The city of Naples capitulated on the 23rd of January 1799, after being stormed by the soldiers of General Championnet. Establishment of the Parthenopean Republic soon followed. The Poles had proven themselves beyond doubt and because of their many feats of arms General Kniaziewecz was chosen to return to Paris and present to the Director all of the trophies captured from the enemy. This was a mission of great honor and desired by many others. General Kniaziewecz took with him, to Paris, his Chief of Battalion Drzewiecki and two aide de camp, Kosicki and John Dombrowski, son of the General. Shortly before his departure he received a letter from the director with eulogies for both himself and the Polish corps as well. The letter also contained the announcement that he was to be awarded the saber and pistols of honor, coming from the arms factory at Versailles. After short stops in Rome, Sienne, Florance and Bologne, where he met with General Moreau, General Kniaziewecz arrived in Paris and amid much pomp and ceremonies he presented the trophies. A place of honor had been reserved for Tadeusz Kosciuszko who received these gallant Polish officers and presented to Kniaziewecz yet another sword, one which he had received from the King of Sweden. While the celebrations of victory were taking place in Paris a new coalition was being formed, one which was to be a great menace to the new Italian Republics and France. A Russo-Austrian force under the command of Sovwaroff was now marching, the elite French troops were in Egypt with Napoleon. Legion II with Wielhorski and Rymkiewicz was in garrison at Mantua when the campaign began and it was divided between various French corps and always engaged in combat suffering many losses, especially during the period between 26 March and 5 April. At the battle of Maganano on 5 April General Rymkiewicz was killed, at the beginning of the battle there were some 4,000 Poles; barely 2,000 returned to Mantua with the Artillery. Although it is doubtfully that it ever became effective, one last uniform change for the corps must at this point be brought to light. On the 31st of July 1799 an agreement was reached with the government of France whereby the distinguishing battalion colors were abolished and crimson was adopted for I Legion and dark red for II Legion. Mantua, under the command of General Foissao-Latour, was besieged by General Kray and although the Poles desired otherwise the garrison capitulated on the 28th of July. Knowing how bad conditions would be for the Polish soldiers the capitulation was protested by their officers, their fears were well founded for all Poles who had previously served with in the Austrian army, regardless of present rank were returned to their old regiments as private soldiers. Only a few of the Poles managed to escape and avoid this fate, Axamitowski and 150 men of the legion fled to Lyons disguised in uniforms borrowed from the French. Senior officers were imprisoned at Leoben, deprived of their freedom until after the battle of Marengo when they were liberated. So ended the II Legion of Poles in Italy. I Legion had been strengthened by the addition of a Grenadier battalion under Malachowski, a battalion of Voltigers under the command of Jasinski and cavalry under Karwowski and two French demi-brigades were assigned in order that communications could be established between the Army of Naples and the Army of Italy. After the defeat of Magnano Scherer appealed to the Army of Naples and the corps of Dombrowski for help. General Dombrowski left, immediately, the revolt of Tuscany forced him to fight his way through and he occupied the Apennines Passes until the arrival of General MacDonald with the Army of Naples. General Moreau who had replaced the incompetent Scherer tried, with some success, to divert the attention of General Suvarov and in Mid June the Russian suddenly found himself between two French armies. With the two armies now united the Poles along with a demibrigade of French formed the 1st division of the Army of Italy when it engaged the Russians at the battle of Trebbia, 17th - 19th of June. The battle was hard fought and losses of the French amounted to 10,000 with another 5,000 lost during the retreat. The