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OSPREY' MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES
'hasseurs
uanText by
PEtER YOUNGColour plates by
MICHAEL YOUENS
MEN-AT-ARMS SERIESEDITOR: PHILIP WARNER
Ytasseursthe uard
THE CHASSEURS A CHEVAL OF THE GARDE IMPERIALE
1799-1815
Text by BRIGADIER PETER YOUNGD50, Me, MA, FSA, FRHist.S, FROS
Colour plates by MICHAEL YOUENS
OSPREY PUBLiSHING LIMITED
,..
Published in England byOsprey Publishing LtdP.O. Box 25, 707 Oxford Road, Reading, Berkshire© Copyright 1971 Osprey Publications Ltd
This book is copyrighted under the Berne Convention. All rights reserved. Apart from any fairdealing for the purpose of private study, research,criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the priorpermission of the copyright owner. Enquiriesshould be addressed to the Publishers.
[ wish to pay tribute to the magnificent work ofthe late Commandant E.-L. Bucquoy, historianof the uniforms of the First Empire.
PETER YOUNG
Printed in Great Britain byJarrold & Sons Ltd, Norwich
Ghasseursofthe guard
180421 Jan.
18 May
2 Dec.
180520 Oct.2 Dec.
1806
[4 Oct.
The Mamelukes are attached to theChasseurs.The Garde des Consuls becomes theGarde Imperiale.Napoleon is crowned as Emperor ofthe French.
Capitulation of Vim.Battle of Austerlitz.
Battles ofJena and Auerstadt.
Battle of Eylau.Battle of Friedland.
Battle of Aspern-Essling.Battle of Wagram.
Battle of Dresden.Battle of Leipzig.
The Grand Army crosses the Niemen.Battle of Borodino.The passage of the Beresina.
The Emperor orders Marshal Bessieres to prepare the Guard to leaveon campaIgn.
Fall of Paris.First abdication of Napoleon.The regiment becomes the Chasseursacheval de France.Treaty of Paris.The Regiment is disbanded.Opening of the Congress of Vienna.
1811
16 Sept.
18078 Feb.14 June
1812
24 June
7 Sept.28-29 Nov.
181 326 Aug.16-19 Oct.
180921 May6 July
go May28 JulyI Nov.
1814go Mar.6 Apr.14 May
A company of Chasseurs a cheval IScreated.Battle of Marengo.The corps becomes a squadron oftwo companies.
The corps is increased to twosquadrons.Bonaparte orders the formation ofthe Squadron of Mamelukes of theFirst Consul.The Chasseurs become a regiment.
Treaty of Amiens.Creation of the Legion of Honour.The regiment is increased to foursquadrons.
1799Aug. General Bonaparte leaves Egypt to
return to France; accompanied bygoo of his Guides.
9 & 10 Nov. The coup d'etat of the 18thBrumaire.The Garde des Consuls is organized.The Guides are in barracks in Paris.
28 Nov.17 Dec.
1800
gJan.
Ig Oct.
[4 Nov.
14 June8 Sept.
1801
6 Aug.
1802
25 Mar.19 May[ Oct.
3
181 5I Mar.21 Mar.8 Apr.15 May
27 May
16 June
18 June22 June3 Aug.
r6 Oct.26 OCl.
2 Dec.
18:u5 May
4
Napoleon lands at Golfe-Juan.The Garde lmpmale re-established.The Regiment re-formed.The creation of a cavalry regimentof ]eu.e Garde is ordered. It is to beattached to and administered by theregiment.The new regiment is officially entitled 2' Regiment de Chasseurs achevalde la ]euTU! Garde.The Battles of Ligny and QuatreBras.The Battle of Waterloo.Second abdication of Napoleon.King Louis XVIII decrees the dissolution of the Guard.Napoleon arrives at St Helena.The Regiment's disbandment IS
ordered.The Chasseurs and the Mamelukesdisbanded.
Death of Napoleon.
Napoleon's ashes are brought backto the banks of the Seine.
