page_title: Régiment de Royal–Deux–Ponts
section_title: 1st Battalion
hierarchical_section_title: Régiment de Royal–Deux–Ponts / War of the First Coalition / 1st Battalion
caption_attribution_description: English: The Battle of Valmy, September 20th, 1792. Français&#160;: Bataille de Valmy, le 20 septembre 1792.
context_page_description: The Régiment de Royal–Deux–Ponts was one of the most famous French infantry regiments to serve during the Ancien Régime. After gaining much fame during the American Revolutionary War, the regiment would be disbanded after the French Revolution and the lineage continued into the 99th Infantry Regiment.
context_section_description: The 1st battalion was ordered, on 27 October, to march with the 1ére Bataillon d'Aisne under Colonel Wisch to occupy the posts of the 2 legions du Condé.  The grouped in-fact found the outpost occupied by 4,000 Austrians and two canons.  The two battalions numbered just barely 900 men, however the colonel ordered a charge.  Both battalions claim the honour of being the first into battle and defeat the enemy, but this feat wasn't on the agenda of the Armée de Beurnonville.
  The battalion then took part in the Flanders Campaign, where it distinguished itself at the Battle of Jemappes and the Battle of Neerwinden the following year.  A charge was executed by the right wing of the army under general Charles François Dumouriez on the village of Neerwinden, and the regiment penetrated the town and after a bitter struggle, lost some 300 men.  Attacked by grapeshot and his troops being literally crushed and obliterated, the battalion moved back 100 paces when they were saved at the last moment by a charge from the Régiment de Zeschwitz Cavalerie and Régiment de Nassau Cavalerie, and the battalion continued the charge and captured the Austrian guns and completely annihilated the Austrian cavalry.  The battalion was heavily criticised after the battle, but after testimonies of colonel the Duke of Chartres, they were cleared of all problems, even though the battalion had been reduced to just 150 men.
  The years following the Revolution saw great changes for the French Army: the old royalist infantry regiments were to serve as the stiffening for the tens of thousands of new volunteers who answered the patriotic Levée en masse.  In the First Amalgamation of 1794, each old royalist battalion was put together with two new volunteers battalions to become new Demi-Brigade de Bataille or Demi-Brigade of Battle.  In 1794 the regiment served in the Army of the Sambré, but on 1 May 1795 it amalgamated with the 1st Battalion of Upper Rhine Volunteers and 3rd Battalion of Lower Rhine Volunteers to form the 177éme Demi-Brigade de Bataille., thus ending the royalist lineage.
caption: Picture of the General Staff of the French Army of the North during the later stages of the battle.
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