Dutch Artillerry 1792-1795

The Dutch artillery in the French Revolutionary period consisted of 3 branches:
- foot artillery
- horse artillery
- battalion guns


Equipment:

The Dutch military historian J.W. Sypeteijn mentions in his book "Geschiedenis van het regiment Rijdende Artillerie"1852 the following regarding the artillery:


"Omtrent het materieel dat te velde toen werd gebruikt zij nog opgemerkt, dat de affuiten en voertuigen hier te lande sedert 1773 waren ingerigt naar het stelsel van Gribeauval, dat in 1765 in Frankrijk was ingevoerd."


which in English means:"Regarding the material that was used in the field it needs to be mentioned that gun-carriages and transport vehicles since 1773 were following the gribeauval system which was used in France since 1765".


If this is correct; the Dutch used gun-carriges, limbers and vehicles which looked the same as the French. The gun tubes themselves were made in the Dutch Republic itself.


Some pictures of guns from the Dutch Artillery Museum which also show that the colour of the carriage was a dark red and metalworks black. Probably the limbers and other artillery vehicles were painted the same.

The underneath gun is a 6pdr, made by the Maritz factory on a gribeauval carriage.

A Dutch reenactment group (the Stadskanonniers Amersfoort) have a remade gun and limber which are underneath

Organisation

The field artillery regiment had a strength of 4 (later 5 battalions) each of 5 companies where one company was the same as a battery.

In 1793 a horse artillery contingent were raised of 2 brigades each of 2 companies (ie 2 batteries).
A horse artillery battery consisted of 4 6dr, 2 3pdr and 2 24pdr houwitzers.

Each infantery battalion had two 3pdr battalion pieces.

The drivers of the artillery were still hired civilians; even the new raised horse artillery had to use civilian personnel.

German auxiliary troops in Dutch pay: 1 Mecklenburg-Schwerin

In 1787 the Prussian army had to save the house of Orange from the revolutionaries (or patriots as they call themselves) who had to fled to France.
The ruling house of Orange was thus saved but according to the Stadtholder William V, too little troops were available to hold the patriots in check.

So on the 5th of May 1788 a treaty with Mecklenburg-Schwerin was closed to deliver troops to the Dutch of appr. 1.000 men in 3 battalions.

In the summer of 1788 the organisation of this korps was:

Commanding officer: Generalmajor Von Gluer

Grenadier Battalion: Oberstleutnant Winter

Infantry regiment von Gluer: Generalmajor Von Gluer consisting of 2 battalions:
1st musketier battalion: Generalmajor von Gluer
2nd musketierbattalion: Oberstleutnant von Pressentin

On the 31st of August 1788 the korps arrived in the Netherlands after a journey of  more then a month; they departed their hometown on the 28th of July.
After that they had a peacefull and easy service as the patriots didn't show up until in 1792 the French revolution arrived.

The organisation was kept the same although Oberst von Pressentin became the commanding officer of the korps, the infantry regiment and of the first musketier battalion.
The second battalion received Oberstleutnant von Krievitz as commanding officer.

As the French declared war on the Dutch (technically only on the ruling house of Orange) in 1793,  the peacefull service for the Mecklenburg-Schwerin Korps was over.

In 1793 the strength of the korps was:
Grenadierbattalion: 13 officers and 285 men (298 total)
1st musketier battalion: 13 officers and 282 men (total 295)
2nd musketier battalion: 13 officers and 284 men (total 297)
a grand total of 39 officers and 851 men (890 total)

The strength of the korps gradually declined through losses, desertion but also new recruits were added so in December 1794 the total strength was 847 officers and men.

In january 1795 the strength of the korps was:
Grenadier battalion:        13 officers and 272 men (285 total)
1st musketier battalion:   13 officers and 262 men (total 275)
2nd musketier battalion: 10 officers and 253 men (total 263)
a grand total of 36 officers and 787 men (823 total)

In the year 1795, disorganisation through the Dutch State and army spread (and changed to the Batavian Republic), the korps declined in strength significant so that in December 1795 the total strength in men was 667 or a loss of 120 men against the strength of January 1795.
In January 1796 the regiment went home.

Regarding the war record; they formed part of the garrison of Grave in 1793, went with the field army in March 1793 but did not fight and went into garrison again in Bois le Duc ('s Hertogenbosch) and in april 1793 to Bergen op Zoom. In April 1794 they went into garrison in Maestricht and stayed there until this city surrendered in november 1794. They were exchanged with French prisoners and came in january 1795 in Utrecht (without arms and equipment).

