Republique Francaise

[Paddy]

Private and Confidential

December 1801

From Marechal MacDonald
Armée Italy

To Marechal Morangie
Command Central – Paris



Please find attached the details you requested.

[Paddy]

Private and Confidential

December 1801

From Marechal Massena
Armée Est

To Marechal Morangie
Command Central – Paris



Please find attached the details you requested.

[Paddy]

Private and Confidential

December 1801

From Marechal F.Scratch
Armée Anglais

To Marechal Morangie
Command Central – Paris



Please find attached the details you requested.

[Paddy]

Private and Confidential

March 1802

From Marechal Davout
Armée Sud

To Marechal Morangie
Command Central – Paris


Please find attached Documentation of an Ottomen Army forming to the East of Venice

I look forward to greeting the Emperor shortly.

[Paddy]

Private and Confidential

January 1802

From Napoleon

To Marechal Morangie
Command Central – Paris


My time with the Guard has done me good. These men know the ways of their Emperor, and how to lift my spirits.

The recent completion of our National Mobilization period should bring about a time of happiness for our people. As good as the mobilization was for our efforts in securing Spain; I have noted how hard the mobilization has effected the very people of our lands.

This tour with the Guard that we have just conducted has been very long, and in many ways hard. Yet these men revel in the challenges that come their way. Which is a good thing considering that the wolf and the jackal are clawing for our blood.

The Guard Brigade is now encamped within the same Valley that Davout and Lauriston have their troops. Last eve I stood on the Rieslont Bluff over looking the valley. Our troops do us proud, and the encampment tents and fires filled the valley floor. This image so impressed me that I have commissioned two artists to capture the image, so that future generations may be inspired.

So too my orders, as per the attached maps and diagrams. See that these are sent out in the coming weeks.
I fully expect that there will be new orders for all in the coming month. I smell turbulence in the wind…

The Otto and Russians have taken it upon themselves to blame us for their attacks on our allies. Well we will take the battle to them and give them a good old fashion run for their money.

I want it clearly known that we are to engage the enemy at all costs, we are to drive them from the lands of our allies. But that is it. At this time we are not to take the fight over the pre March 1802 borders.

Padriac I understand your desire to lead your men into the field at this time. I know your heart, and I know your men. You must know that I need you to remain in Paris for the time being. Your service in this is most importance to me. Never fear, your time in battle will be here soon enough.

Now continue in your discussions with the Lords of these foreign lands. It will do them good not being able to contact me.

Stay true to the cause

N

[Paddy]

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Private and Confidential

February 1802

From: Marechal Morangie
Command Central – Paris

General de division Redle
23rd Division
IX Corp


By order of Napoleon, Emperor of France

You are here by relieved of your command of the 23rd Division IX Corp.

You are to hand over command to General de division Maile.

You are to report to Marechal Remick at Fort Henri, south of Amsterdam.

General, you will assume command of the Northern Supply and Wagon Division.

Please find attached a full group structure of assets in this new command, including maps and pennants.

Two weeks have been allocated for this transfer from Madrid to Amsterdam.

Vive La France

Paddy Morangie
Central Command

Cc Marechal VanDamme IX Corp
Marechal Remick II Corp

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Private and Confidential

February 1802

From: Marechal Morangie
Command Central – Paris

General de brigade Maile
1st Brigade
23rd Division
IX Corp


By order of Napoleon, Emperor of France

General, You are here by relieved of your command of the 1st Brigade, 23rd Division, IX Corp.

You are here by promoted to General de division and will assume command of the 23rd Division, IX Corp forth with.

You are to hand over command to General de brigade Mounthond.

Vive La France

Paddy Morangie
Central Command

Cc Marechal VanDamme IX Corp

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Private and Confidential

February 1802

From: Marechal Morangie
Command Central – Paris

Colonel Nikolas de Mounthond
358th Voltigeurs Regiment
1st Brigade
23rd Division
IX Corp


By order of Napoleon, Emperor of France

You are here by relieved of your command of the 358th Voltigeurs Regiment, 1st Brigade, 23rd Division, IX Corp.

