Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy
Encyclopedia
Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy (11 December 1743 – 23 August 1812) became a noted general officer in the army of Bavaria
. His military career began shortly after the start of the Seven Years War. During the French Revolutionary Wars
he first served on the side of the Coalition against the French revolutionaries then fought as an ally of the First French Empire
during the Napoleonic Wars
. Deroy and his colleague, Karl Philipp von Wrede
, were dominant personalities in the Bavarian military
during the era of Napoleon Bonaparte.
From a military family, Deroy entered the army as a junior officer at a tender age. He rose in rank to become a general by the time the War of the First Coalition broke out. He defended his home city of Mannheim
against the army of the First French Republic until its capture in 1795. In 1800 he again fought as an ally of Austria, leading a brigade of Bavarian troops in action. From the time Napoleon became the French emperor, Bavaria became allied to France and Deroy capably led a division during the 1805, 1806–1807, 1809, and 1812 wars. He was mortally wounded in 1812 during Napoleon's campaign in Russia.
on 11 December 1743, Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy's parents were General Matthias Bertram de Roy and Elizabeth Christine of Hofstatt. He was appointed ensign
in the Count Palatine Karl August Infantry Regiment at a very young age and fought in the Battle of Hastenbeck
on 27 June 1757. He became a lieutenant
on 14 February 1761 and captain of an infantry company on 5 September 1763. His next promotion occurred on 30 October 1775 when he became a major
in the Duke of Zweibrücken Infantry Regiment. He was elevated in rank to Oberstleutnant
while belonging to the Rodenhausen Infantry Regiment on 8 June 1784. On 21 December 1787 he returned to the Duke of Zweibrücken as Oberst
and commanding officer. On 3 November 1792, Deroy was promoted to General-Feldwachtmeister
and later appointed governor of Mannheim. In this position he became responsible for strengthening the fortifications in anticipation of a French attack.
The War of the Second Coalition
broke out in 1799 and in the spring of 1800, Lieutenant General Christian Zweibrücken appointed Deroy to lead the 6,000-strong 1st Brigade as part of a German auxiliary corps allied with the Austrians. Deroy's command included the following battalions, Reuss Grenadiers, Elector of Bavaria, Morawitzky, Herzog Wilhelm, Schlossberg, plus a company of sharpshooters, three squadrons of Chevau-légers
, a battery of foot artillery and a battery of horse artillery. On 12 May, the 2nd Brigade led by Karl Philipp von Wrede
joined the corps. He fought at the Battle of the Iller
River on 5 June and at the Battle of Neuburg an der Donau
on 27 June.
The series of Austrian defeats was ended by a truce on 15 July 1800. The armistice concluded in late November at which time the youthful and inexperienced Austrian commander Archduke John of Austria assembled 15,762 Bavarians and Württembergers behind the Inn River west of Braunau am Inn
. John's 65,500-man main body lay just to the east. In Zweibrücken's Bavarian Division, Deroy led the Reuss Grenadiers, Metzen Light, Schlossburg, Stengel, and Minucci infantry battalions. With Wrede's brigade, the Bavarian contingent numbered 7,017 infantry, 828 cavalry, and 26 artillery pieces.
In the Battle of Hohenlinden on 3 December 1800, the Bavarians marched with the Left Center Column, which was under the command of Johann Kollowrat
and accompanied by Archduke John. Early in the morning, Kollowrat drove back the French 108th Line Infantry Demi-Brigade. To keep the attack rolling, the Austrian committed three of Deroy's battalions. However, the allies soon ran into Emmanuel Grouchy's main line of resistance and were driven back by a powerful counterattack. Zweibrücken also sent two Bavarian battalions searching for Johann Sigismund Riesch
's tardy Left Column to the south. Instead of Riesch, Antoine Richepanse
's French division emerged from the forests to Kollowrat's left rear. After heavy fighting, Kollowrat's column was caught in a three-sided trap between the divisions of Richepanse, Grouchy, and Michel Ney
. In the disaster that followed, Deroy and 18 other Bavarian officers became prisoners of war along with thousands of Austrian and Bavarian rank and file. Zweibrücken had to catch an artillery horse in order to get away and even the archduke had a narrow escape.
in 1803, and in the following year he and Wrede introduced the new military regulations. On 21 April 1804, Deroy received promotion to Lieutenant General and was decorated with military awards. Napoleon awarded him the Grand Eagle of the Legion d'Honneur
.
