Napoleonic NewsDesk
News
by Paul Chamberlain
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Over the years a number of Study Groups have been started, based mainly around the readership of this magazine. Thanks to First Empire and its readership these Groups are flourishing. The following is an update on the activities of one of them, sent in by Terry Senior. The French Commanders Sub Group Following the publication of a report in issue 50 of First Empire relating to the activities of the Group, the level of interest has surged upwards. Enquiries concerning in excess of 60 commanders have been received from the USA, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and the UK. Mostly the subjects have proved to be Generals and the percentage success rate is in the high 90s. It is my intention to reply to these enquiries by sending the originator a short biography of the officer concerned. This in the main will provide available elements of his origins, his family and domestic life, his military career, campaigns, wounds and decorations. I will also try to give an assessment as to his ability as a commander, recall how he is remembered today, and confirm whether there are any memorials to him. It is not a quick service and frequent spells as a hospital inpatient do not help. There were an estimated 2,400 officers ranked General de Brigade and above who served during the Revolution and First Empire. While I will accept enquiries concerning the pre-Napoleon period, my main interest is those officers who served the Emperor. Of the 2,400 mentioned above, approximately 1,200 were associated with Bonaparte, which makes the subject a very big field. When you start adding the lesser lights it is enormous. I have in excess of 500 files on individual Generals, many containing copy baptismal/marriage/death certificates; service records; local newspaper articles written down the years having passed an anniversary of some kind, pictures of memorials; photographs of portraits, statues, graves, weapons and decorations etc. In several cases I have correspondence from present day descendants. I also have in excess of 50 full-length biographies and memoirs. What you will receive is an acknowledgement and if your question is relatively straightforward, a prompt answer. However, if you are unsure of your subject, or there are spelling mistakes making identification difficult, then there could be some delay. Don't let the fact that I currently have a backlog put you off. I may have the answer to your query at my fingertips. There is no doubt that publishing my Email address has helped to boost interest in this field. We are establishing a new web site sponsored by First Empire and should be up and running by the time you receive this issue. The French Commanders Study Group can be found at www.firstempire.ltd.uk/FCGS For further information contact Terry J. Senior, 4 Parc-an-Pons, Green Lane, Marazion, Cornwall, TR17 OHQ. Telephone 01736 711827; Mobile 0771 2959001; Email: terryjsenior@compuserve.com A Point of Courtesy When writing to Terry or any other Study Group Co-ordinator, please enclose return postage if you expect a reply. If arrangements are made to receive a bundle of photocopied articles to help with your research, then ensure that you reimburse the postage costs (at the very least). These can soon mount up if a person is assisting others with their research. Project Austerlitz 2005I came across an interesting Website just recently. Project Austerlitz 2000 is a site designed to give information about this famous battlefield, both in its historical context and for people who might wish to either take part in the frequent re-enactments of the battle, or travel to view the Bicentennial event in 2005. The Website provides information about all the events that will take place in the area leading up to 2005, with sections on a virtual museum, photo gallery of past events, finds from the battlefield, and commercial activities relating to the project. It is a very interesting and comprehensive site and may be found at www.austerlitz- region.cz/austerlitz2005 If you wish to contact the local enthusiasts then write to Austerlitz 2005, Jakub Jandora jr., Post Box 38, 616 00 Bmo, Czech Republic. Tel. +420 5 41148144; Fax. +420 5 41148141; Email: petra.weberova@davay.cz The 195th Anniversary re-enactment of the battle will take place from 1st to 3rd December 2000. Journal of the War of 1812This journal is published by the War of 1812 Consortium whose aim is to promote awareness and interest in the War of 1812 and its era by the study of all aspects of the conflict and the period in which it occurred. They focus on not only the military side of the war, but also the cultural, social, industrial and archaeological topics. This journal is an interesting and very useful publication for those interested in this aspect of the Napoleonic period. Volume IV, No.4, Fall 1999 contained articles on The Battle of Cook's Mills: Last Battle on the Niagara Frontier; The Nock Volley Gun; The U.S. Army Gun Sling 1800- 1839; War of 1812 Toy Soldiers; plus book reviews, news of forthcoming events, letters and advertisements. The subscription is very reasonable. Individuals in the USA pay $10.00, Canada $12.00, and overseas $14.00 for four issues per year. For further details contact the Journal of the War of 1812, c/o Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, 844 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA. The Editor, Chris George, may be contacted via Email: christg@fcmail.com Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #52 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com |