III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée)
| III Cavalry Corps | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1812–1815 |
| Country |
 First French Empire
|
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Cavalry Corps |
| Size | Two or three cavalry divisions |
| Engagements | Napoleonic Wars |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Emmanuel Grouchy Jean-Toussaint Arrighi de Casanova François Étienne de Kellermann |
The III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée) was a French military formation that fought during the Napoleonic Wars. The corps was created in 1812 and reconstituted in 1813 and 1815. Emperor Napoleon first mobilized the corps for the French invasion of Russia. Commanded by General of Division Emmanuel Grouchy, two divisions of the corps fought at Borodino, Tarutino, and Vyazma. A third division fought at First and Second Polotsk and the Berezina. During the War of the Sixth Coalition in 1813, General of Division Jean-Toussaint Arrighi de Casanova led the corps at Grossbeeren, Dennewitz, Leipzig, and Hanau. During the Hundred Days in 1815, Napoleon reorganized the corps and appointed General of Division François Étienne de Kellermann to lead it. One brigade of the corps was engaged at Quatre Bras and both divisions fought at Waterloo.
The III Cavalry Corps was first constituted for the French invasion of Russia and placed under the command of General of Division Emmanuel Grouchy. On 24 June 1812, corps numbered 9,676 men in 50 squadrons and was supported by 30 horse artillery pieces. There were three divisions under Generals of Division Louis Pierre Aimé Chastel, Jean-Pierre Doumerc, and Armand Lebrun de La Houssaye. Chastel led the 3rd Light Cavalry Division, Doumerc directed the 3rd Heavy Cavalry Division, and Houssaye commanded the 6th Heavy Cavalry Division. The Imperial French army captured Vilnius and Emperor Napoleon entered the city on 28 June. Four days later a freak storm with freezing rain blew all night long, causing the deaths of thousands of horses. Colonel Lubin Griois of Grouchy's corps artillery claimed that the storm killed one-fourth of his horses. Soon after, Grouchy was directed to place his cavalry under Marshal Louis-Nicolas Davout in attempt to cut off General Pyotr Bagration's Russian Second Army. Though Davout reached Minsk ahead of Bagration, the Russian was able to slip out of the trap because King Jérôme Bonaparte failed to pursue with energy.
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