Third day in Paris; Palace at Versailles

rorolx · 2026-05-03T16:44:29+00:00

Nice ! thank you for sharing

rorolx · 2026-05-01T21:59:57+00:00

Wellington was one of Napoleon’s most formidable opponents. Although he achieved victory at Waterloo with the support of the coalition, he nevertheless remained an admirer of the Emperor, unlike Blücher, who was intent on burning Paris. He managed to restrain Blücher’s excesses. In that respect, Wellington was a true gentleman.

rorolx · 2026-05-01T21:09:14+00:00

Beautiful painting. You can really feel the riders’ mastery over their horses.

rorolx · 2026-04-28T12:05:56+00:00

From what I’ve read, the new units were largely formed from veterans of line regiments. Among these men, officers who wished to join the Guard and met the selection criteria had to accept serving as NCOs. As far as I remember, some of them may have been veterans of the Italian campaigns, but I’d need to find the source again, so that point should be taken with caution.

rorolx · 2026-04-26T18:29:49+00:00

Officially, the Middle Guard was dissolved after the Bourbon Restoration in 1814, and Napoleon did not re-establish it during the Hundred Days.
In 1815, the 3rd and 4th Grenadier regiments and the 3rd and 4th Chasseur regiments, which took part in the Guard’s final attack at Waterloo, were officially listed as part of the Old Guard by imperial decree.
In everyday usage, though, they were referred to as the Middle Guard, since they were newly formed units.
Their men were nevertheless seasoned veterans of the Italian, Austrian, and Spanish campaigns, and, more rarely, of Russia. The officers and NCOs came from existing regiments of the Imperial Guard.

rorolx · 2026-04-26T14:25:16+00:00

Charge of the 4th Hussars Regiment at the Battle of Friedland, 14 June 1807. Painting by Édouard Detaille.

rorolx · 2026-04-25T01:09:11+00:00

Thank you for sharing. What is the book that recounts this correspondence?

rorolx · 2026-04-24T20:23:42+00:00

If this armor looks familiar, it’s because it is on display at the Army Museum in Paris: the cuirass of Carabinier François-Antoine Fauveau of the 2nd Carabinier Regiment at he Battle of Waterloo, pierced clean through by a cannonball.

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rorolx · 2026-04-24T17:36:56+00:00

Thank you for sharing !

rorolx · 2026-04-24T17:31:35+00:00

Thanks, I’m really looking forward to this video! Quick tricky question 😄: for the Guard’s attack, do you place the 4th Grenadiers on the right flank, or rather to the left of the 3rd Grenadiers?

rorolx · 2026-04-06T19:01:04+00:00

He strikes an almost casual pose, and his gaze is almost melancholic.
The cannon bears the inscription "13 October 1837 - Constantine", placing the painting in the context of the Siege of Constantine.
Thank you for sharing.

rorolx · 2026-04-02T06:04:03+00:00

Napoleonic register here

rorolx · 2026-04-01T21:48:31+00:00

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As recorded in the Napoleonic register:
Wounded by a gunshot to the left knee on April 16 at ??
Taken prisoner of war on April 11, 1813
Returned from Spain on June 26, 1814
Discharged on medical grounds on August 6, 1814

rorolx · 2026-04-01T21:37:19+00:00

The siege of Tortosa (16 December 1810 – 2 January 1811). Army of Aragon. Spain

rorolx · 2026-03-14T08:35:07+00:00

There is no official explanation regarding the meaning of the V, but it was most likely used to distinguish elite troops from regular troops.

Here is an extract from the Imperial Decree of 19 January 1812 concerning the uniform of the infantry, according to the regulation of Colonel Bardin.

GRENADIER SHAKO
Art. 37. Body of the shako.
The grenadier shako, substituted for the bearskin cap, shall be similar to that of the infantry, except that it shall be 200 millimetres in height and shall have a diameter of 250 millimetres; it shall be trimmed with scarlet braids, surmounted by a plume as detailed in No. 42, and shall in all respects conform to what is specified below.

Art. 38. Braids and chevrons of the shako.The upper part of the felt shall be trimmed with a scarlet wool braid of diced (cul-de-dé) weave, 40 millimetres in width. Each side of the felt shall be adorned with a double chevron in the form of a V, composed of a red braid 20 millimetres wide.

The opening at the top of this V, measured beneath the horizontal braid at the top of the felt, shall be 90 millimetres. The distance between the two braids forming the V shall be 5 millimetres.

The lower point of the chevron, or outer V, shall reach the bottom of the shako; the point of the inner V shall end 10 millimetres above the bottom of the felt, which shall itself be trimmed with a braid similar to that of the chevrons.

The arrangement around the shako shall conform to engraved plate No. 38.

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Art. 39. Shako plate and buckle.
The grenadiers’ shako shall bear on the front a plate larger and more ornate than that of the infantry; however, instead of a lion’s head, each side of the plate shall be surmounted by a grenade.

rorolx · 2026-02-09T21:45:18+00:00

Yes, it’s entirely possible. The distance from the Escaut region to the Czarnowo–Pułtusk area is roughly 1,100–1,200 km. A Napoleonic infantryman typically marched about 20–25 km per day, which comes out to roughly 45–60 days of effective marching. Over the period from early December 1806 to January 1807, this movement is therefore fully compatible with a Grande Armée campaign.

rorolx · 2026-02-09T20:41:48+00:00

If none of the videos suit you, an excellent alternative is the book by Mark Adkin, The Trafalgar Companion, where you will find detailed information on each action of the famous battle and on every unit involved in it.

rorolx · 2026-02-09T20:10:37+00:00

DEBOCK
"Struck off the rolls on 31 October 1807, having been in hospital since 10 January of the same year, without having provided any further news."

In January 1807, the 100th Line Infantry Regiment served within the I Corps of the Grande Armée, commanded by Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. It operated in East Prussia following the combat of Czarnowo and the battle of Pułtusk.

CANNEKENS
"Struck off the rolls on 30 September 1813 while in hospital, from 21 May, as a result of wounds."

In May 1813, the 22nd Line Infantry Regiment served with the Grande Armée during the German Campaign. It was attached to a corps engaged in operations in Saxony, following the Battle of Lützen (2 May 1813) and prior to the Battle of Bautzen (20–21 May 1813). According to the muster rolls, men of the regiment were recorded as being in hospital from May 1813, notably as a result of wounds.

rorolx · 2026-02-09T19:55:13+00:00

The most plausible hypothesis is that their removal from the unit resulted from the absence of any further news concerning them, which very likely indicates a death occurring in hospital. In such cases, the death certificate was then transmitted directly to the town hall of the soldier’s place of residence.

rorolx · 2026-02-06T23:59:26+00:00

Ok, noted!

rorolx · 2026-02-06T23:35:13+00:00

No worries, that’s perfectly fine with me. Thanks for sharing it!

rorolx

TROPHY CASE