The I Corps of the Grande Armée was a French military unit that existed during the Napoleonic Wars. Though disbanded in 1814, following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, it was reformed in April 1815 following the return of Napoléon during the Hundred Days. During the Hundred Days, the corps formed part of the quickly re-formed Army of the North.
Campaigns During the mobilisation by Napoléon in 1803, and the subsequent ordnance reforming the army, the new "Army of Hanover or Armée de Hanovre" was formed in French-occupied Hanover. This new army was the size of a corps, but under this reorganisation, this meant the corps was to be deemed an army (for psychological reasons). On 17 June 1805, Jean Baptiste Bernadotte was made Governor of Hanover, and on 29 August 1805 took control of the new I Corps, and remained in this role for another seven years.
War of the Third Coalition When the War of the Third Coalition was declared, the Army of Hanover was separated from the new Army of Hanover (responsible for the defence of Hanover) and the I Corps. This new corps was formed as part of what later became the famed Grande Armée. On 29 August 1805, the I Corps arrived in Würzburg and was tasked with providing support to the Bavarian Army (now a French ally). During the famed Ulm campaign, the I Corps formed part of the far left flank, preventing the possible retreat of the Austrians under General Karl Mack von Leiberich. As Russian General Mikhail Kutuzov arrived in Eastern Austria/Bavaria, the reality of the situation caused a general retreat towards Moravia, and the I Corps was tasked with ensuring they wouldn't escape. This plan however, failed, and it was because of this move that the Battle of Austerlitz in fact went ahead, because of Kutuzov's successful retreat.
Below is the order of battle of the corps on the eve of the Grande Armée's crossing of the Rhine into (what is now) Germany. Order of Battle on 26 October 1805Smith 1998; p. 216.I Corps Headquarters; Maréchal d'Empire Jean Baptiste Bernadotte Corps Artillery; Colonel Humbert 4th Company, 3rd Horse Artillery Regiment 18th Company, 8th Artillery Regiment 20th Company, 8th Artillery Regiment 6 Artillery Train Companies (465 men) 1st Company, 1st Auxiliary Pontooner Battalion (116 men) 1st Detachment, 2nd Platoon, 8th Artisan Company (43 men) Cavalry Division; Général de Division François Étienne de Kellermann 2nd Company, 3rd Horse Artillery Regiment 3rd Company, 3rd Horse Artillery Regiment Brigade; Général de Brigade Joseph-Denis Picard and Van Marizy 2nd Hussar Regiment (2éme Régiment de Hussards) — 3 squadrons with 431 men 4th Hussar Regiment (4éme Régiment de Hussards) — 3 squadrons with 444 men 5th Hussar Regiment (5éme Régiment de Hussards) — 3 squadrons with 355 men 5th Regiment of Mounted Chasseurs (5éme Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval) — 3 squadrons with 436 men 1st Division; Général de Division Jean-Baptiste Drouet 1st Company, 8th Artillery Regiment 2nd Company, 8th Artillery Regiment Brigade; Général de Brigade Bernard-Georges-François Frère and François Werlé 94th Regiment of Line Infantry (94éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne) — 3 battalions with 2,097 men 95th Regiment of Line Infantry (95éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne) — 3 battalions with 1,947 men 27th Regiment of Light Infantry (27éme Régiment d'Infanterie Légère) — 3 battalions with 2,161 men 2nd Division; Général de Division Olivier Macoux Rivaud de la Raffinière 5th Company, 8th Artillery Regiment 6th Company, 8th Artillery Regiment Brigade; Général de Brigade Charles Dumoulin and Michel Marie Pacthod 8th Regiment of Line Infantry (8éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne) — 3 battalions with 1,900 men 45th Regiment of Line Infantry (45éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne) — 3 battalions with 1,822 men 54th Regiment of Line Infantry (54éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne) — 3 battalions with 1,937 men
War of the Fourth Coalition The corps took part in the battles of Schleiz, Halle, and Lübeck in 1806, and Mohrungen and Spanden in 1807. After Bernadotte was wounded at Spanden, General Claude Victor-Perrin led the I Corps at Friedland where his tactics earned him a marshal's baton.
