NationStates Jolt Archive

The army of His Most Imperial Catholic Majesty, King Charles the III of Spain march northwards along the old Roman Road from Madrid to the frontier that led into the deaths of France. Of course they hadn’t got orders to invade just yet, just to proceed to a boarder town and to stop any French attack.

Horses feet splashed across a ford in a small stream where the roads bridge had collapsed, the vanguard of the army was a regiment of cavalry, the 19th Dragoons in there white and gold uniforms. Behind them came the 16th Lancers, wearing the blue of the Lancer regiments and there regiments Green facings-long lancers in holders by there sides.

The infantry meanwhile where miles behind, marching through a small Spanish village in which the villages cheered the soldiers and as they marched through. The leading unit was the 1st company of the 24th Skirmishes, red coated men with muskets by there sides, marching in column over baked flagstones. There officers road on horseback by the roadside and looked proudly down at there men who trudged onwards.

Following them where the other Skirmishing regiment, the experimental yellow coated regiment, Skirmishes armed with slow-firing rifles instead of muskets. There longer, ponderous weapons where slung over there soldiers as they marched, and there junior officers marched on foot with the man-though senior officers still rode forwards on great horses.

Then came the infantry of the line, poor blighters who’s job it was to stand and give volley fire, in the new line formation that the king insisted upon-not the columns of old. Simple Mathematics the king claimed, but the men grumbled about it, but then men will grumble about anything. There where 8 regiments with this army, and there dust plume was visible from miles away.

The village quietened now until the steady grumble of wheels came to the villages ears-the artillery of the Spanish army, gleaming pieces hauled by horses over the cracked flagstones, escorted by there crews. By this time 8 hours had pasted since the first Dragoons had entered the village, and the villages had grown tired of cheering and the rumble of wheels and men’s harsh breath, they wanted a rest now, and they would get it, for the final parts of the armies rear was trundling through the village-the baggage train guarded by another regiment of Infantry of the line, the 4th, and behind them came, at last, the last part of this great army-the heavy Dragoons, in there Orange uniforms and polished armour.

“Bloody stupid place to stay.” Carlos commented, Dummer boy of the 66th
“Aye.” Replied Paulo “What’s the fucking point of us being here anyway, what Frenchmen would want to come to this hell hole? I mean, it don’t do nothing here except rain and snow and their nowt to do.”
“But they wouldn’t put us here for nothing would they, I mean seriously.”
“Who knows what the Generals think? We joined up to be soldiers not watchmen.”
“Aye.” In truth, Carlos didn’t care very much, as far as he was concerned they’d been put here and that was that, complaining wasn’t going to do anything about that so he was prepared to do with what he had been given to them.
Paulo looked around and saw horsemen on the horizon, only a few, he presumed it was just the Dragoons arriving back, he was right of course. But then again there wasn’t much to be wrong about, it wasn’t as though the French where going to attack anytime soon.

BUMP for Fracne and responces.

Sweden is frankly alarmed as we learn from our French counterparts this build up of forces along the Franco-Spanish frontier. We are alarmed at the prospects of war between your two nations and inform the Spanish Government that in case of war, Sweden will not hesitate in assisting the French nation against any unwarranted aggression.

French border guardsa have been nervously looking over the border and couriers have been riding to Paris. Louis the XV, King of France has ordered troops to the border to dissuade a Spanish attack. 20,000 infantry of the line, along with three battereis of artillery, a regiment of dragoons, and a regiment of heavy cavalry are straddling the main highway into France, ten miles inside the French border, with a company of dragoons deployed at the border to give advance warning should the Spanish invade.

THe King has promised more troops should the Spanish cross the border and is preparing another 20,000 men for the march.


To the Kingdom of Spain

We are wary of your recent troop movements along our border. If you cross our border for any reason a state of war shall exist between our two nations. Be warned.

OOC: One tiny nitpick, Aust - as far as I know, only lance-using cavalry forces in the Europe are Polish Uhlans and Russian Cossacks, later some Russian uhlans, formed of Czars Polish compliants. This didn't change until Napoleon, who was stunned by the incredible performance of the Polish units under his command, formed couple of regiments of French nationality. Austrians also had some lancer units, also formed by using Poles, but not before the 19th century.

OOC: One tiny nitpick, Aust - as far as I know, only lance-using cavalry forces in the Europe are Polish Uhlans and Russian Cossacks, later some Russian uhlans, formed of Czars Polish compliants. This didn't change until Napoleon, who was stunned by the incredible performance of the Polish units under his command, formed couple of regiments of French nationality. Austrians also had some lancer units, also formed by using Poles, but not before the 19th century.


Most definitly not! The Uhlans in Austrian Army were formed out of the local lower nobility and they were lance-armed, and so were the English ''Light-horse'', but i'm not sure abouth Spanish cavalry. French on the other hand only have one sort lance armed unit and those were the Polish lanciers first recruited by Napoleon...

