Across the field a distant rumble rolls, growing. Through swirling smoke the sun strikes an eagle, gleaming as it rises... "Vive l'Empereur!", a shout. A cry, "Vive l'Empereur!" Drums pounding. The pas de charge. "Vive l'Empereur!". It is them, the brave, the resolute. Like a tide it rolls, sweeping all before it. "Vive l'Empereur!" How often, while you sat by the fire reading a book about Napoleon and his Grande Armee, did you think to yourself, "What times they lived in! What glory! What an adventure! " Imagine sweeping across Europe, fighting for liberty and equality, earring the baton in your knapsack, being a soldier of the Empire. It was a time of drama and courage, of beauty and grandeur. A time when crowns toppled and a young man could become Emperor. Re-enactment offers a glimpse into that world, a chance to feel the power and pride of the uniform, the excitement and glory of the colors. Re-enactors feel the camaraderie and fellowship that comes from sharing experiences with others whose interests and passion match theirown. Wondered? Have you wondered, while reading a narrative, how an adjutant, who surely was busy with his own duties, could accurately describe events in a battle over a two mile front? How many times have you tried to re-create Napoleonic tactics on the tabletop thinking, "This is probably what would have happened historically?" Have you tried to picture what type of reaction your troops would have had to unforeseen circumstances? It is difficult to ascertain, even with prior military experience, the effects on morale status and the amount of command control one could have on troops moving in close order across uneven ground. Re-enactment provides insights into these questions as well as others. It is a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the period. You can act and operate under circumstances similar to actual battlefield conditions, comprehend situations from an informed perspective. Re-enactors assemble, use and maintain a period kit and weapons, and learn from personal experience the value of the ugly little pokalem, and what it "really" is like to be flanked by cavalry. Re-enactment allows you to get closer to the past and understand it better, to live history in a way that no book can describe. You can face challenges that confronted people like yourself when they were thrust on to the world's stage, travel to places where men and women lived and died in the drama that made the world what it is today. You can see the sights they saw and walk in their footsteps. We are fast approaching the 200th anniversary of the Napoleonic era, from the Bicentennial of the Italian Campaign in 1996 all the way up to Waterloo in 2015. For anyone interested in Napoleon, French History, reenactment, or military history, this will be quite an exciting time. Events and gatherings, especially battle reenactments, are going to be growing in size, and quality. Most recently this was demonstrated at the 180th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. In May of 1994, a group of likeminded friends from the United States and Canada banded together to prepare themselves to participate in the 180th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. We had no equipment, no uniforms, no sense, and the dream of following the eagles to glory. We made some contacts and allied ourselves with the 21eme Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne and Brigade Lasalle. The 21e is a founding member of (and after fifteen years is the oldest French Regiment in) the Napoleonic Association, the premier "living history" association in Great Britain. It is also a founding member of the Grande Armee, which holds re-enactment events all over France. The 21' is a large unit, having over 140 members, and is the only unit which can form a complete French Napoleonic Company. Brigade Lasalle is comprised of the 5e and 7e Hussards and holds yearly campaigns in Northern France. Luck and Hard Work With luck, hard work, and not a small amount of cursing, we assembled our kit, gathered for some hasty pre-event drilling, and were off to Europe. When we arrived in Belgium, we were joined by 6,000 re-enactors from around the world, not to mention quite a few British units from Canada and the United States. Saturday the 17th of June was spent in drilling and parading through the outlying towns. This was quite an exceptional experience. The local population was enthusiastic and cheered whenever any unit demonstrated some ability at maneuver or broke into song. They would get especially excited when we shouted at the top of our lungs for the Emperor. To be among a thousand marchers on a narrow cobblestone street when the cry "Vive l'Empereur!" goes up is a feeling you do not get from books. The rains came in that Saturday evening and lasted off and on until 11:00 on Sunday the 18th of June. Early on that historic morning, buses began arriving bringing the re-enactors who had bivouacked in the surrounding towns. They were met by quite a few hearty souls who had the great fortune (or is it lunacy?) to spend the previous night in the field. Fourteen members of the 21eme spent that rainy night huddled under an old wagon just outside the south gate of Hougoumont. The French assembly point was at La Belle Alliance. Standing there from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00, we could witness the difficulty and confusion of assembling a mere 4,000 troops. We also found ourselves getting caught up in the drama as several military bands in period dress passed with drums boiling and fifes carrying the tunes that inspired the soldiers of Napoleon, then the thrill of units passing by to a salute, eagles held high, just as the sun broke through the clouds. As unit after unit passed