They will be able to obtain food, forage, and payments, which will be established by the Colonel General, commanding officer of all cavalry of the Guard.

Cost of the initial equipment, as will be established by the Administrative Board for those who have not enough money, 15 sous will be deducted daily until the termination of the pay.

Men, who want to be enrolled in the Chevaulegers of the Guard, have to immediately present themselves to Prince Poniatowski, director of the Department of War of the Duchy of Warsaw, and explain before him their serviceableness, according to the Article 5th.

The cadre were drawn almost exclusively from aristocratic and wealthy noble families; most of the rank-and-file soldiers were also noblemen, though burghers—including Jews—were also represented.

[4] COs of four squadrons were appointed: Tomasz Łubieński, Ferdynand Stokowski, Jan Kozietulski and Henryk Kamieński.

Positions of Lieutenant-Colonels (grossmajors) and instructors were taken by Frenchmen: Charles Delaitre of the Mamelukes of the Imperial Guard, and Pierre "Papa" Dautancourt of Choice Gendarmerie.

After Napoleon's abdication (6 April 1814) chevaulegers and scouts were united (minus Paweł Jerzmanowski's squadron, which accompanied the former emperor to Elba).

The snug dark blue pantaloons (breeches) were lined with leather, and ornamented with a single crimson stripe.

High (22 cm) czapkas had their forehead metals made of brass (officer's of silver) with a rising sun and the letter "N".

For the parade czapka was crowned with 47 cm long plume of heron's or ostrich white feathers,[30] and a cockade with a blue center, broad crimson middle band and a narrow white outer edging, with the blue practically hidden under the silver Maltese cross.

After the failure of the French infantry attack, Napoleon ordered Polish chevaulegers to take the pass defended by 3000 men and four batteries of Spanish cannons.

The charge, which continued to the last battery, was led by Niegolewski, who miraculously survived when the Spanish attacked him (he received nine wounds from bayonets and two carbine shots to the head).

[39] According to the official version, Kozietulski led his men into the charge with the standard French war cry "En avant, vive l'Empereur!".

In one daring attack, they smashed Duke Schwarzenberg's uhlans and prevented the whole army from being separated from the banks of the Danube river.

[49] Kozietulski was awarded the officer's star of the Legion of Honour together with the title of baron,[50] and was nominated for the Polish cross of Virtuti Militari.

On the very next day Napoleon issued in Vilkaviškis his order, which began the French invasion of Russia, that was also called the Second Polish War.

[52] In the first stage of the war the Regiment was assigned to the Headquarters of the Emperor, and one squadron was the personal guard of Marshal Davout.

[56] With their experience of the severity of winters in Eastern Europe, the chevaulegers, when leaving Moscow, had their horses fitted with ice-horseshoes.

Cossacks, who in the last weeks of the retreat presented a real threat to the remnants of the Grande Armée, often escaped at the sight of chevaulegers.

In spring four squadrons (under Wincenty Krasiński, Dominik Radziwiłł, Paweł Jerzmanowski, Dezydery Chłapowski) fought battles at Lützen, Bautzen and Reichenbach.

[71] However, in the Battle of Hanau (30/31 October) in another great charge,[72] the chevaulegers, along with other cavalrymen of the Guard opened ways of retreat for the remnants of the Army.

[73] They fought at Saint Dizier, Brienne, La Rothière, Champaubert, Montmirail, Vauchamps, Montereau, Troyes, Berry-au-Bac, Craonne, Laon, Reims, Fère-Champenoise, Arcis-sur-Aube and Vitry.

[74] After the betrayal of Marshal Marmont[75] who was supposed to cover Fontainebleau, Kozietulski led two Polish regiments to the palace.

[74] During the Hundred Days campaign, 225 men of the Polish detachment fought as part of Red Lancers division under General Colbert, wearing their Polish uniforms (in the decree excluding foreigners from the Guard, Napoleon made the only exception for the Squadron of Elba).

[82] The very last accent of the existence of the Regiment was this letter: To Izabella, née Comtess Fleming, Princess Czartoryska Your Grace!

The officers of the former Polish 1st Regiment of Chevaux Legers of the Imperial Guard, after so many years of fighting, wishing to pay their respects to Your Grace, whose virtues and love of our Country are widely known, present to you one of the Banners of their Regiment for your Collection of Sacred Relics of Our National Glory,[83] which, assembled by Your Grace, has been rescued from the enemies of our country and saved for future generations.

Thousands of Polish youths who followed it have felt happy to shed their blood for their Country and its Eternal Glory.

[90][91] During the Bourbon Restoration, after the first abdication of Napoleon, the Chasseurs à Cheval de la Garde Impériale wrote a march in honour of the Polish Lancers with whom they fought for many years.

This march is called Les Adieux des Chasseurs à Cheval aux Lanciers polonais ("Farewell of the Chasseurs à Cheval to the Polish Lancers") also known as Les Lanciers polonais ("The Polish Lancers").

During the spectacle many re-enactment groups from countries such as Poland, Great Britain, Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia present themselves in historical uniforms.