Regiment de Perche

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Régiment de Carignan /
Régiment du Perche

Rég de Perche 1690.png

Flag of the Régiment du Perche 1690 to 1744.png
active 1644 to 1744
Country Blason France modern.svg France
Armed forces army
Type Infantry regiment
Strength about 1000
Patron saint Saint-Maurice d'Agaune
commander
commander Last: Paul Sanguin, marquis de Livry

The Régiment du Perche was an infantry unit of the French armed forces during the Ancien Régime .

Lineup and significant changes

  • It was set up in April 1644 as a Piedmontese regiment by Thomas Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, Prince of Carignan and as the Régiment de Carignan (a so-called foreign regiment ) in French service.
  • 1659: After the Peace of the Pyrenees , the regiment was incorporated into the French army.
  • 1671: The remnants of the Régiment Salière are incorporated and renamed the Régiment de Carignan-Salière .
  • July 18, 1676: Renamed the Régiment de Soissons
  • December 1690: Renamed the Régiment du Perche (after the province of Le Perche ).
  • 1744: Merged with the Regiment des Gardes Lorraine

Flags

From 1671 to 1718 the regiment carried two white flags.

Uniforms

Mestres de camp / Colonels

Mestre de camp was from 1569 to 1661 and from 1730 to 1780 the denomination of rank for the regiment holder and / or for the officer in charge of the regiment. The name "Colonel" was used from 1721 to 1730, from 1791 to 1793 and from 1803 onwards.

Should the Mestre de camp / Colonel be a person of the high nobility who had no interest in leading the regiment (such as the king or queen), the command was given to the "Mestre de camp lieutenant" (or “Mestre de camp en second”) or the “Colonel-lieutenant” or “Colonel en second”.

  • April 1644: Mestre de camp Thomas Emmanuel Philibert de Savoie, prince de Carignan
Mestre de camp en second: Baron de La Valdisère
Mestre de camp en second: July 1652: d'Aloigny de Rochefort
  • 1658: as Mestre de camp, Lieutenant-général Jean de Balthazard
  • 1665: Thomas François de Savoie-Carignan-Soissons
Mestre de camp en second: Henri de Chapelas de Salières
  • July 18, 1676: Louis Thomas de Savoie, comte de Soissons
  • December 31, 1690: Joseph de Robert, marquis de Lignerac
  • July 1705: Marquis de Cotteron
  • October 27, 1706: Claude, marquis de Ceberet
  • March 15, 1718: Louis Auguste, chevalier (then marquis) de Rieux
  • April 5, 1738: Paul Sanguin, marquis de Livry

Battle calendar

Plan of the forts on the Rivière Richelieu in Canada. Made by members of the de Carignan and de Salière regiments.

Until the Peace of the Pyrenees, the regiment was not part of the French army, but was one of the recruited foreign regiments. During this time it only appeared under his name Carignan.

It was set up in April 1644 by Thomas-Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie, prince de Carignan (only 16 years old). The regiment probably also served as the trunk for the prince's guard company . In the first years of its existence it consisted of about 1000 men and was under the command of the Colonel en second, the Baron de La Val d'Isère.

The regiment had its first combat action on behalf of France in August 1645 at the siege of Bigevano. On October 19th it was in action at La Mora . The following year the campaign to Orbitello followed, commanded by the regiment owner Thomas-Emmanuel-Philibert de Sayoie. Embarked on the fleet des duc de Brezé in Genoa on May 2nd, Talamone's speech was reached on May 10th . Immediately after the landing there was a fierce battle for the Forte di Salina in which the regiment could excel. After the expedition had completed its mission, the regiment returned to Piedmont and moved into garrison in Trino , where it remained until 1648. Then it moved to Casal and in 1649 was one of the troops mobilized because of the Fronde uprising . The regiment moved across the Maritime Alps and was deployed in Guyenne . It remained in this province until 1652 when it belonged to the small army that Turenne was able to bring back to Paris for the king. On July 2, 1652, it was able to distinguish itself in the battle of Étampes when it attacked together with the Régiment d'Huxelles on the far left wing in the gardens of Sieur Rambouillet (between today's Rue de Charenton and the Seine). Although the Mestre de camp des Regiment, the Baron de la Val d'Isère, was fatally wounded from the first shots, the regiment succeeded in driving the troops of the Prince de Condé from their positions at the garden wall.

Then the eight Italian companies withdrew to the Piémont, the remaining 22 companies, consisting of French and deployed in Guyenne, followed in December. After a few unimportant operations, the unit moved to the Dauphiné and was garrisoned there.

On April 16, 1653 the regiment arrived in Turin , where it was inspected by the Duke of Savoy. On the way back there was a battle at La Roquete on the Tanaro on September 23 , and then wintered in the Val de Saint Martin.

In 1655 it excelled at the siege of Pavie , where it lost three officers in battle.

