A Brief History of the 12th Chasseurs à
Cheval
By Francois
Lo Presti
The 6th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment was created in
1779. It was renamed Chasseurs des Ardennes on 8 January
1784 but kept the 6th rank of the chasseurs à cheval
formations. Joachim Murat enlisted in this Regiment on 23
February 1787. In 1788, the Regiment was renamed Chasseurs
de Champagne but was retrograded to rank 12 of the Chasseurs
à Cheval. With the decree of the 1st January 1791,
they took the name 12th Regiment of Chasseurs à
Cheval. The military history of the 12th Regiment of
Chasseurs à Cheval during the Revolution and Empire
wars began in 1791 with one Grouchy and ended in 1815 with
another Grouchy.
Jacques (future Abdallah) Menou was named colonel of the
Regiment on 21 October 1791. Emmanuel Grouchy, the future
marshal, was promoted lieutenant-colonel of the Regiment on
18 December 1791. Grouchy left the Regiment on 1 February
1792.
The Regiment was assigned to the Armée du Nord
from 1792 to 1794. Murat was absent from the Regiment from 8
February to March 1792. On March 23, 1792, d'Urre de Molans
was named lieutenant-colonel of this Regiment.
At the declaration of the war in April 1792, they were
sent to the Army of the Center (also called Armée des
Ardennes) along with the 3rd, 9th, and 11th Chasseurs
à Cheval Regiments. Menou was promoted
maréchal de camp at the beginning of May. Eight days
later, on May 16, d'Urre de Molans became colonel. In
September, a squadron " franc " linked to the Regiment was
created in which two sous-lieutenant were promoted (Watier
Saint-Alphone in September, and Murat in October). On
November 1792, a legion franche was incorporated into the
Regiment; in this unit was present the future general
Delaroche who was at this time only a sous-lieutenant. On
March 1793, they fought in front of Liège and at the
fight of Saint-Trond, then at the seizure of Courtrai.
Joachim Murat left definitely the Regiment on April 14, 1793
when he became aide de camp of general d'Urre (himself named
general on April 7). On May 13, 1793, they still were in the
Armée des Ardennes (included in the Armée du
Nord). On 13 May 1794, the 12th was probably at the fight of
Grand-Reng since Boisset, an officer of the Regiment was the
commander of the Cavalry under Duhesme. In June they fought
at Fleurus.
In July 1794 they were re-assigned to the Armée de
Sambre-et-Meuse (division Tilly?). At the beginning of the
campaign of Germany (still under Jourdan) they had 636 men.
They fought at Kreutznach (9 November 1794). On 3 September
1796, the Regiment, now assigned to the Division
Championnet, Armée de Sambre-et-Meuse) fought at the
battle of Wurzburg.
Quinette de Cernay became chef díescadrons
surnuméraire in the 12th Chasseurs, on 6 July 1797
and they served in the following armies (1798-1801):
Armées de Mayence, du Danube, and du Rhin. The 12th
Chasseurs were commanded by François Offenstein since
31 July 1799 and by the chef de brigade Jean-Marie Defrance
since 14 March 1800. Defrance left the Regiment in February
1805 when he became general de brigade. Under Defrance, the
Regiment fought as part of the Cavalry reserve (Nansouty) of
the Armée du Rhin since 7 April 1800, and were at
Stockach, Moesskirch, Memmingen. The Regiment was sent to
the division Vandamme on 11 May and went with Lorge to Italy
on 15 May. They crossed the Saint-Gothard on 28 May, and
fought under Digonet at Bellinzona on 30 May. The Regiment
was then assigned to Duvigneau's Brigade in the army's
reserve on 6 June and fought at Spinetta and Marengo.
The Regiment returned to France with its colonel on 3
July. On July 31, the Regiment became part of the 2nd
Armée de Réserve (later Armée des
Grisons). At the end of November 1800, it was part of the
Cavalry division lead by Laboissière. It crossed the
Splüngen on 9 December and was in Basel on 5 March
1801. Then it was sent to the Armée d'Helvétie
under Monchoisy. The Regiment was in garrison in Vesoul on
14 August 1801 and in Belfort on 20 February 1802. While
there the Regiment was in the Light Cavalry division
(Bourcier) of the Armée des Côtes de
l'Océan. Paultre de Lamotte was promoted to major of
the 12th Chasseurs à Cheval on 15 December 1803. The
Regiment stayed with this army until 1805.
