The Vistula Uhlans at Albuera.
May 1811
In Albuera, the tremendous impetus of the uhlans
broke through and scattered the British
like chaff before the wind.
History will never know what they would have done
to the British infantry at Waterloo.
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1. Introduction: Battle of Albuera 1811. - - General William Carr Beresford > - - Marshal Jean-de-Dieu Soult > - - The French infantry advanced with vigor. > - - Vistula Uhlans routed British Dragoons. > 2. Uhlans and the Destruction of Colborne's Brigade. - - Over the ground strewn with dead - - and wounded rode the "Devils Poles". > - - More cavalry charges. > - - "Comrades, don't give up ! Vive l'Emprereur!" > 3. Aftermath. - - Casualties. > - - Captured Colors. > - - The French and British became fascinated - - with lance-armed cavalry. >
"Some of the most feared cavalry
Few years later the British formed several .
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At Albuera the British were attacked by the Vistula Uhlans. Five Colors and hundreds of prisoners were taken. Colborne's brigade was routed. Scattered groups of panicked redcoats either surrendered or ran for safety. Cleve's KGL battery was attacked and 5 guns were captured. Allies staffs were attacked and chased. The Spanish cavalry fled before the uhlans. The British fought for a short while, then fled "faster than they arrived," as it is stated in official British report. Single uhlans rode to the British and Portuguese squares and brandished their lances as if in defiance. They eventually made off towards their own lines. Two British dragoon sqadrons who tried to pursue them were overthrown, losing their commanding officers and several men. The uhlans while passing the disheartened French infantry, shouted "Comrades, don't give up ! Vive l'Empereur !"
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Introduction: Battle of Albuera, May 16 1811
Beresford deployed his British, German and Spanish troops on the low hills, parallel with the river Albuera. The infantry and artillery took up position overlooking the village of Albuera. The village was held by two battalions of King's German Legion. "The Allied army was deployed in a strong defensive position across the undulating, treeless fields south of Albuera. ... The left wing - Hamilton's Portuguese division and most of the Portuguese cavalry - lay to the north of the Badajoz road. The centre - founded on Albuera itself - comprised the divisions of Cole and Stewart, supported by Alten's light brigade and over 1,000 horse. The southern section was made up of the four Spanish infantry divisions - some 12,000 men - backed by another mass of Allied cavalry and several batteries of artillery."
(Gates - "The Spanish Ulcer" pp 256-258)
In January 1809 he was appointed to reorganise and train Portuguese army.
By the summer of 1810 he had so far improved the moral and discipline of the Portuguese infantry (ext.link) that Wellington brigaded their regiments with British ones.
Especially the Portuguese light infantry, called Caçadores, were superb.
In most battles in Penisnula the Portuguese and English fought side by side.
In 1830 Beresford retired from public life, and for some time subsequently he was occupied in a heated controversy with William Napier, the historian of the Peninsular War, who had severely criticised his tactics at Albuera.
Soult performed very well as corps commander and under Napoleon's direct control (Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau, Heilsberg).
Napoleon complimented him after Austerlitz, and even called Soult "the finest tactician in Europe." Why Soult so successful in corps command, failed when given an independent army command ? For several years he carried on this unhappy war in Spain - now pursuing, and now retreating - until after the disastrous issue of the Russian campaign, when he was called by Napoleon in 1813 to support his falling empire in the north. After Lutzen and Bautzen he was again in Peninsula.
Soult determined to make a feint attack on the village of Albuera, whilst his main attack was to be directed under cover of the woods against Beresford’s right. Soult's vanguard arrived and drove Colborne's screen back across the Albuera Brook.
Gates mentions the advance of Werle's division, "like Girard, had deployed his troops in extremely uneconomical formations. Advancing in three deep but narrow columns, [Werle's] nine battalions could only bring some 360 muskets to bear, whereas every man in Myers brigade - some 2.000 - could use his flintlock." Many Spaniards fought bravely against great odds and a British counterattack failed with massive casualties - the result of a blinding downpour that hid the proximity of Polish lancers until it was too late.
