Oudinot's Grenadier Division: 1806 - 1809
By George
Nafziger
A total of 17 "elite" battalions were raised and
organized into seven regiments in December 1805. These
regiments were organized into Oudinot's famous "Grenadier
division." On 5 December 1805 this division was organized
as:
Grenadier Division: General de division Oudinot
Brigade: Generaux de brigade Dupas & Ruffin
1st Grenadier Regiment
58th Line Regiment (16/439)
13th Line Regiment (15/508)
2nd Grenadier Regiment
9th Line Regiment (19/470)
81st Line Regiment (15/515)
3rd Grenadier Regiment
2nd Legere Regiment (18/499)
3rd Legere Regiment (18/549)
4th Grenadier Regiment
28th Legere Regiment (20/547)
31st Legere Regiment (22/588)
5th Grenadier Regiment
12th Legere Regiment (20/560)
15th Legere Regiment (20/516)
Artillery:
Det. 6th Horse Artillery (1/27)
Det. 1st Foot Artillery (4/101)
2-12pdrs
6-8pdrs
4-4pdrs
Det. 5th (bis) Train Battalion (2/179)
The division underwent several changes. In January 1806
it had:
Grenadier Division: General de division Oudinot
Brigade: Generaux
de brigade Dupas & Ruffin
1st Grenadier Regiment
58th Line Regiment (18/547)
13th Line Regiment (detached)
2nd Grenadier Regiment (detached)
9th Line Regiment
81st Line Regiment
3rd Grenadier Regiment
2nd Legere Regiment (21/690)
3rd Legere Regiment (20/640)
4th Grenadier Regiment
28th Legere Regiment (21/685)
31st Legere Regiment (21/628)
5th Grenadier Regiment
12th Legere Regiment (22/723)
15th Legere Regiment (23/619)
Artillery:
Det. 6th Horse Artillery (1/47)
Det. 1st Foot Artillery (5/130)
2-12pdrs
6-8pdrs
4-4pdrs
Det. 5th (bis) Train Battalion (4/214)
Det. 4th Artillery Artisans (0/5)
The division continued in this form until late September
or early October when it was detached from the V Corps. By
10 January 1807 the Grenadier Division had undergone a major
reorganization. On 10 January it stood as follows:
1st Brigade: General de brigade Ruffin
1st Regiment
1st Battalion: Chef de bataillon Trahier (19/508)
1st Co. Carabiniers
27th Legere
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 27th Legere
3rd Co. Grenadiers 94th Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 94th Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 95th Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 95th Line
2nd Battalion: Chef de bataillon Broyer
(20/551)
1st Co. Grenadiers 8th Line
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 8th Line
3rd Co. Grenadiers 45th Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 45th Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 54th Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 54th Line
2nd Regiment
3rd Battalion: Chef de bataillon Fondousse (15/317)
1st Co. Carabiniers
9th Legere
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 9th Legere
3rd Co. Grenadiers 32nd Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 32nd Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 96th Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 96th Line
4th Battalion: Chef de bataillon
Chabert (19/520)
1st Co. Grenadiers 30th Line
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 30th Line
3rd Co. Grenadiers 33rd Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 33rd Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 51st Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 51st Line
2nd Brigade: General de brigade
Conroux
3rd Regiment
5th Battalion: Chef de bataillon Arnauld (19/502)
1st Co. Carabiniers
10th Legere
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 10th Legere
3rd Co. Grenadiers 24th Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 24th Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 26th Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 26th Line
6th Battalion: Chef de bataillon
Franchot (19/519)
1st Co. Grenadiers 18th Line
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 18th Line
3rd Co. Grenadiers 4th Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 4th Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 57th Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 57th Line
4th Regiment
7th Battalion: Chef de bataillon Coquereau (21/460)
1st Co. Carabiniers 17th Legere