For the wargamer the following information regarding uniforms and flags: the uniforms look similar to the Prussian army or German units (in formal dress) of the AWI period (so for wargames maybe these could be used to portray the Mecklenburg-Schwerin troops. Some pictures:

  

Notice that sometime white lacings is shown on lapels. I have the impression this is used on older uniforms but the FR period uniforms are without lacing.


Regarding colours; the 2 musketier battalions had each two flags; one avancier colour (in white) and one retirier colour in blue. Both battalions had imho the same flags and both flags had the same motifs/coat of arms; see underneath.

Sources:
Mecklenburg-Schweriner Truppen in den Niederlanden 1788-1796 (K-U Keubke, H. Köbke)
Mecklenburgers onder Nederlandsche vlag 1788-1796

The Swiss guard -Zwitserse garde- (Dutch flags 3)

Although normally when you hear Swiss Guard you think of the French or Papal Swiss guards, other  smaller countries as the Dutch Republic also had Guards of Swiss origin.

The Dutch Swiss guards were raised in 1749 although Swiss troops (regiments or independent companies) were already in Dutch service for years.

The Swiss Guard consisted in the FR period of two battalions , each of 4 companies.
In the budget of 1792 the regiment is mentioned as consisting of just one battalion but with 8 companies. Probably on campaign the 2 battalion structure was chosen.
The first company was called the Leib company (or the Prinzen company as the prins of orange was its owner.
This company wore the colonels flag; it is not know if the first company of the second battalion when in the field did the same or that this had just a company colour.

The Swiss Guard (as other Swiss in Dutch pay) didn't have a grenadier company but grenadiers were included in the companies itself. As the grenadiers formed probably a separate grenadier company in each battalion in the field, the amount of grenadiers in a company was appr 15 to 20 grenadiers.
According to Sabron in 1794 the field battalion of the Swiss was theoratically 504 men which I think was 7 companies (6 musketeers and 1 grenadier) so a company was appr 70 men.

Underneath are some pictures of the Swiss guard of the FR period.

As said the Swiss guard had a flag per company of which the first was the white colonels' one, other companies had regimental flags; it is not known if all those flags ( in total 8) were carried in the field.

The reglement of 1791 mentions still 4 flags for a battalion. 

The two flags are one the left the colonels flag, on the right the regimental.
Both pictures from the Landesmuseum in Zürich.

A better picture of the Colonels flag which is since some years in the Dutch Military Museum is underneath.

Sometimes is shown the colonels flag worn by a grenadier. This is possible as maybe the grenadier company in the field was the Leibcompany (?). Underneath a picture but the flag is a little bit different.

Notice the blue/white hanging bag on the bearskin. Normally, I think the bag would be in the colour of the lacing.
Also, which is different from Dutch grenadiers, is the hanging tail. Dutch grenadiers had the hair tucked under the bearskin cf the reglement. Maybe a mistake by the painter?

Dutch Army of 1794 (2)

For the campaign of 1794 a field army was organised in which only a part of the total armystrenth was available. This was partly because of the losses in earlier campaigns but also because the Dutch army needed numerous garrisons for the cities of the Netherlands.
The line infantry was composed of battalions of 6 companies (out of 12 companies of each regiment) plus converged grenadiers of the various regiments (2 grenadiercompanies of 3 regiments formed a grenadier battalion).
The line field battalions had a strength of 504 men (guard battalions), 510 men (Swiss) or 432 men (other battlions. The grenadier battalions had a strength of 384 men.
Mind you, this was the official strength at the start of the 1794 campaign and quickly these numbers became less through losses, sickness and desertion.
The field battalions were as follows:

LINIE INFANTERIE	Infanterie veldbataljons
regiment	veld bataljon Gardes	veld        bataljon Zwitsers	veld        bataljon linie
Naam
Hollandse Gardes	6
Oranje Gelderland			6
Oranje Stad en Lande en Drenthe			6
Oranje Nassau 2			6
Van Maneil			6
Van Dopff			6
Von Wilcke (vh d'Envie)			6
Van Welderen			6
Bosc de la Calmette			6
Bedaulx			6
Hessen-Darmstadt			6
De Petit			6
van Plettenberg			6
van Wartensleben (vh van Pabst)			6
Waldeck 1e regiment			6
Zwitserse Gardes	6
Hirzel		6
Stockar de Neuforn		6
De Gumoëns		6
Schmid		6
May		6
VELDLEGER
compagnieën	12	30	84
bataljons	2	10	14
officieren en manschappen	504	510	432
	1.008	5.100	6.048	12.156