'J<&:imental :History
•
'Cavalry needs audacity and practice; above allit must not be dominated by the spirit of conservatism or avarice.'
NAPOLEON
The Regiment had its origins in the Guides raisedby General Bonaparte during his Italian Campaign of 1796. His esteem for the corps iswitnessed by the fact that, as Emperor, he almostinvariably wore its green undress uniform. HisChasseurs were his nearest guard, providing hisimmediate escort wherever he went on campaign.But they were no mere show troop as they provedin battle after battle.
The excellent spirit that prevailed in the corpsis illustrated by an incident related by Parquin,one of its officers.
'At Leipzig on 18 October r813 a chasseurfrom my troop, one of those who had beendecorated and received a monetary award, hadhis horse killed in the battle. I thought he hadreturned to the regimental forward depot toobtain a new mount and this would have meantan absence of eight to ten days. I was thereforeastonished to see him the next day in his correctplace mounted upon a superb horse. When Icommented on this, he replied earnestly: "Sir,when you receive an award from our Emperorand King, you always keep a year's money inyour belt to buy a horse on which you may bekilled in His Majesty's service. If, in the campaign ahead, I have the misfortune to lose myhorse again, then I shall return to the depot toobtain another. The horse I am now riding Ibought yesterday with my own money from a
A Job print of a Capitaine de l'etat Major on theca:mpaign of :I8n. From. the Bucquoy series
dragoon officer who no longer needs it for he hashad his leg amputated."
"How much did it cost?""Twenty-five louis, sir." ,
2
4
Detail of theculback ornam.entto which theplUD1e wasattached
1801
By a decree of6 August the corps was increased to aheadquarters and two squadrons. The staff was:-
Chef d'escadronAdjutant-majorPorte-etendardBrigadier-trompetteMaitrcs~ouvricrs
At the end of September the remainder of theGuides got back from Egypt and were mergedinto the corps.
By a decree of 14 November the chasseursbecame a Regiment. In theory the commandingofficer was to be a Chef de Brigade, but in factBonaparte retained Chef d'F;scadrons, Bcauharnaisin command.
who was promoted major on 5 March. Thestrength was 4 officers and I 13 men, the latterbeing chosen from the Guides who had returnedfrom Egypt, and II 2 were veterans of the Italiancampaign of 1796.
The cavalry of the Garde Consulaire, twosquadrons of Grenadiers a cheval and the companyof chasseurs, was commanded by Chef de Brigadejean-Baptiste Bessieres.
In May the company left Paris for Italy. Itcrossed the St Bernard Pass and was heavilyengaged at the battle of Marengo (14 june) losing70 out of its I '5 horses. At the end of the campaign the corps returned to Paris. By a consulardecree of 8 September it was augmented, becoming a squadron of two companies (troops) and 234men.
,;
1'\ \11
1799When at the end of August Bonaparte left Egyptto return to France he took with him a detachmentof 180 Guides a cheval and 125 Guides apied. Themen chosen were the most devoted veterans fromeach company. Soon after the coup d'etat of 18Brumaire the G!!ides, who had stayed in the Southof France, were summoned to Paris and quarteredin the Caseme de Babylone.
A decree of 28 November reorganized theGarde du Directoire as the Garde des Cansuh-, but itmakes no mention of the Chasseurs.
1800
By a decree of 3 january a company of Chasseurs acheval was created. Its commanding officer wasBonaparte's stepson Capt. Eugene de Beauharnais,
5
..
6
VeHte, I80S-IO.G~uniform. and portemanteau, red facings,orange aiguillette andtrinunia.gs, stripe downbreeches. Green plUD:lewith red dp. Sheepskinschabracque with rededging
•
1802By decree of 8 March the Headquarters wasincreased. It now included four standard-bearers,a trumpet-major, two trumpet corporals and atimbalier (kettle-drummer).