A tremendous firefight developed between the French and Spaniards under José Pascual de Zayas y Chacón. The Spaniards fought tenaciously until British infantry arrived.
The smoke and the anxiety resulted in a friendly fire; in the beginning some of the redcoats fired in the backs of the Spanish infantry before they realized their mistake. (By opening fire on the uhlans they also shot many of Zayas' brave men in the back.)
Napier writes: "I supposed the mutual firing between a British and Spanish regiment happened when the Fusiliers were mounting the hill. I had understood Colonel Robert Arbuthnot so, and that he rode between both parties; the writer of the Strictures says he has Sir Robert's letter contradicting the fact. Nevertheless, that such an event did take place at one period of this battle, is proved by the contradictory evidence as to which party fired upon the other."
(Napier - "History of the War in the Peninsula 1807-1814" Vol V, p 319)
The artillery however caused even heavier casuatlies than the musket volleys. The deep French columns were an easy target for the gunners.
The Vistula Uhlan Regiment had 4 squadrons of 4 platoons each.
Colonel Konopka detached 4 platoons of flankers and sent them against the enemy.
In the first line was Sous-lieutenant Rogajski's platoon (25 men) and Sous-lieutenant Wojciechowski's platoon (25 men). Behind them were two other platoons.
The two leading platoons advanced uphill, while the two other under Captain Leszczynski halted by the bank of Albuhera Brook. The leading platoons then were attacked by 370 heavy cavalrymen (or 374) of British 3rd Dragoon Guards led by General Long. It was a fine troop. The dragoon guards regiments took precedence over all other cavalry regiments of the line. The right to use the 'Ich Dien' badge was granted to the 3rd Dragoon Guards in 1765, and subsequently became their cap badge.
The British leading squadron consisted of 120 men; and were the first ones to clash
with the Poles (50 men). The combat was very short and the heavies broke and fled.
Immediately the remaining three squadrons of 3rd Dragoon Guards attacked the uhlans.
The Poles fled downhill.
The uhlans (2 platoons) abandonded their pursuit and withdrew. They had 16 killed and wounded (12 from infantry fire and only 2 from dragoons), while the British dragoons suffered at least 20 casualties (10 killed, 9 wounded, 1 missing). For this battle, Rogoyski and Wojciechowski were awarded with Legion d'Honneur. (Kirkor - "Legia Nadwislanska 1808-1814" p 298)
Meanwhile the entire Vistula Regiment was moving on French flank. It forced Colonel Konopka to recall the 4 platoons of flankers.
but the performance of Polish Lancers at it did cause the
British Army to convert some cavalry regiments to lancers.
Beresford's 35.000 vs Soult's 25.000
The French, only some 25.000 under Marshal Soult, came from the south-east and on the morning of May 16th drew up facing west. The marshal knew that Blake had landed from Cadiz and was anxious to strike Beresford before the two hostile forces could unite. This had already taken place, but Soult - denied a view of most of Beresford's army and thus unable to calculate its size - felt certain that he had arrived in time to prevent the junction of his adversaries and formulated a strategy to keep things that way. Believing Blake to be marching up from the south, he resolved to turn Beresford's right flank, thus interposing himself between the two Allied forces. With any luck, Beresford would be defeated, and the relief of Badajoz secured. Then, over a field strewn with Allied death, the French army would sweep southwards to deal with Blake [Spanish troops]." (Gates - "The Spanish Ulcer" p 258)
William Carr Beresford (1768-1854) was a general in the British army and a marshal in the Portuguese army. He joined the army in 1785, served in North America and lost an eye in a hunting accident in 1786. Beresford fought the French troops at Toulon and, in 1795 went to India. He also served in Egypt and the Cape.
