On 25 March 1799, French and Austrian armies fought for control of the geographically strategic Hegau in present-day Baden-Württemberg. The battle has been called by various names: First Battle of Stockach, the Battle by Stockach, and, in French chronicles, the Battle of Liptingen (or Leibtengen).
In the broader military context, this battle comprises a keystone in the first campaign in southwestern Germany during the Wars of the Second Coalition, part of the French Revolutionary Wars. For an explanation of the types of forces, please see Types of military forces in the Napoleonic Wars.
Stockach lies at the junction of east-west and north-south roads on the eastern side of the Black Forest. Strategically, control of the location offered access between the Swiss and Italian theaters and those in southern, central and northern Germany. French control would protect access to the Black forest and the Rhine, of strategic importance in the Directory's plans to force the Austrian army back to Vienna.
The day-long battle at Stockach and Engen pitted the two armies against each other for the second time in seven days. The Austrians still had the numerical superiority, but this time it was closer to two-to-one, instead of almost three-to-one. Jourdan had consolidated his force over a shorter line, and had the full Army of the Danube under his direct command. Charles, likewise, had shortened his line; although Hotze had not yet caught up with the archduke, he and his 10,000 men were approaching from the Austrians' left rear.
General of Division Jean-Baptiste Jourdan commanding.
Chief of Staff: General of Division Jean Augustin ErnoufEngineering: General of Division Armand Samuel de MarescotArtillery: General of Division Jean Fabre de la Martillière
General of Division François Joseph LefebvreAdj. General Jean-Baptiste DrouetAdj. General
François-Xavier Octavie FontaineGenerals of Brigade Jean-de-Dieu Soult, Adolphe Édouard Casimir Joseph Mortier, Anne Gilbert de Laval25th Demi-brigade Light Infantry (3 battalions)53rd Demi Brigade Line Infantry (3 battalions)67th Demi Brigade Line Infantry (3 battalions)General of Brigade Dominique Louis Antoine Klein17th Dragoon Regiment1st Chasseurs à Cheval4th Hussars (4 squadrons)5th Hussars (4 squadrons)2 Foot Artillery Batteries1 Horse Artillery Battery3rd Battalion Sappers (7th Company)General of Division Pierre Marie Barthélemy FerinoPierre Garnier de Laboissière
Left Brigade: Jean-Baptiste Jacopin102nd Demi Brigade Line Infantry (3 battalions)6th Chasseurs à Cheval (4 squadrons)Right Brigade: Jean Victor Tharreau10th Demi Brigade Light Infantry (3 battalions)46th Demi Brigade Line Infantry(3 battalions)11th Dragoon Regiment (4 squadrons)3 Foot Artillery Batteries1 Horse Artillery Battery3rd Battalion SappersGeneral of Division Joseph SouhamLeft Brigade General of Brigade François Goullus83rd Demi Brigade, Line Infantry (3 battalions)7th Demi Brigade, Line Infantry (2 battalions)6th Dragoons (4 squadrons)Right Brigade General of Brigade Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen2nd Demi Brigade, Light Infantry (3 battalions)1st Dragoons (4 squadrons)2nd Foot Artillery (15th Company)7th Horse Artillery Unit (13th Company)General of Division Laurent de Gouvion Saint-CyrGeneral of Brigade Frédéric Henri Walther108th Demi Brigade, Line Infantry (3 battalions)2nd Dragoon RegimentGeneral of Brigade Claude Juste Alexandre Legrand11th Demi Brigade, Light Infantry (2 battalions)1st Demi Brigade, Line Infantry (2 battalions)8th Chasseurs à Cheval (4 squadrons)10th Chasseurs à Cheval (4 squadrons)2 Foot Artillery Units1 Horse Artillery UnitsGeneral of Division Jean-Joseph Ange d'Hautpoul1st Carabiniers Regiment2nd Carabiniers Regiment4th Cavalry Regiment6th Cavalry Regiment7th Cavalry Regiment8th Cavalry Regiment23rd Cavalry Regiment25th Cavalry Regiment6th Horse Artillery (5th company)7th Horse Artillery (2nd company)3rd Foot Artillery (2nd and 3rd company)3rd Battalion SappersGeneral of Division Dominique Vandamme1st Light Infantry (2 battalions)8th Demi Brigade, light infantry (3 battalions)50th Demi Brigade, light infantry (3 battalions each)1 Squadron Dragoons1 Foot Artillery Unit8th or 10th Chasseurs a Cheval (1 squadron)Field Marshal Archduke Charles Commander in ChiefLt. Field Marshal Friedrich Joseph, Count of NauendorfMajor General