By decree of I October the Regiment was increased to four squadrons, with a total strength of56 officers and 959 men. Beauharnais was promoted Chef de Brigade (13 October), and now hadas his squadron commanders Morland, NicolasDahlmann, Frederic-Auguste Beurmann and Hercule, a negro who had distinguished himself atArcola in 1796.
18°3From 22 March, when summer trammg (travaild'eti) began, the men were to parade on horsebackevery Monday and Thursday at 7.30 a.m. precisely on the Champ de Mars. Every Wednesdayat the same hour they went through the footexercise. In winter the parades seem to have beenat 9.00 a.m. Swimming and rowing were amongthe exercises carried out in 1802 and ,803.
18°4By a decree of21 January the Regiment was givena major who was to rank with the colonels of theline. The intrepid Morland was given thisappointment. By the same decree the company ofMamelukes was attached to the Regiment.
By an Order of the Day of 18 May the Garde desConsuls became the Garde Imperiale.
18°5On '3 May Beauharnais was made Viceroy ofItaly, but he retained nominal command of theRegiment until about 1808. Morland now becamethe actual commanding officer with the title ofColonel Commandant en second, and "Dahlmann waspromoted Major.
On '7 September a Squadron of velites (fourcompanies) was created. It seems to have beenintended as a kind of holding reinforcement unit.
The Regiment and the Mamelukes greatlydistinguished themselves at the battle of Austerlitz(2 December), where two squadrons and theMamelukes were led to the charge by Napoleon'ssenior A.D.C., Gen. Rapp, inflicting heavycasualties on the Russian Imperial Guard and
capturing Prince Repnin, the commander of theChevalier Guard.
At Austerlitz thc Chasseurs suffered 19 officercasualties, including Colonel Morland, killed, andthree squadron commanders wounded. Dahlmannnow succeeded Morland, and Claude-EtienneGuyot became Major.
1806The Regiment missed the battle of Jena (14October), where the I" JIussards had theprivilege of escorting the Emperor. The Chasseursdid, however, take part in Napoleon's triumphalentry into Berlin.
1807At Eylau (8 February) the Regiment took part inMurat's great charge of 80 squadrons, which
relieved the pressure on the French centre at thecrisis of the battle. Seventeen of the officers werehit. In addition Dahlmann was mortally wounded.He had recently been promoted General (30December 1806), but having no command heasked to be allowed to lead his old regiment andfell at their head. Major Guyot commanded theRegiment for the rest of the year, and Thiry wasalso promoted Major (16 February).
1808On 18 January General de Brigade CharlesLefebvre-Desnouettes replaced Dahlmann In
command of the Regiment.The Regiment was in Madrid when the popu
lace rose on 2 May and eight of the officers,including Major Pierre Daumesnil, were woundedas well as five officers of the Mamelukes. The
Napoleon dressed in his favourite uniforDl of a Colonel ofthe Chasseurs, passes before the Opera House on histriumphal entry into Berlin
7
Regiment took part in General Montbrun'scharge up the road at Somo-Sierra (So November)but lost no officers for the Spanish gunners onlymanaged to get offone salvo before the Polish andFrench cavalry got amongst them with the sabre.(This was the second charge, not the one in whichthe srd Squadron of the First Regiment of PolishChevau-Ligers was practically wiped out.)
On 28 November Napoleon, engaged in pressingthe retreat of Sir John Moore towards Corunna,rode ahead ofhis army into the village ofValderas,which the British had quit but two hours prcviously. He was accompanied only by his staff anda squadron of the chasseurs. When Marshal Neyfound that the Emperor had thus exposed himselfhe said to him: 'Sire, I thank Your Majesty foracting as my advance guard.' That it had beenimprudent was proved next day (29 December)when General Lefebvre-Desnouettes caught upwith the British rearguard, forded the River Eslaand drove in their pickets, only to be rudelycounter-attacked by Lord Paget (the Uxbridgeof Waterloo fame), who led his men under cover
Guidon of 1802. CriJ:n.son with gold lettering andtr/mm;ng. Hilpert
8
of thc houses of Benavente to assail the Frenchflank. Lefebvre-Desnouettes, wounded by a pistolshot, was taken prisoner. The Regiment had 6other officers hurt and 2 captains taken, besides55 chasseurs killed and wounded and 7S captured. To be outflanked and cut up in this fashionwas a rude and novel experience for the Emperor's'favourite children'.
