The war diary of M. Laroche

[[GG]AndrewKent]

As I mentioned elsewhere, this diary of the campaign came into my hands by the oddest chance. I've translated the first bit this evening and hope to add more later. I must say the author is not much of a writer and clearly a bit puffed up, but still it does shed some light on the campaign through the eyes of the French. Here then are the first few paragraphs....

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17 August, 1815. Our headquarters was housed in a small inn at a crossroads south of the hamlet of Gross Homme. It was early of the evening and Generals Kent, Flippant, Ashram and Hitman were standing over a map. I stood to one side, but had a clear view of the map, and could hear every word of the discussion. I assure you, I missed nothing.

I was not entirely new to this business of war, having served in the campaign of 1814, so brilliantly executed by the Emperor. That, much more than my family connections accounted for my swift promotion. Favoritism had nothing, or one might say very little indeed to do with my securing the position of adjutant, as has sometimes been whispered about by those small minds who prefer to worry the flanks of the great, rather than establish themselves through worthy deeds. But enough of that! As you will see, I earned my place soon enough!

About these great generals, there is bound to be some interest, so I will briefly describe the men. The ranking general, Ashram could surely be called mercurial, being given to bouts of great enthusiasm, often followed by deep despair. He was known to sometimes shout his orders loudly and almost incoherently in the heat of battle. His reputation was somewhat tarnished in the battle of Hortance…ah, but that is a story for later. Gen. Kent was well past his prime and a rather stolid gentleman, gouty and arthritic, but reliable in his own way. He seldom surprised anyone, least of all the enemy, with his battlefield tactics. Perhaps we could charitably say, he did his best. Gen Hitman was a man of few words, and with such a phlegmatic turn of character that one would have thought he were English, not French! But he was often given the hardest tasks and never shirked his duty. His men, it was said, would follow him into hell or into the maw of the English cannister, one being much the same as the other. It seems his troops were often asked to sacrifice for the greater good, yet nary a complaint issued from those stern (ever-so-English-looking) lips of his. Now, as to M. Flippant, ah ha!, there was a case, truly. If Ashram was mercurial, then what could be said of the young Gen. Flippant! He was one of the youngest generals in the entire French army, having advanced rapidly due his incredible dash and elan. He had started as a cavalry commander and had amassed a stunning record of victories through his bold (and admittedly often rash) charges. He was quick witted and able to understand the ebb and flow of battle as few others could. But he could become discouraged (as a young soldier often can) with the setbacks that are inevitable in war. In later battles, he was hors de combat, but there is more to tell on that score. He could sometimes express impatience with his fellow generals and I myself heard him refer to M. Kent as “that dunderhead”, though behind his back to be sure.

So, there the great men were, hunched over the map in the middle of the night, the candles burning low as their plans were made. Knowing that their actions and the actions of their noble French troops could make the difference between the survival of the Empire, or its death.

[[GG]ThinRedLine]

Psst!

Psst!

*whispers* Hey, soldier. Come over hear. I wanna show you something.

Nice work Mr. Kent. I look forward to many more wonderful entries in this fascinating diary.

Cheers,

TRL

[flippyxtrem]

amassed a stunning record of victories through his bold (and admittedly often rash) charges

Yes I guess tahts true...my charges are inspired with hatred for the enemy infront of me... ;D

Cheers

[[GG]AndrewKent]

[quote author=[GG]FlippyXtrem link=board=campinfo&thread=1100489422&start=2#0 date=1100612847]amassed a stunning record of victories through his bold (and admittedly often rash) charges

Yes I guess tahts true...my charges are inspired with hatred for the enemy infront of me... ;D

Cheers [/quote]

Les précipitations courageuses dedans où les anges craignent de marcher.

[[GG]AndrewKent]

Nous plutôt mal, mais laissez-nous le célèbrent comme victoire.


