I find the 1809 campaign rather fascinating. This colourful campaign, with muddled orders, setbacks and hard fighting is for me difficult to resist. With much of the French army busy in Spain it fell to a number of Napoleons allies to bolster the forces assembled to face Austria’s attacks. These allied contingents add even more colour. Therefore, after a recent request for information on representing the Saxons in 1809, it seemed time to refresh an earlier article on the subject.
The Saxons were one of the larger allied contingents in 1809, fielding a main army of some 19,000 men. While their cavalry were excellent, despite lacking mounts, their infantry and artillery were poorly trained. General neglect and an influx of new recruits, when combined with a lack infantry tactical reform and a poor officer corps, found them poorly prepared. Yet, they would form an important component committed to the titanic battle of Wagram.
An updated article on modelling them in Volley & Bayonet, including representing them in the Road to Glory scenario system, can be found here.
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