The British cavalry who achieved this feat werethe 10th Hussars with pickets of the 18th and thegrd Hussars of the King's German Legion. Theirlosses amounted to no more than 50. It was thisaffair more than anything that convinced theEmperor that Moore had slipped from his clutches.It was time to return to France.
1809The Regiment was at home again by the end ofFebruary. About this time it absorbed the Chevautigers of the Grand-Duke of Berg, formerly theGuides de Murat (II January) and the Guides duMarechal Mortier (I February).
On 5 June Major Guyot became Colonel commandant en second. Thiry was made General deBrigade in the linc, and, on the I sth, Daumesniland Corbineau were promoted Major. At Wagramthe Guard cavalry supported the right flank ofMacdonald's great column which struck thedecisive blow. The Regiment suffered at Wagram(6 July) having 5 officers killed and 10 wounded,including the two newly-promoted majors, eachof whom lost a leg. Colonel Guyot was promotedGeneral de brigade (9 August), retaining the command, and Colonel Jean-Dieudonnc Lion (14"Chasseurs) was brought in as third major of thecorps.
1810
A quiet year! One officer wounded escortingprisoners in Spain.
18II
On I August the Regiment was increased to fivesquadrons and the velites were done away with.
During the year squadrons were sent successivelyto serve with the divisions of the Garde in Spain.Guyot was promoted General de division, but stillretained the command. To replace Corbineau and
Napoleon at the Battle of Wagram, 6 July 1809- Painting byH. Vernet
Daumcsnil as majors the Regiment receivedColonel Fran~ois d'Haugeranville (6 August) andGeneral Baron Exelmans (24 December).
1812
On 6 May Gencral Lefebvre-Desn6uettes, whohad cscaped by breaking his parole, returned fromhis captivity in England and resumed commandof the Regiment.
The chasseurs, five squadrons and thc companyof Mamelukes, went through the Russian campaign, but though they lost 500 mcn, thcy only had10 officers hit. At Borodino they had no officcrcasualties at all. But on 25 October, thc day aftcrthe battle of Malojaroslavetz two squadrons,escorting the Emperor on a reconnaissance, weresharply engaged and had 4 officers wounded. A
body of Cossacks appeared suddenly from a woodand charged straight at apoleon. General Rappand the escort managed to beat thcm off, but notbefore one had fought his way to within twentyyards of the Emperor. From this day forth,haunted by the fcar of captivity, hc always carrieda bag of poison on a string about his neck.
The Regiment's losses in this campaign must onthe whole bc attributed not so much to thefighting as to thc Russian climatc.
181 3By a decree of 18 January thc Rcgiment wasincreased to cight squadrons, each of 250 men, atotal of 2,000. Thc three ncw squadrons wereJeune Garde.
On 6 March Lieutenant Charles Parquin (20th
9
Chasseurs) went out of curiosity to see a review atthe Tuileries. Meeting Lcfcbvre-Desnouettes heasked to be allowed to join the Regiment, and,being recommended by Marshal Marmont, hiscommander in Spain, who arrived providentiallywhile this interview was going on, was granted hisrequest. His memoirs tell us much of the history ofthe Regiment during the next two years. He wasfortunate in that Colonel Lion, who had been acaptain in the 20th Chasseurs, was an old friend.Parquin was posted to the loth Company, underCaptain Klein de Kleinberg, an excellent officer,who was to be a general under the Bourbons, andwas Lion's brother-in-law.