The latter award was possible because Bavaria became a secret ally of France against Austria. When the War of the Third Coalition broke out in September 1805, the Bavarian army withdrew north to the Main River in response to the Austrian invasion. Deroy commanded a corps of two divisions, including his own and Wrede's. The French armies soon obliterated the Austrian army of Karl Mack von Lieberich at the Battle of Ulm
on 20 October. This freed the Bavarian contingent to operate against the Tyrol
. On 1 November, Bavarian Oberst Pompei successfully rushed several positions near Lofer
which lies southwest of Salzburg
. Encouraged, Deroy ordered an attack on the Strub Pass, eight kilometers west of Lofer. The position was defended by Franz Xaver Saint-Julien
's 1,500-man Austrian brigade with the support of local Tyrolean
militia and sharpshooters. The assault ended in a bloody repulse, with 1,200 to 1,800 Bavarians out as casualties, including Deroy wounded. Saint-Julien only lost 200 men and one cannon.
On 1 March 1806, Deroy received the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph
. In the War of the Fourth Coalition
, Deroy was placed under the command of Prince Jerome Bonaparte
. He undertook several sieges of Prussian fortresses in Silesia
during 1806 and 1807. In November 1806, Deroy's 1st Bavarian Division laid siege to the fortress of Głowgów (Glogau). After the Bavarians were replaced by a Württemberg division, the place surrendered on 2 December. He marched to Wrocław (Breslau) where his division arrived on 18 December. Prince Jerome's 22,000-strong IX Corps maintained the siege until 6 January 1807 when the fortress capitulated with 5,300 prisoners and 268 cannon. Bavarian casualties numbered 259 in the operation. Deroy then advanced with 13,000 troops to lay siege to Brzeg (Brieg)
. On 17 January Brzeg surrendered with 1,450 prisoners.
Deroy placed Koźle (Kosel)
under siege on 24 January, but the place resisted all attempts at capture. On 2 July, the Bavarians abandoned the effort. Now under the command of Dominique Vandamme
, Deroy participated in the storm and capture of Kłodzko (Glatz) on 24 June 1807. He moved against Srebrna Góra (Silberburg)
with 6,500 troops, but the Prussian garrison refused to give up after he bombarded the fortress on 28 and 29 June. The Peace of Tilsit ended the fighting. On 27 November, he was named to the Privy Council of Bavaria.
At the beginning of the War of the Fifth Coalition
, Deroy relinquished command of the 1st Division to Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria
and took charge of the 3rd Division in the VII Corps. This unit consisted of the 5th, 9th, 10th, and 14th Infantry Regiments, the 5th and 7th Light Battalions, the Taxis Dragoons and Bubenhoven Chevau-légers, and 18 pieces of artillery. After the Austrian invasion, Deroy held the west bank of the Isar River
opposite Landshut
on 16 April 1809. In a brief action, each side lost 150 to 200 killed and wounded. After an Austrian column crossed upstream at Moosburg
, he fell back through Pfeffenhausen
to Siegenburg
. Under the command of Marshal
François Joseph Lefebvre
, Deroy was present but not engaged in the Battle of Abensberg
on 20 April.
On 21 April, as Napoleon was winning the Battle of Landshut
to the south, Deroy fought against Prince Franz Seraph of Rosenberg-Orsini
's Austrian IV Armeekorps. He advanced on the right flank of Louis Davout's French III Corps and captured the village of Schierling. The Bavarians got no farther that day and Davout's attacks were also stopped. Bavarian losses were about 150 and French casualties 1,500, while the Austrians lost 3,000.
In the Battle of Eckmühl
on 22 April, Davout and Deroy advanced from the west, while Napoleon fell on Rosenberg's position from the south. The Austrians held a key position called the Bettel Berg with 3,000 infantry and 16 cannons. Deroy's cavalry brigade under General-Major Seydewitz attacked first and was driven back by well-handled Austrian light cavalry. Deroy's infantry tried next. Raked by accurate artillery fire and counterattacked by cavalry, they too were defeated. Later in the day, three squadrons of Bavarian cavalry charged again and were mowed down by artillery fire. But as the survivors fell back from the deadly guns, a mass formation of French cuirassiers trotted forward. The heavy cavalrymen swept aside a last despairing Austrian cavalry charge and overran the Bettel Berg. Elements of Deroy's cavalry brigade participated in the famous moonlight cavalry action at Alteglofsheim
that night.