Then came the embarrassment of being captured at Buenos Aires. (- napoleonguide.com)
Beresford was sent across the Atlantic to invade the Río de la Plata region, today Argentine, was defeated and had to surrender. After his return to Europe, Beresford served in Peninsula. 
Marshal Jean-de-Dieu Soult was born in 1769. He was well-educated, and intended for the bar, but his father's death made it necessary for him to seek his fortune, and he enlisted as a private in the French infantry in 1785. Soult served with distinction in Germany and Italy.
He was wounded and taken prisoner by the Austrians at Monte Cretto on April 13, 1800. Bonaparte's victory at Marengo restored his freedom. Though he was one of those generals who had served under Moreau, and who therefore disliked Napoleon, Soult had the wisdom to show his devotion to the ruling power; in consequence he was in August 1803 appointed to the command-in-chief of the famous Camp of Boulogne, and in May 1804 he was made one of the first marshals.
In Boulogne Camp, under Napoleon's eye, he commenced a course of discipline to which French soldiers had rarely before been subject. Soult's corps was superbly trained and disciplined. He was nicknamed the Hand of Iron. But when on his own, in Spain, Soult's army plundered many cities.
Soult himself was a quiet and skillful looter.
In a flanking manouevre, the French attacked the Allies wing. The French infantry divisions commanded by Girard and Gazan, in an intent of overturn the Allied right, collided with the Spanish forces theres. Gates has the best description in that he mentions the advance of the French infantry of V Corps, "one division behind the other - in a gigantic mixed-order formation". Gazan's division was so close to the lead division, that "the entire force soon coalesced into one vast body of 8,000 marching soldiers."
The French infantry advanced with vigor, Girard division led the attack. It was formed as follow: in the centre were 4 battalions in close columns, one behind the other. On each side of this massive column were 2 battalions, one in line and another in column of pelotons at full interval.
"... the 29th Foot who, rather unwisely, began firing on the dispersed lancers: most of the shots passing the horsemen harmlessly by and striking the rear ranks of Zayas' formation instead. Nevertheless, the pertinacious Spaniards stood their ground and almost certainly saved Beresford from disaster." (Gates - "The Spanish Ulcer" p 259)
The Vistula Uhlans were mostly seasoned veterans, commanded by Colonel Jan Konopka (1775-1814). They rode on Polish chestnuts and bays, excellent mounts for light cavalry. There were also French and captured horses.
The regiment was part of General Latour-Maubourg's Cavalry Division. Latour-Maubourg was a natural leader but not an altogether popular one. (- Terry J.Senior napoleon-series.org)
His division consisted of several regiments:
. . . Vistula Uhlans (591 men, casualties 26 %)
. . . 27th Chasseurs (431 men, casualties 6 %)
. . . [Spanish] Chasseurs (196 men, 0.3 %)
Light Cavalry Brigade - GdB Briche
. . . 2nd Hussars (305 men, casualties 24 %)
. . . 10th Hussars (262 men, casualties 12 %)
. . . 21st Chasseurs (256 men, 10 %)
Dragoon Brigade - GdB Bron (4th, 20th and 26th Dragoons)
Dragoon Brigade - GdB des Eclat (14th, 17th, and 27th Dragoons)
NOTE: sources disagree on the exact organization of Latour-Maubourg's division. Some give the following regiments: 2nd and 10th Hussars, 21st and 27th Chasseurs-a-Cheval, 4th, 14th, 17th, 20th, 26th and 27th Dragoons, Spanish 4th Chasseurs-a-Cheval and Polish Vistula uhlans.
The leading two platoons were formed in a skirmish chain. They crossed Albuhera Brook on the southern side of Albuhera. Near the town stood infantry of the King's German Legion [KGL].
According to the uhlans the Germans watched them but not a single shot was fired. The Poles passed them and moved against the British deployed on low hills.
