"Some of the most feared cavalry in Napoleon's armies
were the Polish lancers of the Vistula Uhlans."
- wikipedia.org 2007
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1. Introduction 2. Organization 3. Uniforms 4. Campaigns and Battles: - - - - - - 1790s > - - - - - - 1800 Campaign > - - - - - - 1807 Campaign > - - - - - - 1808 Campaign > - - - - - - 1809-10 Campaign > - - - - - - 1811 Campaign > - - - - - - 1812 Campaign > - - - - - - 1813 Campaign > - - - - - - 1814-1815 "No Surrender" >
The Vistula Uhlans were exceptionally well trained with lances
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 Picture: Vistula Uhlans
Napoleon and his marshals were so impressed |
Introduction.
In September 1808 Napoleon promoted 18 men of the Guard Lighthorse to sous-lieutenants in the Vistula Uhlan Regiement.
In 1809 the Guard Lighthorse were about to become Guard Lancers and several Vistula uhlans were sent as lance instructors to the Guard Lighthorse.
In early 1811 the 1st Vistula Uhlan Regiment was, briefly, the 1st Lancer Regiment in the French army, in April of the same year, with the activation of the six French lancer regiments, "they were redesignated the 7th - which after their years of excellent service, was practically an insult." (Elting - "Napoleonic Uniforms" Vol 1)
The 2nd Vistula Uhlan Regiment was raised in 1811 and soon were renamed to 8th Lancers in the French army. Colonel of the 8th Lancers (2nd Vistula Uhlans) was Tomasz Lubienski.
On 13th December 1813 Napoleon merged the 7th and 8th Lancer Regiment (1st and 2nd Vistula Uhlans) into a new 8th Lancer Regiment. The officers of the 7th vigorously protested and sent a memorandum of protest to Napoleon. So the Emperor again changed his mind and ordered to rebuild the 7th with three squadrons.
In 1814, after Napoleon's abdication the 7th and 8th Lancers were disbanded.
In May 1815 (Waterloo Campaign) the 7th Lancers was formed again. However they had only 13 horses for 350 men. In July they fought on foot near Paris, and were highly praised by Marshal Davout. When the war was over, the 7th Lancers was one of few Polish units wt refused to serve under the Tsar of Russia and was disbanded in France.
Until 1811 the Vistula uhlans were one of the finest cavalry regiments in the World.
The official names of the Regiment of Vistula Lancers were:
PS.
and it was something unusual in the annals of military history.
But there was no fighting, the defenders were bullied into surrender.
During the siege of Saragossa the Vistula uhlans actually charged the fortified city.
"... fed up with Spanish sniping, the Lancers of the Vistula
climbed down from their saddles and stormed an entrenched Spanish
camp near Saragossa ... During the first phase of the siege they
charged a fortified city. They penetrated essentially right to
its center. Unsupported and alone the lancers had to charge back out."
- John Elting
In 1815 they were highly praised by Marshal Davout.
"The Decree of 11 Nov 1807 transferred the Legion Polacco-Italienne into the service of Westphalia, but this was reveres by the Decree of 20 March 1808, which brought them back into French service. In a letter to Davout dated 31 March 1808 Napoleon renamed the legion the Vistula Legion ...
He also stated that the infantry regiments were to be treated on a par with French line regiments and cavalry with the French chasseurs-a-cheval regiments.
The Legion and its Lancer Regiment went to Metz and Bayonne, where they and detachments from all other Poles in French service, began organizing the Vistula Legion by the end of May 1808. Later, the Vistula Legion organized its depot in Sedan...
The lancer regiment was organized like a French chasseur-a-cheval regiment." (Nafziger - "Poles and Saxons" pp 77-78)
(Many of the Vistula Uhlans were pro-Republican and Napoleon was not too happy about it, while many of the guardsmen were "sons of the first families in Poland". The Guard Lancers were favored by Napoleon.)
Emperor Napoleon and his marshals were so impressed with the Vistula Uhlans' performance in Italy, Poland, Spain and elsewhere that they decided to form their own lancer regiments.
The instructors came from the Vistula Uhlan Regiment and from the Guard Lancers. Colonel of the Vistula Uhlans, Jan Konopka, became Chief Inspector of Training for the newly formed French lancer regiments.
Then two things happened that weakened the regiment:
- - - - March 1808 - Régiment de Lanciers de la Légion de la Vistule
- - - - June 1808 - Régiment de Lanciers de la Vistule
- - - - February 1811 - 1 er Régiment de Lanciers de la Vistule
- - - - June 1811 - 7eme Régiment de Chevau-légers Lanciers
- - - - April-Dec 1815 - 7eme Régiment de Lanciers
Shortly after Napoleonic Wars the British 16th Light Dragoon Regiment was equipped as lancers. According to a 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".
