Napoleon's Cavalry at Waterloo

Breakdown by type

  • Heavy cavalry 7,400 (50%)
  • Light cavalry 7,500 (50%)
  • Guard cavalry 3,400 (23%)
  • Line cavalry 11,500 (77%)

    Detailed Order of Battle


    Light line cavalry divisions were attached to infantry corps. Heavy cavalry was grouped in separate reserve cavalry corps.

    Unit (Commander) Strength

    Army of the North (Napoleon)

    14,857

    Imperial Guard

    3,409

    Imperial Guard Heavy Cavalry Division (Count Guyot)

    1,432
  • Horse Grenadiers (Marquis Jamin)
    		• 706
  • Empress Dragoons (Baron Letort)
    		• 726

    Imperial Guard Light Cavalry Division (Count Lefebvre-Desnouettes)

    1,977
  • Guard Chasseurs (Baron Lallemand)
    		• 1197
  • Guard Lancers (Comte Colbert)
    		•  780

    I Army Corps

    1,506

    1st Division (Baron Jacquinot)

    1,506

  • 1st Brigade (Baron Bruno)
    		• 804
      7th Hussars
    		493
      3rd Chasseurs
    		517 scarlet facings
  • 2nd Brigade (Baron Gobrecht)
    		• 702
      3rd Lancers
    		399 pink facings
      4th Lancers
    		325 crimson facings

    II Army Corps

    1,542

    2nd Division (Baron Pire)

    1,542

  • 1st Brigade (Baron Huber)
    		• 804
      1st Chasseurs
    		471 scarlet facings
      6th Chasseurs
    		529
  • 2nd Brigade (Baron Wathiez)
    		• 702
      5th Lancers
    		262
      6th Lancers
    		280 red facings

    VI Army Corps

    2,337

    3rd Division (Baron Domon)

    1,017

  • 1st Brigade (Baron Dommanget)
    		• 699
      4th Chasseurs
    		337 yellow facings
      9th Chasseurs
    		362
  • 2nd Brigade (Baron Vinot)
    		• 318
      12th Chasseurs
    		318 crimson facings, green collar

    5th Division (Baron Subervie)

    1,320

  • 1st Brigade (Count Colbert)
    		• 835
      1st Lancers
    		415
      2nd Lancers
    		420 aurore (light orange) facings
  • 2nd Brigade (Chevalier Merlin)
    		• 485
      11th Chasseurs
    		485 crimson facings, green collar

    III Reserve Cavalry Corps (Count Kellerman)

    3,372

    11th Division (Baron L'Heritier)

    1,734

  • 1st Brigade (Baron Picquet)
    		• 1,110
      2nd Dragoons
    		493
      7th Dragoons
    		517 crimson facings
  • 2nd Brigade (Baron Guiton)
    		• 724
      8th Cuirassiers
    		399 yellow facings
      11th Cuirassiers
    		325

    12th Division (Baron d'Hurbal)

    1,638

  • 1st Brigade (Baron Blancard)
    		• 847
      1st Carabiniers
    		434
      2nd Carabiniers
    		413 same as 1st with sky blue cuffs (hidden by gauntlets) instead of red
  • 2nd Brigade (Chevalier Donop)
    		• 791
      2nd Cuirassiers
    		311 red facings
      3rd Cuirassiers
    		480

    IV Reserve Cavalry Corps (Count Milhaud)

    2,691

    13th Division (Count Watier)

    1,217

  • 1st Brigade (Baron Dubois)
    		• 779
      1st Cuirassiers
    		465
      4th Cuirassiers
    		314 light orange facings
  • 2nd Brigade (Baron Travers)
    		• 438
      7th Cuirassiers
    		180 yellow facings
      12th Cuirassiers
    		258 pink facings

    14th Division (Baron Delort)

    1,474

  • 1st Brigade (Baron Farine du Creux)
    		• 817
      5th Cuirassiers
    		478 light orange facings
      10th Cuirassiers
    		339 pink facings
  • 2nd Brigade (Baron Vial)
    		• 657
      6th Cuirassiers
    		275 light orange facings
      9th Cuirassiers
    		382