THE BATAVIAN ARMY IN 1805

by Geert van Uythoven

 

7 August – 2 September 1805

II Corps d’Armée commanded by General Marmont is embarked at Den Helder for an invasion of England, on the fleet commanded by Admiraal Jan Willem De Winter. Part of this Corps is a Batavian Division with a total strength of 9,421 men on 13 August (strength between ‘hooked’ brackets): 1

 

 

EXPEDITIONAIRE DIVISIE BATAAFSCHE TROEPEN

 

STAFF [67]

Generaal & Inspecteur-General Jean Baptiste Dumonceau)

         1e Brigade (Generaal-Majoor François Maria Aloysius Barnabas de Quaita)

         2e Brigade (Generaal-Majoor Heinrich Friedrich August von Hadeln)

 

Chief of Staff: Kolonel L.J. Vichery

Adjutants:   Luitenant-Kolonel P. Rouget

                   Luitenant-Kolonel F.J. von Troxel

                   Majoor C.L. von Pfaffenrath

                   Majoor L.R.J. Villers

                   Majoor L. Suden

                   Kapitein Rigo

                   Kapitein Behr

                   Kapitein B. Testas

                   Kapitein J.C.R. von Römer

                   Kapitein D. Beekman

                   Kapitein Keyser

                   Kapitein F. von Lohausen

                   Kapitein Heilman

                   Luitenant Freund

                   Luitenant F.W. Placotomus

                   Luitenant J.P. Weitzel

                   Luitenant Schneider

                   Luitenant Van Nyvenheim

                   Luitenant D. Schindler

 

Engineers:  Luitenant-Kolonel G.J. le Fèbre de Montigny

                   Kapitein W.L. van Ingen

                   Kapitein E. Evers

                   Luitenant D.L. de la Rochette

                   Luitenant P.J.J. Rauwenhoff

 

Administration:     Paymaster; Ter Meulen

                             Secretary; Ohrly

                             Field auditor; Bogaers

                             Field provost; De Heer

                             Assistant; Beek

                             Commissary of War; Van Aardenburg

                             Secretary; Mascheck

                             Lieutenant-Wagon master; Thilo

 

Medical service:   Chirurgijn (‘surgeon’)-majoor en chef; P. During

                             Chirurgijn-majoor; Director G. Sebel

                             Chrirugijn-majoor; Munnich

                             Aide-Chirurgijn;   Zimmerman

                                                         Wolters

                                                         Ten Dijk

                                                         Witte

                             Chirurgijn-élève; Van den Hout

                                                        Von Gleser

                                                        Le Vau

                                                        Verhoop

                                                        Otten

                                                        Plato

                                                        Hils

                                                        Lipkens

                                                        Kort

                                                        Van der Wall

 

LIGHT INFANTRY [1,321]

         Regimental staff 1st Regiment [15] 2

         1st bat/1e Regiment Ligte Infanterie [650] 3

         2nd bat/2e Regiment Ligte Infanterie [656] 4

 

LINE INFANTRY [5,260] 5

         1e Regiment Infanterie van Linie (2 battalions) [1,315]

         2e Regiment Infanterie van Linie (2 battalions) [1,315]

         6e Regiment Infanterie van Linie (2 battalions) [1,315]

         8e Regiment Infanterie van Linie (2 battalions) [1,315]

         Regiment Waldeck (German, 2 battalions) [1,200] 6

 

CAVALRY [636]

         1e Regiment Dragonders (2 squadrons) [317, 290 horses] 7

         Regiment Hussaren (1st & 4th squadron) [319, 290 horses] 8

 

FOOT ARTILLERY [731]

         Staff [6] 9

         2nd coy/1e Bataljon Artillerie te Voet [99] 10

         4th coy/2e Bataljon Artillerie te Voet [99]

         5th coy/2e Bataljon Artillerie te Voet [99]

         1st coy/3e Bataljon Artillerie te Voet [99]

         4th coy/3e Bataljon Artillerie te Voet [99]

         Train [230] 11

 

