REGIMENTAL ARTILLERY IN RUSSIA

1812

(1st Lieutenant W.P. d’Auzon de Boisminart and the artillery company of the 124th Infantry Regiment)

composed by Geert van Uythoven

Note: W.P. d’Auzon de Boisminart commanded the artillery company of the 124th (Dutch) Infantry Regiment during the Campaign in Russia 1812. His memoirs give an interesting insight in the hardships, problems, and use of regimental artillery during this disastrous campaign. I have composed some information regarding the regimental artillery, mainly based on his memoirs.

“In the beginning of December [1810], it became more and more known that, following the example of all French regiments [coming into being during the 1809 campaign in Austria], our regiment would have to form an artillery company [‘artillerie régimentaire’] as well. As I learned my colonel had proposed me as a commander, on the basis of having served with the artillery before. This formation would officially take place New Years Day [1811]. One of the conditions that I insisted upon, was that and artillery NCO would be added, to serve as an instructor to train the gunners in handling the guns, and further to teach me, which was necessary for having served outside the artillery for so long. As a result, Artillery-Sergeant Sagnié, former instructor for that arm on the disbanded school of cadets in Hondsholredijk, was assigned.”

The composition of the artillery company was as follows:

- 1st lieutenant (‘commandant de l’artillerie régimentaire’); 1st Lieutenant W.P. d’Auzon de Boisminart

- 2nd lieutenant (train service); 2nd Lieutenant van Schinne (transferred to 14th Cuirassiers Regiment January 1812, replaced by 2nd Lieutenant Dufort [French origin], which on his turn was replaced by 2nd Lieutenant Peyredouille)

- Sergeant-Major

- Two sergeants (train service)

- Fourier (corporal)

- Two corporals (one for train service); Van Dijk

- Trumpeter

- Blacksmith

- Twenty gunners; Jansen

- Forty train soldiers

All these men came from the regiment itself, for which the most suitable individuals were chosen.

“Soon, I received order to collect two field pieces, 3-pounders, in Amsterdam, to start the instruction for the gunners. The rest of my equipment I received later, including the seventy horses that were necessary. Beside the guns and their vehicles, I would receive three ammunition caissons, three caissons for infantry cartridges, a field forgery, a wagon for the [regimental] administration and the pay chest, one for the chemistry, three for provisions, and finally three for the baggage of the officers. For all these wagons, an additional six men and twelve horse were added.”

Participating in the Russian campaign, part of Verdier’s Division, the artillery company saw its first action during the combat of Wilkomirz, 28 June. On the 29th they remained there, the roads having become impassable for guns because of the heavy rains.

Near Polotzk (July), d’Auzon de Boisminart says the following: “The land which we had to pass during the last twelve days was very low and marshy, the roads were bad, especially in wooded areas, were at many places the ground had be kept together with tree trunks to prevent the guns to sink in completely. It should not have to be said that this was big hindrance for the horses, and that some broke their legs. In addition their hooves, through lack of regular shoeing, suffered badly. The spots in the road that caused the biggest trouble were the deep ones, or so called ravines, which we encountered often. When we encountered one, we had to descend into the low ground, then cross a brook or marshy ground with all trouble, and finally ascending again on the other side, which took a lot of effort and deliberation. Sometimes we had to use double horse teams, created by borrowing horses from the teams of other vehicles, which hampered our march and slowed us down. All these obstacles doubled with rainy weather. (…)

We frequently had to raid villages etc. to retrieve provisions, raids which by now were the order of the day. There was no other means of survival. The already exhausted horses had to be kept alive with nothing else then green fodder. Because such raids become more frequent, the amount of farmers carts (kibitken) and native ponies also became more numerous, which was the cause that the trains of the various corps’ became bigger and bigger. Not only because out of necessity to transport the provisions, but also to transport the numerous sick soldiers. (…) As these trains became a hindrance, hampering free movement of the army, from time to time the gendarmes stopped and removed all superfluous vehicles. Only the artillery and the wagon train were allowed to use native ponies, as long as they were suitable for their task, but this was seldom the case because the animals (konias) were mostly very small so that the harness did not fit and they were not strong enough.”