After the death of his father, Thomas-François de Savoie-Carignan-Soissons took over the regiment as owner. In the same year it was involved in the siege of Valence, in which the Mestre de camp en second was wounded. With the siege of Mortara in 1658 the war for the regiment ended. After the Peace of the Pyrenees, the Prince de Carignan could not or did not want to maintain the regiment any longer and handed it over to the French King Louis XIV. It now became part of the French army, but consisted only of 10 companies and mostly foreign mercenaries. From here on the history of the regiment could get confusing if the following instruction had not been given:

“In order to prevent the disturbances caused by the Iroquois ( beaver war ), King Louis XIV decided to send a good regiment of infantry to Canada in the spring. The choice fell on the Régiment Carignan. On this occasion it will be given to the Henri de Chapelas, sieur de Sallières, whose name it will also bear. "

Canada

In May 1665 the 10 companies of the Régiment de Carignan - about 1000 men - and with them the German Regiment de Balthazard were embarked for Canada in La Rochelle . A kind of brigade or marching regiment was formed from the two regiments, under the command of Jean de Balthazard (probably the same officer who had set up the Régiment de Royal-Cravate cavalerie ). The two body companies with their respective body flags remained, the de Carignan company provided the 1st and the de Balthazard company the 2nd company.

Jean de Balthazard died in the same year and was replaced by M. de Saliére, the previous Prime Minister capitaine de Carignan. This was followed by a reorganization, the association from now on only bore the name "Régiment de Carignan-Salière".

It was the first unit to be paid directly by the state and not by its regimental owner.

Hardly arrived in Quebec , the regiment was deployed on an expedition against the Iroquois on Lake Champlain . Here, under the command of Capitaine de la Mothe, the soldiers built a fort on one of the islands in the lake . On October 1, 1666, a detachment consisting of 600 soldiers and 1200 colonists (also called Algonquins) under the command of M. de Tracy moved from Fort Sainte-Anne to destroy the dwellings of the Iroquois. The expedition moved up Lake Champlain and built a small fort at the point of transition to Lac du Saint-Sacrement in which the M. de Saliére left 4 companies to cover the return march of his troops. The association moved on and destroyed some Indian villages and returned to Quebec on November 5th. Nothing is known about the actions in the following year.

In June 1668, the two personal companies , each about 60 men strong and detached from the previous regimental association de Carignan-Salière, returned to la Rochelle. The rest of the troop stayed in Canada.

Europe

The two personal companies belonging to the Prince de Carignan and M. de Salière were kept separately between 1668 and 1671.

Dutch War

  • 1671: When the Dutch War was approaching, the Prince de Carignan took the initiative and brought his regiment to war strength by recruiting 15 companies. He offered M. de Salière, who at the same time was financially incapable of integrating his company into the regiment. Since he did not want to lead the command himself, the M. de Salière could take over the post of Colonel-Commandant, his company would become the personal company and the regiment would be called Carignan-Salière. The M. de Salière accepted this suggestion because he simply could not refuse such an offer.
  • 1672: the regiment left its garrison Courtrai and remained in the field for two years under the Maréchal Louis de Crévant, duc d'Humières .
  • 1674: Some of the companies were transferred to Sicily . Here they were able to distinguish themselves when on February 8, 1675 they fended off a surprise Spanish attack against the Fort de Castellazo. The Capitaine de Grandcombe killed three Spaniards and was himself wounded. The main part of the regiment moved from Courtrai to Huy in the same year, but had to leave it again in April 1676 and retreated to Philippeville after the fortifications had been demolished.
  • 1676: on July 18th the ownership of the regiment passed to Louis-Thomas de Savoie, comte de Soissons . He was a nephew of Prince de Carignan and brother of Prince Eugene of Savoy .

The Colonel-Commandant, the Marquis de Salière was now old and sick and no longer felt able to command the regiment any longer. He therefore passed the post on to his son, who led it until his resignation in October 1718.

  • 1677: on March 17th, the regiment, now known only as "de Soissons infanterie", was given the honor of opening the assault on the Valenciennes fortress together with the Régiment des Gardes françaises and Régiment de Picardie . (This was a favor the King wanted to do the young Colonel - but angry tongues claimed that it was rather his mother.)

In the same year the Regiment de Soissons fought in the siege of Cambrai and Saint-Ghislain, in the latter case the lieutenant-colonel was badly wounded.

  • 1678: Participation in the siege of Ghent and Ypres , march to Alsace in June for the siege of Kehl .

Reunion War

War of the Palatinate Succession

Main article | War of the Palatinate Succession

  • 1688: Soissons was part of the Armée du Rhin; Capture of Philippsburg , Mannheim and Frankenthal .
  • 1689: Used in the Netherlands, with distinction in the battle of Walcourt and in the battle of Gerpinnes
  • 1690: Used in the Battle of Fleurus . Together with the Régiment de Champagne , it formed a brigade that forced 1200 opponents to lay down their arms in a castle near the battlefield. Three officers were killed in this battle, the Lieutenant-Colonel de Villaincourt, the Major de Senneville and seven other officers were seriously wounded.

In December the king withdrew the regiment from the Comte de Soissons because he was extremely dissatisfied with him and transformed it into an ordinary regiment of the line, which was given the name "du Perche".