After Eckmühl and the minor Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
on 24 April, Napoleon urged Lefebvre to seize Salzburg
and relieve the Bavarian garrison of the Kufstein Fortress
. In early May, Austrians and Tyrolean irregulars defeated General-Major Vincenti's brigade of the 3rd Division in its attempt to reach Kufstein
. At this, Napoleon demanded that Lefebvre mount a full-scale relief operation. On 11 May, Deroy relieved the 576-man garrison, which had held out for a month. With Wrede's and Deroy's divisions, Lefebvre routed Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles
at the Battle of Wörgl
on 13 May. Chasteler, who had been supporting the Tyrolean Rebellion
, was soon after ordered to abandon the area.
Innsbruck
was occupied but Deroy's 3rd Division came under attack in the first of the Battles of Bergisel
on 25 May 1809. Out of 4,000 soldiers and 12 guns, the Bavarians lost from 20 to 70 dead and from 100 to 150 wounded. The Austrians and Tyroleans under Andreas Hofer
suffered 50 dead and 30 wounded. Discouraged by the lack of local support, the Tyroleans withdrew to the south. They returned to attack again on 29 May in the second battle. Deroy's 5,240 soldiers and 18 guns held their ground, losing 87 dead, 156 wounded, and 53 missing. The 1,200 Austrian regulars and 13,600 Tyroleans lost 90 dead and 160 wounded. Low on ammunition and food, Deroy evacuated Innsbruck on 30 May and retreated to Kufstein.
After Napoleon's victory in the Battle of Wagram
on 5 and 6 July, Lefebvre and Deroy reoccupied Innsbruck. In the third battle of Bergisel on 13 August, 18,000 Tyroleans sharply defeated Deroy's 3,000 troops. The Bavarians suffered 200 dead and 250 wounded while the irregulars lost 100 dead and 220 wounded. After taking hostages, Lefebvre ordered another retreat and the Tyrol was cleared of Bavarians by 18 August. On 17 October, the Tyroleans were surprised and badly beaten at Bodenbichl by General-Major Rechberg. After this, the three divisions of VII Corps retook the Tyrol. The fourth battle of Bergisel was fought and won by Wrede's troops on 1 November and the rebellion was stamped out. Deroy was promoted to General of Infantry on 1 January 1811.
When Napoleon invaded the Russian Empire
in 1812, Deroy commanded the 19th Infantry Division in Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr's VI Corps. A discouraged Deroy wrote to King Maximilian Joseph on 22 June that he did not see how they would survive. The march into Russia was difficult and the Bavarian general reported to his king that the food was bad and the soldiers' uniforms and shoes had worn out. Because of this, he wrote, discipline was breaking down and the troops were depressed and insubordinate.
The First Battle of Polotsk
began on 16 August, with Marshal Nicolas Oudinot
commanding the II and VI Corps against Peter Wittgenstein
's Russian I Corps. On the first day, the 30,000 Russians defeated the 24,000 Allies and Oudinot was wounded. Saint-Cyr took command and withdrew most of his troops to the south bank of the Daugava River on 17 August. He then built a concealed bridge and secretly shifted his small army to the north bank on the night of 17–18 August. At 3:00 PM, Saint-Cyr attacked the surprised Russians with the Bavarian VI Corps on the right, the French II Corps in the center, and the French cavalry on the left. Covered by a bombardment from 30 cannons, Deroy's 19th Division stormed the village of Spas while Wrede's 20th Division attacked farther to the right.
During the attack, Deroy was hit in the abdomen by a musket ball. He continued to lead his troops during the battle, but died of his injury on 23 August 1812. He was buried at the Saint Xavier Church in Polotsk. In recognition of his services, an order of nobility was bestowed on his wife and oldest son.
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. His military career began shortly after the start of the Seven Years War. During the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
he first served on the side of the Coalition against the French revolutionaries then fought as an ally of the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. Deroy and his colleague, Karl Philipp von Wrede
Karl Philipp von Wrede
Karl Philipp Josef Wrede, Freiherr von Wrede, 1st Fürst von Wrede , Bavarian field-marshal, was born at Heidelberg, the youngest of three children of Ferdinand Josef Wrede , created in 1791 1st Freiherr von Wrede, and wife, married on 21 March 1746, Anna Katharina Jünger , by whom he had two more...
