Captured eagles!

[chen]

Hi all,
I'd like to know between 1812 and 1814 if there are any records of french eagles or flags captured (or almost captured ) by the Russian hussars, and also the records of russian flags captured by French hussars in 1812- 1814.
All answers will be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Captain Blicero]

I am at work, but when I get home I will consult The Napoleonic Wars Data Book by Digby Smith. It's fantastic!
Check it out, a good investment for scenario design, research etc...
http://www.amazon.com/Greenhill-Napoleonic-Wars-Data-Book/dp/1853672769

[rpardo]

Yes
I own that book and it is a gold mine
And Digby himself is available at the Napoleon series Forum and he is very friendly answering to any question related to battles....

[chen]

Thank you. I will go to see if I can find this book in the library

[Captain Blicero]

In regards to the Russian campaign of 1812 it is difficult to come to accurate conclusion as to the casualties and losses of guns, standards, etc…Especially for the Russian army. Accurate records if kept were often manipulated for propagandistic purposes. This is also, I think, true of every other campaign. The Prussians, Saxons, and Bavarians, seemed to have been more meticulous than others in regards to casualty figures, (good Germans.) With this caveat, I will give you a few possible examples from the Russian campaign, once again form Digby Smith’s The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book.

1. Eckau 19 July: The Russians (mostly depot troops and some Cossacks) lost a color to a Prussian force that included the 3rd Hussars.

2. Kobryn 27 July: The Saxons including the Prinz Clemens Uhlans lost four colors to a Russian force that included 3 Dragoon Regiments.

3. Neswitsch 20 Sept: The Austrian Chevaux Legers Lanciers O’Reilly lost 3 standards to a Russian force that included the Alexandria and Tatar Hussars. Tsar Alexander had the captured standards returned to the Emperor Francis I.

4. Slonim 20 Oct: The French force consisting of the Lithuanian 3e Chevaux Legers Lanciers, was destroyed by the Pavlograd Hussars. One can safely conjecture that standards were captured. (On a side note, I am reading War and Peace and one of the main characters, Nikolai Rostov serves with the Pavlograd Hussars.)

5. Krasnoi 14-18 Nov. At this famous engagement before Breznia, Napoleon slipped out of the trap Kutusov had laid but incurred tremendous losses to his already shattered Grand Armee. In total 15 eagles and colors were lost, and Davout lost his Marshals Baton!

Interestingly, Smith does not mention any standards changing hands at Borodino. One could probably assume this happened… Also, history is chimerical at best, and it is not a leap to assume many small engagements between light cavalry/hussars on patrol or picket duty. I am not sure of your intentions but you are probably safe to portray any given hussar units that were in the same campaign dueling over colors. Hope I have been helpful!
-Eric

[chen]

Thank you so much Captain. This is exactly what I'm looking for!
my intention is to convert some capturing/defending colors poses for my cavalries, especially for the hussars. I've bought 2 Strelets Russian hussars, and since that I don't wargame and that Zvezda has annouced their 2008 planning including the same subject (which would probably be a decisive set), I'm looking for possibilities of any conversion.