HORSE ARTILLERY [176]

         Compagnie Rijdende Artillery No. 1 [114] 12

         Train [62] 13

 

KORPS PONTONNIERS [30] 14

 

 

1805

War as an ally of France against the 3rd Coalition

 

 

4 September 1805

The Batavian Division marches to Germany, the same forces as had been embarked at Den Helder with some minor changes. The brigades are commanded by Generaal-Majoors Gerhard Heinrich von Heldring (1e Brigade) and Heinrich Friedrich August von Hadeln (2e Brigade); a life guard taken from the 2e Regiment Dragonders is with General Marmont.

 

Delprat: “If the English would attack Zeeland, the situation would favour them: in the whole Batavian Republic, not 4,000 Batavian soldiers are available, and in Zeeland are only 1,200 French, of which about 2 or 300 are in hospital.”

 

 

8 December 1805

A second Batavian Division is formed, belonging to the Armée du Nord which is commanded by Prince Louis Bonaparte, connetable of France (headquarters in Nijmegen):

 

2e Bataafse Divisie (Luitenant-Generaal Henri Damasius Bonhomme)

         1e brigade (Generaal-Majoor Gerard du Rij)

                   4e Regiment Infanterie van Linie

                   7e Regiment Infanterie van Linie

                   2nd bat/1e Regiment Lichte Infanterie

                   Artillerie te voet (1 division + 1 reserve division)

         2e brigade (Kolonel Charles Hendrik Joseph Mascheck)

                   3e Regiment Infanterie van Linie

                   5e Regiment Infanterie van Linie

                   1nd bat/2e Regiment Lichte Infanterie

                   2e Regiment Dragonders

                   Rijdende Artillerie (1 division) [horse artillery]

 

 

 

Footnotes:

 

1) Order of battle based on the official ‘Staat van formatie, etc.’ written on board of the ‘Ajax’ on the roads of Texel by the Chief of Staff Colonel Vichery. Attached to his letter to the Secretary of State of War on 13 August 1805.

 

2) The regimental staff of the 1st Regiment was present, forming the provisional regimental staff for both light infantry battalions, The staff had a strength of 15 men with the following composition: a colonel, a captain-adjutant, a staff horn blower, and 12 musicians.

 

3) The 1st bat/1e Regiment Ligte Infanterie consisted of five companies, and had the following composition:

         Battalion staff [9]:

         1 lieutenant-colonel

         1 adjutant

         1 quartermaster

         1 surgeon-major

         1 aide-surgeon

         2 élèves surgeons

         1 staff horn blower

         1 gunsmith

 

         5 Companies [641]:

         5 captains

         5 1st lieutenants

         10 2nd lieutenants

         5 sergeant-majors

         5 fouriers

         20 sergeants

         40 corporals

         15 horn blowers

         536 ‘jagers

 

4) The 2nd bat/2e Regiment Ligte Infanterie also consisted of five companies, and had the same composition as the above battalion. In addition, the battalion staff had six musicians, giving the battalion a total of 656 men.

 

5) All four regiments had the same strength, consisting of 2 battalions of 5 companies each. Composition was as follows:

         Regimental staff [33]:

         1 colonel

         1 captain-adjutant

         1 drum-major

         12 musicians

         2 lieutenant-colonels

         2 adjutants

         2 quartermasters

         2 surgeon-majors

         2 aide-surgeons

         4 élèves surgeons

         2 battalion drummers

         2 gunsmith’s

 

         10 Companies [1,282]:

         10 captains

         10 1st lieutenants

         20 2nd lieutenants

         10 sergeant-majors

         10 fouriers

         40 sergeants

         80 corporals

         20 drummers

         10 pipers

         1,072 soldiers

 

6) The Regiment Waldeck was a German regiment in Batavian service, consisting of 2 battalions of 5 companies each. Composition was as follows:

         Regimental staff [32]:

         1 colonel (promoted to major-general)