, were dominant personalities in the Bavarian military
Bavarian army
The Bavarian Army was the army of the Electorate and then Kingdom of Bavaria. It existed from 1682 as the standing army of Bavaria until the merger of the military sovereignty of Bavaria into that of the German State in 1919...
during the era of Napoleon Bonaparte.
From a military family, Deroy entered the army as a junior officer at a tender age. He rose in rank to become a general by the time the War of the First Coalition broke out. He defended his home city of Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
against the army of the First French Republic until its capture in 1795. In 1800 he again fought as an ally of Austria, leading a brigade of Bavarian troops in action. From the time Napoleon became the French emperor, Bavaria became allied to France and Deroy capably led a division during the 1805, 1806–1807, 1809, and 1812 wars. He was mortally wounded in 1812 during Napoleon's campaign in Russia.
Early career
Born in MannheimMannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
on 11 December 1743, Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy's parents were General Matthias Bertram de Roy and Elizabeth Christine of Hofstatt. He was appointed ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
in the Count Palatine Karl August Infantry Regiment at a very young age and fought in the Battle of Hastenbeck
Battle of Hastenbeck
The Battle of Hastenbeck was fought as part of the Invasion of Hanover during the Seven Year's War between the allied forces of Hanover, Hesse-Kassel and Brunswick and the French...
on 27 June 1757. He became a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 14 February 1761 and captain of an infantry company on 5 September 1763. His next promotion occurred on 30 October 1775 when he became a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Duke of Zweibrücken Infantry Regiment. He was elevated in rank to Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
while belonging to the Rodenhausen Infantry Regiment on 8 June 1784. On 21 December 1787 he returned to the Duke of Zweibrücken as Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
and commanding officer. On 3 November 1792, Deroy was promoted to General-Feldwachtmeister
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and later appointed governor of Mannheim. In this position he became responsible for strengthening the fortifications in anticipation of a French attack.
French Revolutionary Wars
On 23 and 24 December, Deroy fought in the bridgehead of Mannheim, which had come under attack. On 25 December the bridgehead fell to the French and four Austrian battalions became prisoners. The fortress came under siege the following year and Lieutenant General Baron von Belderbusch capitulated on 20 September 1795. The French captured the 9,200-man garrison and 471 guns, of which all were Bavarians except one Austrian battalion. Deroy left the city on 22 September after agreeing not to serve in the war against France.The War of the Second Coalition
War of the Second Coalition
The "Second Coalition" was the second attempt by European monarchs, led by the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria and the Russian Empire, to contain or eliminate Revolutionary France. They formed a new alliance and attempted to roll back France's previous military conquests...
broke out in 1799 and in the spring of 1800, Lieutenant General Christian Zweibrücken appointed Deroy to lead the 6,000-strong 1st Brigade as part of a German auxiliary corps allied with the Austrians. Deroy's command included the following battalions, Reuss Grenadiers, Elector of Bavaria, Morawitzky, Herzog Wilhelm, Schlossberg, plus a company of sharpshooters, three squadrons of Chevau-légers
Chevau-légers
The Chevau-légers was a generic French name for several units of light cavalry, roughly similar to lancers in the armies of other states during the Napoleonic Wars. Perhaps the most famous of all such units were the Polish 1st Light Cavalry Regiment of the Guards and the French 2nd Light Cavalry...
, a battery of foot artillery and a battery of horse artillery. On 12 May, the 2nd Brigade led by Karl Philipp von Wrede
Karl Philipp von Wrede
Karl Philipp Josef Wrede, Freiherr von Wrede, 1st Fürst von Wrede , Bavarian field-marshal, was born at Heidelberg, the youngest of three children of Ferdinand Josef Wrede , created in 1791 1st Freiherr von Wrede, and wife, married on 21 March 1746, Anna Katharina Jünger , by whom he had two more...
joined the corps. He fought at the Battle of the Iller
Iller
The Iller is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube, 147 km in length.The source is located near Oberstdorf in the Allgäu region of the Alps, close to the Austrian border. From there it runs northwards, passing the towns of Sonthofen, Immenstadt, and Kempten...
River on 5 June and at the Battle of Neuburg an der Donau
Neuburg an der Donau
Neuburg an der Donau, literally Neuburg on the Danube River, is a town which is the capital of the Neuburg-Schrobenhausen district in the state of Bavaria in Germany.-Divisions:The municipality has 16 divisions:-History:...
on 27 June.
