Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Gallian Lt. Col. Enigma Arrives At Frankfurt Am Main
The Morning of 25 July 1757
The Citadel within Frankfurt Am Main
Gallian l’Intendant l’Comte de Bastille (Military Governor of Said City)
Lt. Col. Enigma
Lt. Pierre: ADC to Bastille
Narrator:
Our vexed Intendant sits at his desk casting an eye out the window. He sees the final crowning atop the new jail just on the other side of the parade ground. A satisfied deep breath proves his satisfaction at its completion. Just then uncountable clip clops rising in intensity sound on the cobblestones below reverberating on adjacent building walls. Several horsemen come closer and stop below his office. Bastille rises and walks to the window to see an eye patched man with a scared and severe face in the officer uniform of the Royal des Carabiniers dismount from his large black charger, a stallion. ADCs scurry to open the heavy door to the building. Grenadier guards salute smartly. Bastille nods to himself saying, “He is finally here.” when….
Lt. Pierre: Monsieur l’Intendant, Lt. Col. Enigma has arrived requesting an audience.
Bastille: Certainement. Show him in. Welcome mon trés cher ami. How was your journey?
Enigma: Ah Bastille, it IS good to see you again. Fast. My journey was undelayed. My horse Rupert has amazing speed and staying power. He quite wore out the horses of my ADCs, the poor fellows but a good lesson for them in the necessity of intensity.
Bastille: Like you my dear friend. Allow me to serve you some Chevert wine, will you?
Enigma: Pardon, but no. May we move to the issue at hand?
Bastille: Oui. The situation is unchanged here. Confusion in every quarter. Only more Gallian soldiers will satisfy the problems both seen and unseen. Our Ordre de Bataille is:
In Frankfurt Am Main:
De Saxe Uhlans: 120 guarding Pettygree and Masquerade now housed here within the Citadel.
Militia Grenadiers: 480, in the citadel itself, the guards you saw here.
Brigade Flanders: Three battalions: 1,952 hommes.
Brigade Provence: Four battalions: 2,323 hommes here in Frankfurt Am Main.
Artillerie: 8 Battalion Pieces.
Now Just North Of The City:
L’Corps de Armée de Lt. Gen. de Poyanne is not far away. I believe he has some 25,000 hommes and twenty pieces of ordnance.
Arriving Any Hour Now:
Brigade Auvergne: Two battalions: 1,200 hommes (regulars).
Saxe-Raschstein Chevaulegers von Rutowski: 400 hommes.
Artillerie: 1 Battalion Piece.
Enigma: “Bravo. All good. And I can tell you the Auvergnes and Saxons were on the road just outside the west gate. They should be entering the city as we speak. I bypassed them on the road. Now let us speak about the afternoon parade and celebrations.”
Bastille: "Excuse me a moment my dear friend."
Narrator:
Bastille leans out the window. He can just see the first scarlet coats and black facings of the leading squadron of Saxe-Raschsteiners passing through the Citadel’s western gate. In a moment he is reseated to answer the inquiry, but for now dear reader we must suspend further prose till another time.
Those with copies of Batailles de l'Ancien Régime will be pleased to see Lt. Col. Enigma three or four pages into the text - on the copyright page.
Bravo Enigma!
Bill
Okay, I think I'll get the Austrians to come in too, so I can grab their figures a bit to fill out the roster!
Heck, I don't have near that many Frenchable figures yet!
Thanks for the OB ... though ...
I'll be referencing it!
Arthur