Grand Cross of the Order of Fidelite awarded to GeneralLeUbvre-Desnouettes in 1807
The Regiment was, of course, at imperialreviews held at the Tuileries and elsewhere onoccasions too numerous to name. At one (6 April18(3) Parquin, who wished to speak to Napoleon,posted himself on the left of an infantry regimentof the Young Guard 'since the Emperor did notspend much time with his Guides on theseoccasions and often galloped past them withoutstopping... .' On this occasion Parquin was ableto state his services - eight campaigns, ten wounds,a colour taken from the enemy - and to secure thecoveted cross of the Legion of Honour. His boldexample encouraged two other officers also
10
returned from Spain, Goudmetz and LegoutDuplessis, and both approached the Emperor withsuccess. Lieutenant Goudmetz had had twobrothers killed in the service, and was to bewounded with the Regiment at Montmirail (I 1February 18(4); whilst Legout-Duplessis, as asergeant of the 5th Dragoons, had broken amongthe Walloon Guards at Talavera, killing an officerand capturing the colour he bore.
Napoleon (with a smile): 'A very fine exploit indeed,but who can confirm the truth ifyour story?'
Legout-Duplessis: 'Your aide-de-camp, General Corbineau, who is wilhyou now, Sire, was colonel of lheregiment at the time and it was he who led thecharge.'
A nod from General Corbineau1settled the matter.Can one wonder that with officers of this stampthe story of the Chasseurs is one of almost unbroken success? Or that they would follow a masterwho knew so well how to foster their loyalty?
Parquin throws an interesting light on theescort duties performed by the Regiment.
'Between the 20th and the 30th of May I andmy troop were part of the squadron of chasseurs(who were more frequently known as guides whenin the field), which was directly under theEmperor's orders. In wartime the Emperoralways had at his disposal four squadrons drawnfrom the different arms of the Old Guardcavalry; these he could throw against the enemyif the need arose. The squadron of chasseurs hada special task. A lieutenant, a sergeant, twocorporals, twenty-two chasseurs and a trumpeterrode in front of and behind the Emperor. Acorporal and four chasseurs galloped ahead ofthe Emperor and cleared a way for him. One ofthe chasseurs carried his despatch case andanother his field-glass. If the Emperor stoppedand dismounted, these chasscurs would immediately do likewise, fix their bayonets to theircarbines and move about in a square witll theEmperor in the centre of it. The officer commanding the escort troop followed him constantly. Only Murat and the Prince deNeufchiLtel had precedence over this officer.
'If the Emperor took quarters in a house, thisofficer occupied the room nearest to that of the
Emperor. The chasseurs in the escort troop dismounted and stood holding their horses in frontof the house occupied by the Emperor, whoalways had one of his own horses held in readiness there by two grooms. This troop wasrelieved every two hours so that the samearrangements held good whatever the time ofdayor night. The first person the Emperor saw onleaving his rooms was the officer in charge of theescort. It was a post of great honour and responsibility. This body of men was entirely devoted to
the Emperor and was, moreover, well rewardedfor its devotion. In each troop there were fourchasseurs who received not only the cross of theLegion d'honneur and the cross of the Couronne de Ferwith its income of 250 francs, but also dividendsfrom the canal companies or the Mont de Milanwhich brought them between 500 and 800francs.'
On the lighter side he tells us something of thecustoms of the Guard. For example it was a
SABRETACHESLeft: Officer's sabre and sabretache. Thisexam.ple was exhibited at the Expositionretrospective militaire of 1900
Top left: Etnpire. Full-dress sabretache of achasseur of 1900
Top right: Full dress sabretache of a chasseurof the znd Regiment, 1815. Black leather withgold ornaJnents
Centre: Sabretache of the kettle~drununer,
Bruno LeJDoine, 1805-6. Gold orna:rnents on acrim.son background. Fronl the Musee del'Arnlt~e, Paris
Bottom. left: E:mpire. Trooper's sabretacbe
Bottom. right: Consulate. Trooper's sabretache.This exattlple froni the Museutn at Cobnarhas the legend GARDE DES CONSULS in thescroll at the top
II
,.
