Calendar of the Napoleonic Era

[marktwain]

Originally Posted by Ad1e

Tomorrow is the day that I Para Bty (Bulls Troop) will celebrate Drivers day by getting the most junior soldier serving to recite the following during a formal dinner.

NORMAN RAMSAY’S GUNS AT FUENTES D’ONOR, 05 MAY 1811

At the battle of Fuentes d’Onor, fought on May 5th 1811. I Battery (Bull’s Troop), Royal Horse Artillery, greatly distinguished itself.

On the morning of the battle, 2nd Captain Norman Ramsay was on picket with two guns of his troop, when, by a rapid advance of the French Cavalry, over 4000 in number, they were cut off and surrounded. It was supposed that the guns were lost.

Suddenly, however, a great commotion was observed among the French squadrons, and, to quote from Napier’s History of the Peninsular War.

“Men and horses were seen to close with confusion and tumult towards one point, where a thick dust and loud cries, and the sparkling of blades, and flashing of pistols, indicated some extraordinary occurrence. Suddenly the multitude became violently agitated, an English shout pealed high and clear, the mass was rent asunder, and Norman Ramsay burst forth sword in hand at the head of his battery, his horses, breathing fire, stretched like greyhounds along the plain, the guns bounded behind them like things of no weight, and the mounted gunners followed close, with heads bent low and pointed weapons, in desperate career.”

Terrific cheers from the whole of the British Army greeted the success of Norman Ramsay’s brilliant action in thus saving his guns, and his name became a bye-word in the Peninsular Army as the personification of all that was dashing and brilliant.

He was buried at Inveresk, near Edinburgh, in the burial place of his family.
His memory is still guarded with pride by the Royal Regiment of Artillery and the officers and soldiers of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

The sand of the desert is sodden red,—
Red with the wreck of a square that broke;—
The Gatling's jammed and the Colonel dead,
And the regiment blind with dust and smoke.
The river of death has brimmed his banks,
And England's far, and Honour a name,
But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks:
"Play up! play up!
and play the game!"

Sir Henry Newbolt

[kenberry]

I need help in identifying a picture. Attached is a picture on a new stamp from Mozambique of a French cuirassier in battle. It has two captions, so obviously one or both of them are incorrect: "200th Anniversary of Battle of Borodino 1812" or "Murat's Charge at Eylau 1807". Has anyone ever seen this picture and can tell me who created it or which battle is depicted?

[Post Captain]

This weekend marks the 220th anniversary of the Glorious First of June.




Glorious First of June - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[write2]

Very useful - Thank you. <;^}

[Horatio]

Yesterday marked the 202nd anniversary of the battles of Dresden and Katzbach.

Dresden was a French victory, but was negated by the Prussian victory at Katzbach, where Blücher demonstrated his aggressive style, the following became a saying in the Prussian army: "Der geht ran wie Blücher an der Katzbach!" ("He goes forward like Blücher at Katzbach!")

[ChasseurMarion]

Nothing important this week... only openings of some famous operas and publishment of several unrelated almanachs No, but seriously, the city of Kraków declared a free republic state by the Congress of Vienna (1815), Cossacks occupied Utrecht (1813), and the Portuguese Royal Family had to leave Lisbon to escape from Napoleonic troops (1807).