24826. - 15 January, 1851. IN THE TSAR’S NAME, EXPRESSED IN AN ORDER TO THE MINISTER OF WAR. - On carrying out the directive concerning permanent cavalry and horse-artillery reserves.

1851 - Permanent Cavalry and Horse-Artillery Reserves

(From Polnoe Sobranie Zavodov, 2nd series.)

24826. - 15 January, 1851. In the tsar’s name, expressed in an order of the minister of war. - On carrying out the regulation concerning permanent cavalry and horse-artillery reserves.

The Sovereign Emperor deigned through His Highest Authority: that the regulation, confirmed by His Majesty on 28 November, 1849, concerning permanent cavalry and horse-artillery reserves, be now carried out based on the following:

The Cavalry Reserve.

Field and Company-Grade Officers:

1) Of the number of field and company-grade officers now in the reserve and replacement [rezervnye i zapasnye] squadrons of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Light Cavalry Divisions, as well as in the cadres of the reserve and replacement squadrons of the 6th Light Cavalry Division, there are to be used in the Reserve Cavalry Division:

Field-grade officers . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.
(Of this number 4 are for commanding the combined regiments [svodnye polki]; 24 are for commanding the squadrons.)

Company-grade officers . . . . . . . .137.
(Included in this number are 1 senior adjutant, 1 general’s adjutant, 2 brigade adjutants, 1 provost marshal, 4 regimental adjutants, 4 regimental quartermasters, and 4 regimental paymasters.)

2) The selection of these field and company-grade officers is to be done by the Inspector of Reserve Cavalry, with the 1 field-grade officer and 90 company-grade officers who remain left over in the existing reserve cavalry brigades being returned to their active regiments.

3) After the Reserve Light Cavalry Division is formed, the field and company-grade officers of this light division are to be carried on the regulation strength [shtat] of the regiments of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Light Cavalry Divsions. Namely, in each regiment there is to be in the reserve squadron, of combatant positions, 1 field-grade officer and 5 company-grade officers. However, the 4 regimental adjutants, 4 regimental quartermasters, and 4 regimental paymasters, as well as the senior, 2 brigade, and 1 general’s adjutants, and the divisional provost marshal, are to be carried on the rolls of those regiments from which there will be assigned officers to the indicated positions.

4) Officers from other divisions may be chosen for these positions, but in that case they must be transferred to regiments in the first six light cavalry divisions.

5) Additionally, the prescribed strengths of the regiments of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Light Cavalry Divisions are to include 5 company-grade officers for each replacement squadron, with these being permanently on extended leave.

6) The tabulation here of the number of officers is to be used for the tabulation discussed in the Military Department’s order of 28 September, 1850, regarding officers’ cadres and the number of them that may be released on extended and year-round leaves; it is to be part of the count used by each regiment of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Light Cavalry Divisions, which will have their reserve squadrons on permanent service.

7) The divisional quartermaster in the Light Reserve Cavalry Divisions is also to be named by the General Staff Department.

8) After the 3 auditors and 2 riding masters in the existing reserve cavalry brigades are transferred to the permanent cavalry reserve, that reserve’s deficit of 1 senior auditor, 1 regimental auditor, and the prescribed medical officials, veterinarians, and their aides is to be filled through orders from the Auditor and Medical Departments, while the deficit of 2 riding masters is to be filled by nominations from the Inspector of Reserve Cavalry.

(The designation of 1 general commanding the division and 2 brigade generals will be announced in a Highest Order.)

Lower Ranks

9) Of the 11,105 lower ranks and recruits in the reserve and replacement squadrons of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Light Cavalry Divisions, as well as the 90 cadre men of the 6th Light Cavalry Division who for this purpose are to be sent, along with their officers, from Moscow to the military settlements districts of Kiev and Podolia provinces under special orders, 5624 men are to be used in forming the permanent cavalry reserve, with the provision that the number of recruits in the squadrons does not exceed that of long-serving lower ranks, as related in Point 5 of §32 of the Regulation regarding a permanent cavalry reserve.

10) Of the 5571 lower ranks then remaining, 322 are to be transferred to the permanent horse-artillery reserve to make up its shortages in personnel.

11) In all this, of the lower ranks in the reserve and replacement squadrons of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Light Cavalry Divisions, those who are Russian natives who have served 20 or more years, and those who are natives of the Kingdom of Poland or come from Little Russian cossacks of Chernigov and Poltava provinces, and have served 15 or more years, are to be released on indefinite leave.

12) Once these men are released on leave, the Inspector of Reserve Cavalry is to send to the Inspection Department a detailed list, by province, of the number of such lower ranks and information on exactly how many lower ranks with less service time, and recruits, subsequently are left over after the complete formation of the cavalry reserve, and who will have to be turned over to the active forces.

13) Upon receipt of this information, the Inspection Department is to submit for Highest review and confirmation new disposition and organization charts by province: one for reserve squadrons not in the Reserve Light Cavalry Division, namely - for regiments of the 7th Light Cavalry Division; and another by province for replacement squadrons of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Light Cavalry Divisions and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Reserve Cavalry Corps. Also, an estimate is to be prepared of exactly to which cavalry regiments there will need to transferred the lower ranks with less service time, and recruits, who are left over after formation of the cavalry reserve is complete.