Order of battle, 1808 Order of battle in December 1808 just before it was disbandedGeorge Nafziger, French I Corps 15 December 1808, United States Army Combined Arms Center.1st Division (Commander: Général de Division François Amable Ruffin) 1st Brigade (Général de Brigade Étienne Nicolas Lefol) (RI) 9e Régiment d'Infanterie Légère 2nd (Général de Brigade Pierre Barrois) 96e RI Divisional Artillery 6éme Compagnie du 1er Régiment d'Artillerie à Pied (RAP) 7éme / 1er RAP (detachment) 8éme Artisan d'Artillerie 2nd Division (Général de Division Pierre Belon Lapisse) 1st (Général de Brigade )
2nd (Général de Brigade Augustin Darricau)
54e RI Divisional Artillery 7éme / 1er RAP 2éme / (detachment) 8éme Artisan Compagnie d'Artillerie 3rd Division (Général de Division Eugène-Casimir Villatte) 1st (Général de Brigade Michel-Marie Pacthod)
2nd (Général de Brigade Jacques-Pierre Puthod) 94e RI
Divisional Artillery 7éme / 1er RAP 6éme / 8e RAP (detachment) 8éme Artisan d'Artillerie Cavalry Division 1st (Général de Brigade Marc Antoine de Beaumont)
26éme Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval Divisional Artillery 2éme / 3éme / 3e RAP 8éme Artisan d'Artillerie Corps Artillery & Engineers 11éme / 1er RAP 1er / 8éme RAP 6éme / 1er Ponton Bataillon
Russian campaign The corps was reorganised into a strength of five infantry divisions for the invasion of Russia in 1812 and Marshal Louis-Nicolas Davout was appointed to lead it. At the crossing of the Niemen River in 1812, the size of I Corps was around 79,000 men, but six weeks later, about 60,000 men remained. By the end of the Russian campaign, only 2,235 men remained.
Under Davout, the I Army Corps left Minsk on 12 July 1812 to cut off Pyotr Bagration from Barclay de Tolly. It fought at Battle of Smolensk (1812), Borodino, Vyazma, and Krasnoi before dissolving as an effective unit during the retreat from Moscow.
War of the Sixth Coalition In 1813, the I Corps was reconstituted and placed under the command of General Dominique Vandamme. The corps was destroyed at Kulm, with the remnants surrendering together with XIV Corps following the siege of Dresden in November 1813.
Order of battle, 1813 Order of battle in September 1813 just before the War of the Sixth CoalitionGeorge Nafziger, French I Corps 25 September 1813, United States Army Combined Arms Center.Commander-in-Chief, Général de Division Georges Mouton, Comte de Lobau Chief of Staff, Général de Brigade Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix Commander of Artillery, Général de Brigade Basile de Pouilly 20th Light Cavalry Brigade (Commander: Général de Brigade Weissenwolf) 13e Régiment de Hussards Polognaise (Polish Hussars) 16e Régiment de Chevaulégers-lanciers Polognaise (Polish Lancers) 21st Light Cavalry (Général de Brigade Martin Charles Gobrecht) 1er Escadron / 9e Régiment de Chevaulégers-lanciers (lancers) 1st Division (Général de Division Louis Victorin Cassagne) 1st Brigade I, II / (RI) I, II / (RL) 2nd I, II / 17e RI III / Divisional Artillery 8e Compagnie / (RAP) 23e / (detachment) 1er / Principle Train d'Artillerie (detachment) 14e Principle Train d'Artillerie (detachment) 1er / Principle Train d'Artillerie 2nd Division (Général de Division Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau) 1st I, II / I, II / 2nd I, II, III / 57e RI III / Divisional Artillery 5e / 4e RAP (detachment) 1er / 1er Bataillon du Train (detachment) 5e / 8e Bataillon du Train 23rd Division, commanded by Général de Division Jean-Baptiste Teste 1st Brigade I, II, III, IV / I, II / 2nd Brigade I, II / IV / Divisional Artillery 21e / (detachment) 1er / 1er Bataillon du Train d'Artillerie Corps Artillery 2e / 15e / Horse Artillery 4e / (RAC) 2e / 5e / Supply and Engineers (detachments) 3e & 5e Compagnies / 9e Principle Bataillon du Train (detachment) 6e Principle Bataillon du Train 5e / 3e Sapeur Bataillon 7e / 3e Sapeur Bataillon 1er, 2e, and 3e Compagnies / 10e Bataillon du Equipage
Order of battle, 1814 Order of battle in February 1814 just before the invasion of FranceGeorge Nafziger, French I Corps 1 February 1814, United States Army Combined Arms Center.Commanding Officer, Général de Division Nicolas Joseph Maison, 1er Marquis Maison Cavalry Division (Commander: Général de Division Bertrand-Pierre Castex) 2e Chasseurs à Cheval de la Garde Imperiale (Young Guard) 2e Régiment de Chevaulégers-lanciers de la Garde Imperiale (Dutch, Old Guard) Infantry Division (Général de Division Pierre Barrois) I, II / (Young Guard) I, II / (Young Guard) I, II / (Young Guard) I, II / (Young Guard) II / 72e Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne Corps Artillery & Train 3e Compagnie d'Artillerie de la Vielle Garde Imperiale (Old Guard) 3e d'Artillerie de la Jeune Garde Imperiale (Young Guard) 13e d'Artillerie de la Jeune Garde Imperiale (Young Guard) 7e, 8e, and 10e Compagnies / 1er Bataillon du Train 2e, 8e Compagnies / 2e Bataillon du Train Artisan Pioneers (7 men)
War of the Seventh Coalition The corps was rebuilt in 1815 during the Hundred Days, and was assigned to General Jean-Baptiste Drouet, under whom it fought at the Battle of Waterloo.