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 17th Legere
3rd Co. Grenadiers 21st Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 21st Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 34th Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 34th Line
8th Battalion: Chef de bataillon
? (Monnet) (12/330)
1st Co. Grenadiers 40th Line
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 40th Line
3rd Co. Grenadiers 64th Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 64th Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 88th Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 88th Line
3rd Brigade: General de brigade
Villatte
5th Regiment
9th Battalion: Chef de bataillon ? (Dauger) (20/494)
1st Co. Carabiniers
6th Legere
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 6th Legere
3rd Co. Grenadiers 39th Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 39th Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 69th Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 69th Line
10th Battalion: Chef de bataillon
Comminet (19/542)
1st Co. Grenadiers 27th Line
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 27th Line
3rd Co. Grenadiers 59th Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 59th Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 76th Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 76th Line
6th Regiment
11th Battalion: Chef de bataillon Gueret (21/473)
1st Co. Carabiniers
16th Legere
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 16th Legere
3rd Co. Grenadiers 44th Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 44th Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 105th Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 105th Line
12th Battalion: Chef de bataillon
Boidot (18/499)
1st Co. Carabiniers 7th Legere
2nd Co. Voltigeurs 7th Legere
3rd Co. Grenadiers 24th Line
4th Co. Voltigeurs 24th Line
5th Co. Grenadiers 63rd Line
6th Co. Voltigeurs 63rd Line
4th Brigade:
7th Regiment
13th Battalion: (8/253)
1st Co. Carabiniers 25th Legere
2nd Co. Carabiniers 28th Legere
3rd Co. Voltigeurs 28th Legere
Artillery
Det 1st Foot Artillery
3rd Horse Artillery
Artillery Artisans
Det/5th Train Battalion
Det/8th Train Battalion
Engineers
1/5th Sapper Battalion (2/78)
The "provisional" regiments were formed by organizing
various independent and loose battalions and companies
posted in the rear areas. In these instances, each depot
might send as few as one or possibly more companies to the
front. A total of sixteen of these provisional regiments
were raised between 1805 and March 1807. After the campaigns
in Germany and Poland were finished, these elite and
provisional regiments were disbanded. The process began anew
after the invasion of Portugal and Spain. On 5 November 1807
a total of twelve provisional regiments were raised. These
two formations are not to be confused with the "regiments de
marche" which were also ad hoc formations organized to
transport new recruits to the front lines from the depots
insuring their safe arrival, safe from partisan attack and
the opportunity to desert. None of these regiments,
provisional, elite, or de marche had complete staffs and, as
a result, were administrative nightmares for the army and
the men that served in them. On 1 June 1807 the division
contained:
1st Brigade: General de brigade Ruffin
1st Regiment
1st Battalion: Chef de bataillon Launier
Staff (5/9)
1st Co. (3/65) Carabiniers 6th Legere
2nd Co. (3/72) Carabiniers 7th Legere
3rd Co. (3/73) Carabiniers 9th Legere
4th Co. (3/60) Carabiniers 16th Legere
5th Co. (3/66) Carabiniers 25th Legere
6th Co. (3/73) Carabiniers 27th Legere
2nd Battalion: Chef de
bataillon Broyer
1st Co. (3/89) Voltigeurs 6th Legere
2nd Co. (3/69) Voltigeurs 7th Legere
3rd Co. (3/72) Voltigeurs 9th Legere
4th Co. (3/73) Voltigeurs 16th Legere
5th Co. (3/52) Voltigeurs 25th Legere
6th Co. (3/76) Voltigeurs 27th Legere
2nd Regiment
3rd Battalion: Chef de bataillon Fondousse
Staff (5/1)
1st Co. (3/65) Grenadiers 8th Line
2nd Co. (3/65) Grenadiers 30th Line
3rd Co. (3/88) Grenadiers 33rd Line
4th Co. (2/75) Grenadiers 51st Line
5th Co. (3/56) Grenadiers 95th Line
6th Co. (3/49) Grenadiers 96th Line
4th Battalion: Chef de bataillon