And further:

“My train soldiers, led by NCO’s, had the task to track down horse fodder, where ever they could. They were lucky to succeed in this, finding many bags of oats on the grain attic of a convent, which they brought back on a small cart to serve as supplies for some time. They also managed the same way to find a small supply of hay. My gunners on the contrary had to find provision for the whole company, and also succeeded in the convent.”

The next action was on 31 July, near Jakoubowo village, were the artillery company participated in beating back Wittgenstein’s attack on Oudinot. Retreating after that, the artillery deployed again near Kliastitsy, attaching itself to an artillery battery covering the French retreat across a bridge. In action again next day (1 August) near Oboiarszina village, were another Russian attack was beaten back, followed up by a French counterattack which was in turn beaten back by the Russians.

On 18 August the artillery company was present during the battle of Polotzk. Oudinot had initially planned to retreat across the Duna, entrenching himself inside the city, using it as a bridge-head. In any case, on the 17th he ordered everything that could be spared out of the battle line, and to cross the river, including the baggage wagons AND all regimental artillery! Here the regimental artillery deployed on a height to cover the planned retreat, in turn covered by a Portuguese battalion. Instead of a retreat the French attacked however, and the regimental artillery as a result saw no action.

For the time being, d’Auzon de Boisminart’s artillery company remained in Polotzk. To remedy the enormous need of provisions and fodder, and to gather provisions for the troops in the line, the regimental artillery was ordered to bivouac in ‘divisions’, six hours behind the Lines of the Duna. As the oldest officer, d’Auzon de Boisminart received command of the 2nd Division located in Turetz village, consisting of -beside his own company- the artillery companies of the 11th Light, and the 2nd and 37th Line Regiments. d’Auzon de Boisminart states that at this time he had lost half his men, but that his company was relatively unhurt: the whole 124th Infantry Regiment, starting the campaign with about 2,400 men, was now down to about 600.

In the beginning of October, the regimental artillery received ordered to return part of the regimental artillery, and all caissons and vehicles that could be spared to the great reserve park in Glubockoë. This would provide 400 train horses, which were much needed by the army-corps. According to d’Auzon de Boisminart from now on he received his orders directly from the Chef d’Artillery of the Army Corps. His artillery company was now down to one gun with its ammunition caisson, on caisson with infantry cartridges, one wagon for provisions, and the field forgery. Corporal van Dijk and ten gunners had been commandeered by General Le Grand, to form some kind of personal body guard!

The next combat, were d’Auzon de Boisminart’s artillery company saw action, was at Czasnicki on 31 October. Arriving in Sienno the next day, the remains of the regimental artillery, the baggage and the wounded were separated from their regiments, in order not to hamper their movement and to have a better chance in finding the necessary provisions. While the corps marched to the Beresina, the regimental artillery moved to Orsza, where they joined the great reserve park with numerous guns, caissons and pontoons (14 November). d’Auzon de Boisminart had now about twenty men left of his company, of which half (the gunners) were armed with muskets.

Of the artillery, about 30 to 40 cannon were in the park, mostly 12-pdrs, and more then double the amount of caissons. To provide for horse teams, all regimental artillery had to give up their horses (d’Auzon de Boisminart had sixteen left, which were used for five or six transport wagons loaded with tools and equipment for constructing provisional bridges). All regimental and other guns that remained behind were nailed; the surplus ammunition was made unusable; and the (sixty) pontoons and other flammable material was burned during the night from 20 to 21 November. So this was the end of d’Auzon de Boisminart’s and other regimental artillery companies…

Main source:

W.P. d’Auzon de Boisminart , “Gedenkschriften van den Majoor W.P. d’Auzon de Boisminart”:

- Part 2, Tijdvak van 1806-1840 (Amsterdam 1848)

- Tijdvak van 1812 – De Veldtocht in Rusland (‘s Gravenhage/Amsterdam 1840)

© Geert van Uythoven