The Charge Of The Light Brigade - by Lord Tennyson (ext.link)
Charge of the Light Brigae - pictures (ext.link)
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Organization.
Every squadron had its flankers armed with carbines. These flankers were the best horsemen in the regiment.
In May 1808:
 STAFF: Colonel Jan Konopka Major Klicki Chef-de-Escadron Ruttie Chef-de-Escadron Kostanecki Paymaster Belleville ~ I SQUADRON
II SQUADRON
III SQUADRON
IV SQUADRON
In December 1812:
 STAFF: Colonel Stokowski (with Grande Armee) Major Huppe Paymaster Belleville ~ SQUADRON - de Mories (with Grande Armee)
SQUADRON - Lenkiewicz (in Bayonne)
SQUADRON - Dembinski (in Spain)
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Uniforms.
Pompons on headwear: The short-tailed dark blue coat was called kurtka and it had yellow lapels and yellow shoulder straps. The Bardin regulations in 1812 introduced dark blue shoulder straps with yellow pipping. The tight breeches were dark blue with 2 yellow stripes down the outer seam separated by dark blue. The overalls were dark blue with a single yellow stripe and a black leather inserts on the inside. The men of Elite Company wore white (not red) epaulete on the right and white aiguillette on the left shoulder.
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Campaigns and Battles. In 1798, near Garigliano River roamed stallions of the Neapolitan King's horse guard. Eliasz Tremo suggested to generals Kniaziewicz and Dabrowski to organize a cavalry regiment. This idea was approved by French General Jean-Étienne Championnet. Soon 120 men mounted their stallions. The first action of the uhlans ended up in tragedy. On the night of 9th January 1798 Chef Tremo and few dozens of troopers were attacked by guerillas at Sessa and slaughtered. (Source: "Pismo pulkownika Wojciecha Dobieckiego do sp. jenerala Tanskiego", "Czas" dodatek miesieczny 1859, t.15, s. 205-206)
1800 Hohenlinden.
In Hohenlinden, NCO of the Vistula Uhlans Jan Pawlikowski and a French chasseur attacked 59 Austrian infantrymen. Two officers were "neutralized" and the remaining surrendered. General Decean met Pawlikowski with his captives and wanted to promote him. Pawlikowski replied: "Nie umiec czytac, nie umiec pisac, nie moze byc oficer". (I can't read, can't write, can't be an officer.) The uhlans also have captured Prince Lichtenstein. Officer Wojciech Dobiecki wrote that Lichtenstein was captured by private Trandowski of 6th Company. Trandowski was promissed a bottle of good wine if he brings a prisoner. So he set at the gallop and "snatched" the Prince who stood in front of the Austrian troops. After battle Liechtenstain was exchanged for Fiszer who was captured by the Austrians near Offenburg. This is estimated the uhlans and French chasseurs captured total of 800 prisoners. (Source: "Pismo pulkownika Wojciecha Dobieckiego do sp. jenerala Kazimierza Tanskiego", "Czas" dodatek miesieczny 1859, t.15.)
1807 in Prussia. The King of Naples, Joseph Bonaparte, wanted to have the Polish-Italian Uhlan Regiment (there were no Italians in this regiment) as his personal escort. The Poles however, after 8 years of campaigning in Italy were homesick and protested. The French let them go. On January 30, 1807 the regiment joyfully began their march home. After 114 days they arrived in the city of Legnica, in Silesia.
Meanwhile in Silesia, Napoleon's brother, Jerome Bonaparte, sent General Lefebvre-Desnouettes with battalion of Saxon infantry, and Bavarian troops (7 infantry companies, 1 squadron of chevauxlegers and 2 guns) against small Prussian corps under Major von Losthin.
The Bavarians and Saxons met Losthin's force at Katy Wroclawskie (Kunt). The Saxons had no heart for fighting and after short combat threw their muskets down. The Prussians captured 2 Bavarian guns.
Lefebvre-Desnouettes then unexpectedly met several uhlans on their way to Poland.
He had learned that the uhlans just arrived from sunny Italy and were unaware of situation in Silesia. He sent Captain Fijalkowski to Legnica with orders to the regiment to mount up and come. Already at midnight the trumpeters sounded "on horse!" At first the half-asleep officers thought that there was a fire in the town.
Levebvre-Desnouettes had 400-600 men: Major Swiderski with 240-300 uhlans, and Bavarians (two infantry companies, tiny troop of chevaulegeres, and 3 guns). The Bavarian infantry was formed in skirmish chain and exchanged only few shots with the Prussian skirmishers when the Vistula Uhlans charged. Lefebvre-Desnouettes ordered the I and III Squadron to attack, while the II Squadron was to cut off the enemy. Losthin deployed 6 guns under Captain Hahn on his right, on a hill, while the infantry was in closed column on the road. (This is not clear to me if the infantry was formed in line, or column, or in "several small squares".) Losthin's cavalry moved forward, with the brown-clad hussars leading the attack. Behind were dragoons and in the tail rode the Bosniaks.
