Netherlands Artillery
in the Waterloo Campaign

Part II:
The Netherlands Artillery Officers

Adriaan Bijleveld

reviewed by Geert van Uythoven, The Netherlands

Bijleveld was born on 12 March 1787. After having finished his education as a cadet on the artillery school in Zutphen, since 25 May 1802 as a cadet-élève, on 29 October 1804 Bijleveld became a 2nd lieutenant with the Horse artillery company no.1 commanded by Captain David Esaias Bo(o)de, which was in garrison in The Hague. He remained there until 1805, when the company embarked at Den Helder for the invasion of Britian on 28 May, but soon disembarked again to leave for Germany to take part in the 1805 campaign.

Leaving Utrecht on 12 September the company took part in the surrounding of Mack’s Austrian army at Ulm. Here, Bijleveld commanded the howitzer section of the battery, participating in the bombardment of the city on 16 October after which Mack surrendered. Bijleveld fired fifty howitzer grenades at the city. Returning toHolland after the campaign, the company reached its assigned garrison in The Hague again on 6 April 1806. Not for long though, as the 1806 campaign would start soon.

On 24 September 1806 the company, now commanded by Captain Christiaan Everhard Johan Hogerwaard,*

(* Captain Christiaan Everhard Johan Hogerwaard was assigned to the horse artillery on 29 October 1804 as a 1st lieutenant; he was promoted to 1st captain, receiving command of the Horse artillery company no. 1 on 29 September 1806. Took part in the campaign in Germany 1806; campaign in Swedish Pommern 1807, wounded during the retreat to Stettin 8 April; on 7 January 1808 he was appointed a knight in the Order of the Union (Order van de Unie) by King Louis Bonaparte; took part in the campaign in Northern Germany 1809 (Stralsund); present in the Russian campaign in 1812, was killed instantly, his head hit by a 12-pdr cannonball, during the battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812.)

became part of the (Dutch) Army of the North, attached to Marshal Adolphe-Edouard-Casimir-Joseph Mortier’s VIII Corps d’Armée. On 29 October 1806 Bijleveld was promoted 1st lieutenant. He took part in the campaign in Swedish Pommern 1807 (Stralsund, Altcosenow, siege of Kolberg). During the retreat, Bijleveld was ordered to the beach to keep a few Swedish sloops at bay that tried to land infantry. At Ukermunde (16 April) Bijleveld was first ordered to advance with the howitzer section and to dislodge the Swedes by lobbing grenades over some houses, which he accomplished quickly.

On the same day, at Sprengfelde, Bijleveld was again ordered forward with his howitzers, this time to expel the Swedes from that village. He was also present at the siege of Danzig (20-26 May). Assigned to the 1st Division (Géneral de Division Claude-Ignace-François Michaud, later Géneral de Division Charles-Louis-Dieudonné Grandjean) of Mortier’s Army Corps, the company took part in the battle of Friedland 14 June 1807, where Mortier’s Corps formed the left wing of the French army. The Dutch horse artillery was in position in front of Heinrichsdorff village. Firing all day long until 6.00 p.m.; having fired all available ammo, the battery was taken out of the line. Bijleveld distinguished himself by the well aimed fire of his howitzer section.

On 8 August 1808 Bijleveld was appointed to the horse artillery as a 2nd captain by King Louis Bonaparte. Still with the Horse artillery battery no.1 he took part in the campaign in Northern Germany 1809 against Von Schill. On 31 May Stralsund, the fortress-city in which Von Schill had sought refuge, was attacked by Dutch troops and a Danish auxiliary corps. The horse artillery fought a two hours long duel with the 24-pdrs on the city walls, supporting the assault on the city. In August of that year the Horse artillery company no. 1 returned to Holland, with Amsterdam assigned as its garrison. On 17 October 1809 the company was disbanded, the Horse artillery company no. 2 being renumbered to no. 1. Captain Hogerwaard became its commander.

Joining his company in Zeeland province, Bijleveld arrived when the fighting against the British invasion was already over, and the company did nothing more then guard duty, remaining in garrison on Noord-Beveland island until 13 February 1810. After that the company moved to the province of Noord-Brabant.