Once the pursuers became disordered the uhlans slowed down their "flight", halted, turned around and attacked the disordered dragoons. The dragoons were driven uphill and pursued until British infantry opened fire. Ian Fletcher wrote that General Long brought 3rd Dragoon Guards and 13th Light Dragoons. It gives 770 vs 100 uhlans. The Poles however mention only one British regiment.
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The Vistula Uhlans and the Destruction of Colborne's Brigade. 590 men of Konopka's regiment, followed by 305 men of the French 2nd Hussars, made straight for the British brigade commanded by Colborne. This brilliant movement was as unexpected by, as it was unwelcome to the enemy.
The Poles sped up uphill with their lance-pennons swinging in the air. They lowered their lances before a thunderous volley greeted them. It didn't stop them, they hit three battalions at once, the 3rd 'Buffs', II/48th 'Northamptonshire' and II/66th 'Berkshire'.
The shock was irresistible, and the redcoats fled before the charging ranks in a tumultuous throngs. The lances pierced their clothes, the men clapped their hands to their saber-cut faces, blood oozing. (Actually only half of the regiment was armed with lances, but all carried sabers).
The II/31st 'Huntingdonshire' Regiment of Foot (418 men) also found themselves under assault. One of the uhlans spurred his horse, caught up with the flag-bearer, exchanged a few strokes with him, and having split his opponent's head open, triumphantly took possesion of this war trophy.
It was a carnage. There is no doubt that the death-roll of the furious charge was increased by the spearing of armed and unarmed, surrendering or attempting to flee, of Colborne's Brigade.
After battle the British refused to provide the few badly wounded uhlans with medical treatment in a petty act of revenge. They described the uhlans as barbarians, wild beasts, and savages.
Several lancers chased Spanish staff officers off the field into one of the infantry squares and a Spanish general was wounded. A single lancer attacked General Beresford. Another lancer chased Portugesee staff officers. Before they killed him, he wounded several of them. A group of Poles moved to the rear of the Spanish infantry, "creating havoc everywhere". (Since the beginning of the war, the Spaniards called the uhlans "Los Diablos Polacos" - The Devils Poles.) The British 4th Dragoon Regiment (387 men in 4 squadrons) and Spanish cavalry (721 men) were ordered to counterattack the uhlans and hussars. The Poles and Frenchmen abandoned part of the captured prisoners, and spurred forward against the Spaniards. The Poles dashed like whirlwinds on their chargers. The Spanish cavalry fled. Napier writes: "That Penne Villemu's cavalry fled in a shameful manner, the following statement by Colonel Light proves: 'Afetr our brigades of infantry first engaged were repulsed, I was desired by General d'Urban to tell the Count de Penne Villemur to charge the lancers, and we all started, as I thought, to do the thing well; but when within a few paces of the enemy, the whole pulled up, there was no getting them farther, and in a few moments after I was left alone to run the gauntlet as well as I could.' (Napier - "History of the War in the Peninsula 1807-1814" Vol V, p 319)
"... the French (Polish) horse eventually made off towards their own lines. Two British dragoon sqadrons who tried to pursue them were overthrown, losing their commanding officers and several men." (Gates - "The Spanish Ulcer" p 259)
While majority of the uhlans were occupied with gathering the prisoners, small group of uhlans attacked the 31st Foot and were repulsed. So impetuously did the Poles and French hussars charged that some rode right down the rear of Zayas’ line. Hoghton’s brigade, with the 57th of Foot in the centre, was just coming up, and by opening fire on the uhlans shot many of Zayas’ brave Spaniards in the back. The redcoats were checked in time, and the Spaniards, undisturbed by such a disaster, maintained their fight till ordered to retire. Latour-Maubourg ordered the Poles to charge one more time, now against Cole's Division. They smashed the flank companies of the Fusiliers and sent the others into disorder. They also attacked 4 battalions of Portuguese infantry. Stedy musket fire greeted them. The uhlans and hussars were repulsed although here and there single uhlans rode to the British and Portuguese squares and brandished their lances as if in defiance before falling back.