Defrance became general on 1st February 1805. On 24 March
1805, Guyon became colonel of this Regiment. Guyon fought in
Austria, but missed Austerlitz, and Prussia. The Regiment
fought at Auerstaedt being part of the Vialannes Cavalry
Brigade of the 3rd Corps. Guyon missed Auerstadt also. Guyon
fought in Poland in 1807 with his Regiment at Eylau which,
along with the 1st and 2nd Chasseurs à Cheval, formed
Maurlaz's Light Cavalry Brigade of Davout's 3rd Corps.
Detachments of the 12th Chasseurs à Cheval were
incorporated into the 2nd Provisional Regiment of Chasseurs
à Cheval in the 2nd Corps de la Gironde in Spain
(1808). Guyon was in the Armée d'Allemagne in the
Brigade Beaupré from 12 October 1808 to 30 March
1809. Jaquinot took command of the brigade on 30 March. This
brigade consisted of the 1st, 2nd, and 12th Chasseurs
à Cheval. This brigade was part of a provisional
corps commanded by Marshal Lannes from 19 to 29 April.
During this time they fought against the Austrian general
Thierry at Abensberg. The 12th Regiment was present, along
with the 11th Regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval and the
5th Hussards, in the Brigade Pajol at the battle of Wagram.
Guyon was part of the Corps d'observation d'Allemagne in
1810 and in Italy in 1811. Guyon was named general de
brigade on 6 August 1811.
However as with many other French regiments, some
squadrons of the 12th Chasseurs à Cheval were also
present in Spain in the Light Cavalry Brigade of General
Wathier under Marshal Bessières. They fought at
Fuentes de Onoro on 3 May 1811.
The 1st (under De Livremont) and the 3rd (under
Montaglas) Squadrons of the 12th Regiment (596 men) were
present in Russia in 1812 led by Colonel Ghigny. They were
part of the 7th Brigade, commanded by General
Saint-Geniès, of General Wathiez de Saint-Alphonse's
2nd Light Cavalry Division in the Montbrun's 2nd Cavalry
Corps.
During 1813, the 12th Chasseurs à Cheval were in
Montbrun's 2nd Light Cavalry Division of Sebastiani's 2nd
Cavalry Corps. On July 1813, the Regiment was in Dommanget's
2nd Brigade of Roussel díHurbal's Division of the 2nd
Cavalry Corps, along with the 1st Chevau-Légers
Lanciers and the 11th Chasseurs à Cheval. As part of
Gérard's Brigade of Roussel díHurbal's
Division of Sebastiani's 2nd Cavalry Corps, they fought at
Leipzig and Hanau.
The Regiment fought at Waterloo under a colonel
whoís name was Grouchy. They were disbanded by Louis
XVIII in 1815.
Several future generals were enlisted soldiers of the
Regiment: Boisset (present from 8 April 1779 to May-June
1794), Delaroche (present from 16 November 1792 to 31 dec.
1794), Dery (from 6 October 1788 to 1802 ?), Fornier
díAlbe (from 14 September 1788 to 20 December 1791),
Giraud, Grouchy, Murat, Offenstein, Paultre de Lamotte ,
Quinette de Cernay, Scheglinsky, díUrre, and Watier
Saint-Alphonse.
Bibliography
Hollins, Dave & Derek Stone, "The Battle of Wurzburg"
The Age of Napoleon #20.
Comte de Margon. Historique du 8è
Régiment de Chasseurs René-Lallemant:
Verdun;1889.
Six, George. Dictionnaire Biographique des
Généraux et Amiraux de la Révolution et
de l'Empire ed. Saffroy: Paris; 1934.
Tradition Magazine #42-43, July-August 1990;
Histoire et Collection: Paris.
Zins, Ronald. Le Maréchal Lannes: Favori de
Napoléon, ed. Le Temps Traversé:
Entremont-le-Vieux, France; 1994.
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