A chasseur escort holds the horse of a staff~oflicer onreconnaissance. From a painting by Meissonier
longstanding custom of the officers to assemble atthe Holtl d, I'Ecu' whenever they passed throughEpernay. 'There they would dine together anddrink the health of the Emperor in the bestchampagne.'
Lion was promoted Giniral de Brigade on 2 I Junebut remained in command.
The regiment saw a good deal of fighting in1813 sustaining 26 officer casualties, seven of themat Leipzig 18 October). At the end of the yearthe Old Guard (General Lion) and the YoungGuard squadrons (Colonel Meuziau) separated,the former staying with the Grand Army and thelatter going to Belgium, where, under LefebvreDesn()uettes, they played their part in the defenceof Antwerp.
Lion's command consisted of the first fivesquadrons; the 11th Company of the 6th Squadron
12
(Capt. Parquin) and the Mamelukes. At the endof the year (t December) Guyot went to command the Grenadiers acheval.
181 4The Regiment played a gallant part in the campaign of France, and fourteen of its officers werekilled or wounded. Of its many exploits the chargeof Parquin and his squadron at St Dizier (20March) serves well to demonstrate the i/an of thismagnificent corps.
'I was riding with my men at the head of thecolumn when the general came and ordered me tocharge, regardless of cost, with my squadronagainst eighteen cannon which the Russians hadsited in the open. I obeyed the order immediately, but when we were a hundred yards
from the guns the enemy grape-shot so decimatedthe ranks of my squadron that I gave the orderto the two right-hand troops and to the two lefthand troops to attack in extcnded order so as tobe less exposed. Soon the lanciers rouges of theGuard arrived and after their charge we seizedthe guns.
'A division of Russian cuirassiers, which camerushing to the help of their gunners, clashed withthe lancers, who received the timely support ofthe 3rd and the 6th Dragoons under GeneralMilhaud3 • Together they routed the enemy heavycavalry, taking nearly 600 prisoners. In this closecombat I unseated a Russian sergeant with athrust from my sabre at his neck... .'
Of this action General Sebastiani' observed to theEmperor:
'I have been a cavalry officer for twenty-fiveyears and I do not ever remember seeing a morcbrilliant charge than the one carried out by yourleading squadron.'
At the end of the campaign thc Regimentnumbered 89 officers and 1,357 men.
On the Restoration of the Bourbons the Regiment and the first company ofMamelukes became,by a royal decree of 14- May, the Corps Royal desChasseurs aCheval de France. At the same time theYoung Guard squadrons were broken up anddistributed among the 2nd, 3rd and 7th Chasseurs.
By an ordonnance of 26 June 1814- the establishment of the Regiment was fixed at four squadronseach of two companies. The strength was reducedto 4-4- officers and 64-1 men. Lefebvre-Desnouettesretained the command with General Lion asMajor.
181 5When the Emperor Napoleon returned from Elbathe Imperial Guard was re-established by a decreeof 2 I March. The Regiment was given its oldname, and 4- I 2 former chasseurs and 94- Mamelukes, who had been discharged the previous year,returned to the corps.
A new unit the 2 C Regiment de Cltasseurs a chevalde la}eune Garde was created by decree of 15 May.It was not ready in time to take the field with theArmy of the North. Its major and commandingofficer was Marichal du Camp Merlin-de-Douai.
In their last battle, Waterloo (18 June, theChasseurs of the Old Guard suffered severely. Inthe early phases Lcfcbvrc-Desnouettes ,,~th theLight Cavalry of the Guard was in comparativesafety in support of the French right wing, in rearof Milhaud's division of cuirassiers and (0 theright rear of D'Erlon's Corps. The Regimentprobably did not go into action until aboul 4-.00p.m. By this time Marshal Ney had massed notless than 5,000 French cavalry opposite Wellington's centre. As is well known Ney launched his
Eagle and guidon, 1804-U. Above: the face;below: the reverse. Quarters blue and red,lettering and eagle gold. Hilpert
13
cavalry without infantry support against the Alliedsquares. Lefebvre-Desnouettes seems to have senthis men in on his own initiative in order to supportMilhaud: or it may be that his men surged forward spontaneously: it certainly seems that theRed Lancers did. The French cavalry, on theevidence of their foes, behaved nobly, but theycould make little impression upon infantry insquares. In the charges that followed the Regimentlost 20 officers, including five killed and onemortally wounded.