The series of Austrian defeats was ended by a truce on 15 July 1800. The armistice concluded in late November at which time the youthful and inexperienced Austrian commander Archduke John of Austria assembled 15,762 Bavarians and Württembergers behind the Inn River west of Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is a town in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria , the north-western state of Austria. It lies about 90 km west of Linz and about 60 km north of Salzburg, on the border with the German state of Bavaria. The population in 2001 was 16,372...
. John's 65,500-man main body lay just to the east. In Zweibrücken's Bavarian Division, Deroy led the Reuss Grenadiers, Metzen Light, Schlossburg, Stengel, and Minucci infantry battalions. With Wrede's brigade, the Bavarian contingent numbered 7,017 infantry, 828 cavalry, and 26 artillery pieces.
In the Battle of Hohenlinden on 3 December 1800, the Bavarians marched with the Left Center Column, which was under the command of Johann Kollowrat
Johann Kollowrat
Kollowrat-Krakowsky, Johann Karl, Graf von joined the Austrian army, fought against the Kingdom of Prussia and Ottoman Turkey before being promoted to general officer rank. During combat against the French in the French Revolutionary Wars, he first became known as an artillery specialist...
and accompanied by Archduke John. Early in the morning, Kollowrat drove back the French 108th Line Infantry Demi-Brigade. To keep the attack rolling, the Austrian committed three of Deroy's battalions. However, the allies soon ran into Emmanuel Grouchy's main line of resistance and were driven back by a powerful counterattack. Zweibrücken also sent two Bavarian battalions searching for Johann Sigismund Riesch
Johann Sigismund Riesch
Johann Sigismund Graf von Riesch joined the army of Habsburg Austria as a cavalry officer and, during his career, fought against the Kingdom of Prussia, Ottoman Turkey, Revolutionary France, and Napoleon's French Empire...
's tardy Left Column to the south. Instead of Riesch, Antoine Richepanse
Antoine Richepanse
Antoine Richepanse was a French revolutionary general and colonial administrator.-Military career:Richepanse was born in Metz as the son of an officer of the Regiment of Conti...
's French division emerged from the forests to Kollowrat's left rear. After heavy fighting, Kollowrat's column was caught in a three-sided trap between the divisions of Richepanse, Grouchy, and Michel Ney
Michel Ney
Michel Ney , 1st Duc d'Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa was a French soldier and military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon I...
. In the disaster that followed, Deroy and 18 other Bavarian officers became prisoners of war along with thousands of Austrian and Bavarian rank and file. Zweibrücken had to catch an artillery horse in order to get away and even the archduke had a narrow escape.
1805-1807
In 1801 Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of Bavaria named Deroy to a commission to improve and reorganize the army. He led a brigade at LandshutLandshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
in 1803, and in the following year he and Wrede introduced the new military regulations. On 21 April 1804, Deroy received promotion to Lieutenant General and was decorated with military awards. Napoleon awarded him the Grand Eagle of the Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
The latter award was possible because Bavaria became a secret ally of France against Austria. When the War of the Third Coalition broke out in September 1805, the Bavarian army withdrew north to the Main River in response to the Austrian invasion. Deroy commanded a corps of two divisions, including his own and Wrede's. The French armies soon obliterated the Austrian army of Karl Mack von Lieberich at the Battle of Ulm
Battle of Ulm
The Battle of Ulm was a series of minor skirmishes at the end of Napoleon Bonaparte's Ulm Campaign, culminating in the surrender of an entire Austrian army near Ulm in Württemberg....
on 20 October. This freed the Bavarian contingent to operate against the Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. On 1 November, Bavarian Oberst Pompei successfully rushed several positions near Lofer
Lofer
Lofer is a market town in the Pinzgau region of Salzburg in Austria. It also hosts a lovely ski resort, with 48km of pisted runs.-Overview:...
which lies southwest of Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
. Encouraged, Deroy ordered an attack on the Strub Pass, eight kilometers west of Lofer. The position was defended by Franz Xaver Saint-Julien
Franz Xaver Saint-Julien
Franz Xaver Johann Nepomuk Graf Saint-Julien und Walsee was an Austrian infantry commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the War of the Fifth Coalition.-Footnotes:...
