von Peter himself hadn't planned on getting himself an army of Bavarians ... and then Front Rank Miniatures released their Bavarian range ... and then there was an order arriving at Schloss von Peter ... and the rest is now just history.

Naturally the Bavarian order of battle is from the 1813 campaign - from the Battle of Dennewitz fought on the 6 September to be a little more precise. The infantry are based on Generalmajor Becker's brigade of Generallieutenant Raglovich's 29th (Bavarian) Division. The foot artillery battery is likewise from the 29th Division. The cavalry are sort of from the 29th Light Cavalry Brigade but more of them below. All of the above answered to Marshal Oudinot, Duke of Reggio and commander of the XII Corps of the French Army.

About Bavarian cornflower blue. With the passing of many MANY years the opinion of von Peter himself regarding said Bavarian cornflower blue has evolved. Should the pigmentation process be taking place now von Peter himself would choose a slightly darker blue.

The figures are sourced from Front Rank Miniatures.

von Peter's Bavarians are painted by Nigel Fun-nel. Horses, cannons, basing etc by von Peter himself.  Flags from GMB Designs.

High Command

Due to his seniority Generallieutenant Raglovich - commander of the 29th (Bavarian) Division - is the national commander of von Peter's Bavarian troops. As such he gets to be based on a rectangular base.

The narrative is that the good Generallieutenant is receiving a report from an Aide de Camp who is doffing his hat in respect. A staff officer accompanies the Generallieutenant and is keenly observing his reaction to the report. An officer on foot listens in wondering what the report will mean for his battalion.

The Cavalry

The cavalry are a case study - some of it self inflicted! - of the organisational chaos of 1813. The Corps Cavalry of the XII Corps was the 29th Light Cavalry Brigade comprising a Westphalian Chevauxleger-lancer regiment, a Hessian Chevauxleger regiment and a Bavarian Chevauxleger regiment. Some sources have the Bavarians as a combined chevauxleger regiment. von Peter himself has mutated the combined regiment into the Chevauxleger Regiment Nr 3 'Kronprinz'.

What the future holds for the Bavarian cavalry is a little bit of an unknown. Perhaps the Westphalian and Hessians will be collected to recreate the 29th Light Cavalry Brigade. Perhaps some more Bavarian cavalry will be mustered in to create a pure Bavarian cavalry brigade. Hmmm. All that is known is that the figures for a Bavarian Chevauxleger regiment were purchased for The son & heir who is very unlikely to do anything with them. Hmmm!

Cavalry Command

Because the 29th Light Cavalry Brigade was commanded by the French General de Brigade Beaumont and because a Bavarian cavalry command was desired a generic Bavarian cavalry command stand was created.

Of course what is an army without those dashing ADC characters to rush around delivering orders or perhaps lead a brave charge? The Bavarians currently have three mounted figures to perform the role. One is the "BVNP3 - Aide de Camp at ease" figure from Front Rank Figurines with the remaining two in the uniform of mounted officers.

Additionally there is a dismounted officer to help out should the need arise.

Generalmajor Becker's brigade of the 29th (Bavarian) Division

The meat of von Peter's Bavarians is represented by the five battalions of this brigade. Or at least it will do when the fifth battalion musters in!

Generalmajor Becker

The man himself and his staff themselves. The generalmajor watches over his brigade while his ADC watches over the generalmajor watching over his brigade. A dismounted officer seconded from the Sachsen-Hildburghausen Infantry Regiment is quick to realise how things are at brigade headquarters and watches on as well.

The infantry

There are five battalions of infantry in Generalmajor Beckers Brigade. One light battalion and four line battalions.

The 1st Light Battalion ‘Fick’ in their distinctive green uniform. No problems identifying them in the heat of battle.

The Bavarian line infantry regiments were normally two battalion affairs but after the exertions and losses of the 1812 Russian campaign the Bavarian Army was still reorganising through the 1813 campaign. Hence most regiments fighting for the French had but a solitary battalion in the field for much of the campaign.

The 2/3rd Prinz Carl Infantry Regiment with their scarlet piped white distinctives and not to forget their brass buttons.

The 1/4th Sachsen-Hildburghausen Infantry Regiment with their sulphur yellow piped scarlet facings not to forget their white metal buttons. Quite colourful. Some might even say gaudy! This was the first Bavarian battalion to enlist with von Peter himself.

To the untrained eye the 2/8th Herzog Pius Infantry Regiment looks just the same as the prior 1/4 Sachsen-Hildburghausen with their sulphur yellow piped red facings. But the more seasoned viewer will know better as they spot that this battalion has brass buttons whereas the other has silver. A common distinguishing feature across several armies.

The unusual mounted officer is the result of one of the battalion's officers being seconded into a staff officer role and on his own initiative wearing an amalgam of his regimental uniform and that of a staff officer. Alternatively von Peter himself got sick of the two mounted officers available from Front Rank Figurines and desired something a little different.

The 1/13th vacant Infantry Regiment.  "Vacant" because it had no official notable inhaber to give the regiment their name. This influenced the decision to give the battalion a plain Bavarian flag bereft of crests, madonnas etc.

Unfortunately a member of the battalion appears to have eaten a bad sausage and has fallen out of the ranks. Majorgeneral Becker will not be amused. Or it could just be a casualty marker for the battalion!

The Artillery

Although there were two Bavarian 6pdr foot batteries with the 29th (Bavarian) Division the (limited number!) of Orders of Battle that have been studied do not directly allocate one each of the batteries to the two brigades with in the division. The artillery battery - the 1st Bavarian Foot Artillery with 6 6pdrs and 2 7pdr howitzers - has therefore been allocated from the divisional pool of artillery batteries to support Generalmajor Becker's brigade.

The Bavarian Chevauxleger Regiment Nr 3 'Kronprinz'. Black facings piped red with brass buttons.