1st class Saint Anna Order document issued in 1813 to Field Marshal Lieutenant Anton Freiherr von Reisner for the Battle of Leipzig

"To the Imperial Royal Austrian Sir General Field Marshal Lieutenant Reisner/Императорско Королевско Австрийскому Господину Генералъ Фельдмаршалъ Лейтенанту Рейснеру".


"In recognition of our gratitude for the merits and bravery with which you distinguished yourself in the battle on the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th of October 1813 near the city of Leipzig/В ознаменование признательности нашей к заслугам и храбрости, коими вы отличились в сражении 4, 5, 6 и 7 числе октября 1813 года при городе Лейпциге ...".
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Saint Petersburg,
March 12, 1819.

Alexander I​

 

Anton Freiherr von Reisner (Born: Neu-Bistritz (Nová Bystřice)/Bohemia, 14.10.1749; Died: Vienna, 22.10.1822)

Married: 1802 Franziska Maresch von Marsfeld, widowed Modrai (17??-1820)

Promotions

Major: 11.03.1793
Oberstleutnant: 12.08.1797 (12.03.1797?)
Oberst: 11.1799
Generalmajor: 01.09.1805 (w.r.f. 26.01.1804)
Feldmarschalleutnant: 1809

Orders, Awards, Honorary Appointments (Austria)

Military Maria Theresian Order – KC: 15.12.1799 / CC: 30.10.1813
Colonel-Proprietor of the Artillery Regiment N°3: 1818 – 22.10.1822

Orders, Awards, Honorary Appointments (Foreign Countries)

Prussia: Order of the Red Eagle 2nd cl.: 1813
Russia: Order of St. Anne 1st cl.: 1813

Biographical Essay (by Digby Smith)

Born on 14 October 1749 in Neubistritz in Bohemia to a major in the Austrian artillery Reisner entered military service in 1768 as a cadet in the 1st Artillery Brigade. In 1771 he became a Feuerwerker (officer cadet of artillery) and in 1776 he was commissioned Leutnant in the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment. From 1778-1779 he took part in the war with Prussia and distinguished himself under FML Loudon with the regimental artillery of Infantry Regiment "Oliver Wallis" in the clash at Brüx. In 1784 Reisner was promoted to Oberleutnant; in 1787 to Hauptmann.
From 1788-1790 Reisner fought with distinction in the war with Turkey in FML Graf Wartensleben's corps. With the regimental guns of Infantry Regiment "Terzi" he distinguished himself in the actions at Schupanek, Mehadia, Karansebes and Slatina. He also took part in the siege of Orsova fortress, where he was wounded. In 1790 he fought in Walachia under Clerfayt.
On 11 March 1793 Reisner was promoted to Major; he served on the upper Rhine until 1797 at Mannheim, Kehl and Hüningen, where he was distinguished. On 12 March 1797 he was promoted to Oberstleutnant and appointed commandant of the Bombardier Corps. In 1799 Reisner was appointed commander of the siege artillery around Mantua fortress, which place he left to fight at the Trebbia River (17-20 June). After the battle he returned to conduct the bombardment. Fire was opened on 10 July and Mantua capitulated on the 28th.
On 2 December, he was appointed commander of the artillery at the siege of the fortress of Cuneo (Coni); the place surrendered on 4 December. For these actions, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Maria Theresian Order on 15 December 1799. Shortly before he received his promotion to Oberst and was made commander of the 2nd Artillery Regiment.
In 1800 Colonel Reisner was made commander of the Artillery in Italy; he was wounded at Marengo and fought at Valeggio, Villafranca and Verona.
After his promotion to Generalmajor in 1805 he served again as commander of the artillery in Italy during the campaigns of 1805 and 1809. In the battle of the Piave River on 8 May 1809 Reisner was wounded and captured. The same year the emperor promoted him to Feldmarschalleutnant. In 1810 he transferred to the Artillery Directorate in Vienna.
During the campaign of 1813 he commanded the Extra Corps of the Army of Bohemia. He reorganised the Austrian artillery after the heavy losses at Dresden (40 guns) and fought at Kulm and Leipzig. After the latter battle Reisner was awarded the Commander's Cross of the MMTO, the Russian Order of St. Anne 1st cl. and the Prussian Red Eagle Order 1st cl. In 1815 he again commanded the artillery of the main army under Schwarzenberg. In 1818 FML Reisner was appointed commandant of the Artillery Arsenal in Vienna.​

 

The Battle of Leipzig (French: Bataille de Leipsick; German: Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig; Swedish: Slaget vid Leipzig), also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813 at Leipzig, Saxony. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I and Karl von Schwarzenberg, decisively defeated the Grande Armée of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops, as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine (mainly Saxony and Württemberg). The battle was the culmination of the German Campaign of 1813 and involved 560,000 soldiers, 2,200 artillery pieces, the expenditure of 400,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, and 133,000 casualties, making it the largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, and the largest battle in Europe prior to World War I.

Decisively defeated, Napoleon was compelled to return to France while the Sixth Coalition kept up its momentum, dissolving the Confederation of the Rhine and invading France early the next year. Napoleon was forced to abdicate and was exiled to Elba in May 1814.
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