campaign ended with the battle of Genoa on 4 November, practically all of Napoleons gains had been lost. The Cisalpine Republic, adopted country of the Poles, disappeared and the reminants of the legion, undaunted, went to Paris in hopes of forming a new legion. Napoleon returned from Egypt in secret on the 2nd of November and on the 9th of the same month he changed the form of the government of France by being proclaimed First Council. One of his first acts was to change the laws regarding foreign troops serving on French soil and authorized a• new legion. On the 18th of February in the following year the debris of the Polish legions in Italy were reunited in Marsielle, there to become the cadre of a new legion, The Italian Legion. General Dombrowski turned the command over to Jablonowski and journied to Paris to take charge or the reorganization details. On the 8th of September General Kniaziewecz was also given the order to form a new legion to be called the Legion of the Danube, it-was intended for the Army of the Rhine under General Moreau. Organization of the new legion went very slowly and several officers were sent to Metz, Nancy and Luneville to recruit volunteers from the soldiers of the Austrian army which were interned there. These volunteers were first concentrated at Phalsbourg but later at Metz. The legion was short of everything, shoes, clothing, and arms. The arms finally arrived, fusils from the arms factory as Versailles. Funds came from all quarters, mostly Kosciuszko, and General Dombrowski sent several officers. It was enough, the legion was maintained and was organized as follows: 4 battalions of infantry, each of the battalions was comprised of 10 companies; 1 battery of horse artillery; 1 regiment of cavalry, composed of 4 squadrons, for a total of 5,970 men. The senior officers were: KNIAZIEWICZ, General, Commander in Chief GAWROWSKI, Chief d'etat major, Chief of Staff SOKOLINICKI, Chief of Brigade (Brigade Major) FISZER, Chief of Battalion DRZEWIECKI, Chief of Battalion KRALEWSKI, Chief of Battalion WASILEWSKI, Chief of Battalion REDEL, Captain, Commander of Horse Artillery By March of 1800 organization of the legion was nearing completion and without waiting for the cavalry, which was just completely its organization at Strasbourg, the infantry battalions were sent to the Rhine and attached to the corps of General Sainte-Suzanne, which formed the flank of the Army of the Rhine. Soldiers of the legion distinguished themselves in the battles of Berg, Bernhiem, and Offenbourg; and after the armistice of Parsdorf they occupied the fortress of Philipsbourg. Later they were sent to Braunau where they were joined by the first squadron of lancers. When the armistace was broken General Moreau took the legion under his own command, placing them in the center of the army, and they played a very active and important role in the battle of Hohenlinden on the 3rd of December, when the French and Austrians clashed in the snow and mud. The legion relieved Richepanse's division which was surrounded by the Austrians, then went on to decide the victory. In this battle the Polish lancers for the first time saw action and displayed extreme bravery. Eight Austrian cannons were taken by Lieutenant Kostanecki accompanied by only 8 lancers. Yet another lancer, Jan Pawlickowski, single handed captured 57 Austrians, relieved them of their arms and took them back to the Polish camp. Completely illiternate, he refused the offer of a commission made by General Moreau, nor would he accept any financial reward. The generals were forced to content themselves with making him a sergeant, a rank which he would accept. By the government of France he was present with a carbine of honor the inscription read: "The Republic of France to her defender, Jan Pawlikowski, lancer of the Polish cavalry, which during the battle of 12 Frimaire of the IX year, took 57 prisoners." After the battle General Kniaziewecz received the order to clear the road to Salzbourg, he pursued the retreating Austrians as far as Salza where their retreat was being covered by the brigade of Prince Lichtenstein. The Grenadiers under Fiszer captured the prince in the center of his staff, dragging him from his horse and