Order of battle, 1815 Order of battle in June 1815I Corps Headquarters commanded by Général de Division Jean-Baptiste Drouet I Corps Compagnie du Train des Équipages (1st Corps Equipment Train Company) I Corps Artillery 11ème Compagnie du 6ème Régiment d'Artillerie à Pied (11th Company, 6th Foot Artillery Regiment) (3 Officer, 84 Troops, Six 12 Pounder field cannons and Two 5.5-inch howitzers) 6ème Compagnie du 1er Escadron du Train dArtillerie (6th Company, 1st Artillery Train Squadron) (1 Officer, 118 Troops) I Corps Engineers 2ème Bataillon du 1er Régiment du Génie (2nd Battalion, 1st Engineer Regiment) (21 Officers, 330 Troops) — Each company attached to their respective divisions, 5th Company in reserve 1st Cavalry Division, commanded by Général de Division Charles Claude Jacquinot, Baron 2ème Compagnie du 1er Régiment d'Artillerie à Cheval (2nd Company, 1st Horse Artillery Regiment) — 4 Field Cannons and 2 5.5 Howitzers, 3 Officers and 70 Troops 1ére Ambulance Divisionnaire (1st Divisional Ambulance) 1st Brigade, commanded by Général de Brigade Adrien François Bruno, Baron 7ème Régiment de Hussards (7th Hussars) — 28 Officers and 411 Troops in 3 Squadrons, commanded by Colonel Baron Jean-Baptiste Antoine Marcellin de Marbot 3ème Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval (3rd Mounted Chasseurs Regiment) — 29 Officers and 3367 Troops in 3 Squadrons, commanded by Colonel Anatole Charles Alexis, Marquis de Lawoestine 2nd Brigade, commanded by Général de Brigade Baron Martin Charles Gobrecht 3ème Régiment de Chevaux-Légers Lanciers (3rd Lancers Regiment) — 27 Officers and 379 Troops in 3 Squadrons, commanded by Colonel Charles-François Martigue 4ème Régiment de Chevaux-Légers Lanciers (4th Lancers Regiment) — 22 Officers and 274 Troops in 2 Squadrons, commanded by Colonel Louis Bro 1st Infantry Division, commanded by Général de Division Baron Joachim Jérôme Quiot du Passage 1ére Infanterie Ambulance Divisionnaire (1st Infantry Divisional Ambulance) 1st Brigade, commanded by Colonel Claude Charlet 54ème Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (54th Regiment of Line Infantry), 41 Officers and 921 Troops in 2 battalions, commanded by Colonel Claude Charlet 55ème Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (55th Regiment of Line Infantry), 45 Officers and 1103 Troops in 2 battalions, commanded by Colonel Jean-Pierre Monneret 2nd Brigade, commanded by Général de Brigade Baron Charles François Bourgeois 28ème Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (28th Regiment of Line Infantry), 42 Officers and 856 Troops in 2 battalions, commanded by Chef de Bataillon (Major) Senac 105ème Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (105th Regiment of Line Infantry), 42 Officers and 941 Troops in 2 Battalions, commanded by Colonel Jean Genty