French Revolutionary Infantry 1789-1802

French Revolutionary Infantry 1789-1802

CONTENTS ORGANISATIONAL REFORMS 1789-1800

3

• Line infamry in 1789 - light infamry in 1789the Iiouschold regiments

REVOLUTION TERRY CAOWDY w.. born In I..ondoft In 1a70.lnftlally

......-tot, hi' Inl_l Inu..~and

Ill....tl._ W.,.1ed 10

-'tinII for .-'-ltst ~

'Mttl

H8v1ng . ..Jsted 70: Af_ngo

~n

_.8I'ftOf

flOO," nr.t 0Spt-.,. tffie 17: F,..ttell

,e

0

'IOIIIIE

'"'_11ymaft

f~f.fI.1n

.......... _

addition to II"'OfeU) AVIATIOH pt£ASe COKTACT' The Ma1 140 WoAOQbooougll, - . . . /'tHe 2FA, .........

KJnvOom

EmM; ~ilo.OICI ....ect.co.. .

The - . . . . ~ . 0Ipn0y Dnc1 USA, c/o MBI Publiehing,

721

~

A _ ~ Wl5o'02O, USA

~~"O.o""

_

1.1i

....... l •• coon

t. hii,..com

In Ofder to aVOId studding tha tald with too "*'Y 1taIlcs. Itle bllel 01 Frand'I LWlits are givwl hare In Roman typB but c.pItaIlMd In

the English mamar, I.g. Deml-BriQade d'lnlanlerill.'g6re, ate.

FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY INFANTRY 1789-1802

ORGANISATIONAL REFORMS 1789-1800 N.t1ont1l Ou.rd Volunt. .r wIth cuqH, demon.t..t1ng typic.' C8mlYltn d..... of the neo..

The coat " In 'r\IItiofgl' co&ou.. - bh.. with IWd coI"r, cuffs .nd wff-fta9s ,"peel whit.; whit. ~ Mel I""ng, ,"peel Net, TtIfs _ .. trou....-. _ sI'oown •• light bntwrl with darttlH' strip".

ROM Tilt: .All of lhe Bastille to the start of lhe Napoleonic Empire, changing political ideologies and the growing needs ofa nation al war provoked a series of\\ide-ranging reforms in the French army. Although a greal many changes had been introduced since the end of the Seven Years' War (1756-63), me scale of the reorganisations in the I i90s \\-.u unprecedented. During thai decade the common infantrpnan was transformed, from a distrusled inSLnllnelll of feudal power 10 a 5)mbol of national pride and citizenship, II was nol, howC"er, an easy transition.

F

Line Infantry In 1789

In 1789 there were 104 infantry regiments, of which 79 were French and 23 were foreign (II S\\iss, eight German, three Irish and one from Liege in what is now Belgium). More than half of these regiments were stationed in garrisons on Ihe northern and norlh-eastern frontiers, with 19 battalions (just over 10,000 men) O\'erseas in the colonies. The corps of Royal Anillery (ranked 64th) and the Prmincial Troops (ranked 97th) each counted as one regimelll. Marshal de segur had set the organisation of me line regiments in 1786, \\ith some slighl modifications in 1788. Each regiment can isled of an nat-major (regimental staff) and two battalions, except the Regiment du Roi (King's Regiment) with four. The battalions were almost identical, the only difference being in their elite com pan),: gmladin-s for the 1st Battalion and chl'l.SSmrs (including six Carablllli!1' sharpshoolers) for lhe 2nd" On a war fOOling, each rcgimelll would increase its strength from a total of I,202 to 2,642 men. It would also form an auxiliary company that would remain in the depot; this company would include two or three officers, four sergeants and, according to lhe regulations, 83 Jusi/in-s (chosen from among lhe regimelll's malingerers... ). The Troupa Provinnoks were a militia, consisting of 13 regiments of Roral Grenadiers, 14 pro'incial regiments and 78 garrison battalions. In wanimc these troops constituted a rcsco"e of 75,000 men mat could replace the infantry regiments in town garrisons, and if necessary seO'c in lhe field. This Mj/ic~ (militia) was recruited in lhe countl)'Side from among unmarried male v-, peasants between 18-40 years old, selected h)' a tiTQ~ au $Uri (Iollcry). Although in peacetime thc Millet: was assembled for just a fcw days annually, militia senice was extremely unpopular among thc peasantry.