Finally Latour Maubourg's cavalry began the great movement which should have taken place earlier. Now it was too late and the momentum was lost. French dragoons charged the British Division (I,II/7th "Royal Fusiliers", I/23rd "Welsh Fusiliers" and the I and II battalion of light inf. of KGL) commanded by Major-General Galbraith Lowry Cole. The redcoats delivered several volleys and repulsed the mass of dragoons. The French horse fell back. The uhlans collected the prisoners and took them to the rear. One of British officers, Major Brooke, recalled; "I was being led as a prisoner between two French infantrymen when one of the lancers rode up, and deliberately cut me down. Then, taking my coat, he endeavoured to pull it over my head."
The Poles while passing the disheartened French infantry shouted, "Comrades, don't give up ! Vive l'Empereur! Vive l'Empereur!" They triumphantly shook the captured standards and the French loudly applauded them. Unfortunately the uhlans had to abandon majority of the captured guns because the French stragglers had stolen their draft horses. British Major Mervin Nooth of the I/7th Foot wrote that his battalion recaptured some abandoned guns and they discovered the regimental color of I/3rd Regiment of Foot with these trophies.
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Aftermath.
"Morning came, and both sides remained in their respective situations, the wounded still covering the field of battle, the hostile lines still menacing and dangerous. The greater multitude had fallen on the French part, but the best soldiers on that of the allies, and the dark masses of Soult's powerful cavalry and artillery, as they covered all his front, seemed alone able to contend again for the victory; the right of the French also appeared to threaten the Badajos road, and Beresford, in gloom and doubt, awaited another attack. ... On the 18th Soult retreated." (Napier - Vol III, p 102)
Napoleon awarded the uhlans with numerous crosses of Legion d'Honour. Colonel Jan Konopka was promoted to general de brigade. Later on he became chief instructor for the newly formed French six lancer regiments. (Kirkor - "Legia Nadwislanska 1808-1814" p 278)
Beresford was severely criticised for his leadership during the battle. This battle ended as something of a draw with awesome casaulties on both sides. At Salamanca (1812) 30,500 British and German troops in Wellington's army lost 3,100 casualties (just over 1 in 10), at Albuera 4 in 10 of the British and German infantrymen under Beresford's command were killed, wounded and missing.
Soult only admits to some 3,000 casualties, but a return of casualties dated 11 July 1811 lists 5,936 casualties. The British-Portuguese-Spanish casualties were 6.000 killed, wounded and prisoners. After some tweaking by British authors (Oman and others) and webmasters the French casualties were "upgraded" to 7.000, 9,000 and even 10.000.
The most stirring piece of cavalry work was performed at Albuera by 590 uhlans and 305 hussars.
The severity of the British situation is clearly shown in the amount of prisoners taken and men killed and wounded. The cavalrymen inflicted a gross majority of the casualties given below:
Casualties suffered by the Spaniards and Portugesee troops are unkown to me.
According to Beresford's report the three infantry regiments (Colborne's) lost 319 killed, 460 wounded and 479 were captured as prisoners. (Kirkor in "Legia Nadwislanska 1808-1814" p 299 and Oman Vol IV p 384).
"Five colors were taken, as was their supporting artillery battery and, of the 1,648 men in the three leading battalions, 1,248 were killed, wounded, or taken." (Gates - "The Spanish Ulcer" p 259)
Actually six British Colors were captured: 5 by Polish uhlans and 1 by the French hussars.
