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Napoleon was not a religious man, but did he celebrate, or observe any ceremonies for Christmas?

Terry

Since the old forum is down and I can't add a comment on my old topic, I wanted to post a historical fiction piece I created using the research and translation I did on the 2e Division Artillery in April 1809. Any feedback or comments would be welcome!

Michael

https://researchingthenapoleonicwars.wordpress.com/2025/11/29/the-artillerymans-stand-at-eckmuhl/

As the "Uniformenportal" of Napoleon Online is growing (more than 5,100 images) I added a detailled search as a link at https://uniformenportal.de/uniformenportal_suche.html

You must choose a country and then you may choose further parameters as time range or several unit types. If you choose infantry, cavalry or artillery all sub-types will be chosen. An additional radio button is provided for the selection of guard units.

I think the german texts will be translated via the browser addons so also non-german speaking may use this search engine (which I built with the help of AI 😉). I think the next border of 10,000 images will be reached in 2026/2027, so more and more the search engine will be of help for all researchers of uniform and equipment related questions.

Greetings from Berlin

Markus Stein

Hello everyone,

One of my ancestors, of Czech origin, was most likely taken prisoner at the Battle of Austerlitz (he was fighting for the Austrians). After his captivity (where?), he settled in Paris and started a family. Where can I find records confirming his status as a soldier and then as a prisoner? The Austrian military archives haven't responded, and the French archives don't seem to have any records of ordinary soldiers. His name was Adam Burianek, and he was born in 1782 in Vlašim.

Than you in advance,

Eric

Interesting, if rather overlooked, character, who reformed the British cavalry and set up the first British Staff College. I came across this lengthy YT video about him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeuC-IpqJRA&t=1836s although I would disagree about the originality of the Light Cavalry sabre. A lot of British kit was copied from the Austrians after the Flanders campaign of 1793-4, including the Hungarian sabre and much of Sharpe's uniform. I can hear Zack saying "No, not more competition", but I have also come across this fairly new podcast, where a recent edition features Dr William Fletcher talking about Marchant and the British Staff in the Peninsular. https://goodpods.com/podcasts/the-history-syndicate-podcast-699044/15-re-evaluating-the-british-staff-contribution-to-the-napoleonic-wars-94797627 Although it is Anglocentric and repeats some mythology about the French staff (there was nothing unusual about the Marshals not knowing Napoleon's overall strategic concept in 1815 as it was always the case and the root of the 1806 near-debacle), Fletcher gives some due accoun…

I have just been made aware that Donald E. Graves, noted historian of the War of 1812, passed away last weekend, following a lengthy illness.

His work can be credited for inspiring a number of the current generation of Napoleonic enthusiasts with an interest in the conflict.

My thoughts are with his loved ones at this difficult time.

Sailors of Varied Fortune: The Schombergs afloat and ashore

Paul Martinovich

Amazon UK £41 Amazon US $54.95

Who would have thought that among the contemporaries of Hood and Nelson were four successful Royal Navy captains named Schomberg? This book reveals how these closely-related men navigated the choppy waters of a demanding and competitive service. Over ninety years the four Captains Schomberg (Alexander, Isaac, Alexander Wilmot and Charles Marsh) encountered the challenges of battle, storm and professional missteps, as they built reputations for energy and competence.

As their name suggests, these men did not come from a conventional RN officer background — the Navy or the gentry. The Schombergs were the offspring of an immigrant German-Jewish doctor, a man of considerable repute in early Georgian London. They seem to have inherited his erudition and intelligence, traits evident when they took on important administrative duties, mixed with artists, and wrote several books.…

This book is the first comprehensive treatment of an almost forgotten aspect of the campaigns 1813–1814: the battle for the fortresses on the left bank of the Lower Rhine, in the Netherlands, Belgium and northern France, before the decision was made in Paris at the end of March 1814. Unlike the great land battles of the autumn campaign of 1813, the sieges of the 33 fortresses decided the liberation of the Netherlands and Belgium. The campaign was, in a sense, the initial spark for the founding of the modern Netherlands under the rule of the House of Orange. This book is therefore the sequel to the book "The Forgotten War of Liberation - Besieged Fortresses between Memel and the Rhine in 1813-1814" by authors Hemmann and Klöffler. The introduction briefly outlines the basics of fortress warfare in the Napoleonic era and the situation at the end of 1813. The operations of…

The email that came through about the change to the Forum reminded me that I hadn't actually visited the site in a few years though I used to be a regular of the old Napoleonic Discussion Forum. I haven't lost interest, it's just that I moved to Alderney and have acquired a whole host of new hobbies and activities.

I'm still plugging away at my biography of Marshal Macdonald (up to 1814 and near the end of the military stuff at last) and would love to hear from anyone else interested in him.

Regards to all,

Susan Wood (formerly Susan Howard)