laces. On the shoulders sat red with epaulettes, edged white. The blue breeches had wide side stripes, and also the pockets in front were trimmed with a border. Riding boots with buckled spurs. As headwear served a high bicorne with white-red cockade and agraffe, and a high black plume with a red tip. As a sidearm a Pallasch was carried with an iron hilt in a leather scabbard on a white shoulder belt. In full dress was added a white metal cuirasse with red wool edging. The belts were then carried crossed over the cuirasse.' According to 'Historische Rang- und Stammliste des deutschen Heeres', by Clas von Bredow, (Berlin, 1905), the Hessian Garde du Corps was credited with only one action: Speyerbach - 15th November 1703. I hope that Mike will find this information useful.

Original Madin Letter (and sword photo)

Hungarian Insurrection Troops

Dear Dave

Can I please make a plea for help concerning details of the Hungarian Insurrection troops of the 1809 campaign. None of the books that I have or have seen have any information on them save that they were many and varied.

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