Sacred Squadron (France)

The Sacred Squadron was formed on 23 November 1812, by the Bobr River (perhaps at Borisoff, in modern Belarus) to serve as Napoleon's bodyguard.

[1] It therefore served during the crossing of the Berezina (26-29 November), and continued to exist for a few days after Napoleon's departure for Paris on 5 December.

Its existence is recorded in the 29th Bulletin of the Grande Armée [de], by which Napoleon hinted to the French people for the first time the scale of the disaster which had befallen the Grande Armée: Notre cavalerie était tellement démontée que l'on a dû réunir les officiers auxquels il restait un cheval pour en former quatre compagnies de cent cinquante hommes chacune.

[2]Our cavalry was dismounted to such a degree, that it was necessary to collect the officers who had still a horse remaining, in order to form four companies of 150 men each.

[Note 1] This sacred squadron, commanded by General Grouchy, and under the orders of the King of Naples (Murat), did not lose sight of the Emperor in all these movements.