Luis Sorandos Muzas wrote that in 1831, the four remaining Colors were placed in the Hotel des Invalides. In August 1851 a fire broke out and the Colour of the 66th was destroyed, while the Colour of the 48th was seriously damaged "with only its central shield surviving." The Colors of the 3rd and the 48th "had only small fragments of its cloth" survived. One Color disappeared and of the others only 3 small fragments remained. On 26 February 1861, General Duffourc d'Antist donated to the Invalides his collection of flags. Some Spanish sources claim that Spanish Infantry Regiment Murcia captured colors of the Vistula Ulans Reg. These claims vary from 3 to 1 Color taken. This could be true because there were literally thousands muskets firing at the cavalry, and many uhlans were hit. The problem with this claim however is that the uhlans lost all their Colors to the Spaniards 2 years earlier at Yevennes [Jebenes ?] and carried no Colors at Albuhera. Could it be one of the company markers ? The Spaniards don't substantiate their claim by evidence so this is difficult for me to speculate on this subject.
The cavalry charge at Albuhera is one of the most notable incidents in the history of the cavalry arm. Seventeen days after Emperor Napoleon received news of the performance of Vistula Ulans at Albuera, that left an entire British infantry brigade laying dead on the battlefield, he ordered the establishment of lancer regiments in his army.
PS.
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Sources and Links.
Bielecki and Tyszka - "Dal nam przyklad Bonaparte"
Kirkor - "Pod sztandarami Napoleona"
Kirkor - "Legia Nadwislanska 1808-1814"
Nafziger - "Poles and Saxons"
Lemonofides - "British Infantry Colours"
Milne - "The Standards and Colours of the British Army from 1661-1881"
Fletcher - "Bloody Albuera"
In Fletcher's "Bloody Albuera" not a single Spanish, Polish or French source was used. Ian Fletcher used 45 books all written by British authors. The illustrations however are pretty. By the way, there is nothing wrong with British sources, we use them a lot.
Michael Oliver and Richard Partridge - "The battle of Albuera - 1811"
The two authors used not only the British accounts, but also the Spanish accounts of the battle. The role played by Spanish troops is not downplayed by the authors.
It has very comprehensive orders of battle. Book worth reading.
The Spanish Ulcer
(French) Marshal Soult
(Polish) Colonel Jan Konopka
(Spanish) General Zayas
(British) General Carr Beresford
General John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton.
Pictures of Polish Vistula Uhlans.
Pictures of British Dragoons.
Travel to Albuera, Spain
The cavalry charged in full view of the 3rd (East Kent) Regiment of Foot "The Buffs" who were on a heightened ground. This British deployed to the right, in a line 4 ranks deep, and facing the Poles. (Some sources mention 8 ranks, but not a square).
This attack delivered and completed within the brief space of several minutes, entirely demoralised the British force. Scattered groups of panicked redcoats either surrendered, ran for safety, or fought to their death. The confusion was riotous - whinnying horses, screaming soldiers, raised lances, cracking muskets, the battlefield was a cacophony of violent sounds.
Some of the redcoats scurried for safety toward a battery of KGL commanded by Cleve. The Poles however put the gunners out of commission: out of 6 guns, 5 were captured.
Napier writes: "Here be it noticed that Beresford's despatch suppresses the fact of more than one gun being taken, although 6 pieces of artillery and other trophies fell into the lancers' hands." (Napier - "History of the War in the Peninsula 1807-1814" Vol V, p 319)
The British dragoons attempted to halt the uhlans, lost 27 men and two squadron commanders, and then fled "faster than they arrived," as it is stated in official British report. The uhlans were light cavalry, mounted on small and medium but agile horses. The British however described them as "very large men" and saw not one regiment of lancers but "a brigade of Polish cavalry". (- Lieutenant Madden of 4th Dragoons.)
- 3rd Dragoon "The Prince of Wales" lost 20 killed, wounded and missing 
Shortly after the Napoleonic Wars the British 16th Light Dragoon Regiment was equipped as lancers. According to British website "During the Peninsula wars the British army suffered terrible casualties from the Polish Vistula lancers, so the 16th Light Dragoons, now as lancers tried to emulate them not only in skill at arms, but also in appearance." The Polish connection is not hard to miss, the uniforms, lances and pennants can all be traced in style to the Polish regiments that inspired them...the 17th Lancers were involved and which is still celebrated every year "The Charge of the Light Brigade".