Leib-Garde-Regiment (Hesse-Darmstadt)
| Unit Information | |
| Country |  Grand Duchy of Hesse
|
| Garrison | Darmstadt |
| Ethnicity | German |
Title |
Leib-Regiment (From 1 June 1803) |
Commander |
Generalmajor Gottlieb Sigismund Moriz von Stosch (From 1805) |
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The Leib-Garde-Regiment was one of the infantry regiments of Hesse-Darmstadt.
History
The initial regiment had a long history from its creation in 1621, and by 1803 it was attached to a brigade of its namesake with a battalion of Füseliers and the reserve in Starkenburg.
War of the Fourth Coalition
On 1 October the troops of the 1st Battalion Leib-Garde-Regiment and the Garde-Füselier-Bataillon marched to Würzburg to meet Augereau's VII Corps. During the Battle of Jena, the Hessians were often confused by their French allies as Prussian troops. During an attempt to seize two Saxon guns, some Füseliers were wounded by a charge by French cavalrymen, and the mistaken attack was only halted with great difficulty. Thus on 16 October, the troops were sent to Erfurt as part of the garrison. A few days after, the regiment once more marched as the Prussian-led armies were in full retreat, going through the Franconian forests onto Schleiz, then through Saxony towards Brandenburg. They eventually arrived at Spandau on 1 November when new orders came to leave the unfit troops to recover and march onto Stettin to form the garrison. While passing through Oranienburg, the Hessians were twice more mistaken as French troops as they almost lost a General to the ensuing friendly fire. Thenceforth the troops adorned red plumes which by 5 December officially became black and red by the Grand Duke's orders.
The first battalion of the Leib-Garde Regiment became the escort for some 3,000 Prussian prisoners-of-war, marching them through Germany under difficult conditions as the winter approached. From the commencement of the marching column at Spandau, a third of the prisoners were lost either to the elements or to escapes by the time the unit arrived at Mainz. However there would be no respite as orders immediately came from Napoleon to assemble the available troops with or without rest, and thus a countermarch began at the end of November, reaching Berlin by 20 December. From there the troops met with the Leib-Brigade at Bromberg, though the main Hessian contingent was marching towards Strasburg an der Drewenz to become part of Ney's VI Corps. An inspection occurred on 4 January 1807, and two days later the first three Hessian battalions crossed the Vistula at Thorn before all of the scattered contingents were assembled at Strasburg an der Drewenz on the 8th. During this time, the 2nd Battalion of the Leib-Garde-Regiment had mobilized and was to march a prisoner column on the same Spandau to Mainz route. Due to the exhaustion of the terrain from the many troops that had marched through Central Germany, a revolt had to be suppressed in Wittenberg. Once the prisoners were delivered, the battalion was once more sent back. The battalion marched through Lusatia on its way east, finding much better provisions and facing better conditions.
The regiment accompanied the rest of the Hessian army corps during the Siege of Graudenz and the maneuvers related to Bernadotte's predicament upon the Russian counteroffensive towards the Vistula. After the Peace of Tilsit, from the Leib-Garde-Regiment the 1st Battalion was sent to garrison Marienwerder where two companies of the 2nd Battalion were already present. The regiment was reunited on 11 May at Alt-Reichau after some movements, and were once more set to prisoner convoys, this time of Russians towards Danzig and Tilsit. The latter was reached on 27 May, and from there the regiment marched around Prussia and Poland until the Pomeranian campaign.
War of the Fifth Coalition
As mentioned in the main army page, the Leib-Garde-Brigade as a whole participated little until the Battle of Aspern-Essling. In the village of Aspern, it had held a front for several hours under heavy fire, overstretching its forces when allied contingents fell back. Despite this, the 1st Battalion of the Leib-Garde-Regiment launched a counterattack bolstered by French reinforcements and secured the village again. In Wagram, the brigade took heavy casualties by Breitenlee and Raasdorf as fierce Austrian resistance impeded their progress. Beyond this, it was with the Hessian contingents throughout demobilization.
Russian Campaign of 1812
The Leib-Garde-Regiment set out from its demobilization on 17 February 1812, arriving at Magdeburg on 5 March to join Daendels' Division with the troops of Baden and Berg. When the various Hessian contingents were split up on the 22nd, the Leib-Garde proceeded to Rostock accompanied by the artillery. The division became part of the IX Corps under Marshal Victor which would operate as a reserve during the start of the campaign, reaching the Kaunas on 22 June and from there marching behind Napoleon's main army. The Leib-Garde would by chance meet their compatriots in the Garde du Corps and would subsequently be transferred by Napoleon to General Delaborde's division in the Jeune Garde, though this would only materialize in October. Prince Emil of Hesse-Darmstadt who relinquished his command of the troops earlier in the campaign would take command of the Hessian brigade at Vyazma, which would campaign on the retreat as described in the main army page.