GRENADIERS	Each 2 companies of the following 3 regiments (a total of 384 men or a grand total of 3.456 grenadiers)
grenadierbattalion:
van Raesfeldt	Van Maneil	Douglas (mariniers)	Bentinck
Von Buseck	Van Dopff	Van Brakell	De Thouars (vh van Quadt)
Van Dongen	Oranje Gelderland	Oranje Vriesland	Oranje Stad en Lande en Drenthe
Mollenbruyn	van Plettenberg	van Baden	Nassau-Usingen
Van Plettenberg	De Schepper	Bedaulx	van Nijvenheim
Prinz von Reusz	van Wartensleben (vh van Pabst)	von Geusau (vh Wiguer, vh Baden)	Westerlo (mariniers)
Prins von Hessen-Philipsthal	Des Villates	Van Welderen	Bosc de la Calmette
Van Panhuijs	De Bons	van Mönster	Stuart
Van Solms	Oranje Nassau 1	Oranje Nassau 2	W.F. Erfprince van Orange en Nassau

LICHTE INFANTERIE
5e bataljon Waldeck	280
Bataljon Walen van Perez	280
Bataljon Jagers van Bylandt	198
Korps van Damas	250
Korps van Béon	494
Korps van Mathieu	277
VELDLEGER	1779

Dutch Army of 1794 (1)

The Dutch army in the 1794 campaign is described in the book by FHA Sabron: "De oorlog van 1794-1795 op het grondgebied van de Republiek der Vereenigde Nederlanden" (2 volumes).
Together with information from some other Dutch books, the following information can be given.

The total infantry (line and light) of the Dutch States in 1794 were as underneath.
The first column gives the identification of the regiment which was on various items of equipment as wagons etc.
The 3rd column gives the name of the province which paid for the regiment or it was paid by the States General (Staten).
The fouth column gives the nationality as: nothing mentioned: Dutch, D = Duits (German), ZW=Zwitsers (Swiss), W=Waals (Wallon), I=Immigranten (French immigrants).
Each regiment had 14 companies in 2 battalions or per battalion a company of grenadiers and 6 of musketeers.
An exception was the Swiss Guard which had 8 big companies in one battalion although in the field they probably use a 2 battalions formation, each of 4 companies

	LINIE INFANTERIE
	regiment			compagnie(en) per regiment in 2 bataljons
afkorting	Naam	Repartitie van	afkomst	musketeers	grenadiers
R.H.G.	Hollandse Gardes	Staten		12	2
R.O.G.	Oranje Gelderland	Gelderland		12	2
R.O.F.	Oranje Vriesland	Vriesland		12	2
R.O.St. en L.	Oranje Stad en Lande en Drenthe	Stad en Lande		12	2
R.O.N. no 1.	Oranje Nassau 1	Holland	D	12	2
R.O.N. no 2.	Oranje Nassau 2	Holland	D	12	2
R.O.N. no 3.	W.F. Erfprince van Orange en Nassau	Holland	D	12	2
R.No.1	De Schepper	Vriesland		12	2
R.No.2	Van Maneil	Stad en Lande		12	2
R.No.3	Van Dopff	Holland		12	2
R.No.4	Von Wilcke (vh d'Envie)	Holland		12	2
R.No.5	Des Villates	Holland		12	2
R.No.6	Van Welderen	Gelderland		12	2
R.No.7	De Bons	Holland		12	2
R.No.8	Bosc de la Calmette	Holland		12	2
R.No.9	Van Randwyck	Holland		12	2
R.No.10	Van Brakell	Zeeland		12	2
R.No.11	opgeheven (vh van Dam)
R.No.12	Bedaulx	Holland		12	2
R.No.13	De Thouars (vh van Quadt)	Holland		12	2
R.No.14	Hessen-Darmstadt	Holland	D	12	2
R.No.15	De Petit	Holland		12	2
R.No.16	van Mönster	Utrecht		12	2
R.No.17	van Plettenberg	Vriesland		12	2
R.No.18	van Wartensleben (vh van Pabst)	Holland		12	2
R.No.19	Douglas (mariniers)	Zeeland		12	2
R.No.20	von Geusau (vh Wiguer, vh Baden)	Overijssel		12	2
R.No.21	Westerlo (mariniers)	Holland		12	2
R.No.22	van Nijvenheim	Holland		12	2
R.No.23	Stuart	Holland		12	2
R.No.24	Bentinck	Holland		12	2
R.F.V.W. no 1.	Waldeck 1e regiment	Holland	D	12	2
R.F.V.W. no 2.	Waldeck 2e regiment	Holland	D	12	2
	van Baden	Holland	D	12	2
R.S.G.	Saxen-Gotha	Holland	D	12	2
R.W.	Nassau-Usingen	Holland	W	12	2
	Zwitserse Gardes	Staten	ZW	8
R.Z. no 1.	Hirzel		ZW	12
R.Z. no 2.	Stockar de Neuforn		ZW	12
R.Z. no 3.	De Gumoëns		ZW	12
R.Z. no 4.	Schmid		ZW	12
R.Z. no 5.	May		ZW	12
	LICHTE INFANTERIE
	5e bataljon Waldeck	Holland	D
G.W.	Bataljon Walen van Perez	Holland	W
	Bataljon Jagers van Bylandt
	Korps van Damas		I
	Korps van Béon		I
	Korps van Mathieu		I

