The dutch army (1792-1815) page 4

Information about the uniforms according to the Army museum in Delft gives regarding the uniforms, lacing etc gives the following table (not compleet).

                   
                   
                   
                   
                   

 

LIGHT UNITS

The Dutch light infantry in the French revolutionary period consisted of two different branches; the national light troops and the foreign light troops.regular army which often existed before the revolutionary period and the light troops (mostly French emigré or German troops) raised during this period.

There were some contracted troops from German princes which also had a light infantry component; these are described under the heading of "subsidy troops". A lot of these German troops were already in the service of the United Provinces before the outbreak of the revolutionairy wars. Some were extra added.

Of course there are also the light troops (mostly French emigré units) which were raised after the start of the war. The infantry part of these troops are mentioned under the heading of "Emigré units".

 

 

raised

Disbanded/
reorganized

uniform in 1792-1795

NATIONAL LIGHT UNITS

 

 

 

 

   

Legioen Rijngraaf von Salm

(in april 1793 became the 1st battalion Jagers van Bijlandt)

Jagers van het Legioen Rijngraaf von Salm

11/11/1784

april 1793 (d)

 

 

 

 

 

   

Koprs Jagers van Bijlandt

(1st batt was Jagers van Legioen Rijgraaf von Salm, 2nd batt was 2nd batt 11th regiment infantry)

Christiaan Reinold Graaf van Bylandt

17/4/1793

08/07/1795 (r)

 

 

 

 

   

Korps Jagers van Mathieu/von Heydte

Louis Mathieu (killed june 1794)

Willem von Heydte

16/1/1794

june 1794

 

08/07/1795 (r)

 

 

 

 

   

FOREIGN LIGHT UNITS

 

 

 

 

   

5e Bataljon Waldeck

(up to 1792 in Waldeck in half pay)

5e bataljon Waldeck

25/10/1784

08/07/1795 kept in pay of Batavian Republic up to 1806

       
in 1785
in 1794
  A picture in the Vinkhuyzen collection show also a Waldeck jäger in 1794. I have no further info about these.      

 

 

 

 

   

SUBSIDY TROOPS
As the United Provinces needed more troops, they hired units from German Princes. Some of these troops were already in the service of the United Provinces before the outbreak of the war. Extra troops were added after the start of the war. These corps consisted mostly of line infantry with a light infantry component and sometimes added artillery.
The treaty with these princes was called "Capitulatie".

 

 

 

 

   

Anspachse brigade

(or "korps Anspachse troepen")

Capitulatie with Markgraaf van Brandenburg-Anspach
The brigade consisted of:

27/3/1788

03/07/1794 (end of contract)

   
  - battalion fusiliers (5 comp)    
  - battalion grenadiers (4 comp)    
  - battalion jagers (2 comp)    
  - company artillery    

 

 

 

 

   

Mecklenburgse brigade

(or "korps Mecklenburgse troepen")

Capitulatie with Frederik Frans Hertog van Mecklenburg-Schwerin
The brigade consisted of:

05/05/1788

06-07/01/1796 (end of contract)

   
  - 2 musketeer battalions (each 4 comp)    
  - grenadier battalion (4 comp)1    
           

Brunswijckse brigade

(or "korps Brunswijckse troepen")

Capitulatie with Hertog van Brunswijck

The brigade consisted of:

22/02/1788 (end of contract?)    

 

- regiment dragoons (4 comp)

 

 

 

 

- battalion grenadiers (4 comp)

     
       
1st reg
2nd reg
 

- 2 regiments infantry (each 2 batt of 5 comp)

   
  - company jäger      
  - 4 companies artillery      

 

 

 

 

   

Regiment Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Capitulatie with Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

The regiment consisted of 2 batt each of one grenadier and 6 musketier companies

26/07/1794

27/07/1795 (end of contract)

   
           
Regiment Hohenlohe-Bartenstein

Capitulatie with Hohenlohe-Bartenstein

The regiment consisted of 2 batt each of one grenadier and 6 musketier companies

17/05/1794 03/07/1795 (end of contract)
           
Bataljon Jagers van Loewenstein-Wertheim

Capitulatie with the Duke of Bavaria. Unit commander A.C.T. Prince of Loewenstein-Weertheim

Battalion of 5 comp, august and november1794 were added each one comp

19/05/1794 27/07/1795 (end of contract)
           

EMIGRÉ UNITS

As the war progressed the United Provinces raised troops or made contracts with French nobles who had raised troops to fight against the "rebels". These troops consisted mostly of light and/or line infantry and cavalry with sometimes an artillery detachment. The emigré units were mostly called "legioen" or "korps"(legions) because of the combination of infantry and cavalry.

After the United Procinces were knocked out of the war the legions mostly retreated with the British/Allied army into Germany and were taken into the service of the British army so the contracts with the United Provinces ended.

