John Tennant (Irish Legion)

John Tennant was born in 1777 in County Antrim, Kingdom of Ireland the third son of Reverend John Tennant and Ann Pat(t)on[1] a Scottish Presbyterian minister who settled in Roseyards, Co. Antrim, Ulster in 1751 and was associated with the Seceding Faction of Ulster Presbyterians.[2] His older brother was William Tennant, one of the highest-ranking members of the secret Society of the United Irishmen in Ulster.[3]

The unsuccessful French expedition to invade Ireland in December 1796 alerted the English authorities to the real danger posed by the United Irishmen. Throughout 1797, repressive measures were taken to destroy the military capabilities of the United Irishmen and break the spirit of the Irish people. The number of arrests and imprisonments without trial increased greatly. Arms were seized and housed burned. As one of the ringleaders, William Tennant had been rounded-up and sent to prison in Scotland, together with Arthur O’Connor and Thomas Addis Emmet. Having been involved with their activities, John Tennant, aged 20, fled to France.[4]

In 1799 he served in the Army of the North under General Brune. With the provisional rank of chef de battalion, he had helped to drive the combined Anglo-Russian army out of Holland. He then returned to civilian life and was able to live comfortably in Paris. He had had the good fortune to be able to bring with him from Ireland enough money, which he wisely invested, to live from the interest.[4]

By a decree dated 13 Fructidor, Year 11 (31 August 1803), Bonaparte created the formation of a battalion that would be composed entirely of Irishmen or sons of Irishmen. However its formation remained a closely guarded secret and it was not until the 7 December that the existence of the Irish Legion became known publicly.[4]
John Tennant was commissioned with the rank of captain on 22 Frimaire, Year 12 (13 Dec 1803).[5]

In May of the following year, Bonaparte was proclaimed Emperor. The coronation took place in December 1804. Each regiment in the army sent two representatives to Paris for the ceremonies and celebrations. Captains John Tennant and William Corbet, who were recognised as the two senior captains in the Legion by virtue of service with the French army prior to the formation of the Legion, were chosen for the honour of representing the regiment. With a flag designed specially for them, this was the only Eagle that Napoleon ever gave to a foreign regiment in his service.[6]

The Legion was based at Lesneven, then Quimper in Brittany. It was still made up almost exclusively of officers, with only a few NCOs and soldiers. Early December 1806 they were moved to Mayence and the Legion became a true military unit. Twelve hundred Polish and Irish prisoners of war volunteered to join the French Army. In early 1807 they were on the move to the island of Walcheren. Throughout the autumn of that year the Legion suffered the drastic effects of malaria.[7] In the November of that year it was reorganised into two battalions. The 2nd Battalion was sent to Spain to join the army commanded by Marshal Murat that marched to Madrid in 1808. Captain John Tennant was one of those who needed to remain behind with the 1st Battalion since he was suffering the effects of the fever.[4]

In the spring of 1809, the Irish Legion was given a new name and organisation. By a decree dated 13 April, the Emperor established the 3rd Foreign Regiment as a French light infantry regiment. About the same time it was decided to raise a 3rd Battalion and John Tennant, as the senior captain, with four officers from the 1st Battalion were ordered to Landau to from the nucleus of the new battalion. As such he missed the English landing on 30 July 1809. On 9 November he was promoted to the rank of chef de bataillon and named commandant of the new 4th Battalion.[4]

By imperial decree dated 1 January 1811, the regiment was re-organised, and a week later moved from Landau to Bois-le-Duc (s’Hertogenbosch) in The Netherlands. The 1st and 4th Battalions were consolidated into one. The new battalion was designated the 1st. Chef de Bataillon John Tennant was given command of the new 1st Battalion.[8] In the summer of 1812 John Tennant had become quite ill, probably from the re-occurrence of “the Fever”, and had to spend three months recuperating in Brussels. Fortunately, in the light of the horrible losses and hardships the Grand Army suffered during the Russian Campaign of 1812, the Irish Regiment remained in Holland until February 1813. On the other hand, they occupied the most unhealthy district in all of Europe. The island of Goree and the towns of Bergen op Zoom, and Willemstadt were all three in the low-lying, malaria-stricken district of southwest Holland.[4]

Early in 1813 the Irish Regiment was ordered to merge the three existing battalions into two full-strength war battalions. Command of the 1st Battalion went to Chef de Bataillon John Tennant and that of the 2nd Battalion to Chef de Bataillon Hugh Ware. On 1 February they broke camp and made a long winter march to Magdeberg. The Irish Regiment made forced marches to arrive on the battlefield of Bautzen during the morning of 21 May, the second day of the battle. At the head of Puthod’s Division they attacked Barclay’s Corps on the extreme allied right.[4]

On 26 May they fought with distinction at the Battle of Haynau under the direct command of the emperor. The Irish were rewarded by being given the honour of posting guard at the town of Lignitz (Legnica) for Napoleon until the Imperial Guard arrived and relieved them.[4]

On 16 August, at the end of the brief armistice, Puthod’s Division, including Vacherau’s Brigade (The Irish Regiment, 134th & 143rd Regiments), were assembled at Goldberg in Silesia. On the eighteenth Blucher’s cavalry made contact with Puthod. The regiment formed squares to repel a cavalry attack: the squares held fast, and after a number of attempts to break them, the enemy backed off and brought forward artillery. They were then easy targets for cannon fire, losing 400 men before retiring in good order. This affair was the most bloody that the Irish Regiment had seen since it had joined the army in March. Three hundred men had been killed or wounded. Two officers were killed and ten wounded.[4]

poor Tennant was giving orders to have the ranks closed and the gaps filled, which had been opened by the artillery, when he fell. He was cut completely in two; the cannon ball striking a belt in which he carried his money served as a knife to separate the body. The soldiers dug his grave with their bayonets, and when burying him found several pieces of gold that fell out of his entrails and part of his gold watch.[4]

On 29 August 1813, the whole Irish Regiment was destroyed as a fighting unit during a final stand at Lowerberg.

• Gallaher, John G. Napoleon's Irish Legion. (1993) ISBN 0809318253.
• Fraser, Edward The War Drama of the Eagles. (2009) ISBN 1845741803
• Richard Torpin 2013, review of The 'Natural Leaders' and their World: Politics, Culture and Society in Belfast, c. 1801–1832, (review no. 1464) (available at: http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/1464, 3 March 2016)
• Richard R Madden 1860, The United Irishmen: Their Lives and Times, with Several Additional Memoirs, and Authentic Documents, Heretofore Unpublished, the Whole Matter Newly Arranged and Revised, Volume 4, James Duffy, 1860 – Ireland.