Maximilian, Count of MerveldtMajor General MerveldtFreikorps (independent corps) Wurmser (12 companies)1st Hussars Kaiser (8 squadrons)1st Lancers Merveldt (8 squadrons)13th Border Infantry Regiment Wallachian Illyrian (1st Battalion)Major General Joseph Kempf (commanded a portion of Petrasch's division, included in the advanced guard)1st Infantry Regiment Kaiser (3 battalions)31st Infantry Regiment Benjowsky (2 battalions)Feldzeugmeister Olivier, Count of WallisLt. Field Marshal Karl Aloys zu FürstenbergColonel Joseph Ulm35th Infantry Regiment Wenkheim (3 battalions)Major General Ludwig von Vogelsang21st Infantry Regiment Gemmingen (3 battalions)42nd Infantry Regiment Erbach (2 battalions)Lt. Field Marshal Franz, Baron von PetraschMajor General KempfTwo regiments detached to advance guard49th Infantry Regiment Kerpen (2 battalions)Lt. Field Marshal Augustus Christian Frederick, Duke of Anhalt-KöthenMajor General Andreas O'Reilly von Ballinlough6th Light Dragoons Coburg (6 squadrons)Major General Franz Roë (or Anton?)2nd Light Dragoons, Archduke Ferdinand (6 squadrons)Lt. Field Marshal Johann Sigismund RieschMajor General Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen9th Cuirassier Regiment Nassau-Usingen (6 squadrons)10th Cuirassier Regiment Mack (6 squadrons)Lt. Field Marshal NauendorfMajor General Ignaz Gyulai6th Border Infantry Regiment Warasdin St. George (1st Battalion)8th Border Infantry Regiment Gradiska (3rd Battalion)16th Border Infantry Regiment Siebenburg-Wallachian (1st Battalion)Major General Michael von Kienmayer3rd Hussars Erzherzog Karl d'Este (8 squadrons)10th Hussars Meszaros (8 squadrons)Major General Christoph Karl von PiacsekTirolean Jägers (3 companies)5th Light Battalion Radivojevich (6 companies)12th Border Hussars Croatian Slavic (6 squadrons)Lt. Field Marshal Siegfried Kospoth (of the Reserve)Major General Joseph Spiegelberg12th Light Dragoons Kinsky (6 squadrons)Major General Friedrich Joseph Ludwig of Hessen-Homburg11th Light Dragoons Latour (6 squadrons)Major General Franz Ludwig Sebottendorf2nd Infantry Regiment Archduke Ferdinand (3 battalions)Lt. Field Marshal Vinzenz Kolowrat-LiebsteinskyGrenadier Battalion Tegethoff (20th, 22nd, and 29th)Grenadier Battalion Bojaowsky (1st 7th and 12th)Grenadier Battalion Teschner (3rd, 35th and 50th)Grenadier Battalion Lippe (2nd, 31st and 60th)Grenadier Battalion Sebottendorf (41st, 49th and 56th)Grenadier Battalion Juch (21st, 42, and 54th)Lt. Field Marshal Joseph StaaderMajor General Karl Philipp Fürst zu SchwarzenbergBorder Sharpshooters (4 companies)12th Light battalion Rubinitz (6 companies)2nd Lancers (6 squadrons)4th Hussar Regiment Vecsey (6 squadrons)Main Force (Left)
Lt. Field Marshal Louis-Willibrord-Antoine Baillet de LatourMajor General Anton Ulrich Mylius12th Border Infantry Regiment Banat (1st Battalion)22nd Infantry Regiment Lacy (3 battalions)7th Infantry Regiment Carl Schroeder (3 battalions)Lt. Field Marshal Prince Heinrich XV of Reuss-PlauenMajor General Karl Friedrich von Lindenau3rd Infantry Regiment Erzherzog Karl (3 battalions)29th Infantry Regiment Oliver Wallis (3 battalions)Lt. Field Marshal Nikolaus Colloredo-MelsMajor General Prince Franz Seraph of Rosenberg-Orsini7th Cuirassiers Lothringen (6 squadrons)8th Cuirassiers Hohenzollern (6 squadrons)Lt. Field Marshal Alexander of WürttembergMajor General Johann Jacob Klinglin2nd Cuirassiers Archduke Franz d'Este (6 squadrons)11th Cuirassiers Ansbach (4 squadrons)Lt. Colonel WiedersbergTirolean Jägers (1 company)1st Border Hussars Croatian Slavic (4 squadrons)7th Light Dragoons Waldeck (2 squadrons)