 

 

 

 

   

Korps van Beon

Capitulatie with F.F. de Béarn, count of
Beon

The korps consisted of:

25/05/1793

14/02/1795 (end of contract)

   
  - 4 companies light infantry      
  - 2 companies jägers (on 14/01/1794 were added 2 companies of the korps of Rohan)      
  - cavalry    

 

 

 

 

   

Korps van de Prins van Rohan (also called Vrijkorps van de Lega)

capitulatie with Prince de Rohan

The korps consisted of:

25/07/1794

23/05/1795 (end of contract)

   
  - 2 companies jäger    
  - 2 companies sharpshooters        
  - company mounted jäger        
           
 

An earlier corps with the same name existed but was disbanded. On 16/01/1794 2 companies jäger went to the Korps of Beon and 2 companies of light cavalry to the Korps of Damas

       

 

 

 

 

   

Korps van Damas

Capitulatie with C.E. Markgraaf van Damas
The korps consisted of:

25/05/1793

14/02/1795 (end of contract)

   
  - 2 companies of jäger    
  - 4 companies of light infantry    
  - from 16/1/1794 strengthen with 2 companies of light cavalry of Rohan      

 

 

 

 

   

Vrijkorps van de graaf van Luningen

ook wel genoemd vrijkorps van Luninck

Capitulatie met de Graaf van Luningen

The korps consisted of:

08/08/1794

23/05/1795 (end of contract)

   
  - 2 companies jäger        
  - 1 company grenadier        
  - 6 companies of fusiliers        

 

 

 

 

   

 

Campaigning

As said earlier, the theorical strength of the infantry wasn't reached in reality. According to "Hardenberg" and "Kesman", the 12 musketier companies of the infantry units which were meant to go to war in 1793, were combined into a field battalion of 8 companies and the grenadier companies were combined into seperate grenadier battalions of also 8 companies. Behind stayed a small depot per regiment.
In total 24 musketier battalions were formed with each 8 companies and added were 2 3pdr battalion guns per battalion (each gun with limber and 2 horses).

A list of musketier battalions for the 1793 campaign will be added later if available.

For the 1793 campaign grenadier companies were combined into battalions mostly of 8 companies from 4 regiments but sometimes only 6 companies of 3 (or 4) regiments and were called after their commanding officer. In the 1793 campaign "Kesman" gives the following organisation:

name grenadier battalion infantry regiment who delivered grenadier companies
Van Raesfeldt Douglas Van Maneil Bentinck desVilates
Von Buseck Van Dopf Van Brakel De Thouars Nassau Usingen
Van Breydenbach Oranje Gelderland Oranje Friesland Oranje Stad en Lande en Drenthe Van Plettenberg
van Zillnhardt van Randwijk 1e Waldeck 2e Waldeck Hessen-Darmstadt
Van Plettenberg Bedaulx van Welderen Van Nijvenheim De Schepper
van Tengnagell
13/9/1793 Prins van Reusz
Bosc de la Calmette Von Wartensleben Westerloo van Baden
Van Rechteren (6 companies) Stuart Von Mönster De Bons  

de Larrey (6 companies)

1e Oranje Nassau

2e Oranje Nassau (1 comp)

Erfprins Markgraaf van Baden (1 comp)
van Hohenlohe (6 companies) De Petit Saxen-Gotha von Wilcke  

 

For the 1794/95 campaign the infantry battalion had according to "F.H.A.Sabron: De oorlog van 1794/1795 op het grondgebied van de Republiek der Vereenigde Nederlanden" only 6 companies instead of the earlier mentioned 8 companies.
The regiments who delivered a field battalion in 1794 were Oranje Gelderland, Oranje Stad en Lande, 2nd Oranje Nassau, 1st Waldeck, Bedaulx, Von Dopf, Van Welderen, Von Wilcke, Hessen-Darmstadt, Van Maneil, Von Wartensleben, Bosc de la Calmette, De Petit and Van Plettenberg. All the Swiss regiments delivered 2 field battalions.

Also according to "Sabron"in the combined grenadiers had only 6 companies and originate from the following regiments

name grenadier battalion infantry regiment who delivered grenadier companies
Van Raesfeldt Douglas Van Maneil Bentinck
Von Buseck Van Dopf Van Brakel De Thouars
Van Dongen Oranje Gelderland Oranje Friesland Oranje Stad en Lande en Drenthe
Mollenbruyn Nassau-Usingen Markgraaf van Baden Van Plettenberg
Van Plettenberg Bedaulx Van Nijvenheim De Schepper
Prins van Reusz Von Geusau Von Wartensleben Westerloo
Prins van Hessen-Philipsthal Van Welderen Bosc de la Calmette Des Vilattes
Van Panhuijs Stuart Von Mönster De Bons

de Larrey
10/1/1794 Van Solms

Oranje Nassau 1e Oranje Nassau 2e Erfprins

 


The strength of the infantry part of the army of the United Provinces in 1794 are given in "Sabron"" as:

batt name per batt total
  line troops    
9 grenadiers 384
3.456
1 Hollandse gardes 504
504
1 Zwitserse gardes 504
504
14 musketiers 432
6.048
10 Swiss 510
5.100
  light troops  
1 5th Waldeck 280
280
1 Walen de Perez 280
280
1 Jagers van Bijlandt 198
198
1 Jagers van Matthieu 277
277
  total  
16.647

The emigré units who took part at the start of the 1794 campaign were:
korps of Damas, total 250 men infantry
korps of Beon, total 494 men infantry

These totals were only the infantry part; both Damas and Beon had according to Sabron 2 companies dragoons with a total of 200 men for the 4 companies.


 

to page 5 to previous page to page 1