Losthin's infantry surrendered
but when the the uhlans left them in pursuit of the cavalry some of the Prussians began firing at the backs of the Poles. The uhlans returned and finished their business.
The infantrymen again surrendered and did it quite convincingly.
The Prussian commander thanked his fast horse that his was able to escape.
The Poles also freed 2 Saxon battalions who before had surrendered to the Prussians.
The uhlans had only several men wounded and killed. They brought captured Prussian infantry (30 officers and 800 privates), 4 guns and 4 ammunition wagons, in a triumphant entrance to the city. To the disgust of Lefebvre-Desnouettes, the Saxons and Bavarians
The French counted the battles at Katy [Kunt] and at Struga [Strigau] as one and issued one report. The Prussians published an article about the two battles in Vertraute Briefen written by Werner (it was published in Wroclaw). Werner wrote that the moral strength of the uhlans - all 6-8-year service veterans, patriotic, were invincible for troops not equal to them.
Several weeks after the battle at Struga the Vistula Uhlans were inspected. The oldest soldiers and those unfit were relieved, except Private Rosnowski who refused to leave. (He was the oldest member of this regiment and one of the first who entered the ranks). The remaining 300-400 first class veterans were joined by 800 recruits and the regiment moved toward Klodzko. The I and II Squadron were mostly veterans, the III and IV were full of recruits. Near the fortress walls of Klodzko a troop of uhlans led by Stokowski routed Prussian hussars. Another troop escorted artillery and convoys. In June the fortress surrenders to the French and their allies. Jerome Bonaparte inspects the regiment. The elite company was formed, and its members received fur caps and black horses. Few days later the uhlans escorted Napoleon from Ruda Sl. to Wroclaw (Breslau) where they met Prince Poniatowski.
Other Combats in 1806-07:
1808 in Spain.
In June at Mallen, General Lefebvre-Desnouettes ordered Poles to outflank the Spanish guerillas. The enemy fled across Ebro River with the uhlans hot on their heels. French writers (Thiers, Grasset) described how big impression made the lance-armed uhlans on the Spaniards. The Spaniards nicknamed them "Los Diablos Polacos" (The Devils Poles). On the way back one officer and several uhlans drowned in the river. (Kirkor - "Legia Nadwislanska 1808-1814" p 46)
Other Combats in 1808:
The fighting withdrawal was successful although costly. The serpentine road led uphill and the Spanish cavalry (incl. Carabineros Reales Royal Carabiniers) pressed hard. In the chaos several wagons were left on the side of the road. In one of them were neatly packed colors of the regiment. Nobody fought for the colors as the uhlans assumed they were left in the depot. (Before leaving for campaign one of the senior officers secretly decided to take all Colors. They were detached from wooden poles, rolled and packed into the wagon).
At Talavera the Vistula Uhlans were part of Merlin's division. In the last stages of the battle Wellington unleashed part of his cavalry. When British 23rd Light Dragoons (450 men) broke through the French 10th and 26th Chasseurs-a-Cheval, Merlin ordered Vistula Uhlans (390 men) to attack them. Behind the Poles rode the Westphalian lighthorseen (144 men).
The Poles hit the enemy frontally and crushed them. The French chasseurs joined the Poles and attacked the enemy from the flank. The British 23rd Light Dragoons lost 207 killed, wounded and missing, and 105 were captured (according to Oman, Vol II, p 545-549).
On Nov 19th the uhlans fought at Ocaña and it was one of their best combat performances.
Many officers, NCOs and privates were awarded with Legion d'Honneur.
In the Peninsular War, the Battle of Ocana resulted in a victory of the French under Marshal Soult against the Spanish under General Don Juan de Arizagua. It was the Spanish army's greatest single defeat during the entire conflict.
Other Combats in 1809-1810:
Other Combats in 1811:
In the Invasion of Russia participated only 60 uhlans led by Ltn. Boguslawski. This troop was attached to the (Polish) 1st Guard Lancers as the 11th Company. The rest of the Vistula Uhlan Regiment was either in Spain or in depot in France. Actually Napoleon ordered all the uhlans go to Russia, but some French marshal refused to follow this order and kept them as personal escorts. Spain was a dangerous place. On 16th September 1812, Chef Cotty with 60 veterans Vistula Uhlans and 70 young Red Lancers scouted on the road to Borowsk. Cotty's force was ambushed by Cossacks, they were attacked in the wood from both flanks and rear. The Poles and Dutch were routed. Boguslawski was furious with careless Cotty and his lancers. The heated exchange of opinion ended up in a duel. (Kirkor - "Legia Nadwislanska 1808-1814" p 324)
Other Combats in 1812:
1813 in Germany.