You are here by promoted to General de brigade and will assume command of the 1st Brigade, 23rd Division, IX Corp forth with.

You are to hand over command to Colonel Bastian of the Regiment.

Vive La France

Paddy Morangie
Central Command

Cc Marechal VanDamme IX Corp
General de division Maile 23rd Division, IX Corp

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[ChrisiusMaximus]

Superb quantity of details here mate keep it coming cant wait for a battle

[Paddy]

Count Henri du Molire

Dear Cousin,

I have taken to heart your plea for my attitudes to change regarding Bonaparte and his Imperialist Republic. You know only too well the turmoil that I find myself in. What with part of our family in exile, while another part are actively working ever so proudly for Bonaparte, and still others, such as myself trying so unsuccessfully to stay out of the way this has been a turbulent time indeed.

And yet my heart moves to your pleas. I have taken several journeys from my estates and seen that there certainly has been a change in the lives and lifestyle’s of the peasant classes. To know that people are living better in a general sense can only be good for our Nation.

So young Henri, you have a convert in me to your cause of Bonaparte. This will not sit well with my Brothers, of that you can be assured. Yet my two sons are quite impressed with the logic of your arguments these past months. This has caused a part of this monumental change within my own soul, watching and listening to these very creations of my heart and spirit, as the give further life to the words of your letters. I look at Jean, as he recites a passage from your letter, and I see you all those years ago at Uncle Bern’s library, talking so proudly of the world and your travels. The confidence and assurance that this is the right way for our people, the people we forget in our parties and lifestyle. The people our forefathers protected and nurtured as their own inner families, for your are right Henri, these are the people who are the blood of France, the very blood that keeps the body alive, and we must do all that we can that they have wonderful lives. That they are not ignored or treated like farm animals ever again.

So to the cause I raise my family standard, to the cause we go hand in hand, to the glorious future that is France.

Be in strength my cousin, be in strength. Our love is with you in these days.

Suzettes
Duchess of Brittany

[Paddy]

Gettrig,

You continue to impress with the efforts that you take in your work. Your appointment as minister of State has been a positive step forward for the Republic. Thank you for the comprehensive reports that you continue to send through.

I too am greatly pleased by the state of the manufacturing sector. The textile industries certainly have been producing at a good rate indeed. Recently over drinks, several of my senior staff was commenting on the almost magical way you have with numbers, as though you are one who has the ability to make people in the factories and fields work so as to meet the very numbers that you have previously projected.

You have my approval for the library project. It should be a state run project, yet I expect to see the regional directorates getting right into this issue and propelling all the necessary orders through with the haste of a great wind. Our people can only grow and benefit from the words and lessons that a proper education can bring them. In this matter you are to open the coffers of the Republic, yes the very ones that you and Minister Rouse have been so jealously guarding and hoarding. Just know that if I require again bringing on the Conscription, yes if I need to again mobilize the nation, then your library project will be again placed on a back burner.

Regarding your two missions into Russia, I was saddened to hear of the loss of the Baltic team. War is hell, and staying ahead of the opponents can be just as maddening. I trust that the families have been looked too. So too I am impressed with the detail and quality of the reports from the Centre team. It certainly looks as if the Russian Giant is awake and preparing for a war. Now to just know which direction that this wolf will swing. It certainly would be good to have the Guard sitting in the mountains ready to drop in and spoil his day.

Well the Guard and I have finally made camp outside of Milan. This tour of the nation certainly was long and covered many many miles. I know that the inspiration that these lads provide has certainly stirred up our nation. To see the grandfathers come out and stand proud, with shoulders drawn back, and the younger generation running to stand tall as the Guard paraded past. France, our mighty land, our mighty people, our France.

I look forward to your next report

N

[Paddy]

Private and Confidential

March 1802

Marechal Lauriston
III Corp



You are here ordered to take your 3 divisions, 7th, 8th and 10th, and blockade the Austrian city of Venice. This city has been occupied by the Ottoman. It must be freed and returned to the Austrians.