Those who survived the disaster at Waterlootook part in the retreat to the Loire, and eventuallythe Regiment was disbanded at Perigueux earlyin November.
Few indeed of the chasseurs served on underthe Bourbons. They, and the Guides before them,had followed Napoleon Bonaparte from Arcola toWaterloo, by way of the Pyramids, Marengo,Austerlitz and a score of other famous fields. Theyremained loyal to him in his last exile.
Let a Frenchman, Commandant Bucquoy, who
Top: Kettle-drum.
Bottom.: Ketdedrum, 1810.Crim.son withgold fringes,im.penal crown,eagle andwreaths. Theeagle has a bluebackground. TheD'lotto in thescroll isHONNEUR/ETPATRIE. Duboisde I'EstangCollection
14
devoted his talents to the history of the GrandArmy have the last word:
'Mais si les Chasseurs Ii cheval de la Gardeimperiale restaient £icicles au souvenir de leurEmpereur, lui de son cote ne les oubliait pas, etil allait leur rendre apres sa mort un supremehommage, ayant revetu leur legendaire frac vertpour descendre au cercueil et entrer avec luidans l'immortalite.'
'Personalities
'None of these fine men was lacking in gratitudetowards his Emperor.''Napoleon was well aware of the devotion ofhis guides '
CHARLES PARQ.UIN
The senior officers of the regiment included, at onetime or another, a number of distinguishedgenerals. Men such as these set the tone of a corpsand tllat is what gives interest to their individualrecords of service.
BESSIERES, JEAN-BAPTISTE, nue n'ISTRlE (176818Ig), Marshal of France. Captain of grenadiersin the National Guard of Prayssac, 1789. Chosenby Bonaparte after the affair of Cremona to command his company of Guides, 5 June 1796, andmade provisional Chef d'£ScadToTlS on the battlefield ofRoveredo, 4 September 1796. Distinguishedhimself at Rivoli (14 January) and La Favorita(16 January) and was sent to Paris with theAustrian colours taken on these occasions. Promoted Chef de BTigade (9 March 1797) and commanded the Guides of the Army of the Orient
Marshal Jean-Bapdste Bessieres
15
(1798-9), returning to France with Bonaparte andassisting him in the coup d'etat of the 18th Brumaire.Fought at Marengo (1800) and became eommander-in-ehief of the cavalry of the ConsularGuard, 20 November 1801. General of division,1802. Marshal of the Empire and Grand Officerof the Legion of Honour, 1804. Colonel-Generalcommanding the cavalry of the Imperial Guard,20 July 1804. Grand Eagle of the Legion ofHonour and Commander of the Couronne de Fer,1805. Fought at Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau andFriedland. For his loyal services Napoleon loadedhim with honours and money. He defeated DonGregorio de la Cuesta, a very indifferent general,at Medina del Rio Seco, 14 July 1808. After beingwith Napoleon during his brief Spanish campaignhe remained there to command the northernprovinces, until recalled to take part in the Austrian campaign of 1809. Created Duke of Istria.Received a contusion in the thigh at Wagram.Assumed command of the Imperial Guard, 19January 1809. Commanded the Army of theNorth in Spain, 15 January-e. September 1811
Brass ornaJDents fro:m. the saddlery of theCorps
16
and fought under Massena at Fuentes de Ofioro,where the French were repulsed by Wellington(5 May). Took command of the cavalry of theImperial Guard, 5 May 1812, and served In
Russia. Killed outright by a cannon ball atRippaeh near Weissenfels, 1 May 181g.