During the campaign in Germany the 7th Lancers fought at Lutzen, Dresden and Reichenbach. At Dresden the Lancers led a massive cavalry charge under Murat.
(Nafziger - "Napoleon's Dresden Campaign" p 172)
The regiment then became part of French garrison in Dresden. The city became surrounded by Allies. Not long after Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig, Marshal St. Cyr and the garrisson of Dresden attempted to break through enemy's lines. It failed and St. Cyr surrendered. The captured uhlans (446) were taken into Hungary and there were kept until the end of war. Approx. 230 uhlans were with other French troops and these moved to France.
Other Combats in 1813:
1814-15 in France.
In 1815 on the road near Rambouillet the Vistula Uhlans met their beloved Napoleon.
The Emperor was on his long way to St. Helen. (Marchand - "Memoires" 1952 VOL I, p 192)
When France surrendered the Polish troops were disbanded. The Polish infantry surrendered to the Tsar and returned to Poland. The 7th Lancers however refused to surrender to the ancient enemy of Poland and stayed in France.
Other Combats in 1814-1815:
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Sources and Links.
Recommended Reading.
Kirkor - "Legia Nadwislanska 1808-1814"
Gates - "The Spanish Ulcer"
Kukiel - "Dzieje Oreza Polskiego w Epoce Napoleonskiej, 1795-1815"
Gembarzewski - "Wojsko Polskie. Ksiestwo Warszawskie 1807-1814"
Picture of officer of the Vistula Uhlans by Steven Palatka.
Bataille d'Albuera
2e régiment de Lanciers polonais de la légion de la Vistule
Commanders of the Vistula Regiment:
The 1st Regiment of the Vistula Uhlans consisted of four squadrons of 2 companies each. Each company had: 4 officers, 13 NCOs, 2 trumpeters, 108 troopers and 1 blacksmith.
(In 1807 the Elite Company received black horses.)
The uhlans' headwear was the Polish traditional tall square topped czapka. (Czapka means headwear.) The czapka was black over dark blue, with dark blue top pipped white, in front was Maltese Cross and a French cocade (the sunburst plaque was introduced in 1811), The plume was white till 1811, then replaced by a carrot-shaped pompon.
The Battle of Hohenlinden near Munich in Bavaria was fought in December 1800, during the French Revolutionary Wars. French army under Moreau fought against the Austrians and Bavarians under Archduke John. In terms of the number of troops involved it was the largest in the French Revolutionary Wars and quite possibly European history until the Battle of Wagram in 1809.
Lefebvre-Desnouettes personally led the Poles. Behind him rode officers Swiderski, Fijalkowski, Stokowski and Schultz. The uhlans, all veterans, at once crushed the Prussian cavalry.
The uhlans participated in the siege of Saragossa, at the battles at Osera (July 28th) and Tudela (November 23rd). At Saragossa, fed up with Spanish sniping, they "climbed down from their saddles and stormed an entrenched Spanish camp near Saragossa ... During the first phase of the siege they charged a fortified city. They penetrated essentially right to its center. Unsupported and alone the lancers had to charge back out." ( - John Elting)
In 1809 at Yébenes the Spaniards attacked uhlans and captured all their Colors.
It was a night attack (or rather very early morning) and was a surprise for the uhlans.
The Poles were outnumbered, surrounded and forced to make their way through enemy's lines.
According to wikipedia.org (2006) "The Battle of Talavera was a bloody yet inconclusive battle 70 miles Southwest of Madrid. Although the French army withdrew from the field, the British soon withdrew from Spain, leaving their wounded to the Spanish, who left them to the French, reducing trust between British and Spanish forces for the rest of the Peninsular War. ..."
In May 1811 at Aluera [Albuhera] the uhlans covered themselves in glory.
They slaughtered British brigade, defeated dragoon regiment and captured 5 British Colors. No other Napoleonic troop, infantry or cavalry, ever captured so many British colors.
Albuera had little effect on the course of the war in Spain
but the performance of Polish Lancers at it did cause the
British Army to convert some cavalry regiments to lancers.
The tremendous impetus of Poles broke through and scattered
the British redcoats like chaff before the wind.
To read more about this battle click 
In 1814 the 7th Lancers fought at Montereau, Neuilly-Saint-Front, Chalons and Chartres.
The Battle of Montereau was fought near Montereau-Fault-Yonne on February 18, and resulted the victory of Napoleon against Austrians and the Württembergians under Royal Prince of Württemberg.
By early afternoon artillery of the Imperial Guard had arrived, silenced Württemberg’s batteries and bombarded the village. At 3:00PM a French attack captured a ridge forming the key to Württemberg’s defence. Württemberg ordered a retreat, but soon turned into a rout by a cavalry charge, which sweep into the village and Allied rear. The cavalry charge also prevented the Allies from detonating demolition charges on two key bridges.