Marechal you are to engage the Ottomen as soon as the roads occupied by the Hussar Regiments are cleared.

The actions of the Ottomen against the Austrians has brought about about a state of war.

Venice is a key city in this region, if you can take it good, if not level it.

Marechal Ney has corresponding orders to the North

N


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Private and Confidential

March 1802

Marechal Ney
V Corp



You are here ordered to take your 2 divisions, 13th and 14th, south through the Alps and either seige or attack Venice from the north.

Marechal your Prime mission is to assist Marechal Lauriston and III Corp in the capture of Venice. In this you may have Ottomen forces coming from the south and east. Your cavalry units give you good striking range. Make sure that you have the area secured.

Once Venice has been taken, move your Voltigeur Regiments of 2nd Brigade 14th Division to the south-east and blockade the passes in these hills.

You are to hold this area as long as you can. You are to hold the Ottomen from advancing north, then you may use your cavalry at your discretion.

The actions of the Ottomen against the Austrians has brought about about a state of war.

Venice is a key city in this region, it must be protected.

Marechal Lauriston has corresponding orders to the North

N


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Private and Confidential

March 1802

Marechal Davout
IV Corp



Marechal, as discussed, your Corp is required to stand in place at this time.

I have taken on board your ideas and the developments to our east, yet these are my orders.

N


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Private and Confidential

March 1802

Marechal MacDonald
VI Corp



Well Sir, the time has come to let loose your mighty army. You have trained long and hard, of that I do know. You have endured well this time of wait, showing great patience, well wait no more.

The Ottomen have attacked our Allies the Austrians, as I am assured you are well aware. VI Corp - the Armee of Italy is hereby ordered to clean the Penninsula of the Ottomen. Long have their cities to the south been a tempting target. So go forth and drive home your plans.

You are to hand over any captured land to the Austrians, as we have previously discussed.

N


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Private and Confidential

March 1802

Marechal Masesena
VII Corp



My friend, you are to form up your brigades and march into Austria.

You are to engage the Ottomen at every opportunity that becomes available.

Your Prime mission is to put pressure on the Ottomen commanders in the area. Drive them towards me, as a hammer to the anvil, or push them back into their own lands.

They are to be removed from Austria.

Any captured towns are to be returned to Austria

Please be aware that there may be Russian units in the area as well. They are hostile units and you are free to engage them if that meets with you Prime mission.

I await your reports of the situation that confronts you.

N


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Private and Confidential

March 1802

Marechal Remick
II Corp



Remick i am expecting a great deal of your Corp. Group your force and march into Prussia. I have word that Russian forces are gathering. You are the counter weight to their attack. Take the battle to them and drive them back.

I do not want any Russian units to enter France.

Work hard and fast. You have your battle orders as you wished.

N


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Private and Confidential

March 1802

Marechal Morangie
I Corp



Paddy, as I gather my forces and send them marching east and south across Prussia, Austria and Italy, I again ask you to be ever patient with me. You are to remain in Paris.

I have reports that the Directorate has been waiting for this very attck of our troops into the east. They know only too well that I must attend my troops, they know that the Guard must march into battle and I will lead them. The Directorate is a cess pit of malcontent, of this you need not me tell you. Stad tall, and let them not have our work destroyed.

I have worked to have your Corp strengthened and gathered around you in Paris. Have not fear, if you need them to show the Directorate who is in charge, then use them. Stand a platoon on every juction throughout the city if need be. We have suffered the Rebellion for the good of the land. I will not have the people go through another just so these few feel they have the right to sneak and conspire against us the moment I leave the Palace.

Oh you have a harder job a head of you than your compatriots, yet your loyalty and contributions are duely noted. My time in the field will bring us greater victiry than my time in the Directorate, indeed, of that I am sure.

I have attached copies of the orders I have just released.