  • 1691: The regiment's grenadiers distinguished themselves during the siege of Mons in such a way that the sergents were allowed to use a musket fork as a badge of honor .

Then the unit was used in the siege of Liege , in which the Lieutenant-Colonel de Clogny was wounded. At the end of the year Perche was transferred to the Rhine Army and took part in the campaign of 1692.

  • 1693: deployment in the Alps. On October 3rd, the heights of Piosasco were taken and the following day a victorious battle was waged against Piedmontese and Spanish troops at Marsaglia . Then nothing of interest happened in the Alps, activities shifted to the siege of Valenza . After the peace agreement with the Duke of Savoy, the regiment returned to the Rhine and served in the campaign of 1697 under Marshal Claude de Choiseul-Francières . Reinforced by two battalions, it was still on the Rhine in 1701.

War of the Spanish Succession

  • 1702: Relocated to Italy in January, the regiment was part of the observation corps of Prince Charles-Henri de Lorraine-Vaudémont . It suffered heavy losses in the battle of Luzzara and Colonel Lignerac was wounded.
  • 1703: du Perche marched with the troops of General de Vendôme to Trento , leaving behind in Desenzano del Garda a guard for the magazines and communication lines. It spent the following winter in Montferrat .
  • 1704: Capture of Vercelli and Ivrea , siege of Verrue (all in the Piémont).
  • 1705: After Verrue surrendered in April, it distinguished itself together with the Régiment de Limousin in the battle near Muscoline , in which it lost two officers and 27 soldiers to death or wounding. It then joined the main army and took a place in the center of the line in the Battle of Cassano . Since the main thrust of Prince Eugene's forces was concentrated here, the regiment suffered heavy losses.
Battle of Calcinato 1706

The winter quarters were taken in Rivoli d'Isori.

  • 1706: April 19th was a glory day for the regiment. In the battle of Calcinato it stood as a reserve behind the right wing, on which the main thrust of the enemy was directed. The cavalry of this wing was attacked by the Imperial cavalry, got into disarray and turned to flee. The whole army threatened to panic until the Regiment du Perche under its Colonel Cotteron stopped the enemy cavalry and thus gave the Maréchal Vendôme time to gather his own cavalry and bring them back to the front. Then it moved to the Turin area on the Stura di Lanzo . On September 8th, it fought a battle of extraordinary courage in which the brave Colonel Cotteron was killed. The next day a division fought successfully at Castiglione under the Comte de Grancey.
  • 1707: In March the regiment, reduced by 337 men, arrived at the Armée de Flandre after crossing the Alps. It was housed in the area around Comines .
  • 1708: In the battle of Oudenaarde it was able to distinguish itself again when it covered the retreat of the gendarmerie . The regiment also fought successfully in the battle at Winendaël, and a few days later at Hondschoote when it attacked an enemy camp of 1,600 men. Circled these had to surrender, including a general and 80 officers. The booty included 12 flags and six standards .
  • 1709: In the battle of Malplaquet du Perche was one of the three regiments that Marshal Villars led to the left wing to try to take the initiative again. After the marshal was wounded, the maneuver failed, the regiment withdrew in an orderly manner, covering that of the artillery.
  • 1711: Participation in the attack on Arleux .
  • 1712: the regiment moved to Landrecies , although the fortress was already threatened with enclosure. After the Battle of Denain , the imperial troops had to give up the threat to Landrecies and withdraw. Perche was part of the pursuit forces and was involved in the capture of Douai , Le Quesnoy and Bouchain .
  • 1713: Relocation to the Rhine, participation in the sieges of Landau and Freiburg. After Freiburg surrendered, the regiment was placed in garrison there. On December 25th, it took part in a foray into Württemberg in which 400 prisoners could be taken. The imperial light cavalry did not succeed in freeing the prisoners again, even if the horsemen left no stone unturned.
  • 1714: After the end of the war, the regiment withdrew to France and was reduced to one battalion.

Quadruple Alliance War

War of the Polish Succession

War of the Austrian Succession

At the beginning of the war the regiment was in Lorraine, where it remained during the first campaigns. It belonged to the reserve army of the Maréchal Adrien-Maurice de Noailles .

Footnotes

  1. there is also the spelling “Sallières”, although “Salière” is probably the correct one.
  2. Cinquième abrégé général du militaire de France, sur terre et sur mer , Lemau de la Jaisse, Paris, 1739
  3. Regimental owner without taking command
  4. ^ Son of Thomas Franz (Savoyen-Carignan)
  5. the de facto commander
  6. probably Jean de Balthazard de Simeren
  7. ^ Septième abrégé général du militaire de France, sur terre et sur mer , Lemau de la Jaisse, Paris, 1741
  8. so here the spelling
  9. ↑ the latter is a bit unclear
  10. ^ First Captain of Carignan
  11. The reasons, however, were not in the military field, as the Comte had no ambitions here

literature

  • Histoire de l'infanterie en France , par le lieutenant-colonel Belhomme, tome 2, Henri Charles-Lavauzelle éditeur militaire
  • Chronologie historique-militaire , par M. Pinard, tome 8, Paris 1778

Web links