Horse-Artillery Reserve:

Field and Company-Grade Officers.

1) Of the number of field and company-grade officers now in the replacement batteries of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Horse-Artillery Brigades, there are to be used of the permanent horse-artillery reserve, as designated by the Inspector of All Artillery:

Field-grade officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.
(To command the combined batteries.)

Company-grade officers . . . . . . . . . . 20.
(Included in this number 18 front-line officers, 1 senior adjutant, and 1 general’s adjutant.)

2) The 1 field-grade officer and 4 company-grade officers subsequently left over are to be transferred to active batteries, according to orders from General-of-Artillery Gillenschmidt.

3) The regulation strength of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Horse-Artillery Brigades is to include: in of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Brigades - 1 field-grade officer each, i.e. those who will command the combined batteries; in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Horse-Artillery Brigades - 3 combatant company-grade officers each. The senior and personal adjutants attached to the chief of the horse-artillery reserve, though, will be carried on the rolls of those batteries from which these officers will be designated for the indicated duties.

4) Additionally, the regulation strengths of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Horse-Artillery Brigades will each include 3 company-grade officers for second reserve half-batteries, with these officers being permanently on extended or year-round leave.

5) After this reorganization, the tabulation here is to be used for that discussed in the order of 28 September, 1850, regarding officers’ cadres and the number that may be released on extended and year-round leaves, separately for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Horse-Artillery Brigades.

6) The auditors now with replacement horse batteries are to be put onto the rolls of the permanent horse-artillery reserve.

(The designation of the commander of the horse-artillery reserve will be announced in a Highest Order.)

Lower Ranks.

7) All lower ranks and recruits now in the replacement batteries of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Horse-Artillery Brigades are are to be transferred to the horse-artillery reserve: 775 long-service men and 429 recruits. The subsequent shortage of 322 men is to be made up by lower ranks in reserve and replacement squadrons who have less service time.

8) When the recruits (429 men) and men transferred from reserve and replacement squadrons (322) aresufficiently trained for artillery service, then at that time, in accordance with § 35 of the Regulation on the permanent horse-artillery reserve, each combined reserve battery is to release on leave two sub-unit divisions of long-service personnel. And exactly based on this § 35, a list, arranged by provinces, of the released men is to be sent to the Inspection Department so that there may be prepared in the Department, and submitted for Highest review and confirmation, a new disposition and organization chart of second reserve half-batteries in the first six horse-artillery brigades, made up of natives of those provinces closest to the quartering places of the permanent horse-artillery reserve.

General Instructions on Quartering and Supplying the Reserves:

1) Both permanent reserves are to be located in the military-settlement districts of Kiev and Podolia provinces, as indicated by the list of quarters attached to the Regulation of 28 November, 1849.

2) These reserves are to be supplied with provisions and victuals from the military settlers, and with fodder from the districts’ stores. Portions distributed to horses shall be based on the general rules for troops deployed in a military settlement.

3) When the troops are brought together in encampments on military-settlement territory, either of just the division or of the division, as well as the horse-artillery reserve, along with other forces, for Highest reviews or other purposes, then provisions and fodder are to be issued from the military settlement’s stores. During marches to these encampments, provisions are to be procured based on the rules confirmed by Highest Authority on 21 March, 1846, concerning supplying reserve cavalry forces during encampments, i.e, when passing through places not belonging to a military settlement, supplies are to be provided by the Provisions Department, with compensation in kind from the military settlement.

4) When lower ranks on leave are mustered for annual training exercises with the light reserve division and horse-artillery reserve, they are to be supplied by the Provisions Department or, if possible, from district stores with compensation to the military settlement. For this the Provisions Department is to maintain timely correspondence with the Inspector of Reserve Cavalry.

5) The additional pay set forth by the Highest Order of 6 December, 1842, is to be extended in equal measure to the light reserve divison and horse-artillery reserve, providing on this basis annual subsistence payments additional to those set by the regulation for a permanent reserve:

Division commander - the same as a divisional commander of settled cavalry -- 800 roubles.
Chief of the horse-artillery reserve and commanders of reserve brigades, each -- 600 roubles.
Commanders of combined cavalry regiments, each -- 500 roubles.
Commanders of combined reserve batteries, each -- 300 roubles.

6) In order to keep squadrons and half-batteries in good order, they are to be issued annual sums equal to those given to regiments and batteries in military settlements:

Each lancer squadron -- 214 r. 28 1/2 k..
Each hussar squadron:
With white metal appointments -- 321 r. 42 3/4 k.
With yellow metal appointments -- 357 r. 14 1/4 k.
Each half-battery -- 357 r. 14 1/4 k.

It is the Monarch’s order that this be announced to the army authorities for appropriate execution, with the inclusion of a copy of the Highest confirmed Regulation of 28 November, 1849, concerning permanent cavalry and horse-artillery reserves. I hereby add that instructions will be issued by the War Ministry’s logistical departments for supplying these reserves with uniforms, weapons, artillery, and vehicles.

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Translated by Mark Conrad, 1998.