Since my previous post I have undertaken some more detailed research into the French troops that held Linselles and Le Blaton when Lake’s Guards brigade attacked.

From the French perspective, the action at Linselles on the 18^th August 1793, was led by three French Generals, Macdonald, Jourdan and Béru. Dupuis gives the order of battle for the French Army on the 30th July 1793. The infantry is largely organised into provisional demi-brigades comprising an old regular battalion combined with two Volunteer battalions.

The Camp of Madelaine to the north of Lille contained 8 such demi-brigades. In addition a new Division was created under the command of General de Brigade Béru. This division comprised the following units;

5^th de Vosges Volunteers; 1^st Bn/45^th Infantry Regiment; 10^th Paris Volunteers

10^th Seine-et-Oise Volunteers; 1^st Bn/47^th Infantry Regiment; 2^nd Vienne Volunteers

2^nd Paris Volunteers

1^st St. Denis Volunteers; 1^st Bn/19^th Infantry Regiment; 6^th Paris Volunteers

Company of Light artillery with two 12pdrs, two  8pdrs and two howitzers

12^th Chasseurs à Cheval

6^th Cavalry

of these, on the 18th, the demi-brigade comprising the 1^st St. Denis Volunteers; 1^st Bn/19^th Infantry Regiment; 6^th Paris Volunteers together with the 3^rd Franc battalion and the 15^th Light Infantry battalion, from Jourdan’s command were dispatched to attack Roubaix under the command of General Desroques.

Chef de Brigade Etienne Jacques Macdonald advanced from Le Quesnoi to take Le Blaton from the Dutch, presumably with his own demi-brigade comprising the 5^th l’Aisne Volunteers, 2^nd Bn/2^nd Infantry Regiment & 40^th National Volunteers. Also present were the 2^nd Finistere Volunteers.

It is known that Jourdan himself led the demi-brigade of the 1^st/45^th Regiment to Linselles, including the 5^th Vosges and 10^th Paris Volunteers.

This left Béru with the demi-brigade comprising the 10^th de Seine-et-Oise Volunteers,  the  1^st/47^th Regiment  &  the 2^nd Vienne Volunteers, together with the 2^nd Paris Volunteers.

The 2^nd Bn/12^th Infantry Regiment and the 1^st d’Allier Volunteers were sent by Adjutant General Dupont from the Camp de Madelaine, while the third battalion of the demi-brigade, the 8^th Paris (Sainte Marguerite) Volunteers were at Mouvaux on this day.

The French sources thus suggests that they had 4 battalions at Le Blaton and that Jourdan and Béru had 9 battalions at Linselles itself.

The strengths of the 9 battalions at Linselles can be estimated from the Situations reproduced by Depuis;

To close here are some photographs of another game at a recent Sons of Simon de Montfort club night. In this game the French forsook the shelter of the defensive works in an attempt to overwhelm the Guards Brigade;

Sources:

V. Dupuis, La campagne de 1793 à l’armée du Nord et des Ardennes,…. De Valenciennes à Hondtschoote, 1906, p. 10, 14-15, 199-214
V. Dupuis, La campagne de 1793 à l’armée du Nord et des Ardennes,…. D’Hondtschoote à Wattignes, 1909, p. 100
G. Dumont, Bataillons de volontaires nationaux (Cadres et historiques), 1914, p. 15, 104, 251, 363
C.L. Chassin & L. Hennet, Les Volontaires Nationaux pendant la Revolution, 1899 & 1902, vol. 1, p. 226-7 & vol.2, p. 114
L. Brayard, SEHRI, Les Bataillons de Volontaires et de Rde Réquisitions de l’Allier (1791-1803), Jan. 2017, p. 8, available at LINK