17th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment
ActiveJuly 5, 1812 – 1814
TypeUhlan

The 17th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment (Lithuanian: 17-asis ulonų pulkas; Polish: 17. pułk ułanów) was an uhlan regiment of the Grande Armée during the Napoleonic Wars.[1]

Formation

Authentic hat of a regiment's soldier
Soldier with a uniform of the regiment

On 5 July 1812, Count Michał Tyszkiewicz began forming the 17th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment on his own initiative and with his own funds.[1] The men who joined the regiment came from the towns of Biržai, Raseiniai, Telšiai, Panevėžys and their respective surroundings.[1] The regimental headquarters were in Kupiškis.[1] Napoleon appointed Count Michał Tyszkiewicz as the regiment's commander and awarded him the rank of colonel.[1]

Napoleon's retreat

At the end of 1812, together with other Lithuanian units, this regiment covered the Grande Armée's retreat and joined the X Corps.[1] In December 1812 , the 17th Uhlan Regiment retreated through Tauragė to Königsberg.[1] On 19 January 1813, the regiment had 829 uhlans[1] and was stationing in Elbing.[2] Later it was moved to Wielkopolska and was stationing in Skiwerzyna and Międzychód, when it joined the remnants of the French army commanded by the Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais.[2] On February 4, it fought near Brandenburg.[1] On February 11[1] or 12,[3] the 17th Uhlan regiment fought together with the 19th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment near Sieraków.[1] There it was surprised and defeated by General Chernyshev's Russian vanguard.[3] The general Prince Romualdas Giedraitis, who commanded both Uhlan regiments, was taken prisoner.[1] He was wounded during his capture.[3] During the battle, the regiment lost 147 out of 585 men it had before.[4]

War of the Sixth Coalition

After this battle, both regiments were attached to the division of the French General Gérard, belonging to the XIII Corps.[1] Together with it, the regiment fought near Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck.[1] On 20 April 1813, men from the 19th regiment were drafted into the regiment, after 225 soldiers from the 19th regiment were selected for the Imperial Guard.[5] And the former commander of the 19th regiment col. Konstanty Rajecki became the new commander of the 17th regiment.[5] The regiment fought its last battles in Denmark.[1] After the abdication of Emperor Napoleon with the Treaty of Fontainebleau, the regiment was allowed to return to its homeland with weapons and flags.[1]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Urbonienė 2021.
  2. 1 2 Nawrot 2008, p. 699.
  3. 1 2 3 "Epoka napoleońska lata 1796-1815". www.muzeumwp.pl (in Polish). Polish Army Museum. Archived from the original on 2016-08-17.
  4. ↑ Nawrot 2008, p. 710.
  5. 1 2 Nawrot 2008, p. 711.

Cited sources and other sources

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