Colonel Demid Mesheryakov

Colonel Demid Mesheryakov took command of the second brigade when his regiment, the Selenginsk, was transferred to 3rd Division. He was wounded at Borodino and succeeded by Major Vasily Bogdanovich of the same regiment.

2nd Brigade seemingly suffered heavy casualties on 7 September with both regimental commanding officers falling wounded and two battalion commanders put out of battle, one killed and the other wounded. By the end of the day, 1st Battalion of the Selenginsk Infantry Regiment was being led by a Lieutenant.

In this composition, the mounted officer, representing Colonel Mesheryakov, is by Perry Miniatures, whilst his dismounted companion, Major Bogdanovich is from Wargames Foundry.

Elizabethgrad Hussars II

Onto the lead rank, which was issued lances prior to the campaign of 1812, but not, in the case of this regiment, pennants it seems.

The squadron includes a non-commissioned officer on the left flank, an officer, and his trumpeter (mounted on a grey, as was the norm).

Those armed with lances have stowed their pelisses and, if you've ever tried using a lance whilst wearing one, you'll understand why!

So here's the month's efforts, a standard size unit of Russian Hussars for Black Powder - twelve down, thirty six to go...

Elizabethgrad Hussars c.1812

My first batch of Russian Hussars. These are painted to represent the Elizabethgrad Regiment - second rankers. No lances, so pelisses are worn by all ranks.

28mm figures made by Perry Miniatures

Tuchkov III

The first of my brigade commanders is that of the 1st Brigade in 3rd Infantry Division, Pavel Alekseyevich Tuchkov. He is represented here by a Perry mounted officer in conversation with to a colleague by Foundry.

Pavel Tuchkov was born in Vyborg in 1776. He followed his two elder brothers in the army to serve as a sergeant in the Bombardier Regiment in 1785, quickly rising to serve as his father’s adjutant. He became a shtyk-junker in 1788, a captain in the 2^nd Bombardier Regiment in 1791, and gained his majority in early 1797. A year later he was elevated to Lieutenant Colonel and took command of the Life Guard Artillery Regiment, picking up the Order of St. Anna around the same time. He joined the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1799 as a full Colonel and was made a Major General the next year. He retired in November 1803 whilst commander of the 9^th Aetillery Regiment, but returned to the colours in 1807 to command the Wilmandstand Musketeer Regiment.

He led 1^st Brigade of 17^th Division in 1807, but did not participate in the campaign of that year. In 1808, he was in Finland and, after holding Sandö and Kimitoön, joined Bagration for his advance on the Åland Islands in 1809. Tuchkov retained his brigade in 17^th Division in 1810 when it formed part of the 1^st Western Army, but in early 1812, his had command of a brigade in 3 Infantry Division within his brother, Nikolay’s III Infantry corps. In the face of the French invasion, he commanded 1^st Western Army’s rearguard as it withdrew to Smolensk and was dispatched to hold the critical road junction at Valutina Gora (Lubino). He was captured late in the day whilst leading a counter attack by the Ekaterinoslav Grenadier Regiment, having received a bayonet wound to the abdomen and a number of sword cuts to the head.

Bonaparte interviewed Tuchkov on 25 August 1812, and tried to persuade him to take a peace proposal to the Tzar. An offer he declined, but he did agree to write to his elder brother. He was finally released in 1814 and, after a six-month leave, joined the army for its advance into France in 1815. He finally retired on 21 February 1819 after twenty-five years service and entered the Senate. He became a Privy Councillor in 1840 and died on 5 February 1858, in St. Petersburg.

Taken from the Russian Officer Corps of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1795-1815, by Alexander Mikaberidze.

Big Brothers XV

At last, rounds complete on my 2015 project: 1st Heavy Cavalry Division c.1812.

Three, single regiment brigades of cuirassiers, with supporting horse artillery and light horse lancers.

All the figures are 28mm metals from Perry Miniatures with flags by GMB.

The odd unit and even two brigades have seen some action, but I hope to have the whole division in play in February, after our move to Odense.

1er regiment de chevau-legers lanciers

1er régiment de chevau-legers lanciers were formed by Imperial decree on 18 June 1811 from 1er régiment de dragons, then stationed in Iberia. It joined five other dragoon regiments that converted to lancers, along with two existing lancer regiments from the Vistula Legion and 30e régiment de chasseurs á cheval (formerly the Hamburg Dragoons).

The regiment joined 9e régiment de cuirassiers to form the 3rd brigade of the 1er division de cuirassiers de 1er corps de cavalerie de la grande armée, providing the division with a well-needed reconnaissance capability for the invasion of Russia.

Information is mixed on the strength of the unit in Russia with only a squadron or even company being listed in some sources at Borodino. However, it seems that the full regiment of three squadrons had successfully converted to its new role prior to the campaign, but it is possible that, having been instructed to leave their existing mounts in Iberia, the replacements were not all battle ready in time. 

To this end, I have stuck with my original plan to portray them as a small unit, but I do have another twelve ready for undercoating in case I ever get around to doing the whole lot.