| Unit Name: | II Cavalry Corps |
| Dates: | 1806–1807 1812–1814 |
| Type: | Shock cavalry |
| Size: | Corps |
| Battles: | War of the Fourth Coalition Russian campaign War of the Sixth Coalition |
| Notable Commanders: | Jean-Baptiste Bessières Rémi Joseph Isidore Exelmans Louis-Pierre Montbrun Antoine Decrest de Saint-Germain Horace François Sébastiani |
The II Cavalry Corps of the Grande Armée was a French military unit that existed during the Napoleonic Wars. It was first formed in December 1806, but only enjoyed a brief existence under Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières. The II Cavalry Corps was reconstituted for the invasion of Russia in 1812 and commanded by General Louis-Pierre Montbrun who was killed in battle, as was his successor a few hours later. During the War of the Sixth Coalition, General Horace François Bastien Sébastiani de La Porta led the II Cavalry Corps in 1813, while General Antoine-Louis Decrest de Saint-Germain led the corps in 1814. During the Hundred Days, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte raised the corps again and entrusted it to General Rémi Joseph Isidore Exelmans.
The II Cavalry Corps was formed on 16 December 1806 at the beginning of Napoleon's campaign in Poland. Placed under the command of Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières, it operated with the northern wing of the French corps that advanced across the Vistula. The remainder of the army's reserve cavalry formed the I Cavalry Corps under Marshal Joachim Murat. The II Cavalry Corps included the 2nd Dragoon Division under General Emmanuel de Grouchy, the 4th Dragoon Division led by General Louis Michel Antoine Sahuc, the 2nd Cuirassier Division commanded by General Jean-Joseph Ange d'Hautpoul, and the light cavalry division of General Jacques Louis François Delaistre de Tilly. The corps was dissolved on 12 January 1807.[1] [2] The only notable action occurred at Bieżuń on 23 December 1806. After Grouchy's division seized Bieżuń on 19 December, the Prussian commander, General Anton Wilhelm von L'Estocq, sent Major Karl Anton Stephan de La Roche-Aymon and several units to recover the town. Upon arrival, the Prussians found that the French cavalry had been reinforced by infantry and artillery. Grouchy immediately attacked and drove La Roche-Aymon toward Soldau (Działdowo).[3] The French dragoons crowded a portion of the Prussian force against a swampy forest and forced the surrender of 500 men and 5 artillery pieces.[4]
The corps was reformed in 1812 for the invasion of Russia. Commanded by General Louis-Pierre Montbrun, the initial strength of the corps was 10,436 cavalry and 30 horse artillery pieces. General Horace François Bastien Sébastiani de La Porta led the 2nd Light Cavalry Division, General Pierre Watier directed the 2nd Heavy Cavalry Division, and General Jean-Marie Defrance commanded the 4th Heavy Cavalry Division.[5]
The corps was heavily engaged at the Battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812. Early in the morning, the corps was moved up from reserve in support of Marshal Michel Ney's III Corps attacks on the flèches, during which Montbrun was killed.[6] Around 3:00 PM, the IV Corps under Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais mounted a frontal assault on the Great Redoubt. The II Cavalry Corps, now led by General Auguste-Jean-Gabriel de Caulaincourt charged the Russian infantry lines to the south of the position. Breaking through, the cavalry wheeled to the left and galloped into the open back of the Great Redoubt just as Eugène's infantry fought their way in from the front. The four Russian infantry regiments defending the redoubt were annihilated. During the melee, Caulaincourt was slain while leading the 5th Cuirassier Regiment.[7]
After the disaster in Russia, Napoleon ordered four bodies of cavalry to be rebuilt for his army in Germany. These were the Imperial Guard cavalry, the I Cavalry Corps led by General Victor de Fay de La Tour-Maubourg, the II Cavalry Corps under Sébastiani, and the III Cavalry Corps under General Jean-Toussaint Arrighi de Casanova. The I and II Corps were to have three heavy and four light cavalry divisions.[8] On April 15, the II Cavalry Corps numbered 149 officers, 3,144 troopers, and 3,581 horses. By the end of April, the I Cavalry Corps had 172 officers, 3,343 men, and 3,705 horses deployed along the Elbe River.[9] The lack of trained horses and cavalrymen proved to be a major factor for the French defeat in 1813.[10] On 15 May, the size of the I Cavalry Corps had been raised to 9,800 troopers in 45 to 50 squadrons. That same day, the II Cavalry Corps in Ney's army numbered 3,000 horsemen in 15 squadrons.[11] At the battles of Lützen and Bautzen Napoleon only employed the I Cavalry Corps.[12] The II Cavalry Corps and the II Corps missed Bautzen because Napoleon was dazzled by the possibility of capturing Berlin. Belatedly, the emperor realized that the Allies were offering battle at Bautzen and giving him an opportunity to smash them. But his orders to Ney were too late for the two corps to arrive in time.[13]
After the summer armistice, the II Cavalry Corps numbered 10,304 men in 52 squadrons, supported by 18 guns.[14] The corps fought in the Battle of the Katzbach on 26 August 1813 under the overall command of Marshal Jacques MacDonald.[15] As the French crossed the Katzbach River, the cavalry became intermixed with the infantry, slowing down the advance. Early in the action, the II Cavalry Corps was driven off by Russian cavalry. The French infantry tried to hold off the charging Prussian and Russian horsemen but were unable to fire their muskets due to the heavy rain. When the Allied infantry advanced with bayonets and clubbed muskets, the French were routed. Fleeing down to the river bank the French foot soldiers found that the stream was now swollen by the rain and difficult to cross. Thousands were captured.[16] A few days later, Napoleon hurled abuse at Sébastiani for mishandling the cavalry, though the unfortunate general was allowed to remain in command.[17]
At the Battle of Leipzig on 16 to 19 October 1813, General Antoine-Louis Decrest de Saint-Germain led the 2nd Heavy Cavalry Division, General Nicolas François Roussel d'Hurbal commanded the 2nd Light Cavalry Division, and General Rémi Joseph Isidore Exelmans directed the 4th Light Cavalry Division. Altogether, the corps numbered 5,680 troopers and 12 guns.[18] On the 16th, the corps was attached to MacDonald's XI Corps in its attempt to turn the Allied right flank.[19] Around noon, the assault began and MacDonald drove back General Johann von Klenau's Austrian forces. At this time, Sébastiani's advance was held up by a Russian cavalry corps led by General Peter von der Pahlen at the village of Klein Possna.[20] Ultimately, Napoleon failed to smash the Allies that day and suffered the loss of Germany as a result of his defeat at Leipzig. The II Cavalry Corps played a key role at the Battle of Hanau on 30 October. Together with the Imperial Guard Cavalry, they smashed the Bavarian left flank.[21]
Saint-Germain commanded the II Cavalry Corps at the Battle of Vauchamps on 14 February 1814. It consisted of the 2nd Heavy Cavalry Division, also led by Saint-Germain, the 2nd Light Cavalry Division under General Sigismond Frédéric de Berckheim, and two horse artillery batteries.[22] Saint-Germain led the 2,600-strong corps at the Battle of Laubressel on 3 and 4 March. General Antoine Maurin led the 2nd Light Cavalry Division.[23]
The following organizations and unit strengths are from October 1806.
Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières[24]
General of Division Louis-Pierre Montbrun[27] (10,436, 30 guns)[28]
General of Division Horace François Bastien Sébastiani de La Porta[18]