's 1,500-man Austrian brigade with the support of local Tyrolean
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
militia and sharpshooters. The assault ended in a bloody repulse, with 1,200 to 1,800 Bavarians out as casualties, including Deroy wounded. Saint-Julien only lost 200 men and one cannon.
On 1 March 1806, Deroy received the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph
Military Order of Max Joseph
The Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
. In the War of the Fourth Coalition
War of the Fourth Coalition
The Fourth Coalition against Napoleon's French Empire was defeated in a war spanning 1806–1807. Coalition partners included Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and the United Kingdom....
, Deroy was placed under the command of Prince Jerome Bonaparte
Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia...
. He undertook several sieges of Prussian fortresses in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
during 1806 and 1807. In November 1806, Deroy's 1st Bavarian Division laid siege to the fortress of Głowgów (Glogau). After the Bavarians were replaced by a Württemberg division, the place surrendered on 2 December. He marched to Wrocław (Breslau) where his division arrived on 18 December. Prince Jerome's 22,000-strong IX Corps maintained the siege until 6 January 1807 when the fortress capitulated with 5,300 prisoners and 268 cannon. Bavarian casualties numbered 259 in the operation. Deroy then advanced with 13,000 troops to lay siege to Brzeg (Brieg)
Brzeg
Brzeg is a town in southwestern Poland with 38,496 inhabitants , situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on the left bank of the Oder...
. On 17 January Brzeg surrendered with 1,450 prisoners.
Deroy placed Koźle (Kosel)
Kozle
Koźle is a district of Kędzierzyn-Koźle and is at the junction of the Kłodnica and Odra rivers, 29 Ifl. southeast of Opole by rail. The district has a Roman Catholic church, a medieval chateau, remains of a 19th century fortress and a high school...
under siege on 24 January, but the place resisted all attempts at capture. On 2 July, the Bavarians abandoned the effort. Now under the command of Dominique Vandamme
Dominique Vandamme
General Dominique-Joseph René Vandamme, Count of Unseburg was a French military officer, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars....
, Deroy participated in the storm and capture of Kłodzko (Glatz) on 24 June 1807. He moved against Srebrna Góra (Silberburg)
Srebrna Góra, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Srebrna Góra is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stoszowice, within Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
with 6,500 troops, but the Prussian garrison refused to give up after he bombarded the fortress on 28 and 29 June. The Peace of Tilsit ended the fighting. On 27 November, he was named to the Privy Council of Bavaria.
1809 and 1812
War of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition, fought in the year 1809, pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and Bavaria. Major engagements between France and Austria, the main participants, unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, with...
, Deroy relinquished command of the 1st Division to Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
and took charge of the 3rd Division in the VII Corps. This unit consisted of the 5th, 9th, 10th, and 14th Infantry Regiments, the 5th and 7th Light Battalions, the Taxis Dragoons and Bubenhoven Chevau-légers, and 18 pieces of artillery. After the Austrian invasion, Deroy held the west bank of the Isar River
Isar
The Isar is a river in Tyrol, Austria and Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel range of the Alps in Tyrol; it enters Germany near Mittenwald, and flows through Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching the Danube near Deggendorf. At 295 km in length, it is the fourth largest river...
opposite Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
on 16 April 1809. In a brief action, each side lost 150 to 200 killed and wounded. After an Austrian column crossed upstream at Moosburg
Moosburg
Moosburg an der Isar is a town in the Landkreis Freising of Bavaria, Germany.The oldest town between Regensburg and Italy, it lies on the river Isar at an altitude of 421 m . It has 17,275 inhabitants and covers an area of 44 km². It is easily reached by the A 92 autobahn and regional trains on...
, he fell back through Pfeffenhausen
Pfeffenhausen
Pfeffenhausen is a municipality in the district of Landshut in Bavaria in Germany....
to Siegenburg
Siegenburg
Siegenburg is a municipality in the district of Kelheim in Bavaria in Germany....
. Under the command of Marshal
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
François Joseph Lefebvre
François Joseph Lefebvre
François Joseph Lefebvre, First Duc de Dantzig was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire created by Napoleon....
, Deroy was present but not engaged in the Battle of Abensberg
Battle of Abensberg
The Battle of Abensberg took place on 20 April 1809, between a Franco-German force under the command of Emperor Napoleon I of France and a reinforced Austrian corps led by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Archduke Louis of Austria. As the day wore on, Feldmarschall-Leutnant Johann von Hiller arrived with...
on 20 April.