On 9 July of that year the Kingdom of Holland was incorporated in the French Empire. The Dutch horse artillery first formed the 7me Régiment d’Artillery à Cheval, but this regiment was soon disbanded again on 31 March 1811. Bijleveld in the meantime was on 29 October 1810 promoted 1st captain, and became company commander. He would hold this rank until 1814. His first posting however was not with an artillery battery, but from 19 August 1810 on with the staff of the General Inspector of Artillery.

Again not for long. On 18 January 1811 Bijleveld received orders to go to Spain, to take over command of the Dutch former Horse artillery battery no.3 after its commanding officer had died. His journey took a long time. After Bayonne travelling became difficult and dangerous because of the Spanish insurgents, and only on 26 June he arrived with his company in Guadix, now being the 7th company of the 4me Régiment d’Artillery à Cheval. He found his company in a sorry state. To bring his unit up to strength he received fifty French soldiers, who by 1st Lieutenant Pieter Anthony Ramaer were described as uitvaagsels (‘scum’). In the meantime, Napoleon had started his preparations for the Russian campaign. Forty thousand troops in northern Spain had to return to France.

As a result, Bijleveld was ordered north to fill up the gap. Leaving behind its guns the company marched to Valledolid, arriving there on 9 January 1812. During that year nothing of importance happened. By February 1813 the company, only 33 men and 13 horses strong by now, received orders to march to Bayonne and from there to Verona (Italy), where the depot of the regiment was. However, arriving at Valence on 26 February 1813, Bijleveld was redirected to Metz, to be brought up to strength with raw conscripts from the 6me Régiment d’artillery à cheval, originating from every part of the French Empire.

Bringing up to strength did only take one day (20 April) and Bijleveld was to join the Grande Armée in Germany immediately. Arriving in Dresden on 10 June the battery was assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Corps (Général de division Horace-François-Bastien Sebastiani de la Porta), attached to the Division of Général de division Rémy-Joseph-Isidore Exelmans. On 29 June 1813, Bijleveld became a knight in the Légion d’Honneur. With Marshal Macdonald at the Katzbach, on 27 August Bijleveld’s battery was one of those covering the retreat of the defeated French army. Overrun by charging Russian cavalry, when left behind in an exposed position after the French cavalry had been defeated, Bijleveld received lance thrusts in the left hand and shoulder and was taken prisoner.

Until 20 September he remained prisoner in Breslau, after which he was released and joined the Netherlands army. Arriving in The Hague on 8 February 1814, he had already been appointed company commander with the horse artillery, receiving the rank of captain, on 22 January 1814. The exploits of Bijleveld during the Waterloo cam-paign will be described in part 3 of this series.

On 9 November 1815 Bijleveld was promoted major, assigned to the 3de Bataljon artillerie Nationale Militie. On 1 January 1816 he arrived in Delft, and was in garrison in Dordrecht from 2 December that same year until 16 March 1819. Then he returned to the horse artillery again, holding the same rank, on 26 February 1819. His garrison was in Hertogenbosch. On 18 July 1824 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel with the 3rd field artillery battalion, in garrison in Maastricht. He was promoted colonel on 13 February 1834. Finally, on 1 January 1841 he was promoted major-general, and pensioned out of the army on the 16th of that month. He died on 14 March 1852 in Hertogenbosch.

Assessment: Bijleveld was one of the most experienced company commanders available to the Netherlands army for the Waterloo campaign. He had a resolute and reliable character. He had taken part in ten campaigns all over Europe, and had the luck never to be wounded seriously. In Spain as well as in Germany he had to cope with lack of material and raw personnel. As such he was one of the most qualified officers to raise and train an artillery company from scratch, and that he succeeded in doing this was illustrated during the Waterloo campaign, especially at Frasnes and Quatre Bras. He was an excellent and reliable officer commanding artillery on the battlefield, but he had no outstanding qualifications in staff positions.

Netherlands Artillery in the Waterloo Campaign 1815 Part II: Artillery Officers

Netherlands Artillery in the Waterloo Campaign 1815 Part I [FE71]

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