Chabert
1st Co. (3/84) Voltigeurs 8th Line
2nd Co. (3/58) Voltigeurs 30th Line
3rd Co. (3/77) Voltigeurs 33rd Line
4th Co. (2/61) Voltigeurs 51st Line
5th Co. (3/75) Voltigeurs 95th Line
6th Co. (3/55) Voltigeurs 96th Line
2nd Brigade: General de brigade
Conroux
3rd Regiment
5th Battalion: Chef de bataillon Arnauld
Staff (6/0)
1st Co. (2/75) Carabiniers 10th Legere
2nd Co. (2/66) Carabiniers 17th Legere
3rd Co. (3/55) Carabiniers 21st Legere
4th Co. (3/74) Carabiniers 24th Legere
5th Co. (2/45) Carabiniers 26th Legere
6th Co. (3/63) Carabiniers 28th Legere
6th Battalion: Chef de
bataillon Franchot
1st Co. (3/61) Voltigeurs 10th Legere
2nd Co. (2/61) Voltigeurs 17th Legere
3rd Co. (3/49) Voltigeurs 21st Legere
4th Co. (3/67) Voltigeurs 24th Legere
5th Co. (3/73) Voltigeurs 26th Legere
6th Co. (2/59) Voltigeurs 28th Legere
4th Regiment
7th Battalion: Chef de bataillon Coquereau
Staff (5/0)
1st Co. (3/81) Grenadiers 4th Line
2nd Co. (3/66) Grenadiers 18th Line
3rd Co. (3/75) Grenadiers 34th Line
4th Co. (3/68) Grenadiers 40th Line
5th Co. (2/51) Grenadiers 64th Line
6th Co. (2/54) Grenadiers 88th Line
8th Battalion: Chef de bataillon
Monnet
1st Co. (1/58) Voltigeurs 4th Line
2nd Co. (3/69) Voltigeurs 18th Line
3rd Co. (3/73) Voltigeurs 34th Line
4th Co. (3/76) Voltigeurs 40th Line
5th Co. (3/56) Voltigeurs 64th Line
6th Co. (3/72) Voltigeurs 88th Line
3rd Brigade: General de brigade
Barry
5th Regiment
9th Battalion: Chef de bataillon Dauger
Staff (6/0)
1st Co. (2/74) Grenadiers 27th Line
2nd Co. (3/70) Grenadiers 39th Line
3rd Co. (3/64) Grenadiers 45th Line
4th Co. (3/66) Grenadiers 59th Line
5th Co. (3/51) Grenadiers 69th Line
6th Co. (3/78) Grenadiers 70th Line
10th Battalion: Chef de bataillon
Comminet
1st Co. (3/73) Voltigeurs 27th Line
2nd Co. (2/59) Voltigeurs 39th Line
3rd Co. (3/78) Voltigeurs 45th Line
4th Co. (3/64) Voltigeurs 59th Line
5th Co. (3/66) Voltigeurs 69th Line
6th Co. (3/90) Voltigeurs 70th Line
6th Regiment
11th Battalion: Chef de bataillon Vaugrignaude
Staff (5/8)
1st Co. (3/61) Grenadiers 24th Line
2nd Co. (3/83) Grenadiers 44th Line
3rd Co. (3/61) Grenadiers 54th Line
4th Co. (3/84) Grenadiers 63rd Line
5th Co. (3/61) Grenadiers 94th Line
6th Co. (3/68) Grenadiers 105th Line
12th Battalion: Chef de
bataillon Boidot
1st Co. (3/60) Voltigeurs 24th Line
2nd Co. (3/71) Voltigeurs 44th Line
3rd Co. (3/67) Voltigeurs 54th Line
4th Co. (2/76) Voltigeurs 63rd Line
5th Co. (3/77) Voltigeurs 94th Line
6th Co. (3/65) Voltigeurs 105th Line
4th Brigade: General de
brigade Albert
7th Regiment
13th Battalion: Chef de bataillon Cornebize
Staff (5/1)
1st Co. (3/73) Carabiniers 25th Legere
2nd Co. (3/78) Carabiniers 22nd Line
3rd Co. (3/63) Grenadiers 32nd Line
4th Co. (3/60) Grenadiers 57th Line
5th Co. (3/65) Grenadiers 65th Line
6th Co. (-)
14th Battalion: Chef de bataillon Boulon
1st Co. (2/104) Voltigeurs
22nd Line
2nd Co. (2/46) Voltigeurs 32nd Line
3rd Co. (3/61) Voltigeurs 57th Line
4th Co. (3/99) Voltigeurs 65th Line
5th Co. (-)
6th Co. (-)
8th Regiment
15th Battalion: Chef de bataillon Jouan
1st Co. (3/80) Grenadiers
3rd Line
2nd Co. (1/71) Grenadiers 61st Line
3rd Co. (1/70) Grenadiers 85th Line
4th Co. (1/70) Grenadiers 111th Line
5th Co. (-)
6th Co. (-)
16th Battalion:
1st Co. (3/96) Voltigeurs 3rd Line
2nd Co. (2/85) Voltigeurs 61st Line
3rd Co. (3/73) Voltigeurs 85th Line
4th Co. (2/82) Voltigeurs 111th Line
5th Co. (-)
6th Co. (-)
Artillery
Det 2/1st Foot Artillery (1/41)
4/,5/3rd Horse Artillery (5/145)
1st & 4th Artillery Artisan Companies (0/9)
Det. 2/5th (bis) Train Battalion (1/60)
Det. 1/,2/8th (bis) Train Battalion (3/187)
Engineers
1/5th Sapper Battalion (0/35)
Oudinot's division was reorganized on 8 January, 1808.
Though it still consisted of 17 battalions, they were now
formed into eight regiments. On 12 January 1808 a further
six provisional regiments were raised.
On 5 December 1808 Napoleon began breaking up Oudinot's
grenadiers by returning those companies whose parent
regiments were assigned to Bernadotte's and Davout's corps.
It was reduced to a total of 62 companies organized into ten
elite battalions. It was organized as follows (the elite
companies coming from the battalions indicated.)