On 21 April, as Napoleon was winning the Battle of Landshut
Battle of Landshut (1809)
The Battle of Landshut took place on April 21, 1809, between the French, Württembergers and Bavarians under Napoleon which numbered about 77,000 strong, and 36,000 Austrians under the General Johann von Hiller...
to the south, Deroy fought against Prince Franz Seraph of Rosenberg-Orsini
Prince Franz Seraph of Rosenberg-Orsini
Prince Franz Seraph of Orsini-Rosenberg, born 18 October 1761 – died 4 August 1832, joined the army of Habsburg Austria and fought against the Ottoman Turks, winning a prestigious award for bravery. In the 1790s, he served in the wars against the First French Republic and received promotion...
's Austrian IV Armeekorps. He advanced on the right flank of Louis Davout's French III Corps and captured the village of Schierling. The Bavarians got no farther that day and Davout's attacks were also stopped. Bavarian losses were about 150 and French casualties 1,500, while the Austrians lost 3,000.
In the Battle of Eckmühl
Battle of Eckmühl
The Battle of Eckmühl fought on 21 April – 22 April 1809, was the turning point of the 1809 Campaign, also known as the War of the Fifth Coalition...
on 22 April, Davout and Deroy advanced from the west, while Napoleon fell on Rosenberg's position from the south. The Austrians held a key position called the Bettel Berg with 3,000 infantry and 16 cannons. Deroy's cavalry brigade under General-Major Seydewitz attacked first and was driven back by well-handled Austrian light cavalry. Deroy's infantry tried next. Raked by accurate artillery fire and counterattacked by cavalry, they too were defeated. Later in the day, three squadrons of Bavarian cavalry charged again and were mowed down by artillery fire. But as the survivors fell back from the deadly guns, a mass formation of French cuirassiers trotted forward. The heavy cavalrymen swept aside a last despairing Austrian cavalry charge and overran the Bettel Berg. Elements of Deroy's cavalry brigade participated in the famous moonlight cavalry action at Alteglofsheim
Alteglofsheim
Alteglofsheim is a municipality in the district of Regensburg in Bavaria in Germany.The village was the site of a famous moonlight cavalry action on the evening of the Battle of Eckmühl on 22 April 1809...
that night.
Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
The Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit on 24 April 1809 saw a Franco-Bavarian force led by Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières face an Austrian Empire army commanded by Johann von Hiller. Hiller's numerically superior force won a victory over the Allied troops, forcing Bessières to retreat to the west...
on 24 April, Napoleon urged Lefebvre to seize Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
and relieve the Bavarian garrison of the Kufstein Fortress
Kufstein Fortress
The Kufstein Fortress is the main landmark of Kufstein, a city of Tyrol in Austria. It is sometimes wrongly referred to as Geroldseck Fortress. It is located on a hill commanding Kufstein proper.-History:...
. In early May, Austrians and Tyrolean irregulars defeated General-Major Vincenti's brigade of the 3rd Division in its attempt to reach Kufstein
Kufstein
Kufstein is a city in Tyrol, Austria, located along the river Inn, in the lower Inn valley, near the border with Bavaria, Germany, and is the site of a post World War II French sector United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Displaced Persons camp.Kufstein is the second largest city...
. At this, Napoleon demanded that Lefebvre mount a full-scale relief operation. On 11 May, Deroy relieved the 576-man garrison, which had held out for a month. With Wrede's and Deroy's divisions, Lefebvre routed Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles
Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles
Johann Gabriel, Marquis du Chasteler de Courcelles was a Walloon, entered the military service of Habsburg Austria at an early age and trained as an engineer. He won a coveted award in action against the Ottoman Turks. He fought against the First French Republic and was promoted to general officer...
at the Battle of Wörgl
Battle of Wörgl
In the Battle of Wörgl or Wörgel on 13 May 1809 a Bavarian force under French Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre attacked an Austrian Empire detachment commanded by Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles. The Bavarians severely defeated Chasteler's soldiers in series of actions in the Austrian towns...
on 13 May. Chasteler, who had been supporting the Tyrolean Rebellion
Tyrolean Rebellion 1809
The Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809 was a rebellion of peasants in the County of Tyrol led by Andreas Hofer against the occupation of their homeland by the French and Bavarian troops within the context of the War of the Fifth Coalition against Napoleon I.- Historical background: Bavarian occupation of...
