Saxon Uhlans 1730-63.
by Vlad
Gromoboy
First Ulahn troops appeared in Saxon army
in 1730, when two companies of Polish-style light horses
were raised, each of about 120 men ((2)
and (4)).
Uhlan from Red Company and officer from Blue. Illustration
from (2).
Uhlans were dressed in Polish-styled
white coats with lining, breeches and undercoat in companies
color: red and blue. They were armed with a sabre, pike with
red-white or white-blue vane and a pare of pistols. Some
Uhlans had Tartarian bows.
Uhlan troops were on intermediate state
and did not belonged either to the Saxon regular army or to
the army of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I believe,
that they were irregular troops on Saxon service. They
stationed in Poland and were used for patrol and courier
duties. During the war of Polish Succession 1733-35 Uhlans
stayed loyal to the Wettin dynasty in contrast to the most
of Polish-Lithuanian armed forces. Schuster and Francke
mentioned that during the campaign of 1734 2 Fahnen of
Polish light horses acted with Chevaulegers under
lieutenant-colonel count Bitum (evidently later Prinz Karl
Chevaulegers) (4).
After the end of hostilities in 1735 the
Uhlan troops survived and their number was increased. Jahns
wrote that by 1740 Saxon army included 7 Fahnens of Uhlans,
each was of 3 officers, 34 Towarczys (a knight or noble) and
34 Pocztowi (knecht or private) (3),
while Schuster and Francke give the strength of Saxon Uhlans
in 1740 of 12 fahnen under the command of Colonel von
Bledowsky (4).
On 1 Jan 1741 a 13th fahnen was added, on 1 May 1741 a 14th
and 15th fahnen (4)
(after (3)
only 14 in 1741). Evidently they operated together under
common command of colonel Bledowsky (Blentowski,
Belwedowski) because Tessin shows them in 1740-42 as a
single regiment (6).
Schuster and Francke wrote that each man
of a Uhlan Fahne received for his armament a pictol and
cartridge box, every common Uhlan also received a carbine.
Each individual was responsible for providing is own sabre
and lance. The uniform in about 1740 was white with blue
facings. The Uhlans were especially recruited in Lithuania
and from Tartars. During peacetime they were used to secure
the roads between Saxony and Warsaw, and to occupy the Salt
Work at Wieliczka, and at the same time used with regular
Saxon Cheveauxleger Regiments. The staff of a Uhlan Fahne in
the Fall of 1741 from Schuster and Francke differs a little
from Jan's one: 1 Rittmeister, 1 Lieutenant, 1 Cornet, 1
Kettledrummer, each with a Pocztowi (private), 46 Towarczys
(Polish nobles), 46 Pocztowi (privates), together 100 men
(4)
.
Uhlans evidently operated with Saxon army
as a recognize troops during the 1st Silesian war and in
March 1743 they returned to Poland where their number was
increased to a total of 23 fahnen ((3)
and (4)).
They were reorganized in three Pulk (regiments in Polish)
under Colonels Bledowsky, Sychodzinsky and Wilczewsky, the
first two from the original 15 fahnen and the latter from
the newly created 8 fahnen (4).
Tessin (6)
wrote that Sychodzinsky and Wilczewsky (Wilozewsky after
Tessin) were created in 1742 so it is possible that
reorganization of Uhlans was started in 1742 and completed
only next year when new fahnen and recruits were added.
At the end of September 1744 3 Pulks of
Uhlans (Wilczewsky, Bledowsky and Sychodzinsky) were
departed for Saxony from Poland and on 2 October 1744 joined
the Main army at Adorf. The fresh-created Ulan Pulk followed
them in winter 1745 and on 17 May 1745 there were 4 Uhlan
pulks with the Saxon Army that entered Silesia with the
Austrians: Bertuszewsky of 6 fahnen, Rudnicki, Ulan and
Boreslav each of 8 fahnen.
The Battle Order of the Saxon army in
October 1745 includes 4 Uhlan's pulks: Belwedowski, Ulan,
Rudnicki and Bertuszewski (4).
Did Belwedowski change Boreslav or it is the same unit I do
not know. The same 4 regiments are shown in the Saxon BO at
Kesselsdorf on December 15, 1745 under command of v.
Sybilsky (4).
After the defeat at Kesselsdorf Saxony
left the WAS and about post-war development of Uhlan troops
we know a little. In the middle of January 1746 they
returned to Poland and Tessin wrote that 3 Uhlan regiments
were disbanded in same year (6)
while the "Plan der Koniglich Polnischen Kursachsichen Armee
1747" still mentioned in 1747 six so-called "Tartarische
Fahnen" stationed in Poland and totaled 5 400
(5).
