Dispatches
Letters to the Editor
from First Empire Readers
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Dutch Uniforms? Dear Dave, A request, probably for Geert van Uythoven , has any one got details for the Dutch army prior to 1795? Thanks Geert! Dear Sir, I enclose my subscription for another year, I continue to be very pleased with quality and development of the magazine. However, one exasperating element has crept in to issues 55 and 56! You have ceased to mention on the contents page the source of your sumptuous cover illustrations. Could you please revert to your accustomed practice -- or is it cunning plot to make me scour every page cover to cover looking for clues? (ED. It’s a cunning plot . . . actually I have been a bit remiss, generally we use turn of the century prints from my collection or as in the previous two issues computer generated composites . . . can you see the joins?) Please pass on to Geert van Uythoven my gratitude for his thorough and comprehensive articles on the Netherlands involvement in the wars of the period. Can we anticipate, one day an account of the operations in the Low Countries in 1814 (covering the activities of Generals Maison and Bülow and the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom)? Ed. Geert certainly is our start on all matters Dutch and I hope, as 1813-14 is my own special interest, that without putting words in his nib that he will get there one day! Rocketry Uniforms Dear Mr Watkins, Perhaps you and your readers might be able to help me with a uniform query. I found the following description in the First Golden Age of Rocketry by FH Winter, Chapter 5, Page 83: Danish Rocket Company 1813 wearing dark green tunic and grey trousers, light blue collars and yellow buttons. There is an illustration from 1816 of a member of Danish Rocket Company wearing what I assume is a Russian style Kiwer. On Page 86 of the same book there is a description of the Austrian Rocket Battery uniformdark green jacket and trousers with black collar and cuffs and yellow buttons the collars adorned with flaming brass shell emblems, Shakostyle hats with shell emblems. In the footnotes of FH Winter’s book, the Danish description came from Den Danske Haers Historie by Otto Vaupell, published in 1876.The Austrian description came from Die Kriegsraketen Im Osterreichischen Heere Mitteflungen Des Osterr Staatsarchivs by Walter Nemetz published in 1957. Can anyone confirm the descriptions of the above uniforms? Dukes of Wurttemburg? Hi, This is a little matter that has had be foxed for some time. Who were the many Dukes and Princes of Wurttemburg would appear throughout the Napoleonic Wars. I shall expand further. 1. One of the Colonel’s of the Austrian forces during the Revolutionary Wars was titled Duke of Wurttemburg. 2. The commander of the Prussian reserve during the Jena Campaign is titled as both Prince and Duke of Wurttemburg and in one source his first name is quoted as Eugene. (or Eugen) 3. The commander of the Russian II Infantry Corps in 1812/13 is titled Prince (or Duke) Eugen (or Eugene) Wurttemburg (possibly the same man as above) 4. The commander of the Russo-Prussian forces besieging Danzig in 1813 was named Duke Alexander Wurttemburg (and in one source he is named as a Prince) 5. The commander of the IV(?) Army Corps in the 1814 camapign is titled as the Duke of Wurttemburg but I can find no reference to his first name. 6. Finally, there is the Duke of Wurttemburg, created King by Napoleon in 1806, who actually ruled the state of Wurtemburg itself. Why were there so many Wurttemburgs? And were any related? And why did they fight on so many different sides? I think the only army that did not contain a Wurttemburg at one stage of the Napoleonic Wars was the British, although I might have missed one there as well. Can anyone please help? Re: Dukes of Wurttemburg? Wurttemberg Family: Alexander (Ru = Aleksandr Fridrikh Karl): Brother of Russian Empress Maria b:24.iv.71; d. 04.vii.33. in Austrian service from 9.iv.91; FML in 1798; fought against French 1794-1799; entered Russian service 1800 with rank of G-L became GotK; 1813 at Dantzig. Eugen [Friedrich Carl Paul Lugwig] (Ru = Evgenii ): b: 1788; d. 1857. Entered Russian service 14.xi.97 as Colonel; GM 4.ii.1799; at Pultusk; 1812 kmdr 4th inft div in 1st Army; at Smolensk, Borodino, Tarutino and Krasny. GL 20.x.12. 1813-14 kmdr 2nd Inft Corp at Kalash, Lutzen, Dresden, Kulm, Leipzig and Paris. 27.iii.14 GotI. Ludwig (Ru = Liudvig) GotK Paul Carl Friedrich August b. 19.x.1785; d: 1852 (Paris). Sofia Dorotea (Ru: Maria Feodorovna)(b: 25.x.1759; d. 5.xi.28) became wife of Paul later mperor of Russia. When the Duchy became a Kingdom in 1806 the Dukes became princes. I believe when in Russian service their title was Prince, as Grand Dukes were princes of the blood. As to why there were so many, this is simple they hand many children!!! Re: Dukes of Wurtemburg? To anwer your qusetions further, I can tell you something about the Württemberger who Steven hasn’t mentioned. 1. This was Pince Ferdinand Friedrich August (1763-1834). He was the brother of Duke (King) Friedrich II. (I.) and of Maria Feodorovna. Since 1781 he served in the Austrian Army. Since 1794 he was Feldzeugmeister (FZM) and commanded on the Rhine-front until 1796. 2.-4. were answered by Steven 5. The commander of IV. Army Corps was Kronprinz Wilhelm, the son of Duke Friedrich II. who became King Wilhelm I. himself in 1816 after his father died. 6. Of course there were many Dukes and Kings of Württemberg. During the Napoleonic Wars Duke Friedrich II. was the ruler of Württemberg (1797-1816). He was born in Riga and served as governor of Finland in Russian Service before he became the ruler of Württemberg. So the connections of the house of Württemberg to Russia were quite close. His sister was the Russian Empress until 1801. This was quite good for Württemberg since troups of the Duke were finghting for subsidaries from England on the allied side in the War of the Second Coalition with the Austrians. But in the following peace treaty Russia and France were named as the guarantee powers for the Holy Roman Empire and as an estate of the Holy Roman Empire Württemberg needed protection. Of course, there were also connections to the emperor as an estate of the Holy Roman Empire. And the army of the emperor was the Austrian army! And finally, there had been connections to Prussia for a long time. Some of the Dukes of Württemberg got their education from Frederick the Great. The whole buisiness of doing service in different coutries was absolutely normal in those days. The officer corps was multi-national and the Württembergers are just a representative example of it! Austrian and Neapolitan 1815 Campaign OOBs If anyone could assist in obtaining more on both the Austrian and Neapolitan Army Orders of Battle (OOB)during the March-May 1815 campaign in Northern Italy and/or information on specific battles/encounters of the campaign. I have two partial listings of Austrian troops present in Italy during Murat’s 1815 invasion of Northern Italy from Guigliemo Pepe’s memoirs and Pietro Rascione (Tolentino citizen) and a listing of the Neapolitan Army in 1815. Battles/encounters, Bologna, Ferrara, Occhiobello, Tolentino, Popoli, Castel di Sangro, Mignano. Re: Austrian and Neapolitan 1815 Campaign OOBs Bob, George Nafziger has a wide range of OOB’s at a reasonable price. You could also try www.histofig.com. First Empire magazine had a series of articles #13-16, with #16 covering the Battle of Tolentino - they’re available at www.magweb.com - subscription only. Hope this helps, Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #57 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 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 |