, was soon after ordered to abandon the area.
Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
was occupied but Deroy's 3rd Division came under attack in the first of the Battles of Bergisel
Battles of Bergisel
The Battles of Bergisel were four battles fought between the forces of Emperor Napoleon I of France and the Kingdom of Bavaria against Tyrolean militiamen and a contingent of Austrian regular soldiers at the Bergisel hill near Innsbruck...
on 25 May 1809. Out of 4,000 soldiers and 12 guns, the Bavarians lost from 20 to 70 dead and from 100 to 150 wounded. The Austrians and Tyroleans under Andreas Hofer
Andreas Hofer
Andreas Hofer was a Tirolean innkeeper and patriot. He was the leader of a rebellion against Napoleon's forces....
suffered 50 dead and 30 wounded. Discouraged by the lack of local support, the Tyroleans withdrew to the south. They returned to attack again on 29 May in the second battle. Deroy's 5,240 soldiers and 18 guns held their ground, losing 87 dead, 156 wounded, and 53 missing. The 1,200 Austrian regulars and 13,600 Tyroleans lost 90 dead and 160 wounded. Low on ammunition and food, Deroy evacuated Innsbruck on 30 May and retreated to Kufstein.
Battle of Wagram
The Battle of Wagram was the decisive military engagement of the War of the Fifth Coalition. It took place on the Marchfeld plain, on the north bank of the Danube. An important site of the battle was the village of Deutsch-Wagram, 10 kilometres northeast of Vienna, which would give its name to the...
on 5 and 6 July, Lefebvre and Deroy reoccupied Innsbruck. In the third battle of Bergisel on 13 August, 18,000 Tyroleans sharply defeated Deroy's 3,000 troops. The Bavarians suffered 200 dead and 250 wounded while the irregulars lost 100 dead and 220 wounded. After taking hostages, Lefebvre ordered another retreat and the Tyrol was cleared of Bavarians by 18 August. On 17 October, the Tyroleans were surprised and badly beaten at Bodenbichl by General-Major Rechberg. After this, the three divisions of VII Corps retook the Tyrol. The fourth battle of Bergisel was fought and won by Wrede's troops on 1 November and the rebellion was stamped out. Deroy was promoted to General of Infantry on 1 January 1811.
When Napoleon invaded the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in 1812, Deroy commanded the 19th Infantry Division in Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr's VI Corps. A discouraged Deroy wrote to King Maximilian Joseph on 22 June that he did not see how they would survive. The march into Russia was difficult and the Bavarian general reported to his king that the food was bad and the soldiers' uniforms and shoes had worn out. Because of this, he wrote, discipline was breaking down and the troops were depressed and insubordinate.
The First Battle of Polotsk
First battle of Polotsk
In the First battle of Polotsk, which took place on 17–18 August 1812, Russian troops under the command of Peter Wittgenstein fought French and Bavarian troops led by Nicolas Oudinot and stopped their advance to Saint Petersburg...
began on 16 August, with Marshal Nicolas Oudinot
Nicolas Oudinot
Nicolas Charles Oudinot, 1st Comte Oudinot, 1st Duc de Reggio , was a Marshal of France.-Early life:...
commanding the II and VI Corps against Peter Wittgenstein
Peter Wittgenstein
Ludwig Adolph Peter, Prince Wittgenstein was a Russian Field Marshal distinguished for his services in the Napoleonic wars.-Life:...
's Russian I Corps. On the first day, the 30,000 Russians defeated the 24,000 Allies and Oudinot was wounded. Saint-Cyr took command and withdrew most of his troops to the south bank of the Daugava River on 17 August. He then built a concealed bridge and secretly shifted his small army to the north bank on the night of 17–18 August. At 3:00 PM, Saint-Cyr attacked the surprised Russians with the Bavarian VI Corps on the right, the French II Corps in the center, and the French cavalry on the left. Covered by a bombardment from 30 cannons, Deroy's 19th Division stormed the village of Spas while Wrede's 20th Division attacked farther to the right.
During the attack, Deroy was hit in the abdomen by a musket ball. He continued to lead his troops during the battle, but died of his injury on 23 August 1812. He was buried at the Saint Xavier Church in Polotsk. In recognition of his services, an order of nobility was bestowed on his wife and oldest son.