Banner of the voluntary Saxons

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Uniforms of the hussars and snipers

The banner of the voluntary Saxons was a short-lived free corps during the wars of liberation . It existed between 1813 and 1814.

prehistory

The unit was founded after Napoleon's defeat in the Battle of Leipzig (October 16-19, 1813) and the occupation of Saxony by the Allies, alongside a Landwehr organized according to the Prussian model, by the leadership of the General Government of Saxony . The establishment was initiated by the Russian Governor General Prince Repnin . He called on the Saxon population to volunteer to fight Napoleon. At the end of 1813, the Saxon Colonel Carl Adolf von Carlowitz , who had been promoted to Russian major general, was appointed commander.

Organization and uniforms

Above all, those wealthy and educated population groups who had previously been exempt from military service and were able to equip themselves were to be won over to the unity. In fact, the wealthier members of the troops had to take care of their uniforms and, if they were cavalry, their horses. In addition, donations were to be collected so that poorer recruits could also be equipped.

The troops had a number of perks. All the soldiers were already beginning their service as corporal , had no corporal punishment fear and were not geduzt by the officers. It was hoped that this would create a nursery for future officers and NCOs for the Landwehr. Initially, representatives of the General Government decided on the appointment of officers. Later these should be chosen by the volunteers themselves. In practice, however, considerable pressure had to be exerted in order to find enough recruits. The majority of the soldiers came from the units that defected to Napoleon's opponents during the Battle of Leipzig.

It included hussars and hunters on horseback and on foot. The troop numbered around 2500 men in total. Emperor Alexander I designated the unit to be part of his guard. As a result, the troop members were splendidly uniformed.

The uniforms of the banner are u. a. depicted by the Meissen illuminated manuscript.

Formation of troops

Ready to deploy on March 1, 1814
unit Officers Teams Horses
1 battalion with
4 companies of riflemen and 2 companies of snipers		 31 1013
1 company of sappers 5 126
1 regiment of cavalry with
2 squadron hunters and 2 squadron hussars		 30th 389 389
1 moving battery 4th 186 180
total 70 1714 569
Depot troops on March 1, 1814
unit Officers Teams Horses
2 companies rifle 9 210
Sapper 1 27
2 squadron 4th 121 57
total 14th 358 57
planned for March 1, 1814
unit Officers Teams Horses
2 Squadron Dragoons 12 200 200

In total: 97 officers, 2272 men with 826 horses

Use and end

Saxony grave in Miltenberg

The unit only experienced one campaign. On March 19, 1814, the farewell took place with a parade in front of Prince Repnin in Querfurt. The next day the march to the blockade of Mainz began . The troop had the first dead in Miltenberg am Main. The river was badly swollen. A ferry overturned while crossing over, killing Hauptmann von Hausen and 62 riflemen. The others reached Darmstadt on April 19 and the containment corps in Mainz on April 24. The Saxons stayed there for ten days on outposts without contact with the enemy and were then sent to their quarters on May 4th. On June 14th the order to march back was given. The banner reached Dresden on May 24th and was dismissed after a service because the armed masses were considered dangerous. Most returned to their civilian professions.

After Napoleon's return from Elba, the troops gathered again, but by the time they reached the Rhine it was all over. After the partition of Saxony, 92 men came into Prussian service and were assigned to a hunter battalion in August 1815.

Although long since disbanded, the unit received the Russian Campaign Medal in 1832.

Known relatives

literature

  • General real encyclopedia for the educated classes. Vol. 2, Regensburg 1866, p. 150.
  • Thomas Hemmann: The Meissen illuminated manuscript from the years 1809 - 1814 . BoD, Norderstedt 2013, ISBN 978-3-7322-3624-4 .
  • Marcus von Salisch: The example of Saxony. Military reforms in German medium-sized states. In: Karl-Heinz Lutz (Ed.): Reform - Reorganization - Transformation: on the change in German armed forces from the Prussian army reforms to the transformation of the Bundeswehr. Oldenbourg, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-486-59714-1 , p. 105.
  • History of the Saxon people and state. Vol. 3, Hinrich, Leipzig 1853, pp. 540-542.
  • Ludwig von Kusserow: History of the Brandenburg Jäger Battalion No. 3 , S.21f Saxon Banner

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Roman Töppel: Carlowitz, Carl Adolf von . In: Institute for Saxon History and Folklore (Ed.): Saxon Biography .
  2. ↑ A memorial stone still commemorates the victims of the accident today, see also the archive of the Historical Association of Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg , Volume 2, p.141ff. The Saxony grave near Miltenberg
  3. ^ SH Steinberg: Participant in the banner of the voluntary Saxons of 1813 . In: Central Office for German Personal and Family History e. V. (Ed.): Familiengeschichtliche Blätter . 31st year, issue 6. Leipzig 1933.
  4. ↑ Theo Piegler (ed.): Vogtländische fates - in search of clues in the history of Piegler . Part 1. videel OHG, Niebüll 2005, ISBN 3-89906-996-X , p. 106 .