18 November, 1815. On the previous evening, as I have mentioned, the planning had gone late into the night. So late, that Kent had begun to nod off, as was his habit in such situations. Several times Ashram summoned his orderly and whispered urgently to him, no doubt something about procuring some putain for the evening. Flippant gazed with a bored expression at the moths circling the candles. As the meeting appeared to be drawing to a close, I could see that no firm conclusions had been reached and that we risked entering the fray that would surely come on the morrow without sufficient coordination. Feeling this would be disastrous and knowing that I could provide insightful assistance, I cleared my throat and took a step forward from my place against the wall. A baneful glare from M. Hitman drove me back to my place and thus probably cost us dearly in the battle ahead.

Our small army moved forward to the hamlet of Gross Homme as the clear, cold dawn was breaking, hoping to take advantage of such favorable terrain as they might find there. And this is where our troubles began. Just as I had feared, there was visible a certain lack of coordination right from the start. Even up to the moment of contact with the enemy there was dithering about the best course for our defensive action: whether to skirmish and slowly withdraw, or to hold our ground en masse. As it was, neither option was employed, but rather a disjointed and separate action was taken by each commander.

To be fair, communications between the four commanders was not good on this day. And once the enemy engaged it became even more difficult.

I will tell you of the battle from my vantage point. And I will relate my own heroic actions late in the day (if I may be allowed to honestly, if not humbly, describe those actions).

I was attached on this day to the command of Gen. Kent, an assignment not particularly to my liking as he is not suitable company for a man of my refined personality.

Our command began on a conical hill located several hundred meters behind the village of Gross Homme. From here we had a good view of the ground between our position and the village, but beyond that it was partially blocked by the village and because the land generally rose to our front. In the following description of the battle, understand that information regarding parts of the fray that I could not directly observe was drawn from other sources at a later date.

The initial deployments were as follows:

Gen. Hitman was, as usual in the most difficult position, advanced on the left and adjacent to Gross Homme, with no support near at hand, aside from a few Chasseurs detached from Gen. Ashram that were deployed in Gross Homme.

Gen. Kent was deployed several hundred yards to the rear of Hitman and dispersed in the woods.

On the far right was Flippant and to his left was Ashram. I could easily see from the hilltop command post that our troops were dispersed and not in position to easily support one another. Moreover, there was a significant gap between Hitman and Kent on the left and Flippant and Ashram on the right. It seems that the commanders had opted for the piecemeal delaying tactic, but even then, only half-heartedly.

No sooner had our troops moved into position than the foe could be seen advancing rapidly. It was a daunting sight. As expected we were facing a combined Anglo-Dutch-Prussian force. The enemy advanced in line, and an impressive, though chilling, sight it was. We could see we were clearly outnumbered, but that was no surprise. Now the question was, could we delay the enemy long enough to allow our main armies to join forces in opposition to the allies. Also on our minds was the large artillery park not far to our rear that would need sufficient time to mobilize and withdraw from the threat of capture.

At the outset our artillery batteries (one commanded by Hitman and one by Kent) were not in position to fire upon the advancing enemy. Hitman’s guns were in the woods and Kent’s were too far downslope to be able to sight on the enemy. Hitman rapidly moved his battery out into the open where he could begin targeting the enemy. Kent’s battery dithered around, apparently waiting to see if the enemy would come into range.

On our left the enemy advanced with a cloud of rifle skirmishers to the fore, closely followed by masses of Dutch line and grenadiers, backed up by cavalry. In the enemy center we could see those English bastards with great numbers of line and light infantry and behind them many squadrons of dragoons, as well as the elite Royal Horse Guards, an unwelcome sight to be sure. On the enemy left were the Prussians, consisting of line, jaegers, hussars and those dreaded Uhlans. In artillery they were near our match.

Looking across the fields and pastures of Gross Homme our brave French soldiers could not but have felt some sense of dread, seeing how the enemy came on swiftly and with purpose. And yet they knew they carried a grave and noble burden—to delay the enemy long enough to allow the greater French forces to assemble.

