The Future Saxon Army 1866 - 1882

[Friedrich August I.]

Ordre de Bataille of the Royal Saxon Army in the Campaign of 1866:

Commander: Kronprinz Albert, Gen. d. Inf.

1st. Infantry-Division: Gen.Lt. Schimpf

2. Inf.-Brigade: Obst. v. Hake
5. Inf. Battalion
6. Inf. Battalion
7. Inf. Battalion
8. Inf. Battalion
2. Jaeger Battalion

3. Inf.-Brigade: Gen.Mjr. v. Carlowitz
9. Inf. Battalion
10. Inf. Battalion
11. Inf. Battalion
12. Inf. Battalion
3. Jaeger Battalion

Div. Artillery: Obst.Lt. Weigel
2. gez. 6pdr. Battery
1. 12pdr 'Granatkanonen' Battery
3. Ambulance

2nd. Infantry-Division: Gen.Lt. v. Stieglitz

4. (Leib-) Inf.-Brigade: Obst v. Hausen
13. Inf. Battalion
14. Inf. Battalion
15. Inf. Battalion
16. Inf. Battalion
4. Jaeger Battalion

1. Inf.-Brigade: Obst. v. Borberg
1. Inf. Battalion
2. Inf. Battalion
3. Inf. Battalion
4. Inf. Battalion
1. Jaeger Battalion

Div. Artillery: Obst.Lt. v. Gruenwald
4. gez. 6pdr Battery
2. 12pdr 'Granatkanonen' Battery
2. Ambulance
Pioneers

Reiter-Division: Gen.Lt. v. Fritsch

1. Reiter-Brigade: Gen.Mjr. Prinz Georg
Garde-Reiterregiment (1.-4. Squadron)
1. Reiterregiment "Kronprinz" (2.-5. Squadron)

2. Reiter-Brigade: Gen.Mjr. v. Biedermann
2. Reiterregiment (1.,2.,4., 5. Squadron)
3. Reiterregiment (1.-4. Squadron)

Div. Artillery: Oblt. v. Planitz
1. 12pdr Horse 'Granatkanonen' Battery
1. Ambulance

Reserve-Artillery: Obst. Koehler(Hauptzeughaus)
1. gez. 6pdr Battery
2. gez. 6pdr Battery
3. 12pdr 'Granatkanonen' Battery
4. 12pdr 'Granatkanonen' Battery
2. 12pdr Horse 'Granatkanonen' Battery
1. Ammo- Coloumn
2. Ammo- Coloumn

What remains are Army Trainings Facilities, Depot, Troops that remained in Saxony and who followed the Army in to the Foreign Country(Austria).

Today, in the evening, follows some uniform details and other stuff

So stay tuned

[Friedrich August I.]

Sorry but yesterday I had some problems to solve so I continue today.

Army Facilities are the remaining artillery parks, equipages, foodsupplies, Pioneer park, Pontoneer park and Hospitals for man and horse.
The Depot was the

Depot Inf.-Brigade: Obst.Lt. Hake
1. Depot Battalion
2. Depot Battalion
3. Depot Battalion
4. Depot Battalion
Jaeger Depot Battalion

The Depot Reiterregiment
The Artillery Depot
The Pioneer Depot
The Pontoneer Depot

As the Prussians were locating their Corps along the border some decissions were made to destroy certain railway bridges to prevent the Prussian army of using them.
The Fortress of Koenigstein got large amounts of food supplies and the Hill Tops and woods that are in range of their guns were cleared and cut down of sight hindering wood population.

The last days of May saw the deployment of the Prussian Corps between Zeitz, Halle, Torgau and Goerlitz.

A small Uniform detail is to be mentioned here as the Tschackos of the Infantry were left behind in Saxony in the Fortress of Koenigstein. The Infantry therefore wore only the 'Feldmuetze'.
The Higher Staff Officers wore the Austrian 'Schirmmuetze'.
Also their Epauletts remaind in Saxony and instead the Austrian Insignias of stars on the collar were used.

On the 1st. of June 1866 the Minister of War met his colleagues in Munich were he realized the Bavaria's Army would not be ready in time of the Invasion to join Forces with them. So on the 9th of June 1866, in secret, it was planed to retreat the Saxon Army south into Austria to join the Austrian Army of the North.

Prussian Declaration of War

On June 14th 1866 at the Federal Convention in Frankfurt at which the petiton of Austria was received to mobilize all non-prussian Corps and Reserves Saxony and a large part of the assembly approved this Petition.
In view of this decission Prussia dissolved the German Union and sent similiar notes to Dresden, Hannover and Kassel in which Prussia demanded the countermanning of the Mobilisation of the Armed Forces and at the same time accepted the neutrality of those states. But only if they are joining a new Union under the Leadership of Prussia. In case of a refusal they announced war.
As Saxony, Hannover and Hessen-Cassel refused a Declaration of War followed on June 15th 1866.
All prevention now took place: The Railway Bridge at Riessa was burned by Saxon Pioneers and in Meissen a loud muffled detonation was heared as the center pier of the Elb-Bridge was blown-up.

To be continued...

[Friedrich August I.]

On June 16th it was confirmed that the Prussians had crossed the Border in some places like Wurzen, Dahlen, Jahnishausen, Löbau and some others.
Many more preliminaries now took place such as the steamboats and the Railway trains were sent to Bohemia and Bavaria and varios Pioneer detachments demolished, as ordered, the Schlesian Railway in Löbau, Bautzen and Bischofswerda.
At midday on the 16th the King left on Horseback his Residence followed by the Minister of War and some ADC's and rode slowly and deeply moved by the moment through the streets of Dresden. As he rode he was greeted by the the mass of the people with cheers and sympathized calls.
In the night of the 17th the Army got their marching order. At 3 O'Clock the Gros of the army marched out of its quarters arround Dresden to Pirna and Berggießhübl. At the HQ in Pirna the Imperial Austrian Colonnel Pelican v. Plauenfeld arrived as communication officer between the K.u.k. and Royal Saxon Commandposts.
On the 18th, as planed, the Saxon Army crossed the Border into Bohemia.
The King followed on Horse the Reserve Division. All Soldiers remembered the moving moment when the King halted his Horse on Saxon soil before crossing the border and rode forward with the words:"Now then, in the Name of God!"
In Bohemia the Saxon Army Corps was greeted by the K.u.k. Infantry Brigade Ringelsheim which was placed across the roads between Bodenbach and Hayda-Lann. On the evening of the 19th all units of the Saxon Army stood in Bohemia.

To be continued...