1st Light Infantry Regiment

The 1st Light Infantry Regiment (In Italian: 1o Reggimento d’Infanteria Leggera) was one of the light infantry regiments of the Kingdom of Naples. It was the first unit to be formed as part of the Army of the Kingdom of Naples; in fact, its formation was one of the first royal decrees pronounced by King Joseph during his reign. The regiment would go on to serve in various theatres, being the only Neapolitan regiment to have served in seven different land campaigns. Other than the 1st Mounted Chasseurs, it was the only Neapolitan regiment to serve in the Tyrol campaign of 1809.

Formation & Origins

Early Organisation

The 1st Light was formed by decree of 16th February 1806; it was one of the first official acts done by Joseph Bonaparte in the kingdom, although he himself wasn’t proclaimed King until over a month later. As all Neapolitan regiments were, the 1st Light was formed on French lines: the initial strength of the regiment was set to two battalions of nine companies each, split into seven companies of chasseurs, one of carabiniers and one of voltigeurs. The regiment was raised exclusively from Neapolitan nationals and ex-Bourbon soldiers, which included the regiment’s colonel, Prince Andrea Pignatelli-Cerchiara.

Pignatelli came from the higher spheres of Neapolitan nobility and had previously commanded an infantry regiment in the Bourbon Royal Army. His appointment no doubt came as an attempt by Joseph to entice more Neapolitans into joining the army and swearing allegiance to him; Pignatelli’s brother was similarly appointed Minister of the Navy during this period.

The regiment was formed within the first fifteen days of its creation, reaching around 1,200 men in all. Later that year the regiment would be augmented to have a third battalion – probably created in order to employ even more ex-Bourbon soldiers into the new army before they had the chance to join the brigandage.

Service in the Brigandage

In July 1806 the regiment was sent to take part in the Siege of Gaeta. It is improbable the regiment contributed anything at all during its short time there, as the following month it was sent to Cilento in Southern Calabria to fight the brigandage. It remained stationed there to guard against British landings and served vigorously in operations against insurgents, during which the Colonel was wounded badly. Here the regiment gained its first combat experiences although it had yet to face regular, formed troops. In December it was deployed to Sapri in Basilicate to guard the road to Maratea against the brigands there. Unfortunately, the war began taking its toll on the regiment’s order and equipment as on 7th August 1807 General Partouneaux complained to the government on the regiment’s poor state and asked for a French officer to reorganise and bring it back into shape. This was answered in the form of Louis-François Boy, an experienced officer who had previously been Major in the 2nd Line; he joined the 1st Light in the same capacity. Problems arose again almost a year later when General Lucotte insisted in demanding Pignatelli-Cerchiara’s full substitution; this was enacted on 5th May 1808 and the command of the regiment was briefly given to Nicolas-Philippe Guye (a trusted ADC of Joseph Bonaparte) before being handed to Boy.

On 25th August 1809, Sciarpa’s Chasseurs were incorporated into the regiment, bringing it to the total strength of 77 officers and 1258 men, stationed across Naples, Pozzuoli, Procida and Ischia.

Imperial Service

In 1809 the regiment was among the Neapolitan troops sent to occupy the Papal States. During this period, it suffered exceedingly high rates of desertion. In early September the regiment was ordered from Rome to Bologna, to prepare to reinforce the Neapolitan troops in Spain.

Service in the Tyrol

In October, the entire regiment (two battalions) and two squadrons of the 1st Chasseurs under Desvernois were hastily sent by General Antoine Digonnet to relieve the besieged garrison of Trento under General Luigi Gaspare Peyri, who was outnumbered against a large force of Tyrolean insurgents. The Neapolitans joined the garrison under cover of night. The defenders were forced to sally out on the 10th of October for lack of food and supplies; 800 chosen men, among which were the 1st Light’s elite companies, successfully pushed the insurgents back from the city gates at bayonet point; when these reformed further north, a Neapolitan flanking force under Capobattaglione Pompei sent them fleeing towards Lavis. In Digonnet’s report to the Neapolitan Minister of War, the 1st Light was praised highly, and several men mentioned for valour and bravery, namely:

Pompei, chef de bataillon, Basset (captain), Rapoli (lieutenant), Nobile (souslieut.), Antoglietti (id.), Avignone (id.), Madalena (sergt. major), Denitis (sergeant), and Griscoli, (voltigeur).

Service in Spain

The 1st Light entered Spain in early February 1810. On the 12th it was at Figueras and was grouped with the 1st Chasseurs into a brigade under General Zenardi, forming part of Marshal Augereau’s advance guard. It’s first mission in March was to escort a huge convoy of supplies heading to Barcelona; upon encountering sharp resistance at San Geloni on the 16th, the 1st Light conducted a bayonet charge that drove the Spaniards back and cleared the road, at the cost of 2 dead and 10 wounded. On the way back to Figueras the 1st Light encountered more insurgents at Mataró, again dispersing them at bayonet point. Total losses in this action were 4 dead and 12 wounded. Finally, the regiment had to divert off the coastal road to avoid being shelled by a small Anglo-Spanish flotilla. Upon reaching Figueras on the 4th of April the regiment spent the next few days in relative tranquility.

On the 3rd of May the regiment was present at the capture of the Medas islands. Two men from the 1st Light, Corporals Giuseppe Vittorio, and Andrea Mascarelli, successfully swam to the rocky base of the main fort’s walls on the 10th and captured two boats from the Spaniards, a feat for which they were awarded each the rank of Cavalier of the Order of Two Sicilies.