My intent is to hold the Guard in reserve along with Davouts IV Corp. Once Venice has been taken then we will move up in over the mountain passes that Ney will have cleared.

I am sure that the Wolf and the Jackal have bitten off more than they can chew. Yet I will not chance this matter. A progressive wave of our units will squeeze the Ottomen back either into another of our columns, back into their homelands, or even further east into Russia. Ha, that would indeed be ironic if they are sent to Russia.

The Order is to not hit their homelands at this stage.

The Order is to clear them from Prussia and Austria.

N


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[Paddy]

The accompanying maps case contained the following document

[Paddy]

July 1802 Battle Report in Western Prussia

To my Emperor, Napoleon.

As requested II Corp formed up on the Prussian border. While forming Russian units stormed the Prussian city of Leipzig, capturing it. The 160th Voltigeur regiment was sent across the border to scout out the opposition and the surrounding area. These fine lads upon approaching Leipzig turned and took the battle to the city while the various elements that were fully prepared for battle march up to the city. Here the 160th were decimated. This I must say enraged the troops of the 5th Division that were coming in next.

The 2nd Brigade of the 5th Division gathered and charged the barricaded city. The battle was quite fierce indeed. Yet the Russians were giving no quarter. Here General de division Iron Jackson unleashed the proud and courageous battle hardened 111 Imperial Cavalry Regiment upon the right flank of the city. My Lord, you may recall the 111th from its actions in the plains south of Pamplona. Well Lord these hardened warriors were no match for the mighty Cossack Army that burst from the cities eastern gates. The 111th was chewed up and dismissed all in a very short order. I can state that they took a casualty or two, but my reports show that they were overwhelmed completely.

Following this came the 2nd Brigade of the 5th Division. The 168th were dismissed at the very gate, battered and smashed beyond recognition. It is said only 17 men survived the encounter, and they were injured well back as the assault began. Along side of the 168th marched their brother Regiment, the 169th Voltigeurs. They to were repulsed, yet only suffered 50 - 60% casualty rate. Not a very illustrious start to the day I must say.

In amongst all of this it was very difficult to tell if we had actually dented the forces within Leipzig.

Then General de division J. Moritz and the 6th Division were there. Both of the 170th and 171st Voltigeur Regiments of his 1st Brigade charged the city, determined to dent break though the forces within.

It was here that General de division Bongo brought the bulk of his 4th Division to bear upon the city. As the 170th was hitting the gates he had the entire 2nd Brigade in line and advancing through the smoke. I believe that his success lay in the vaste amounts of smoke lying across the fields, and the fact that the Russians were quite occupied with the 170th and 171st.

Well the 171st broke ranks first, they had lost approx 30% of their unit, and they broke and ran for their lives. From my location I could see a mixture of confusion and panic run through the 170th at this time. They really looked for orders, turning this way and that. My Lord you tell me often enough that war is hell, well yet again those words sit in my mind. The 170 lost nearly its entire force in those minutes of confusion. My initial reports are that only two officers survived that actual battle at the wall. I will be quite surprised if either of them survives the night.

As these troops broke the 2nd Brigade 4th Division marched on strong and resolute. These veterans of the Spanish adventure knew only to well the mettle of the battle. The marched, halted, fired, marched on. This continuous routine was an awesome display of discipline. Then the Regiments swept into two outer elements and 161st Regiment of General Bongos 1st Brigade burst through and assaulted the front wall.

My Lord this was then end of the Russian occupation, and the city proceeded to burn for 5 days. Several Russian prisons were removed and escorted back to the work farms.

My next action has been to dispatch scouts, the resupply and reorganisation of my units, so that those that required a full refit were within a safe perimeter. I have also conferred with the Prussian commanders that were already there trying to liberate Leipzig, along with some others that rode down from the Capital in the following days.

I must report that Russia has the Prussian city of Konigsberg, and they are rumoured to have many troops massing to my east.

Please find attached maps of the area, and my full battle list.

