Talk:3rd Foot Grenadier Regiment of the Imperial Guard

Problem wih the Dutch last stand

I have two descriptions that seem to indicate that the Voltigeurs advanced in support of the Grenadiers and not the opposite which is written in the article.

Blok and Molhuysen write: Tindal's 3rd Grenadier Regiment, supported by the Dutch Red Lance Regiment, was destined to attack the Russian-occupied village of Uwarowo. Still only 500 men strong, the regiment was formed into one battalion under the command of one of the battalion's cantors, Lieutenant-Colonel George. General Fantin des Odoards, at the time a captain in the 2nd Regiment of Grenadiers, relates in his Journal (Paris 1895, 345), that on that occasion, when Napoleon sent one of the battalions of his Guards (which must have been the battalion of grenadiers of Tindal's regiment) against the enemy, he heard the Emperor say: 'Allons, grenadiers, abordez ces b .... - là. A la guerre comme en amour, il faut se voir de près.' With those words, then, the Dutch grenadiers were ordained to death; for, having fired their cartridges, they continued to hold out until only about 40 of them remained, which was relieved by a battalion of skirmishers of the Young Guard, under Colonel Lenoir. This troop, too, was mowed down by the Russian artillery and cavalry in less than half an hour. [1]

Van Lennep writes: One of these divisions succeeded in fighting its way to him, but the second one, led by Davoust, was (16 Nov.) so encircled by the enemy that Napoleon ordered Marshal Lefebre, who commanded the Old Guard, to send one of the regiments of grenadiers to enable communion with this corps. To this end, Lefebre chose the Dutch regiment, which was already down to 500 men. Led by Superior George, it fearlessly advanced on the enemy, who was already approaching by a long road, and kept him busy until Davoust's troops had approached. Then George received orders to retreat; - he did, but with 40 men. All the others were killed, and the name of that regiment, once called 'Dutch glory' by Napoleon, could henceforth, as after the battle of Borodino that of the regiment of Dutch hussars, be crossed out on the roll of the Grand Army.

The same took place few moments later with the 33rd regiment light infantry, formerly the third regiment of Dutch jagers. Repeatedly pursued, it had each time, by forming itself into a square, repelled the attack of the enemy horsemen; but at last, attacked by foot soldiers and artillery, it was destroyed: no more than 78 men, of whom only 25 were unhurt, remained, but to be taken away as prisoners of war.'' [2] DavidDijkgraaf (talk) 10:51, 30 July 2023 (UTC)