225 : Rosenberg’s Chevauleger Regiment No.6 & his Fifth Column

I did positively declare in the last post that I had finished painting the whole of the Austrian Fifth Column. Well, apart from one very small detail.

I’d featured the Rosenberg Chevauleger Regiment No.6 several times in my journal. Firstly, in Post 95 where the first four figures were painted but with their pre-1809 black facings. Then in Post 129 with the figures based and still with black facings. I painted the other four figures that I needed as a result of John Gill’s updated orders-of-battle. I stuck with black as the facing colour. However, as it appeared more and more likely that by 1809 the facing colour had been changed to dark red, I finally gave in to the inevitable and repainted them. I used a mix of a bright red with a small amount of black. Not the most enjoyable job, repainting facing colours, but the regiment was all the better for having, what was – I really did hope – the correct facing colour for 1809.

The Rosenberg regiment was actually split at Essling into two equal sections, each of four squadrons, each of 450 men, according to Gill (only 275 men according to Castle). One half of the regiment was brigaded with the Ferdinand Hussar Regiment No. 3 as part of Fifth Column, the other half with the infantry of IR9 and IR55 as part of Fourth Column. Moving the to-do list on to completing Fourth Column, I would obviously have another eight Rosenberg chevaulegers to paint.

Readers of the journal may wonder at my focus on the Austrian Fifth Column. Starting up my 1809 project once more, it didn’t take long to decide on continuing with the original focus of the project. This was getting Day 1 of the battle for Essling village onto the tabletop. It had always been my small ambition since beginning my 1809 Journal (see Post 2). My efforts would begin with the evening attack of the Fifth Column on Essling’s Long Garden and the east end of the village. Not a monumental task, no doubt, but the Napoleon of this project was behaving more like a slow-slogger over the years than an impetuous hussar in a hurry. Nevertheless, all the elements of my planned tabletop looked like they were coming together. Which was quite exciting.