Marechal Remick
II Corp


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Elements II Corp under Marechal Remick attacked and destroyed Leipzig from its Russian occupiers

4th Division General de division Bongo
1st Brigade
160 Voltigeur Regiment 4/4 dismissed
161 Voltigeur Regiment 4/4 attacks town and survives
2nd Brigade
162 Voltigeur Regiment 4/4 attacks town and survives
163 Voltigeur Regiment 4/4 attacks town and survives
163 Voltigeur Regiment 3/3 attacks town and survives

5th Division General de division Iron Jackson
1st Brigade
111 Imperial Cavalry Regiment 4/4 dismissed
2nd Brigade
168 Voltigeur Regiment 4/4 dismissed
169 Voltigeur Regiment down to 2/4

6th Division General de division J. Moritz
1st Brigade
170 Voltigeur Regiment down to 1/3
171 Voltigeur Regiment down to 2/3


we fought against Russian:
Cossack Army 13/13 dismissed
Cossack 4/4 dismissed
Cossack 3/3 dismissed


If this be the weight of Russia, then my lads have some very hard battles ahead of them indeed

[Paddy]

September 1802 Venice

To Emperor Bonaparte

My Lord, the September winds off the Alps definitely have let us know that summer is fading fast. As discussed my troops started the day in the forests to the north-west of Venice.

General de division Grandpa Troll and his 10th Division led the charge. The initial attack consisted of the two Elite Imperial Guards Regiments, 3rd and 4th of the 1st Brigade. For an opening attack this certainly was a very bloody affair. Both of our Regiments were reduced to below 40% capacity, while two corresponding Shekan Regiments were dismissed that day.

Next the General sent in the 205th and 2nd Imperial Guards Regiments. The opposition now consisted of a Musket and Shekan Regiments. The 205th did win the fight, yet they too were reduced to less than 40% capacity. While the the 2nd carried the day against the Shekan, and carried the victory into the city.

At this point I sent for further units to the designated locations as per your orders.

I have encountered several parties of Ottomen. These details have been dispatched to Marechal Ney.

Please find attached maps of the area, and my full battle list.

Marechal Lauriston
III Corp

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Elements of III Corp and IV Corp under Marechal Lauriston attack Venice and surrounding region

10th Division General de division Grandpa Troll
3rd Imperial Guards now at 2/5
attacked Shekan 4/4 dismissed
4th Imperial Guards now at 2/5
attacked Shekan 4/4 dismissed
205th Imperial Guards now at 2/5
attacked Musketman 3/3 dismissed
then the 2nd Imperial Guards now at 3/5
attacked Shekan 3/3 dismissed and liberated Venice

discussions have begun for the handing over of this city to Austria, its ancient of owners
Vive le France

[Paddy]

September 1802 Venice

To Napoleon

My lads and I watched the capture of Venice to clock work precision.

Once I received the information from Marechal Laauriston’s riders I unleashed V Corp as per your orders. The 13th Division under command of General de division Dr Spike had three encounters with Ottomen forces. The Ottomen will not be returning home.

The only other contact was of the 107th Cavalry Regiment, 1st brigade, 14th Division. They encountered and finished of one of the earlier encountered Shekan Regiments.

The passes have all been taken and my troops have dug in. I have an excellent field of vision, and no opposition units have been sighted at this hour.

Please find attached maps of the area, and my full battle list.

Ney


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Then Marechal Ney's V Corp secured the region

13th Division General de division Dr Spike
101st Imperial Cavalry Regiment 1/4
attacked Shekan 3/3 dismissed
105th Imperial Cavalry Regiment 4/4 now 3/5
attacked Sipahi 3/5 dismissed
104th Imperial Cavalry Regiment dismissed as 4/4 now 2/5
attacked Sipahi 4/4 dismissed


14th D ivision General de division S. Burns
107th Imperial Cavalry Regiment 3/3 now 3/4 followed
attacked Shekan 3/3 dismissed

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Brilliant work Paddy most entertaining stuff to read.

would make a great film