along the ridge and down into the valley between Hougoumont and La Haie Sainte, we could sense the scale of the battlefield. The orchards around Hougoumont are gone and the woods are a shadow of their former self. Still, we could barely see the roof tops of the farm and its outbuildings. La Haie Sainte was somewhere to the right if you could get to a high spot and see past the infantry and cavalry already massing on that flank. The centerpiece of the battle reenactment was a beautifully constructed miniature of the Farm of La Haie Sainte. This was puttogetherby reenactors from Germany, who portrayed the light troops of the Kings German Legion which had defended the original. It held some thirty or forty of them comfortably, but it was nothing in size when compared to the original. On our left was a reconstruction of Hougoumont that was defended by a large unit of Russians who were filling in for the Nassauers supported by some British troops. Volley The battle opened with an impressive volley by the French batteries. From that point on, however, details are sketchy as to precisely what happened to whom and where. Simply put, if it occurred directly to your front, while you were between maneuvers and were not loading your weapon, you might have seen it. Cavalry swirled around from out of nowhere and disappeared as suddenly. NCOs were screaming and shoving constantly. Smoke was everywhere. The booming discharge of cannon and the crackle of musketry was continuous and the most familiar sight for the common infantryman was his own flintlock and pan. The battle lasted two or three hours. It was difficult to keep track of time. Some incidents happened very quickly, such as the sudden appearance of some Prussian cavalry which swept passed us very shortly after we formed square, others appeared frozen in time. When it was over and we lay exhausted in the mud we were overwhelmed with the joy that comes from realizing a dream. Napoleonic Re-enactment Comes to America Holding on to that feeling while being separated by an ocean would be difficult. If we relied solely on overseas expeditions we felt we would have limited opportunities to re-enact. For those who were able to make the trip it was an incredible thrill and even before we left, we knew that it would be the kind of experience we would like to bring back home. Waterloo cemented that belief. Of course we don't expect a gathering of 6,000 right away but we can work toward that goal. That is why we created Brigade Napoleon. The 21e in England is part of a French brigade as are the Hussards from Brigade Lasalle. Using this concept as a model we began Brigade Napoleon here in America. This is an association founded to organize and unite any and all French and French-allied units. This includes American members of the 21e (formed as the 3e Compagnie of that regiment) end the 7e Regiment de Hussards. We also encourage people with a general interest in uniforms and period dress to join. The Brigade publishes a quarterly bulletin to provide members and member units with a forum and to disseminate information on events, uniforms, and equipment. We are working hard to develop plans for an annual period camp and eventually battle re-enactment here in America. Discussions are already underway for a "National" event, either in Canada or Pennsylvania, which is being organized for the late-summer/fall of 1996. Napoleonic Re-enactors West Brigade Napoleon is also busy helping to organize Napoleonic Re- enactors West (NRW). The NRW's goal is to combine the efforts of Brigade Napoleon with like-minded coalition forces for the purpose of making Napoleonic battle re-enactment available in the Western United States. The NRW is currently focusing its efforts on plans for skirmish battle events to take place in California beginning this winter. If you live in the West, or can easily travel there, this will be a great opportunity for you to participate in Napoleonic reenactment. It is also a chance to join an organization at its conception and help chart its direction and goals. The NRW has as its focus the period 1812-1815. Member units will portray military units from any army that fought during that period. The first objectives are to develop period camps and stage re-enactments based on avant poste encounter battles. To this end, we strongly encourage the formation of light infantry and cavalry impressions. As membership and events grow, other levels of participation will be considered. How to Join If re-enactment sounds interesting to you, or you simply want to develop your interest in uniforms and military history, then we want to hear from you. Contact us and we will send you more information. Remember, you need not have previous experience, no one is too young or old, and the brigade and regiment are open to all equally. Membership in the Brigade is $5.00, membership in the 21e is $15.00 (membership in the 21e includes membership in the 3, Compagnie in America, membership in the parent unit in England, the Napoleonic Association and the Grande Armee in Europe, as well as a subscription to the 21e newsletter The Journal). If you would like to learn more about Brigade Napoleon, the 21e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne, or the 7e Hussards, you should write to: Office de Correspondance, 18914 Walnut Road, Castro Valley, CA 94546. Please include a S.A.S.E. For information on joining Napoleonic Re-enactors West as an individual or as a unit write to: NRW, P.O. Box 332, Point Richmond, CA 94807. Please include a S.A.S.E. Or phone us at 510-235-1955. Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 2 No. 14 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1995 by Emperor's Headquarters 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