40th demi brigade, 1798 to 1800

40e demi brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne

This regiment completes the fourth of the four demi-brigades that make up Watrin's division of Lannes's Corps.

Corps: Général de division Lannes

• Division: Général de division Watrin
• Brigade: Général de brigade Malher 
• 6th Demi-brigade (3)(1l14) 
• 40th Demi-brigade (3)(1716)
• Brigade:Général de brigade Gency 
• 22nd Demi-brigade (3)(1255)
• Brigade: Général de brigade Mainony 
• 28th Demi-brigade (3)(998)

Regiment on movement bases

This prominent regiment was created in 1598 as the Regiment de Graville and went through a transition of renaming from 1640 to 1793.  Created as the Regiment de Graville  the regiment will be renamed:

1630: Regiment de Grancy
1635: Regiment de Perche
1639: Regiment de Grancy
1749: Regiment de Briqueville
1762: Regiment de Soissonnais
1791: 40e Regiment d'Infanterie

With the progress of the French Revolution, the 40e will be renamed and reformed in 1793 as the 40e Demi-Brigade de Bataille (formed from the following units)

2e Bataillon 20e Regiment d'Infanterie
3e Bataillon des Landres
3e Bataillon des Hautes-Pyrenees

In 1796 the 40e Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne was reformed from the following units: 

6e Bataillon de la Manche
2e Bataillon du Forez
10e Bataillon de la Manche
9e Bataillon du Pas-de-Calaise
2e Bataillon of the 104e Regiment d'Infanterie
27e Bataillon de Volontaires Nationaux des reserves
3e Bataillon de Rouen
2e Bataillon de l'Eure
Depot of the 15e Regiment d'Infanterie

The 40e demi brigade, as far as I can tell from my French sources, was led by Francois-Marc-Guillaume Legendre d'Harvesse. Born in 1766 Legendre d'Harvesse became a soldier in 1787 after joining the Bearn Infantry.  He participated in the fighting in 1791 and 1793, becoming a captain by election of his men in 1793 when the regiment was amalgamated.  It appears he led part or all of the 40e demi-brigade through the campaigns of 1793, and against royalist uprisings in the Vendee and Britanny before the unit was returned to the Army of Italy.

It appears he remained in command throughout the Marengo campaign and after the Battle of Marengo ended, he was given a battlefield promotion to brigade commander.  Legendre d'Harvesse would be awarded the Legion d'Honneur in December of 1803, would become a General-de Brigade in December 1805 and a Baron of the Empire in May of 1808.  He would survive the war and die in 1828.

During the Marengo campaign
1. At the battle of Chiusella the 40e with support of the 22e demi brigade would halt the Austrian advance after it broke Watrin's other brigades.

2. With the Austrians taking key positions around the town of Categgio-Montebella, General Watrin all three battalions to attack the flank of the Austrian position held by Gottesheim's forces. the attack by the 40e demi brigade went well and drove the Austrian right back across the high ground to the south-west of Mairano and a small stream.  The arrival of six battalion from the Austrian reserve steadied the Austrian line and allowed a counter attack to take place against the 40e  which caused on battalion to break and require additional support from two battalion of the 22e.  Their delayed arrival allowed the Austrians to reclaim the heights they had originally lost.  Only the timely arrival of French reinforcements from Victor's corps helped to turn the battle in favor of the French.

3. The battle of Marengo saw the 40e fight to help hold Lannes's position against ever increasing Austrian forces.  Only the timely arrival of De Saxe's forces help turn the battle in favor of the French.

Regiment placed on the movement bases.

Regimental war record(Battles and Combats)

1793: Lauterbourg and Geisberg
1795: Capture of Col d'Ispeguy
1796: Caldiero, Arcole and Passage of the Tagliamento
1800:Chiusella, Montebello, Marengo and Pozzolo
1805: Michelsberg, Hollabrunn and Austerlitz
1806: Saalfeld, Jena and Pultusk
1807: Ostrelenka
1808: Saragosse
1809: Arzopispo and Ocana
1809: Ebersberg, Essling and Wagram
1810: Villa-Garcia and Fuentes-Cantos
1811: Siege of Olivenza, Siege of Badajoz,Fuentes d'Onoro, Albuhera and Arroyo-dos-Molinos
1813: Cubiry, Saint-Sebastian and Nivelle
1813: Grossgohren, Lutzen, Bautzen, La Katzbach, Kulm,Leipzig and Hanau
1814: Saint-Pierre d'Yrube, Orthez and Toulouse
1814: Rosnay, Champaubert, Vauchamps, Laon and Paris
1815: Surzberg, Suffelweyersheim and Strasbourg

Battle Honours

Marengo 1800, Austerlitz 1805 and Saragosse 1809.

These figures are Baccus 6mm.  As this completes my available French infantry I plan to finish painting the remaining brigade officers and the French artillery.

Coming up for the Austrian forces will be:

#17 Hohenlohe Infantry Regiment (2)(9l2)

#28 Frölich Infantry Regiment (3) (1,569)

#40 Mittrowsky Infantry Regiment (3)(853)

#51 Spleny Infantry Regiment (3)(737)

#57 J. Colleredo Infantry Regiment (3)(1,359)

#18 Stuart Infantry Regiment (3)(1,282)

 Sources

1. https://books.google.com/books?id=omTVVleY6PEC&pg=PA422&lpg=PA422&dq=Jacques+Lefranc+Chef-de-Brigade&source=bl&ots=gcQAm6fW3S&sig=1Kut5gq0lmwTiTsjLoNWn2AJleQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2lcXI4pPNAhWCPD4KHXw-A3AQ6AEILzAD#v=onepage&q=Jacques%20Lefranc%20Chef-de-Brigade&f=false
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=AyYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA44&dq=Francois-Marc-Guillaume+Legendre+d%27Harvesse&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwih2MC37ZPNAhXKbT4KHZ3lD2AQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=Francois-Marc-Guillaume%20Legendre%20d'Harvesse&f=false
3. http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/organization/c_frenchinf4.html#40th 
4. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_marengo.html
5. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_casteggio_montebello.html
6. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_romano_chiusella.html