3

Light Infantry In 1789

The light infantry coniponenl of the king's anny was crcated in 1784. The six ChasSl'ur regiments wcre each composed of four squadrons of mounted chassI'urs arhn!lliand four companics of light infantry, or t:ha.sst:IIYS ti pie(l. In 1788 the light infantl)' sen;ce was reformed, \\;th 12 battalions of ch~lIrs ti plMcreated and trained for 'senices external and in advance' of the king's armies. In order of sellioril}', the titles of me Chasseur battalions in 1788 .....erc: Chasseurs Ro)'allX du Dauphine, RO) Clrff.tl,p, end tumble., piped red. with , red col.., end plume.

10

In a drive to make the ann}' more proficient after me rC\'erses of the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), discipline and conditions of scn;ce had become progressivel}' harsher. As conditions ....· orsened. the prospects of advancemem diminished. Promotion mrough the ranks to the officer corps had always been difficult, but after 1781, in a bid to check the gro\'l;ng influence of the middle classes, officer commissions .....ere rescn'ed for the nobility. In the last yC'.lOl of me 1780s the momle and public esleem of the amlY reached its nadir. Follo\'o-ing me C\'ents at the Bastille, and no doubt influenced by me example of the Gardes Fr,ulI;aises, a ",.we of disobedience gripped me ann}. sc\'erely .....eakening the king's ability 10 stem me tide ofrC\ulution. Soldiers began to fonn links \'Iilh chi!ian popular societies and the National Guard to air their grie\'llnces. Many soldicrs hoped that the Re\'olutioll .....ould lead 10 military refonns. sweeping a\'l'llY the fcud,ll nature of the aml}'. and lhey were impaticlll for change. TIle year 1;90 was marked by an epidemic of mutinies and acts of disobedicnce by infantry regimcllts. Al Mea the Regiment de Salm-8alm seized the regimenml colours and pay chesl, while Lhe Regiment de Poi lOU implisoned its lieutenamcolonel, and Bassign)' drovc away its colonel. Royal-Champagne revolted against its officers, and the regiments de Ikallcc and Nonnandie in ganison at Hresl madc pacts with Parisian revohllionalies. The Regimcnt de L..m guedoc quil its ganison at MOtllaub.'m without orders, and the Regiment de Noailes refused the order lO rcplace it. Other acts of insubordination ....'cre notcd in the regiments de Royal Vaisse:lllx. La Couronne, Touraine and Vennandois; and there were also rC\'olts among lhe troops overseas. In an 3uempt 10 rcstore discipline. the National Assembly voted to abolish political associations in lhe arm}'. This measure was ignored b), the Regiment du Roi. which set up a committee ",;th links to members of the

Sgnd-off at the Su.lnvlll. O.t.: during the Haney mutiny AUIIU.t 17110, Soua·lIeulenllnt OHllies of the R'sllment du Rol tned to prev.nt mutineers opening tire on gov.rnment troop-. by IItIIndIng In front of •

0'

24-pdr cannon loaded wlth d•• everything from, coif. . pot to • beer eteln. In between g••, 111m. end heme can be . . . n lad I••, pins end I cluldron, wIth what eppe,.... to bto • ~ul.tlon

,.u..

marm/f, .1r1lp~ on top. He c.rrl•• two loa.",. on , Itlek. el••rty the plclu", I, Hmoenlnll

the French troope' almoll complete ...lIencl on 'requleition,'.

Ioc,'

40

good, ...he inspector general would like to sec more unifonniry. The officers are nOl all h,HlCd in the same manner. They wear their hal. indifferently over one or the oilier eyebrow; all the boots are nOt unifonn and do not carefully conforrn. Mall)' ortlte officers carry their belt buckle over the waistcoat, despite the rcse....m.ion of this right to senior officers. 'Some of lhc NCOs place lheir chenons incorrectly 011 the sleeves of their co.'us; the corporals ",'ear them in red wool instC'd.d of )'ellow, The sergeant-majors and Joumns are not all armed with a musket - they should be so. 'The hair of the NCOs, carabiniers and chasseurs is not e\'enl)' CUI at the face and al the qUL1U, ",hich is not held "'ith a pin as dire1rllll dacent quality footwaw _ a conti"'* problem: Dna atoHaP mathod used In Ncwembar 17113 waa to ttwM~ tIM ariatOCRta of Straabou'1ll wlth 1M gunlotiM ""'"' they nP91led tO,OOO ~ ovamJgnt.

