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Animals in the Napoleonic Army 1
Jan. 16th, 2012 08:36 am
In the retreat from Moscow, with the narrative of a man from the Imperial Guard, Bourgogne, sometimes he mentions animals as well. Whether as pets, as companions or as means of transportation. Some had also become food when before they were used to be ridden. Even those could suddenly have become useless in that aspect, when the cold was too great and made their bodies as stiff as stone. Men often drank the blood of these horses, or sometimes stole them away from others, or begged them to give them the horse to eat. Some horses did not perish however, and were treated with care as will be shown below. There were, as with the British, also pets. Such is described below.
This dog went by the name of Mouton and he was their regimental dog, it was what this dog was, that is somewhat surprising:
p 174) Quote: "Mouton had been with us since 1808. We found him in Spain, near the Bonaventura, on the banks of a river where the English had cut the bridge. He came with us to Germany. In 1809 he was at the Battles of Essling and Wagram; afterwards he returned to Spain in 1810-11. He left with the regiment for Russia; but in Saxony he was lost, or perhaps stolen, for Mouton was a handsome poodle. Ten days after our arrival in Moscow we were immensely surprised at seeing him again. A detachment composed of fifteen men had left Paris some days after our departure to rejoin the regiment, and as they passed through the place where he had disappeared, the dog had recognised the regimental uniform and folowed the detachment."
And then came the worse days of Russia, where cold not only took fingers and toes, noses and ears of the men, but was equally harsh to the animals that came with them.
p 170) Quote: "In front of me was a man whom I recognised by his cloak as belonging to the regiment. He was walking very much bent, apparently overwhelmed by the weight of a burden he was carrying upon his knapsack and shoulders. Making an effort to get near him, I saw that the burden was a dog, and that the man was an old Sergeant named Daubenton. The dog he carried was the regimental dog, though I did not recognise it. I told him how surprised I was at seeing him carrying the dog, when he had trouble dragging himself along; and, without giving him the time to reply, I asked him if the dog was to eat - if so I should prefer the horse.
'No,' he answered; 'I would rather eat Cossack. But don't you recognise Mouton? His paws are frozen, and now he can't walk any longer."
The sergeant had taken this dog, although he at first thought to leave him behind. But as the dog howled pitifully, he changed his mind and at first merely allowed the dog to follow. This was until he saw the animal fall onto his nose. Not wanting to leave him this time, he strapped him over his shoulders and in the same manner managed to rejoin the rear-guard. The dog however had been some hindrance in fighting, when faced with the enemy. Willing to go after the cavalry but still strapped onto the sergeant's back his attempts brought the other man down, and then dragged him sideways in the direction the dog had wanted to go. The animal had been wounded at this time as well, smacked on the head by the same attacker on horse.
p 172) Quote: "Daubenton was dragged against the shafts of the wagon, so that his enemy on horseback could not get near him. This man faced Daubenton, his sword raised, as if to split him in two, appearing all the while to mock him.
Daubenton, although half dead with cold and hunger, his face thin, pale, and blackened by the bivouac fires, still seemed full of energy ; but he looked odd and really comical, as that devil of a dog was barking all the time, and dragging him sideways."
2. Of French men and HORSES or the horse named CADET
We often hear, or is it read in some historical fiction, that the horses of the French were poorly treated, that their backs stank, and were there to be ridden into death and then discarted for a new beast. Here however is a narrative of a man, who does not only put these claims down as flawed, but in more than one way shows his dedication to the animal, which took him on his back through many a campaign and served him loyaly up till his end.
p254) Quote: "M.Mellé, a Dragoon of the Guards, whom I often met during the retreat, leading his horse by the bridle, and making holes in the ice of the lakes to give him a drink. He was from Condé, the place I came from. He might be called, with truth, one of the best soldiers in the army. [...] With the same weapons and the same horse he went through campaigns of 1806 and 1807 in Prussia and Poland, 1808 in Spain, 1809 in Germany, 1810 and 1811 in Spain, 1812 in Russia, 1813 in Saxony and 1814 in France.