         1 adjutant-major

         12 musicians

         2 lieutenant-colonels

         2 majors

         2 adjutants

         2 quartermasters

         2 surgeon-majors

         4 élèves surgeons

         2 sergeant wagon masters

         2 corporal-drummers

 

         10 Companies [1,168]:

         10 captains

         10 1st lieutenants

         20 2nd lieutenants

         10 functioning sergeant-majors

         10 functioning fouriers

         40 sergeants

         80 corporals

         20 drummers

         10 pipers

         958 soldiers

 

7) The 1e Regiment Dragonders consisted of two squadrons, of two companies each. Composition was as follows:

         Staff [11]:

         1 lieutenant-colonel

         1 adjutant

         1 pikeur (‘riding master’)

         1 quartermaster

         1 aide surgeon

         1 paardendokter (’veterinary surgeon’)

         1 saddle maker

         2 blacksmith’s

         1 gunsmith

         1 staff trumpeter

 

         4 Companies [306]:

         4 captains

         4 1st lieutenants

         4 2nd lieutenants

         4 wachtmeester-majoors (‘cavalry-sergeant-majors’)

         8 wachtmeesters (‘cavalry-sergeants’)

         4 fouriers

         16 corporals

         8 trumpeters

         254 dragoons (of which 27 were without horses)

 

8) The Regiment Hussaren consisted of two squadrons, of two companies each. Composition was as follows:

         Staff [13]:

         1 colonel; M.A. Collaert

         1 lieutenant-colonel; E.A. von Hinuber

         2 adjutants; 2nd Lieutenant J.L. Renno, 2nd Lieutenant J. Thonhauser

         1 pikeur (‘riding master’); 2nd Lieutenant G.F. Koltrop

         1 lieutenant-quartermaster; W. Royen

         1 aide surgeon; C.T. Marius

         1 paardendokter (’veterinary surgeon’)

         1 saddle maker

         2 blacksmith’s

         1 gunsmith

         1 staff trumpeter

 

         4 Companies [306]:

         4 captains

         4 1st lieutenants

         4 2nd lieutenants

         4 wachtmeester-majoors (‘cavalry-sergeant-majors’)

         8 wachtmeesters (‘cavalry-sergeants’)

         4 fouriers

         16 corporals

         8 trumpeters

         254 hussars (of which 29 were without horses)

 

9) The staff of the foot artillery had a strength of 6 men, consisting of a colonel, two lieutenant-adjutants, a lieutenant-ad joint, 1 functioning quartermaster, and a writer.

 

10) All artillery companies had the same strength of 99 men, consisting of:

         1 captain

         2 1st lieutenants

         2 2nd lieutenants

         1 bombardier-major

         8 bombardiers

         1 fourier

         8 corporals

         2 drummers

         3 artisans

         1 aide surgeon

         70 kanonniers (‘gunners’)

 

11) The train serving the foot artillery had a strength of 230 men with the following composition:

         1 inspector

         1 adjutant

         3 chiefs

         5 upper-commanders

         19 commanders

         1 paardendokter (‘veterinary surgeon’)

         3 saddle makers

         2 blacksmith’s

         195 kanonrijders (‘gun drivers’)

 

12) The Compagnie Rijdende Artillery No. 1 had a strength of 114 men, with the following composition:

         1 1st captain

         1 2nd captain

         2 1st lieutenants

         2 2nd lieutenants

         1 train officer

         2 surgeons

         1 opperwachtmeester (‘sergeant-major’)

         8 wachtmeesters (‘sergeants’)

         8 corporals

         3 trumpeters

         1 saddle maker

         1 blacksmith

         3 artisans

         80 kanonniers (‘gunners’)

 

13) The train serving the horse artillery had a strength of 62 men with the following composition:

         1 upper-commanders

         5 commanders

         56 kanonrijders (‘gun drivers’)

 

14) The korps pontonniers had a strength of 30 men, with the following composition:

         1 1st lieutenant

         1 sergeant

         1 fourier

         1 corporal

         1 drummer

         1 carpenter

         24 pontoneers

 

© Geert van Uythoven