OOC:"Napoleon was impressed with the two Polish lancer regiments in French service: the Guard lancers and the Vistula Uhlans. He ordered the formation of nine regiments of lancers in his army. The Allies responded with increasing their own numbers of lancer/uhlan regiments. For example the Russians increased from 5-6 to 12 regiments, the Austrians from 3 to 4 regiments and the Prussians from 1 to 8 regiments. All lancers were uniformed in Polish style and desig, and those formed in Russia and Austria had mostly men of Polish nationality withing their ranks. Even the British formed their own lancers styled on the Vistula uhlans."
http://web2.airmail.net/napoleon/cavalry_tactics_2.htm

The formation of British lancer units happened first time in 1816.
http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/britishcavalry/17thlancers1822.htm

Besides, we are still in the year of 1760. Prussians have propably 1 regiment, Austrians none as the Poland hasn't been splitted, or if they do, not more than couple.

OOC: My mistake

IC: More renforcements arrived-including the rest of the kings army and some newly raised units. By now around 60,000 men where on the boarder, waiting for yet more renforcement.

OOC: Is this okay, I'll remove it if you have any propblem with it-

Blue coated men road over a lush green hill in the Spanish mountains, they wore blue but they where not French. There officers coats where lined with silver braid and they had the crowns of Spain upon their colours.

They where Dragoons, four companies of them, half a battalion where out on a sweep for French patrols approaching the far valley where they where garrisoned. Them and three companies of infantry from the 6th Regiment of the line.

The valley they where Garrisoning was small and unimportant, compared to the great passes in the east but General Rodregio was worried about the valley, called The Virgins footsteps.

He was worried about it because it opened a back door into Spain, bypassing the great citadels and though a small pass, easily held by a few with it’s forest and ruined castle it was important enough to garrison.
And so the Dragoons had been put their, and they where determined to prove their worth to Rodregio by doing their duty as well as any man could.

On this day, the commanding officer, Major Cortez, spotted shapes moving on the horizon. Holding up one had to stop his 300 men he pulled a long brass telescope to his eye and stared.

Dragoons! Gaudy French Dragoons, approaching the very place where the Spanish Dragoons where hidden. A large force, some 200 men, probably patrolling to see what was happening in this area.

The French had not seen the Dragoons, who where hidden to them, unintentionally by both the hill and a wood that stood nearby.
Cortez didn’t know what to do, despite all his boasts in the officers mess, he had never been in a true cavalry charge nor did he think he wanted to be in one.

At heart he was a coward, he had welcomed the Dragoons placement in his heart despite pretending to be angry about it and now his worst dreams where coming true. The French where coming for him.
One of his Captains, a great deal more experienced than he was telling the rest of the troops how to get past the long baldes of the dragoons. “Just skip past the blade, after that it’s just like killing rabbits, to easy really.” But Cortez could not imagine skipping past a Dragoon blade let alone killing a man.

The French yards away. His incision was costing him and incision is a soldiers worst enemy.

His men where growing restless, a captain rode up next to him, his mares heavy breath warm on Cortez legs. “Sir?” The man asked, “sir, should we charge?” Cortez was almost in a trance,

“…Charge..” He mumbled, the Captain took it as a order.

“CHARGE!” The captain yelled at the top of his voice and spurred his horse drawing blood. A Bungle played and behind him the other men took up the call, “CHARGE! For Saint James!” The endless cry that Spanish soldiers had used in centauries past.

The dragoons where caught by surprise, and they had barley time to see the heavy horse men to their right before the first Dragoons where crashing into the French. Their colonel died first, his lance shattered by the Captains horse long sword and his jaw broken by a Dragoons upwards strike.

No cavalry in the world would have been able to survive the Dragoons charge, not even the Germans of the KGL. Within a few seconds of the captain shouting charge, the French had been broken and had fled north.

Drunk on the blood and slaughter the Dragoons followed, their powerful horse overtaking the laggards of the French and then the great blades would sweep down and another Frenchman would be down gagging on the floor.

A man gagged on his blood his windpipe sliced to the bone, a frenchman swung his heavy sword back only to find he had knocked one of his pursuers out of the saddle, in revenge 5 dragoons set upon him and each pieced his body with his blades.

A horse screamed as hot blood from it’s master hit it on the head and banked into another lancer causing death and confusion.
The Dragoons screamed with delight and grunted as they hacked down, but gradually the French escaped leaving behind them a trail of broken and bleeding men and horses.

The Dragoon major, his sword wet with blood from a enemy screamed with victory and rode on, spurring his horse to near madness. The rest of the Dragoons followed, their horses out of breath and white eyed but their riders keen for more slaughter.

The case left the hills and came down a small creak towards the road that led to the pass at the pass. The dragoons kept going, there enemy many hundreds of yards away, and the Dragoons horses where shot, but then they saw them, the French had stooped.

It seemed incredible! Could it really be that the last few of their enemy where beaten? Spurring for one last effort, the Dragoons leapt down the creek and towards the stream it lead into, the Major at their head.

Then they reached daylight and saw the truth the terrible truth. It was a trap, the sides of the creek where suddenly lined with men in blue uniforms, the French. They fired their muskets, in one terrible killing volley.