After the departure of the Emperor for the Isle of Elba, he remained in the Royal Guard, awaiting his pension, and always keeping his horse with him. On the return of the Emperor from Elba, he reappeared again in the same corps as one of the Imperial Guards at Waterloo. He was wounded, and his horse killed - the horse which had gone through so many campaigns with his master, and had taken part in more than 15 great battles commanded by the emperor. [...] Although a Chevalier of the Legion of honour, he is now in great want. During the retreat from Russia he sometimes penetrated alone at night into the enemy's camp to get hay or straw for Cadet, the name of his horse. He never returned without killing one or two Russians, or bringing back what he called a witness, viz., a prisoner."
Of this same horse and rider there is another story, which shows in greater detail his want to see his horse fed:
p 92) Quote: "At midnight one of our sentinels told me he could see a man on horseback appearing to come from our side. I ran at once with two of our men to see who it could be. I could distinguish the horseman perfectly, and in front of him a foot soldier, whom he was apparently forcing on before him. When they got near us I recognised a Dragoon of the Guard, who had made his way into the Russian camp to get food for himself and his horse. He had disguised himself by means of the helmet of a Russian Cuirassier whom he had killed the day before. He had brought away from the enemy's camp a bundle of straw and a little flour, and had wounded one sentinel and knocked down another, whom he made prisoner and brought along with him. This brave fellow was called Mellé, and he came from Condé. He stayed with us for the rest of the night. He said that he had run this risk for his horse, called Cadet, and not for himself; at any cost he had determined to get the animal some food.'If I save my horse, he will in turn save me.' This was the second time he had got inside of Russian camp since leaving Smolensk. On the first occasion he had brought back a horse already harnessed.
He was fortunate enough to return to France with his horse. [...] The poor horse was finally killed at Waterloo, after being through more than twelve great battles commanded by the Emperor, and over thirsty smaller engagements. I met Mellé again during this wretched campaign on a lake breaking a hole in the ice with a hatchet to get water for his horse; and another time I saw him at the top of a burning barn, in peril of his life, getting straw from the roof for him, for the horses were as badly off as we were. The poor animals had to gnaw at the trees to feed themselves, until in their turn they fed us."
1. MOUTON, the regimental DOG
This dog went by the name of Mouton and he was their regimental dog, it was what this dog was, that is somewhat surprising:
p 174) Quote: "Mouton had been with us since 1808. We found him in Spain, near the Bonaventura, on the banks of a river where the English had cut the bridge. He came with us to Germany. In 1809 he was at the Battles of Essling and Wagram; afterwards he returned to Spain in 1810-11. He left with the regiment for Russia; but in Saxony he was lost, or perhaps stolen, for Mouton was a handsome poodle. Ten days after our arrival in Moscow we were immensely surprised at seeing him again. A detachment composed of fifteen men had left Paris some days after our departure to rejoin the regiment, and as they passed through the place where he had disappeared, the dog had recognised the regimental uniform and folowed the detachment."
And then came the worse days of Russia, where cold not only took fingers and toes, noses and ears of the men, but was equally harsh to the animals that came with them.
p 170) Quote: "In front of me was a man whom I recognised by his cloak as belonging to the regiment. He was walking very much bent, apparently overwhelmed by the weight of a burden he was carrying upon his knapsack and shoulders. Making an effort to get near him, I saw that the burden was a dog, and that the man was an old Sergeant named Daubenton. The dog he carried was the regimental dog, though I did not recognise it. I told him how surprised I was at seeing him carrying the dog, when he had trouble dragging himself along; and, without giving him the time to reply, I asked him if the dog was to eat - if so I should prefer the horse.
'No,' he answered; 'I would rather eat Cossack. But don't you recognise Mouton? His paws are frozen, and now he can't walk any longer."