In August the regiment took part in the march from Reus to Lérida, which involved the entirety of the Army of Catalonia. The Neapolitan division under Pignatelli-Strongoli was posted in the advance guard. The 1st Light’s pickets were active in scouting and revealing the position of the main insurgent column retreating towards Tarragona through Valls; upon reaching the latter town, they withdrew after being attacked with the loss of two killed and one wounded. Upon linking up with Suchet’s Army of Aragon, the Neapolitans were destined to guard the vital grain supply lines around Lérida. The 1st Light took part in taking the fortified town of L’Espanyol on 16th September 1810 and was then dispersed across various garrisons in the area.

In January 1811, the regiment, now at 1,367 men, was grouped into Ferrier’s brigade of Compère’s division. An active reorganisation of the Neapolitan troops in Spain followed, with Colonel Boy and most of the 2nd Battalion being repatriated back to Naples, while CpBtn Pompei remained behind with the strengthened 1st Battalion.

Around two months later, the 1st Light took a blow when it lost three officers and a number of men prisoner at the fall of Figueras on 9th April. The fort had been infiltrated by insurgents under Francisco Rovira and its Italo-Neapolitan garrison quickly was forced to surrender. Later that month two of the regiment’s elite companies fought in the defence of Cataluyd, during which they were surrounded and ran out of ammunition; a courageous bayonet charge and CpBtn Pompei’s relief force managed to break the units out, with substantial losses. Finally, the regiment took active part in the capture of Oropesa and Torre del Rey in October that year, and then played a reserve role during the Siege of Valencia.

By this point, the 1st Light’s strength was at 416 men, only 359 of which were present under arms (the rest being in hospitals). The rest of the brigade was in a similar state, and hence on the 14th of October the 1st Light was grouped alongside the 1st and 2nd Line regiments into the provisional 8th Line Regiment, by decree of the King. The rest of the regiment (within the Kingdom) was brought to three battalions.

2nd Light Infantry Regiment

On 1st February 1812, Colonel Boy was replaced by Alessandro de Medici di Ottajano as commander of the regiment. De Medici was another pompous aristocrat, who’s uncle was held high office in the Bourbon court in Sicily. Medici himself was previously a Capobattaglione in the 3rd Line. It is unknown whether he performed well in his capacity as Colonel. Several weeks later, the entire light infantry arm of the Army was reorganised, and the 1st Light was renamed the 2nd Light Infantry Regiment (2o Reggimento d’Infanteria Leggera).

In 1813 the regiment was brought to four battalions, and on 29th May the fourth battalion was given to the newly formed 4th Light.

Italian Campaigns 1814-15

For the upcoming 1814 campaign in Northern Italy, the 2nd Light was grouped alongside the 1st Line into Rosaroll’s brigade of Carrascosa’s first division. In November 1813 the regiment had a total strength of 63 officers and 2,432 men, split into three battalions. It would serve in this position for the next two campaigns. As part of the first division, it marched as the advance guard of the Army. Soon, the brigade was under the command of the energetic General Guglielmo Pepe. The regiment fought at Reggio Emilia on March 7th and then with distinction at the Battle of the Taro. On 1st March, Colonel de Medici was replaced by Louis Verdinois, an experienced Frenchman.

In 1815, at the outbreak of hostilities with Austria, the division was stationed in Ancona and filed off towards Rimini via Senigallia and Pesaro, which the Austrians abandoned without a shot. The next day the 1st Brigade was engaged at Cesena, where the Austrians organised a hasty defence, and forced the enemy to pull back - his became known as the first true engagement of the Neapolitan war. Following the Austrian withdrawal, Murat entered Bologna on the 2nd of April, to the cheers of its inhabitants.

On April 4th the entire Murattian Army (minus the two Guard divisions in Tuscany) advanced to seize Modena. The Panaro river crossings leading to the city were here defended by the Austrian General Bianchi, at the head of some 12,000 men (according to Pepe), with the Austrian centre being formed up opposite the Sant’Ambrogio bridge, which was fortified. Here Carrascosa and Murat decided to dislodge the Austrians by forcing the bridge and flanking the Austrian right with Pepe’s brigade at Spilimberto. All three battalions of the 2nd Light hence threw themselves into the river, Verdinois at their head, and courageously charged the Austrians on the far bank, against withering fire; the attack was a complete success, and the Austrians were forced out of Spilimberto, turning Bianchi’s right wing, and forcing the entire army to retreat, leaving Modena in Neapolitan hands. This action hence brought the first Neapolitan success of the war and can be owed completely to the 2nd Light’s attack.

The 2nd Light then participated with some distinction at the battle of Carpi on April 8th, albeit with some loss (including a number of prisoners). It was engaged at the Reno where it successfully repulsed Austrian infantry and cavalry attacks alongside the 1st Line, and then retreated further south with the rest of the division. As per the rest of Carrascosa’s force, it was not engaged at Tolentino, and was lightly engaged against Niepperg at Scapezzano. When the army was defeated on 2-3rd May, the 2nd Light retreated with the main column down to Castel di Sangro, where it made a stand in the face of Austrian cavalry (in the form of the Radetzky Hussars).

With the end of hostilities, the regiment was formally disbanded on 20th May in Capua.

List of Colonels

Date Appointed	Name
5th May 1806	Andrea Pignatelli-Cerchiara
5th May 1808	Nicolas-Philippe Guye
23rd May 1808	Louis-François Boy
1st February 1812	Alessandro de Medici di Ottajano
1st March 1814	Louis Verdinois