Converged Grenadier Division: General de division Oudinot
(21,388 men)
1st Division: General de division Tharreau (7,145 men)
Brigade: General
de brigade Conroux
1st Legere - 4/6th, 4/24th, & 4/25th Legere
3rd Legere - 4/9th, 4/16th, & 4/27th Legere
Brigade: General
de brigade Albert
1st Line - 4/8th, 4/24th & 4/45th Line
2nd Line - 4/94th, 4/95th & 4/96th Line
Brigade: General de
brigade Jarry
3rd Line - 4/54th & 4/63rd Line
2nd Division: General de division
Claparede (8860)
Brigade: General de brigade Coehorn
2nd Legere - 4/17th, 4/21st & 4/28th
Legere
4th Legere - 4/26th, Tirailleurs du Po & Corsican
Tirailleurs
Brigade: General de brigade Lesuire
5th Line - 4/27th & 4/39th
Line
6th Line - 4/59th, 4/69th & 4/76th Line
Brigade: General de
brigade Ficatier
7th Line - 4/40th & 4/88th Line
8th Line - 4/64th, 4/100th & 4/103rd Line
The Decree of 1 March 1809 disbanded the 33e Legere. The
"elite" battalions belonging to Oudinot's division, each
having four companies, were reorganized on by the Decree of
31 March 1809 into twelve demi-brigades, each of 3
battalions. On 7 February 1809 the corps was organized as
follows:
1st Division: General de division Claparede
1st Brigade:
1st Demi-brigade Legere
6th Legere (244/90/212/0/546)*
24th Legere (161/125/264/0/550)
25th Legere (230/100/200/0/530)
2nd Demi-brigade Legere
9th Legere (243/167/155/0/565)
16th Legere (0/0/458/0/458)
27th Legere (233/152/164/0/549)
2nd Brigade:
1st Demi-brigade
8th Line Regiment (306/117/104/0/527)
24th Line Regiment (48/200/358/0/508)
45th Line Regiment (253/92/163/0/508)
2nd Demi-brigade
94th Line Regiment (281/64/154/0/499)
95th Line Regiment (279/128/104/0/511)
96th Line Regiment (172/209/60/0/441)
3rd Brigade:
3rd Demi-brigade
54th Line Regiment (217/114/122/0/453)
63rd Line Regiment (233/55/219/50/557)
28th Line Regiment (0/0/0/0/0) (assigned, but not
present)
4th Demi-brigade
4th Line Regiment (179/95/265/0/539)
18th Line Regiment (236/41/207/0/564)
46th Line Regiment (0/0/0/0/0) (assigned, but not
present)
2nd Division: General de division Tharreau
1st Brigade:
2nd Demi-brigade Legere
17th Legere (308/11/231/0/550)
21st Legere (295/0/232/0/527)
28th Legere (260/29/275/0/448)
3rd Demi-brigade Legere
26th Legere (138/145/175/0/448)
Tirailleur Corses (813/0/120/0/933)
Tirailleurs du Po (991/0/150/0/1,141)
2nd Brigade:
5th Demi-brigade
27th Line Regiment (244/39/143/200/526)
39th Line Regiment (222/64/165/100/551)
50th Line Regiment (0/0/0/0/0)(assigned, but not
present)
6th Demi-brigade
59th Line Regiment (197/86/201/50/534)
69th Line Regiment (204/81/170/80/535)
76th Line Regiment (136/147/148/80/511)
3rd Brigade:
7th Demi-brigade
40th Line Regiment (270/18/266/0/546)
75th Line Regiment (0/0/0/0/0)(assigned, but not
present)
88th Line Regiment (251/32/224/0/507)
8th Demi-brigade
64th Line Regiment (215/66/258/0/539)
100th Line Regiment (0/0/252/250/502)
103rd Line Regiment (0/0/262/250/512)
* Figures are as follows:
l.) Voltigeurs & grenadiers on 7 February,
2.) Detachments drawn from the Conscrits of the Guards
3.) Fusiliers drawn from the first 12 "compagnies de
march."
4.) Detachments from the "13e bataillon de march."
5.) Total strength of the battalion.
A review of the strength figures and the sources of those
troops for this phase of Oudinot's famous corps clearly
indicates that they were not an "elite" formation.
Sources
The above information was taken verbatim from George
Nafziger's Royal, Republican, Imperial, a History of the
French Army from 1792-1815: Vol 1 - Infantry - History of
Line Infantry (1792-1815), Internal & Tactical
Organization; Revolutionary National Guard, Volunteers
Federes, & Compagnies Franches; and 1805 National
Guard.
We would like to thank George for so generously
permitting us to use it. This book, along with other books
and detailed orders-of-battle by George Nafziger, are
available at: www.infinet.com/~nafziger
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