The sergeant had taken this dog, although he at first thought to leave him behind. But as the dog howled pitifully, he changed his mind and at first merely allowed the dog to follow. This was until he saw the animal fall onto his nose. Not wanting to leave him this time, he strapped him over his shoulders and in the same manner managed to rejoin the rear-guard. The dog however had been some hindrance in fighting, when faced with the enemy. Willing to go after the cavalry but still strapped onto the sergeant's back his attempts brought the other man down, and then dragged him sideways in the direction the dog had wanted to go. The animal had been wounded at this time as well, smacked on the head by the same attacker on horse.
p 172) Quote: "Daubenton was dragged against the shafts of the wagon, so that his enemy on horseback could not get near him. This man faced Daubenton, his sword raised, as if to split him in two, appearing all the while to mock him.
Daubenton, although half dead with cold and hunger, his face thin, pale, and blackened by the bivouac fires, still seemed full of energy ; but he looked odd and really comical, as that devil of a dog was barking all the time, and dragging him sideways."
2. Of French men and HORSES or the horse named CADET
We often hear, or is it read in some historical fiction, that the horses of the French were poorly treated, that their backs stank, and were there to be ridden into death and then discarted for a new beast. Here however is a narrative of a man, who does not only put these claims down as flawed, but in more than one way shows his dedication to the animal, which took him on his back through many a campaign and served him loyaly up till his end.
p254) Quote: "M.Mellé, a Dragoon of the Guards, whom I often met during the retreat, leading his horse by the bridle, and making holes in the ice of the lakes to give him a drink. He was from Condé, the place I came from. He might be called, with truth, one of the best soldiers in the army. [...] With the same weapons and the same horse he went through campaigns of 1806 and 1807 in Prussia and Poland, 1808 in Spain, 1809 in Germany, 1810 and 1811 in Spain, 1812 in Russia, 1813 in Saxony and 1814 in France.
After the departure of the Emperor for the Isle of Elba, he remained in the Royal Guard, awaiting his pension, and always keeping his horse with him. On the return of the Emperor from Elba, he reappeared again in the same corps as one of the Imperial Guards at Waterloo. He was wounded, and his horse killed - the horse which had gone through so many campaigns with his master, and had taken part in more than 15 great battles commanded by the emperor. [...] Although a Chevalier of the Legion of honour, he is now in great want. During the retreat from Russia he sometimes penetrated alone at night into the enemy's camp to get hay or straw for Cadet, the name of his horse. He never returned without killing one or two Russians, or bringing back what he called a witness, viz., a prisoner."
Of this same horse and rider there is another story, which shows in greater detail his want to see his horse fed:
p 92) Quote: "At midnight one of our sentinels told me he could see a man on horseback appearing to come from our side. I ran at once with two of our men to see who it could be. I could distinguish the horseman perfectly, and in front of him a foot soldier, whom he was apparently forcing on before him. When they got near us I recognised a Dragoon of the Guard, who had made his way into the Russian camp to get food for himself and his horse. He had disguised himself by means of the helmet of a Russian Cuirassier whom he had killed the day before. He had brought away from the enemy's camp a bundle of straw and a little flour, and had wounded one sentinel and knocked down another, whom he made prisoner and brought along with him. This brave fellow was called Mellé, and he came from Condé. He stayed with us for the rest of the night. He said that he had run this risk for his horse, called Cadet, and not for himself; at any cost he had determined to get the animal some food.'If I save my horse, he will in turn save me.' This was the second time he had got inside of Russian camp since leaving Smolensk. On the first occasion he had brought back a horse already harnessed.
He was fortunate enough to return to France with his horse. [...] The poor horse was finally killed at Waterloo, after being through more than twelve great battles commanded by the Emperor, and over thirsty smaller engagements. I met Mellé again during this wretched campaign on a lake breaking a hole in the ice with a hatchet to get water for his horse; and another time I saw him at the top of a burning barn, in peril of his life, getting straw from the roof for him, for the horses were as badly off as we were. The poor animals had to gnaw at the trees to feed themselves, until in their turn they fed us."