returning through the Austrian lines. The Austrians fearing to fire least they harm the prince. The Austrians were completely crushed and sued for peace, which was signed at Steyer on the 25th of December, and the Army of the Rhine went into winter quarters with the legion garrisoned at the Abbey of Kremsmunster. Here General Kniaziewecz left them and journied to Paris in company with General Moreau, their mission was to plead the Polish cause to Napoleon. Meanwhile, General Dombrowski continued with the reconstruction of his own legion, the 1st Polish Legion or Italian Legion. This legion was to replace the one which had been destroyed during the campaigns of 1799, and this time they would be paid by France. Composition of the legion was to be of seven battalions of infantry and one of artillery for a total of 9,000 men. The debris of Karwowski's regiment was sent to the Legion of the Danube and the remainder of the Polish soldiers brought from Mantua by Axamitowski were to form the cadre of the 4,.5, and 6 battalions, with the 7 formed from the old 1, 2, and 3 battalions. New recruits were taken from Austrian volunteers, prisoners interned at Lille, Dijon, Besanqon, and Toulouse. The following figures quoted for the Italian Legion are taken from the book L'Armee du Duche de Varsovie when credit is given to Mr. Sokolowski in his book Dzieje Porozbiorowe. Chelminski and Malibran also tells us tha these figures are also probably elivated. DOMBROWSKI, Division General, Commander in Chief DEMBROWSKI, Chief of Battalion, Aide-de-Camp to the general ELI TREMO, Chief of Battalion, Aide-de-Camp to the general MARKOWSKI, Captain, Aide-de-Camp to the general WIELIIORSKI, Brigade General CYBULSKI, Aide-de-Camp to the general OZAROWKSKI, Aide-de-Camp to the general KOSINSKI, Adjutant Commandant* REGULSKI, Aide-de-Camp FRONSARD, Aide-de-Camp STRZELECKI, Aide-de-Camp PFLUGBIL, Chief of Battalion, Quartermaster General MULLER, Lieutenant, Adjutant to the Quartermaster General CHERLING, Lieutenant, Adjutant to the Quartermaster General GRIL, Chief of Medicine * An Adjutant Commandant is usually a colonel or a lieutenant colonel who serves as a corps or division chief of staff. HEADQUARTERS STAFF OF THE LEGION STRZALKOWSKI, Chief of Brigage (Brigade-Major) KARWOWSKI, Chief of Brigade (Brigade-Major) GRABINSKI, Chief of Brigade (Brigade-Major) DAREWSKI, Chief of Brigade (Brigade-Major) AXAMITOWSKI, Chief of Brigade of Artillery BOTTALI, Surgeon Second Class  2 Mail Clerks 1 Master Armorer 1 Master Boot Maker 1 Master Tailor 2 Drum Majors 40 Musicians When the rank of an individual in not known, the space has been left blank. BATTALIONS OF THE LEGION ARTILLERY BATTALION JAKUBOWSKI, Chief of Battalion HAUKE, Captain, Adjutant Major CHIECCA, Surgeon Third Class 10 Captains 15 Lieutenants 1 Second Lieutenant (Ensign) Standard-Bearer 2 Extra Officers 31 officers and 550 NCO's and soldiers total 1st BATTALION OF INFANTRY BIALOWIEJSKI, Chief of Battalion KONOPKA, Captain, Adjutant Major ROSENFELD, Surgeon Third Class 10 Captains 10 Lieutenants 10 Second Lieutenants 1 Second Lieutentant (Ensign) Standard-Bearer 2 Extra Officers 36 officers and 1,360 NCO's and Soldiers total 2nd BATTALION OF INFANTRY CHLOPICKI, Chief of Battalion SZULSKI, Captain, Adjutant Major DUMER, Surgeon Third Class 10 Captains 10 Lieutenants 10 Second Lieutenants 1 Second Lieutenant (Ensign) Standard-Bearer 1 Extra Officer 35 officers and 1,360 NCO's and soldiers total  The first three illustrations are of General Dombrowski and show variations of the uniform worn by generals and senior officers. On the right a cavalry officer of 1799 is depicted. On the left side is a chasseur from the legion, 1797 to 1799. In this illustration he is shown with both a brace of pistols and cartridges carried in the belts. The second picture is of a fusilier and in the center of a grenadier, both of the same period, 1797 to 1799. Next is a fusilier of Dombrowski's Italian Legion in 1800 and the picture on the right is of a grenadier of the Danube Legion in 1800. Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 1 No. 22 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1978 by Jean Lochet This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com