Fahnen
|
Coat
|
cuffs & lapels
|
Vest
|
trousers
|
buttons
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blentowski
|
White
|
l. blue
|
l. blue
|
l. blue
|
silver
|
Rutonitzki
|
White
|
red
|
Red
|
red
|
silver
|
Wilzewsky
|
White
|
blue
|
Blue
|
blue
|
silver
|
Partouschewitz
|
White
|
green
|
Green
|
green
|
silver
|
Borzislawsky
|
White
|
black
|
White
|
white
|
silver
|
Ulanen
|
White
|
black
|
Black
|
black
|
silver
|
Evidently 3 Uhlan Pulks were disbanded
shortly after the Saxony left the WAS but exact date is
unclear. On 1 June 1754 August had 3 Pulks of Uhlans:
Wilczewsky, Rudnicki and Bronikowsky (4).
Fahnen
|
Coat
|
Lining color
|
Vest and breeches
|
lace
|
buttons
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wilczewsky
|
White
|
red
|
blue mourant
|
gold
|
gold
|
Rutonitzki
|
White
|
blue
|
blue mourant
|
gold
|
gold
|
Bronikowsky
|
White
|
yellow
|
blue mourant
|
gold
|
gold
|
By the start of the 7YW all of them
stayed in Poland and did not participated in the Pirna
campaign. When Saxon army was rebuilt in exile, two Pulks
joined them in Hungary and operated with them in 1757-62.
About 1757 Renard Uhlanen and Rudnicki Uhlanen were with a
strength of 603 and 602 men respectively and 575 horses each
(4).
They took part in several campaigns including Kolin.
Wilzewsky Uhlans stayed in Poland the whole war and did not
participated in any actions.
The Uhlan uniforms for 7YW period was
described in (7)
and is posted in Courrier
department of the NPI:
Red Pulk. Black middlehigh furcap. White
overcloth with very wide and long sleeves. A little, low red
upstanding collar, red turnbacks and red lining. On the
collar red-white laces and the same lace on the breast where
was on the right side (of the middle) 4 x 2 gilded buttons.
On the turnbacks which reached halfway down the thighs were
in the same red-white lace the crowned AR. Red waistcoat
with red-white lacing along edges. Red baggy trousers
reaching to the ankles. White-red sash.
Blue Pulk. As the red pulk, just change
red with blue. Buttons silver. Sash red-white. The laces in
1-2-3. Very curved sabre in black scabbard. Brass handle and
fittings. Black boots without spurs.
It is known that the pulks had brass
kettle drums. Their standards were with a white cross on and
the squares red or blue, on the pole a gilded
button.
After the death of the August II in 1763
his successor Frederick August could not achieve the Polish
Crown and shortly after this Uhlan regiments were disbanded.
The lineage of Saxon Uhlan regiments is
unclear and I could not rebuild it. Various sources give
different variants of the Uhlans development and
transcriptions of the colonel's names.
Appendix 1.
The lineage of Saxon Uhlan regiments
after Tessin (6)
(very doubtful, especially for post-1746
development):
1740 Bledowsky Uhlanen, 1746
disbanded.
1742/1 Sychodzinsky Uhlanen, -1745
Boreslaw, 1746 disbanded.
1742/2 Wilozewsky Uhlanen, 1746
disbanded
1743 Ulan Uhlanen, 1750 Bronikowski, 1757
Renard, 1759 Schiebel 1763 disbanded.
1745/1 Rudnicki Uhlanen, 1763
disbanded.
1745/2 Bertuszewsky Uhlanen, 1766
disbanded.
Bibliography:
1
. Friedrich F. Die Uniformen der
Kurfurstlich Sachsischen Armee 1863-1763. Dresden.
1998.
2
. Muller R., Friedrich D. &
W. Die Armee Augustus der Starke. Berlin. 1984.
3
. Jahns Max. Geschichte der
Kriegswissen schaften vornehmlich in Deutschland.
Munchen-Leipzig: Verl. von Oldenbourg, 1891. (A copy is
available from the Library of the Tomsk University,
Russia).
4
. Schuster O., Francke F.
Geschichte der Sachsischen Armee. Leipzig. 1885.
5
. Plan der Koniglich Polnischen
Kursachsichen Armee 1747, published in "Zeitschirft fur
Heereskunde" # 165 (Sept./Oct. 1959).
6
. Tessin G. Die Regimenter der
Europaischen Staaten im Ancien regime des XVI. bis XVIII.
Jahrhundrets.
7
. Die Heer der kriegfuhrenden
Staaten 1756 - 1763, KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Wurtemberg,
1989.
Vlad
Gromoboy
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