Dutch infantry flags (2)

In 1752 the Dutch army was reorganised so that all infantry regiments, be it National, German, Scottish or Swiss, would have two battalions (exept the Wallooon regiment who kept its 3 battalions for some years). The Scotisch regiments became national regiments in 1783 but no there was no change in their organisation of 7 companies per battalion.
The Walloon regiment lost its third battalion around 1790 (as guard Walloon battalion which used as a light unit) and the Walloon regiment consists of two battalions as other regiments.

Every line battalion had 7 companies: 1 grenadier and 6 fusilier.
An exception to this rule were the Swiss regiments:
- the guard Swiss had 4 companies per battalion
- the Swiss line had 6 companies
Guard and Swiss line had the grenadiers included in the line companies so had no seperate  grenadier companies although it is possible that in the field they combined their grenadiers into a company per battalion.
Existing regiments in 1752 were combined into this new structure or disbanded.

Although I have found no definitive proof, I think that this reorganisation led to new flags for the regiments but it is possible that at first the regiment which existed and into another regiment were amalgamated kept its old flag.

The new regiment now had two flags per battalion and mostly had:
- the colonels flag in white. The flags we know are ecru or an off white colour and bore:
      x mostly the coat of arms of the province who paid for the regiment (see underneath),
      x sometimes the coat of arms of  the States General of the Republic itself (as these were sometimes also the paymaster of a regiment),
      x the Nassau and/or Orange regiments and the Hollandse garde probably had the Prince of Oranges heraldric weapon and     
      x maybe sometimes the coat of arms of the proprietor (a lot of flags are not known so who knows).
- the regimental flag(s) which was coloured and bore probably the colonel/proprietor coat of arms. In the case that the Stadholder was proprietor, these flags were probably orange.

The Swiss guard regiment was again an exception as they had a flag for each company so four flags per battalion of which one was the colonels and three the companie flag. (it is not known if all these colours were carried in the field).

The Swiss line regiments had according to the reglement of 1791 still 6 flags per battalion (it is not known if all these colours were carried in the field).

Colonels'/Provincial flags
Afaik up to this moment the flag of the province was white (or "ecru" coloured, an off-white colour) with the coat of arms of the province mostly on a field of throphies like flags, cannons etc with the banner of the provincial motto and various small extras as grenades in the corners of the flag or arms with swords coming out of a cloud.
Sometimes both sides of the flags are the same but a flag is known with on one side the provincial coat of arms and on the other side the Republic coat of arms.

Of some provinces, flags of the revolutionary period are known and I will shown them here in the near future.
The colonels flags of the swiss regimetns are partly known and are described in a book of the 1780 period.

In the regiments of which the Stadholder, the Prince of Orange was proprietor, the colonels flag was afaik also white/off-white and bore the heralcic coat of arms of the prince of Orange.

Regimental flags
The regimental flags of the colonel/propretor, probably coloured, are very rare (better-none exists anymore) as these flags were taken by the colonel as the regiment was disbanded or the regiment received a new propietor. Also almost no prints exists of Dutch flags (at least I don't know) of this period.
Colours and coat of arms of these flags are mostly not known and no pictures/prints exists. Only guessing and deducting can be done.
For the swiss flags some pictures exits; I will show them in the near future.

Foreign troops
Foreign troops had their own flags, if I have them, I will show them in the future.