[continues]

[[GG]AndrewKent]

Le futur de la France accroche dans l'équilibre.


The enemy advance on our left was so swift that before Hitman could get his battery unlimbered and into action, he had to turn them around and save them from the fire of the Dutch skirmishers. In the center, Ashrams regiment of Chasseurs was opposed by an overwhelming force of British troops. Still they held steady in the church graveyard where they were deployed, but only long enough to cause the enemy troops to halt, then they prudently, and quickly began a retrograde movement. Kent advanced his Chasseurs in support of Hitman to the left of Gross Homme.

At this point, initial skirmisher firing began, mainly on our left, where Hitman’s main body was soon to be fully engaged by the larger Anglo-Dutch force. His artillery was again forced to fall back.

In the center, Ashram’s brave Chasseurs now surprised everyone by reversing direction and charging forward into an opening in the center of the enemy lines. As the enemy had advanced, they had split to go around either side of Gross Homme, apparently to avoid being slowed down advancing through the village. Those of us at the command post on the hill were filled with a combination of dread anticipation and great pride at the rash but glorious action or our countrymen, these brave Chasseurs. Surely they would be decimated by the overwhelming forces that surrounded them.

On our right the Prussians came on quickly and in good order. Flippant’s advance forces were compelled to pull back.

In the center Ashram and Kent remained in place, awaiting the advancing enemy. Poor Hitman was left to take the brunt of the initial assault and to try and blunt the enemies momentum.

Suddenly an anguished cry from someone in our group on the hill brought our attention back to the action in the village. To our horror we could see three regiments of enemy cavalry (Life Guards, Royal Dragoons and light dragoons) charging down on our poor comrades who had by now advanced back to their original position in the Church graveyard, where most would now make their own graves. As if that were not bad enough, a regiment of English line charged into their right flank shortly after the troopers had impacted them. What a scene of carnage!

While this was going on the Anglo-Dutch forces on our left were pulling up to dress ranks and prepare a charge after their over-rapid advance. They had also sent their rifle regiments around to our far left, but Hitman, seeing this movement had countered with his carabiniers, and a brief melee ensued there, lasting long enough to slow the flanking movement. The carabiniers then withdrew.

The pressure of the massed forces of the Anglo-Dutch on our right forced Hitman to begin withdrawing. Kent’s Chasseur’s also began to pull back (having hardly fired a shot, I might add), thus a general retrograde movement was now in play on our left.

Kent had finally gotten his battery to the knoll near our command post, from where they could finally be put into action against the Prussians on our right. As they advanced, Flippant and Ashram sent out skirmishers to harass and slow their advance.

In the center, the lone regiment of Chasseurs somehow held on against overwhelming odds, but we knew it could not last long. Even from a distance we could see that it was turning into a slaughter. However, they were buying precious time and that was what was needed most of all. Finally we saw the few bloodied survivors of the melee break and run for the rear, pursued by the horde of enemy cavalry, many more cut down as they fled the sabres. A regiment of Kent’s Chasseurs stood their ground as the cavalry came on but they could not hope to hold our long against such an onslaught. Ah ha! But what is that we see? The Guard Grenadiers a Cheval from Flippants division charging in to rescue Kent’s Chasseurs.

The pressure on our left was unrelenting. The Anglo-Dutch forces advanced in the center and on our far left word reached us by rider that the Dutch rifles and grenadiers were making a wide flanking movement. Poor Hitman would have to take the brunt of this, hit from two sides and massively outnumbered.

In the meantime, Kent was moving to the right towards Ashram and Flippant, apparently to establish a line of resistance around his battery, but this left the hapless Hitman all the more exposed and isolated.

On our right the Prussians were, at least temporarily halted to exchange volleys with a few of Ashram’s and Flilppant’s regiments. Buying us precious time.

Now a spontaneous cheer went up from those of us on the hill. Below us we watched in awe as Flippant’s Guard Grenadiers a Cheval routed the enemy troopers and saved Kent’s Chasseurs; a heartening sight indeed.