"""ifOttI'l.

which had been recut like light infantry uniforms and dyed da/1( brown (thus ttl& nickname 'the

Black legion') with sky-

blue faongs and bfeeches; note also the distinctIVe hat, termed a 'chapeau a Ia Henri fV'. caught in a storm, the expedition never landed, but sliM lost some 500 dead ITom drowning. Survivors were sent to the eastern fronber and the IVmy of ttl& 5arnbre-et-Meuse. In 1798 they were sent to Switzerland, where the infantry were fonned into the 14e L&g6re; and in 1800 the former legionnaires were used in the advanced guards of three different divisions. G4: Chasseur, 2e Legion de Francs; Wales, 1797 On 22 February 1797 a French fOf'Ce landed on the Welsh coast n88f the port of Fishguard to divert attention from a planned expedition to Ireland. The fOf'Ce had Intended to march on Uverpool, raising Insurrection, p1undefing public stOfes and mansions as it went. Commanded by the Irish-American Colooel Tate (who could not speak French), the expedition was ill-fated from the start and stmll"ldered to the militia after ;ust two days, eatJSlng

-damage. The 1,200 troops chosen for lhls mISSion were ex-soldiers eondef1y)ed to prisons and galleys: 'The men In ttvs expedition ought to be, as far as possible, young, robust, and daring, with minds open to Ihe lure of booty... They should know how to carry IfIm)l" and death into the midst of Iheir eoemies... In this corps might be incorporated men sentenced to prison Of Ihe galleys, If they are known to have the physical and moral qualities necessary.' Well armed with muskets and grenades, this unit 100 was given uniforms made from red British cloth taken from the Royalist troopS killed and captured at Ouiberon Bay. dyed da/1( brown. Local eyewitnesses recalled that tlle half-starved. pool1y dressed Frenctvnen wore black leather caps WIth black horsehair blushed

down one side. H: CONSULATE PERIOD

H1: Infantry conscrIpt, 1800 A typical conscnpt of the early Consulate period. Due to shonage of money In the Republic's coffers, many coosaipts found themselves well armed and equipped but WIthout uniforms. After each battle COfPS8S were stripped of everything that could be recycled and reissued to uniform new troops. In his 1801 painting of Marengo, the soIdierartist Baron Lejeune shows a similarty dressed conscript - Georges Amptil of the 30& Deml-Brigade - presenting the commander-ln-ehief, General Berthier, with an Austrian standard that he had captURld during the evening counter-

.!taCk. H2: Officer, 1800 line Infantry officer in typical cold weathet campaign dress, including a greatcoat and 'EngWsh-styie' boots. and carrymg a sabre in place of the standard epee. tn battle, officefs on loot were less vulnerable to musketry as they stood behind the three ranks during firing. Although mounted senior officers 8OIO)'ed better visibility they ran a greater risk.. Defending the Marengo farmhouse from an attack by Austrian grenadier's, GtnenlI de Brigade Olivier Rivaud recorded that In the space of 15 minutes half his line offlCtlfS and all his mounted offICers and staff were killed Of wounded (hImself Included).

t._

s.",•• nt, 107. Dttml-BriQede, In 180', w•• ring de rille ('town d,....'. HI. pita" .re ratnoV*I .m- off duty, but he retain. hi. sldNnn at .11 t l - . The long ~ .nd the high

stock

f.ahIonabla at

wound up to the baH of the chin . . -

uw. time.

H3: Carabinier, ge R'glmant d'infantarie leg'r., 1800 In his paIfIlJng of M8f8fl9O, Lejeune portrayed caral::IInIers of the ge L8g8re wearing a shako with red bands and a horwhalr plume. He also showed them weanng the ptIII. talons a l'infanterie I8gere with a red stripe down a buttoned outer seam, as mentioned in General Mortier's t 802 inspection report.

.7

INDEX ciaPfttwz 03. 14.34,34.35,~,44,45 rdorms 3, 10, 2-1 forage caps n, 33, 37. 45 1791 11-1~, 1J.-14 1192 15-16,18-19 .lImdgamation 20-21 shakos H3, 39. 41. f7 al>pear;lr>Cc HI. 19. n, 10,40,45.47 household regimenl.'l 4 R.:gilMnI de l\'assau 1~-13.:'l3 an.illcry 3.8, II, H, 21 w tdw GanW F'll'I;f~ Gsn/L$ S...wes Rcgllncm de Salm-Sa1m 10, 33 AUlCili;l",· &tu.lions (baUJUknu au.nlu...~) Regimcnt du Roi 3, I{l-II II, 15 2$-24,35 Ireland. expedition to 46-47 regimenUl.I distinction, 24, 33, 33, 34, 35(Ul.ble) irTcgulars 17,17.39 R:l5li11c. storming of the 8, S-9. 9 fordgn rcgimelll.'l 33--301 llerthier. \.>