If a Division could produce a combined grenadier battalion as a Divisional reserve, it follows that several grenadier battalions could be brigaded together to produce a Corps reserve, or even several grenadier Brigades formed in a Division as an Army reserve. Indeed, this was common in other Continental armies and I suppose the Austrians were typical exponents.

The best known large scale combination of elite battalions in a single reserve Formation in French service occurred initially on 22 November 1803, when the First Consul ordered the formation of ten elite battalions from regiments not earmarked for the invasion of England. This requirement was changed to 12 battalions organized in six regiments in January 1804. This Formation was given the title of Grenadiers de la Réserve and placed under the command of Junot. The fact of the matter is, however, that these 'regiments' were not formed exclusively from grenadier companies at all and each battalion d'élite consisted of three grenadier or carabinier companies and three fusilier or chasseur companies as follows. [4]

1er régiment - grenadier and fusilier companies of the 9e and 13e de Ligne.

2e régiment - grenadier and fusilier companies of the 58e and 81e de Ligne.

3e régiment - carabinier and chasseur companies of the 2e and 3e Légère.

4e régiment - grenadier and fusilier companies of the 28e and 30e de Ligne.

5e régiment - carabinier and chasseur companies of the 12e and 15e Légère.

6e régiment - carabinier and chasseur companies of the 28e and 31e Légère.

In March 1805 command passed to Oudinot and the Grenadiers de la Réserve was reduced to five regiments,

1er régiment - 13e and 58e de Ligne.

2e régiment - 9e and 81e de Ligne.

3e régiment - 2e and 3e Légère.

4e régiment - 28e and 31e de Ligne.

5e régiment - 12e and 15e Légère.

In August 1805 the Grenadiers de la Réserve became 1st Division of Lannes' IV Corps. In the absence of Oudinot, who had been wounded at Hollabrünn on 16 November 1805, Command of 1st Division at Austerlitz passed to Duroc. At the end of the campaign, from 9 December 1805, the component parts of the battalions comprising the Grenadiers de la Réserve started to return to their parent units.

On 21 October 1806, Napoleon ordered the organization of a division of Grenadiers et Voltigeurs Reunis but this title was short-lived and the Formation reverted to the name of Grenadiers de la Réserve. It consisted of eight élite regiments, two légère and six de ligne, composed of grenadier and voltigeur companies taken from the depot battalions of regiments attached to the Grand Armée. Each élite regiment consisted of two battalions, each of six companies. The first battalion comprised the grenadier or carabinier companies, the second battalion comprised the voltigeur companies from the same parent regiments as follows.

6e, 7e, 9e, 10e, 16e, 17e, 21e, 24e, 25e, 26e, 27e, 28e Légère.

3e, 4e, 8e, 12e, 14e, 18e, 21e, 22e, 24e, 27e, 30e, 32e, 33e, 34e, 39e, 40e, 44e, 45e, 51e, 54e, 57e, 59e, 61e, 63e, 64e, 65e, 69e, 72e, 76e, 85e, 88e, 94e, 95e, 96e, 105e and 111e de Ligne

Oudinot was again appointed to command the Division which acquired the popular name Grenadiers d'Oudinot, although this was never an official title. These were true elite units, not compromised by the addition of centre companies. The Division took part in the 1807 campaign and was present at the siege of Danzig and the battle of Friedland. During 1808 various companies were returned to their units and by December 1808 the Grenadiers de la Réserve had been reduced to 11 battalions.

In February 1809 Napoleon ordered that the centre companies of the depot battalions of the regiments already providing flank companies to the Grenadiers de la Réserve would be combined with them to transform Oudinot's Division into a Corps d'Armée. These were then numbered the fourth battalions of the regiments concerned and were organized into 12 Demi-Brigades, the 4e Demi-Brigade de Ligne, for example, having one battalion comprising a company of grenadiers, four of fusiliers and one of volitgeurs from 4e de Ligne and a second, similarly organized, battalion from 18e de Ligne.

It will not escape the notice of readers that these units have every appearance of a standard French battalion, and so they do. Furthermore, the centre companies, already consisting of comparatively inexperienced depot personnel, were brought up to strength with drafts of conscripts of the classes of 1809 and 1810, thus Oudinot's command in 1809, far from being an elite Formation, had little in common with the Grenadiers de la Réserve that he commanded in 1807. Although they certainly enjoyed a cadre of veterans, the bulk of the battalions consisted of inexperienced soldiers and raw recruits. Be that as it may, their performance during the campaign appears to have been exemplary.

Oudinot's command in 1809 initially consisted of two Divisions [5] command by generals Tharreau and Claparede respectively. It was named II Corps d'Armée, to which was added a 3rd 'standard' Division under Saint Hilaire. Oudinot retained command of his two divisions but the command of II Corps passed to Lannes, reverting to Oudinot when Lannes was mortally wounded at Aspern-Essling.

1ére Division - Tharreau.

Brigade Conroux: [6]

1ére Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie Légère:

4/6e, 4/16e and 4/25e Légère.

3e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie Légère:

4/9e, 4/24e and 4/27e Légère.

Brigade Albert:

1ére Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne:

4/8e, 4/24e, and 4/45e de Ligne.

2e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne:

4/94e, 4/95e and 4/96e de Ligne.

Brigade Jarry: [7]

3e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne:

4/54e and 4/63e de Ligne.

4e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne:

4/4e and 4/18e de Ligne.

13e Demi-Brigade d'élite provisiore:

Three battalions Légion Portugaise.

2e Division - Claparede.

Brigade Coehorn:

2e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie Légère:

4/17e, 4/21e and 4/28e Légère.

4e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie Légère:

4/26e Légère, Tirailleurs du Pô; (1 bn),

Tirailleurs Corses (1 bn).

Brigade Lesuire:

5e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne:

4/27e and 4/39e de Ligne.

6e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne:

4/59e, 4/69e, and 4/76e de Ligne.

Brigade Ficatier:

7e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne:

4/40e and 4/88e de Ligne.

8e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne:

4/64e, 4/100e and 4/103e de Ligne.

Mention needs to be made of the 13e Demi-Brigade d'élite provisiore. [8] This consisted of three infantry battalions apparently formed from the grenadier and voltigeur companies of the Légion Portugaise. The Légion Portugaise was raised by decree of 18 May 1808 at a strength of five regiments of infantry and two of chasseurs à cheval. The 13e Demi-Brigade d'élite provisiore, together with elements of the chasseurs à cheval, seems to have served in II Corps as a separate command at Wagram (5-6 July 1809) but by 26 July 1809 Rigo shows it under command Brigade Jarry in 1st Division.

After the campaign of 1809 the various companies returned to their parent units and Oudinot's 'grenadiers' were never formed again.

Other Aide de Camp sections:
Introduction
French Combined Grenadier Battalions
Uniforms and flags

Footnotes