On the left though we could see that Hitman’s brief pause to volley the advancing enemy was indeed brief. The disparity of forces was just too great and Hitman’s line regiments were forced to turn and attempt to join up with Kent and the others in the rear. As they began their retreat, the Dutch grenadiers charged out of the woods on Hitman’s left even as the allied center continued to press on from the front. Hitman was in a terrible position. Once again his artillery was forced to limber and move to avoid being captured.

I might add here that after the battle there was some criticism of Kent for not supporting Hitman on the left. Kent for his part felt that the best defensive terrain was in the center and on the right where Flippant and Ashram had taken up position. He moved there, he claims, in order to keep the divisions linked up. Cold comfort for Hitman who was being driven back by the sheer weight of forces arrayed against him.

[to be continued]

[[GG]AndrewKent]

Consacrez cette victoire à la mémoire de ces chasseurs courageux qui ont donné leurs vies tellement vaillamment dans le cemetary Gross Homme brut.

Now the situation for us deteriorated rapidly. It is true, we had no hope of defeating the much larger allied force, and it is also true that we had only to delay them as long as possible in order to fulfill our orders, but how much could we ask of these brave sons of France? How much suffering could they endure before they were forced from the fields of glory? This day would reveal much about the character of the French soldier of 1815 and quiet the tongues of those who said the new army could not compare with the army of the early Empire.

On our right now we were to witness another example of the elan and fortitude of our glorious troops. The Prussian artillery had been advanced to the point where they could began to batter our infantry with cannister. Ashram’s and Flippant’s men were wavering under the terrible blows from those cannon. It was another desperate moment. But the Prussians had made the mistake of leaving a gap in their lines and they had not counted on the courage of Flippant’s Grenadier Guard a Cheval! Here they charged out once again, though greatly reduced in strength from their previous attacks on the English cavalry. What a glorious sight! They galloped headlong toward the gap, even while taking musket fire from the nearby enemy infantry. We thought surely they would waver and fall back. How could they not, after being already so weakened and now hit by a murderous fire, and with no support of any kind nearby? But these gallant troopers charged on and caught the artillery as it was limbering and quickly dispatched the crews.

As if this were not enough glory for all the ages, let alone one day, now they charged even deeper into the enemy lines and destroyed another battery! Was there ever such a charge! I turned to see the effect of such a sight on the slack-jawed Gen. Kent, and I swear even he had a mist in his eyes. But it was not yet over. Now the remnant troopers turned and charged with a fury into the rear of the Prussian jaegers, driving them in confusion from their skirmish line. But more horses and riders fell, and finally only a handful remained to ride exhausted, but truly covered with glory, back through the French lines. The Grenadiers a Cheval and their deeds of this day shall never be forgotten, but the tale shall be told through countless generations down through the ages; of this I am sure!

While this great spectacle was taking place, Hitman on the left was being mauled by the vastly larger Anglo-Dutch forces. As I had mentioned earlier, Kent had removed his troops to the hills and Hitman’s Division was alone in that maelstrom. His Carabiniers did their best to protect his left flank from the enemy troopers, but they were too numerous and his cavalry perished in the attempt. Now the Dutch grenadiers charged in to melee Hitman’s line, while the English line stood off a short distance and delivered volley after murderous volley. It was heartbreaking to watch. And the end was foredoomed. Hitman’s line finally broke and the survivors were routed off the field.

To our left the Prussians came on cautiously but steadily, shaken no doubt by the charge of those Grenadiers a Cheval.

Now the end game was near. The Anglo-Dutch forces pressed in hard on our left, the Prussians on our right. The remnants of Kent’s, Ashram’s and Flippant’s forces formed up on the hills southwest of Gross Homme to put up the final resistance. It was not at all clear whether we would be able to sufficiently delay the allied forces. But what was clear is that our brave French soldiers had dealt them a severe blow. Outnumbered as we were, yet we had killed many an enemy bastard this day.

to be continued