Following up on my last post on the 3e Corps 2e Division's Artillery citations in 1809, I wanted to finish the last five men found on the document. These men were Lieut. Mamard of the 7e Foot Artillery Regiment, Sous. Lieut. Chapart (Chapard) of the 8e Bataillon Bis of the Artillery Train, Sergent-major Pierre and 1e Cannonier Tisserand of the 7e Foot Artillery Regiment, and 1e Cannonier Parisse of the 5e Horse Artillery Regiment. These last citations provide unique details not found in any book I have read so far on the campaign. Getting to see what ordinary soldiers did in battle is fascinating and one of my favorite parts of research.
7e Foot Artillery Regiment Officers, NCOs & Soldiers.
Lieut Didier Mamard (possibly spelled Mamart) of the 7e Foot Artillery Regiment commanded two pieces of 4-pound artillery during the battles in April. Sadly, I could not find any information on his service record. It seems Dardennes plea for nominating Mamard for the LdH fell on deaf ears. Still, his citation gives us some interesting insight into what occurred at the Battle of Eckmuhl on April 21st and what type of artillery the French used during the campaign. His citation reads as,
" Officer of merit distunguished himself in the affairs of the 19th, 21st, and 22nd, where he commanded two pieces of 4 (pounders) with which he wrecked the greatest havoc in the enemy ranks. On the 21st his two guns were dismantled, but although he was under vigorous fire, he managed to harness the guns and bring them back to the Reserve Park to have them re-axeled. When his guns were just operational again, he returned to the battlefield. I beg his Majesty to nominate this officer, Member of the Legion of Honor".
Sergent-major Pierre Pierre of the 7e Foot Artillery Regiment was 31 years of age during the opening battles of the 1809 campaign. He had served his whole military career with the 7e Foot Artillery Regiment joining on 8 June 1799 as a cannonier. In the ten years between joining and the 1809 campaign, Pierre would be promoted fourrier on 6 vendemaire an 11 and then Sergent-major on 20 January 1807. He fought in many famous battles, such as the Battle of Hohenlinden in 1800, the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, and the Battles of Iena, Pultusk, and Golymin in 1806. He would fight at the Battles of Eylau and Koenigsberg in 1807 and the Battles of Ratisbonne, Wagram, and Znaim in 1809. In an interesting twist of fate, Sergent-major Pierre would be awarded the Legion d'honneur on 8 June 1809, exactly ten years after joining the regiment. He would reach the officer ranks when he was promoted Sous. Lieut in September 1809. His citation reads as,
"Very good non-commissoned officer. Commanded in the affairs of the 19th, 21st, and 22nd two pieces of 8 (pounders) with which he wrecked the greatest havoc in the enemy ranks. The sangfroid of this non-commissioned officer is worthy of the greatest eulogies. I beg his Majesty to nominate him, Member of the Legion of Honor".
1e Cannonier Pierre Tisserand (possibly spelled Tisserant) is our last soldier from the 7e Foot Artillery Regiment cited for actions on the 19th, 21st, and 22nd of April. Unfortunately, I could not find his service record, but at least we are given information citing his bravery under fire in full view of the whole division. His citation reads as,
" The gunner constantly followed the skirmishers in the most advanced posts with caissons of infantry cartridges. The liveliness of the enemy's fire could not alternate his sangfroid. Several officers of the Division who witnessed his conduct on the subject expressed expressed satisfaction with it".
It is interesting to note that Dardenne did not ask for either advancement in rank or the LdH Cross for what seems to be very rare and courageous actions by Tisserand.
5e Horse Artillery Regiment
Just like Tisserand, our next soldier 1e Cannonier Jean Antoine Parisse of the 5e Horse Artillery Regiment, would be cited for actions at the Battle of Eckmuhl but would not be awarded any promotions or the LdH. However, according to his citation, his actions firing his 8-pound cannon were vital in helping push back the Austrians on the 21st of April. His citation reads as,
"Pointed on the 21st a piece of 8. The accuracy of his shot singularly protected the operations of the Division and forcing several times the enemy to withdrawl."
Battle of Eckmuhl April 21st & 22nd: Operational History of the 2e Division of the 3e Corps
Saski's three volume book on the campaign of 1809 is the most detailed history of the campaign ever written and filled with countless documents of archival material. All three volumes can be found here Looking at the actions of the 2e Division's Artillery we are given some insights into the role the artillery played. A Operational History of the 3e Corps of the Army of Germany from the 21st of April states,
"Then the fiercest musketry fire broke out in the woods, and on the plateau a cannonade which lasted several hours. The six guns of the Friant division, commanded by the Battalion Commander Dardennes, were of the greatest effect at this moment when the Archduke Charles put himself at the head of his troops to regain the lost ground."
These five of the six guns would include the two 4-pound and four 8-pound guns commanded by Lieut. Mamard and Sergent-major Pierre, and one 8-pound gun pointed by 1e Cannonier Parisse. We can see from the document below, that the 2e Division had seven 8 pound six 4 pound cannons, and two 6-inch howitzers.
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| 3e Corps 1809 Artillery Material from Saski's 1809 Campaign volume 2 |
Another quote below from the 2e Division's Operational history from the 21st of April shows that a heavy use of skirmishers were needed to eject the Austrians from the wooden areas around the villiage of Schierling. We are able to see that from the citation of 1e Cannonier Tisserand that the fighting was very heavy and due to the large expendure of ammunition, his actions of following the skirmishers and supplying them with ammunition, was vital in creating a sustained well fed front of fire. Tisserand used one of the 30 infantry ammunition caissons that were assigned to the 2e Division.
"The general of division judged that nothing less than the tirailleurs of all his division was necessary to carry out and to support this plan. The engineer captain Henrat was in charge of directing this operation, the good dispositions taken by this officer and the courage of the voltigeurs soon made us masters of the iron curtain which hid the Austrian front from us.
During this time, the light artillery was moving at full speed on the plateau which seemed to command the enemy's right. The regiments of the division advanced in echelons; the affair assumed a most serious character. A strong cannonade engages on both sides; the general of division is dismounted beside the duke of Auerstaed."
8e Bataillon Bis of the Artillery Train.
Our last man to wrap up this long post is Sous. Lieut. Antoine Francois Chapart (Chapard) of the 8e Bataillon Bis of the Artillery Train. Although most of the glory went to the artillery guns, the most numerous and probably most important vehicles of the artillery park and divisional artillery came from the artillery and infantry ammunition caissons. Without these vehicles, the artillery guns could not support any long-term sustained fire during a battle. The 40-year-old veteran Chapart had started his career in the Epuipages d'artillerie on 7 January 1791 and served in the 8e Bataillon Bis of the Artillery Train in 1e germinal an 8. Since then, he was promoted to Marchel de logis in the same year and Marchel de logis chef in an 11. He would be promoted in 1808 to Sous. Lieut. and reach the rank of Lieut. in 1813. His citation gives us insight into the role of soldiers and officers of the artillery train that are largely forgotten and overshadowed by their hard-hitting brother shooting the artillery guns. His citation reads as,
"Officer could not be more active. The conduct he held on the 19th, 21st, and 22nd April are worthy of the greatest eulogies. Several caissons having been bogged down and delaying the march of the Park, he took care to have them cleared despite the fire of the enemy, and managed to save them. I beg the Majesty to nominate this officer, Member of the Legion of Honor."
He would be awarded on 8 June 1809 the Legion of Honor.