War of the Sixth Coalition
The guard and artillery set out on 11 April 1813 from their cantonments at Würzburg, to be assigned on the 18th to the 39th Division of General Marchand under Ney's III Corps. At Lützen, the Leib-Garde would hold the left-middle against the Russian onslaught and held their counterattack once the Franco-Badener advance stalled. On the onset of the campaign with Austrian involvement, the 1st Battalion would fight cossacks at Haynau on the advance to Bober, and it would enter Lauban by 29 August. On the 31st both battalions would arrive at Görlitz and would settle further east at Maltitz, Seldau, and Klix. One of the regiment's majors, von Stosch was encircled by a contingent of Prussian cavalry at the latter town and managed to withstand the masses of cavalry until Napoleon's forces arrived nearby to relieve the position. On 6 September, the unit would be quartered at Bautzen. It would follow the rest of the Hessian brigade upon its redesignation under Macdonald's XI Corps. The Leib-Garde would remain under Prinz Emil's command throughout the Battle of Leipzig, breaking their own standards and tossing them into cellars after the battle on the 19 October.
The Leib-Garde would follow the rest of the army during the 1814 campaign, without making further distinctions for itself in any major battles of the era.
Engagements
War of the Fourth Coalition
War of the Fifth Coalition
|
Russian Campaign of 1812
War of the Sixth Coalition
War of the Seventh Coalition
|
Organization
Unit Composition
Leib-Garde-Regiment Composition (16 March 1809) [1]
| Stabe (Staff) | 8 Companies (8 Kompagnien) |
|---|---|
|
|
On 16 January 1812, the 4 Turkish musicians were sent to the reserve in Starkenburg while a new band was formed, it consisted of 25 men attached to the Leib-Kompagnie, 2 Bassoons (Fagotte), 8 Clarinets (Clarinetten), 3 Trumpeters (Trompeten), 2 Trombones (Posaunen), a Serpentist, a Flutist, a Hornist, two drums one small and one large, a Cymbalist (Beckenschläger), and a half-moon horn (Halbmond).
Dress and Armaments
| Leib-Garde-Regiment M1806 Uniform | ||
| Detail | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Headgear | Bicorne, see generalities | |
| Neck | Black Neckstock | |
Coat |
Cut Spencer Kollet | |
Shoulder |
Shoulder Board Poppy Red | |
Waistcoat |
White | |
Legwear |
Breeches White in Summer, Dark Blue in Winter | |
Equipment |
Crossbelts White leather | |
For the Füseliers, see Provisorischen leichten Regiment (Hesse-Darmstadt).
| Leib-Garde-Regiment M1809 Uniform | |
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Headgear | Shako, see generalities |
| Neck | Black Neckstock |
Coat |
Cut Spencer Kollet |
Shoulder |
Shoulder Board Dark Blue piped Poppy Red |
Waistcoat |
White |
Legwear |
Breeches White in Summer, Dark Blue in Winter |
Equipment |
Crossbelts White leather |
For flags, see generalities.
Gallery
-
Leib-Garde Soldier (right) in 1807 (Richard Knötel, Uniformkunde) -
Hessians of various regiments including the Leib-Garde and Garde-Füseliers (Richard Knötel, Uniformkunde) -
Soldier in a Winter Uniform 1809 (Richard Knötel, Uniformkunde) -
Soldier in a Winter Uniform (C.F. Weiland) -
Drum Majors of the three Hessian regiments (Achenbach-Bilderhandschrift) -
Officers (Achenbach-Bilderhandschrift) -
Sergeant with 1814 Pattern Colors (Achenbach-Bilderhandschrift) -
Soldiers (Achenbach-Bilderhandschrift) -
Soldiers (Achenbach-Bilderhandschrift) -
Music Band (Achenbach-Bilderhandschrift) -
Turkish Music Band (Achenbach-Bilderhandschrift) -
Soldiers in Greatcoats (Achenbach-Bilderhandschrift) -
Troops in Fatigue Wear (Achenbach-Bilderhandschrift) -
Colonel of the Leib-Garde with a General (Achenbach-Bilderhandschrift) -
Feldmütze (Hessisches Staatsarchiv Darmstadt)
Notes
- ↑ See 12 January 1810 organizational changes in generalities.