The Major died first a musket ball lodged in his brain, and then his men died, shot to pieces by a superior foe. Only the Captain was left alive, the Captain who had started the mad charge and he stopped his horse at the edge of the carnage that had been his company. The valley filled with the sound of hundreds of ramrods being thrust into barrels, but no one fired.

The French let him ride into the open pass and see there army. 6 battalions of infantry where marching towards him no more, 7 battalions 8, 9! Behind him where many more. In front of them where cavalry, hundreds of them.

The captain let his sword fall from his hand and raised his arms in desperation. He knew what was happening, he could see it. This would be a inevitable victory for the French, they would sweep aside the spanish resistance offered by the 3 companys garrasoning the valley and they would take Spain.

A small grey haired Cornal, who introduced himself as Cornal Zinadine rode to him to take his sword and his Parole, he gave it willingly, his mind to awestruck to resist. They asked him questions, he answered them like a dumb animal.

He told them about the meagre defence of the pass, and how the infantry where not prepared for a fight. All the french needed to do was attack.

Bump

OOC: This is goddmodding in a way, as you posted the whole battle and the enemys actions too.. but nicely written. Guess you have to change it though if Jensai aint ok with it.

No cavalry in the world would have been able to survive the Dragoons charge, not even the Germans of the KGL.

Otherwise nicely writen, but i have a problem with this sentece...you do know that dragoons were mostly light cavalry and that there are many cavalry units that would not just survive, but also destroy the dragoon charge. A couple of these units are Granadiers-a-cheval, Cuirassiers, the Polish Retainers...

Well, dragoons were actually pretty commonly counted as heavy cavalry, atleast in France and Prussia (and during Napoleon's time) but that depends on the army I guess. They wore no cuirass, that's for sure, so perhaps they are something like "middle" cavalry or something... Regardles, you have point about the charge's power. No charge is irrestible. Even in a situation like that.

OOC: Thtas why I posted, OOC:ly at the top that i would remove it if he had any problems with it. As for the sentence-does it really matter? No need to nitpick like that., its a method of writing-it's not supposed to be accurate.

I've got a few pre-written peices from a book I've been writing about the British army in 1810 and with a little ederting they should all fit in ie: Mjor Cortez was Major Gridwood, the Dragoons where British and charged the gaudy French Lancers, to Gaudy French Dragoons...

Also it gives the Frecnh an advantage-they get info in the form of a captive, and they clasoi dstroy one of my cavelry companys. If he dosn't want to accept it then I'll DEAT it but till then....

I don't know what you were talking about with the 'to make Wellington proud' bit. And I think some of this is plagiarised from the Sharpe series of books, for example the name Girdwood, and the quote that 'once you are past the lance blade, its as easy as killing rabbits', that bit is from Sharpe's Waterloo I believe. Still, I dont really like you posting whole results, I'd prefer it in stages if you want to RP it at all as I would be happy to resolve most battles, but as its minor in importance and if Jensai doesn't mind then its okay.

Well, dragoons were actually pretty commonly counted as heavy cavalry, atleast in France and Prussia (and during Napoleon's time) but that depends on the army I guess. They wore no cuirass, that's for sure, so perhaps they are something like "middle" cavalry or something... Regardles, you have point about the charge's power. No charge is irrestible. Even in a situation like that.

I agree. Dragoons were only used as scouts because they were sometimes given carbines. They aren't truly heavy cavalry but some regiments of Dragoons would be classed as heavies. In the main however, they are medium strength cavalry for scouting in force and able to take on most opponents in skirmishes either on horseback or, if absolutely neccesary, on foot.

Truly light cavalry are Hussars and Lancers, along with other related cavalry.

I don't know what you were talking about with the 'to make Wellington proud' bit. And I think some of this is plagiarised from the Sharpe series of books, for example the name Girdwood, and the quote that 'once you are past the lance blade, its as easy as killing rabbits', that bit is from Sharpe's Waterloo I believe. Still, I dont really like you posting whole results, I'd prefer it in stages if you want to RP it at all as I would be happy to resolve most battles, but as its minor in importance and if Jensai doesn't mind then its okay.
OOC: As I said I was writing a book whgen I was younger (13) for the fan fiction site called Edwards waterloo, and as you dow hen your that age you nick bits off other books and stuff your interested in-even professional Authors do that.


Gridwood may be in the Sharpe books-I don't actually know, I usually just think up of names randomly, it has been a while since I wrote this though. I did my best to edit it but I see that wellington bit slipped through te net, shall edit it now.

And this is just a skermish as well reamber, in overall significance it dosn't actuially matter.

OOC: Eh? No. My troops have specific orders to NOT cross the Spanish border. What makes you think they'd get anywhere close to you?

This is ultimately Jensai's call. If he gave orders that would not leave his men near the border then thats that. The skirmish never happened.

OOC: Sorry, the only troops near the border are the normal border guards and about 30-50 dragoons watching the highway. The rest of thr troops are back five-ten miles os they can intercept an invasion, if it comes.

OOC: However I balive you would have forces guarding the boarder as well, certainly I can't imagine you leaving such a path open. And I enver said on whos side of the boarder it is, certainly my troops had crossed into your terratory even to find a patrol, but as I said it's you call and I'll abide by your wishes.