17th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment
| 17th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment | |
|---|---|
Officer of the 17th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment in 1813 | |
| Active | 5 July 1812 – 1814 |
| Country | Duchy of Warsaw |
| Branch | Army of the Duchy of Warsaw |
| Type | Light cavalry |
| Headquarters | Kupiškis |
| Engagements | Napoleonic Wars |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Michał Tyszkiewicz |
The 17th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment (Lithuanian: 17-asis ulonų pulkas; Polish: 17. pułk ułanów) was an uhlan regiment of the Grande Armée during the Napoleonic Wars.[1]
1812
Formation
Due to a lack of funds, Napoleon appealed to the Lithuanian nobility, especially the aristocracy, urging them to raise troops at their own expense. Michał Tyszkiewicz donated 76,137 złotys and 7.5 groszes, one-sixth of the uniform costs, and was therefore appointed commander of the regiment.[2] Tyszkiewicz, however, was an experienced soldier, having previously served as a rotmistrz in the 2nd Lithuanian National Cavalry Brigade and as a captain in a Russian Hussar Regiment.[3] On 5 July 1812, Tyszkiewicz began forming the Uhlan regiment.[1] On August 12, he received an order from the head of the Military Commission, Prince Aleksander Sapieha, to begin recruiting soldiers.[4]
The men who joined the regiment came from the towns of Biržai, Raseiniai, Telšiai, Panevėžys and their respective surroundings.[1] The regimental headquarters were in Kupiškis.[1] Napoleon appointed Count Michał Tyszkiewicz as the regiment's commander and awarded him the rank of colonel.[1] The regiment, like other Lithuanian regiments, retained the numbering continuity of the cavalry regiments of the Duchy of Warsaw.[2]
Winter
At the end of 1812, together with other Lithuanian units, this regiment covered the Grande Armée's retreat and joined the X Corps.[1] In December 1812, the 17th Uhlan Regiment retreated through Tauragė to Königsberg.[1]
War of the Sixth Coalition
1813
On 19 January 1813, the regiment had 829 uhlans[1] and was stationing in Elbing.[5] Later it was moved to Wielkopolska and was stationing in Skiwerzyna and Międzychód, when it joined the remnants of the French army commanded by the Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais.[5] On February 4, it fought near Brandenburg.[1]
On February 11[1] or 12,[6] the 17th Uhlan Regiment fought together with the 19th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment near Sieraków.[1] There it was surprised and defeated by General Chernyshev's Russian vanguard.[6] The general Prince Romuald Giedroyć, who commanded both Uhlan regiments, was taken prisoner.[1] He was wounded during his capture.[6] During the battle, the regiment lost 147 out of 585 men it had before.[7]
After this battle, both regiments were attached to the division of the French General Gérard, belonging to the XIII Corps.[1] Together with it, the regiment fought near Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck.[1]
On 20 April 1813, men from the 19th Regiment were drafted into the regiment, after 225 soldiers from the 19th Regiment were selected for the Imperial Guard.[8] The 19th Regiment's former commander, Col. Konstanty Rajecki, became the new commander of the 17th Regiment.[8]
| Place | Officers | Uhlans | Horses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davout's I Corps Cavalry | 37 | 404 | 494 |
| Vandamme's Hamburg Division | 18 | 200 | 250 |
| Hanover Cavalry Depot | 12 | 40 | 158 |
| Total | 67 | 644 | 902 |
The regiment fought its last battles in Denmark.[1]
1814–1815
After the abdication of Emperor Napoleon with the Treaty of Fontainebleau, the regiment was allowed to return to its homeland with weapons and flags.[1]
Most of the dispersed soldiers who, taking advantage of the amnesty, declared loyalty to Emperor Alexander I, gathered in Siedlce. From there, they were transferred to Garwolin and Łowicz, where the regiment was disbanded in mid-February 1815.[10]
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Urbonienė 2021.
- ^ a b Sazonow 2005, p. 279.
- ^ Nawrot 2008, p. 488.
- ^ Sazonow 2005, p. 280.
- ^ a b Nawrot 2008, p. 699.
- ^ a b c "Epoka napoleońska lata 1796-1815". www.muzeumwp.pl (in Polish). Polish Army Museum. Archived from the original on 2016-08-17.
- ^ Nawrot 2008, p. 710.
- ^ a b Nawrot 2008, p. 711.
- ^ Nafziger 2012.
- ^ Sazonow 2005, p. 293.
References
- Nafziger, George (2012). "Grande Armée, 1 May 1813" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 October 2020.
Lithuanian-language sources
- Glemža, Liudas (2003). "Lietuviški Daliniai Prancūzijos Kariuomenėje 1812-1814 m.". Karo Archyvas (in Lithuanian). 18. Vilnius: General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania. doi:10.47459/ka.2003.18.4. S2CID 240261124.
By Pugačiauskas
- Pugačiauskas, Virgilijus (2007). "Lietuvos nuostoliai 1812 m. kare". Karo Archyvas (in Lithuanian). 22. Vilnius: General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania: 89–110. doi:10.47459/ka.2007.22.3. ISSN 1392-6489. S2CID 240264768.
- Pugačiauskas, Virgilijus (2019). XIX a. Lietuvos karinių dalinių istorija (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania. ISBN 978-609-8074-97-0.
By Urbonienė
- Urbonienė, Lina (2011). "17-ojo lietuviškojo ulonų pulko kario kepurė" (PDF). Vytauto Didžiojo Karo Muziejus 2010 metais Almanachas (in Lithuanian). Kaunas: Vytautas the Great War Museum: 171–172. ISSN 2029-3259.
- Urbonienė, Lina (2021). "Kepurė, Prancūzijos kariuomenės 17-ojo lietuviškojo ulonų pulko kario". limis.lt (in Lithuanian).
Polish-language sources
- Nawrot, Dariusz (2008). Litwa i Napoleon w 1812 roku. Katowice. ISBN 9788322617489.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Sazonow, Aleksander (2005). "17 Pułk Ułanów Litewskich". Muzealnictwo Wojskowe. 8.