The Regiment's senior officers included manyothers of distinction. The career of Eugene deBeauharnais, Viceroy of Italy, is too well knownto require description here. The careers of otherswho did not achieve general rank are unfortunately somewhat obscure. Among these must beincluded the gallant Colonel Morland who waskilled at Austerlitz, and Hercule the negrolieutenant who was already in Bonaparte's Guidesduring the Italian Campaign.
NICOLAS DAHLMANN (1769- I 807), Morland'ssuccessor, originally enlisted as an ellfant de troupein the cavalry regiment of Dauphin in 1777 and,surprisingly enough, was paid with effect from 9September 1777 when he had not yet reached theripe old age of 8. Truly the workings of the armyof the Ancien Regime were sometimes astonishing.He joined the Guides on 22 June 1796, served inItaly and Egypt and was nominated lieutenant onthe field of battle at Salahieh on 12 August 1798.He returned to France with Bonaparte as acaptain, becoming a Chef d'Escadrons in J802 andan officer of Legion d'honneur in 1804. He foughtatAusterlitz and Jena; was promoted General deBrigade on go December 1806, and succumbed to agrapeshot wound in the right thigh, received atEylau.
FRE:DERIC-AUGUSTE, BARON DE BEURMANN (17771815) was another enfant de troupe who served inthe Salm-Salm infantry, receiving half pay fromIO August 1784. In 1788, when he was nearly I I,
he was admitted as a soldier of the same regimenton full pay. In 1792 he was commissioncd and hisearly service was in the Armies of the North, theSambre-et-Meuse, Danube, and Helvetia wherehe was ADC to Mortier. After further service inthe Army of the Rhine he was posted to theChasseurs a cheval of the Consular Guard, 20November 1800. He received two bayonet woundsat Austerlitz and was made colonel of the 17th
Dragoons early in 1806. He afterwards served inSpain. He won the Legion of Honour and theOrder of Military Merit. He retired at his ownrequest on 27 January 1815 and blew his brainsout on 13 April following.
CLAUDE-ETIENNE, BARON (LATER COUNT) GUYOT
(1768-1837), enlisted as a soldier in the Ghasseursa cheval de Bretagneon 1 November 1790 and wascommissioned in 1793 serving in Vendee, Italyand Germany. He was posted to the Ghasseurs a
cheval of the Consular Guard as a captain on 13October 1802, becoming Ghif d'Escadrons in 1804and Major just after Austerlitz. He fought atEylau. Became a colonel in the Guard on 16February [807; obtained a gift of [0,000 francsper annum from the funds of Westphalia and wasmade a baron in 1808. The same year he servedunder Napoleon in Spain and was made Knightof the Gouronne de Fer d'Italie. He fought at Esslingand Wagram, was promoted General de Brigade andreceived another 20,000 francs from Swedish
HEADGEARTop left: 2nd Regitnent, 181S. Cbasseur'sfull-dress shako..Scarlet with yellow pom.pOttland trinunings. Black peak and couvre-nuque
Left centre: Trooper's Bonnet de police, :1813. Wornfor undress parades, such as stables, exercisingyoung horses' or swimming training. Greenwith orange horn and trinunings and a darkred stripe above the deep orange band abovethe bugle-horn
Right centre: Chasseur. Squadrons of theYoung Guard, I813-14' Scarlet, with orangetrinuning, black peak and gold eagle. Scarletpo:mpOIl1; plu:me green at the botto:m andscarlet at the top. Musee de I'Arml!e.
Right: Kettle-dru:m:mer's bearskin, X8IO. Whitewith gold lace. Scarlet busby-bag. Whiteaigrette with cri:mson plu:mage at its base.Dubois de I'Estang Collection
Botto:m left: Tru:mpeter's full-dress busby,1804-5. The bearskin is white with gold lace,and crim.son busby-bag. The lower part of theplu:me is crimson and the upper part is white.After Hoft'm.ann
Centre: Chasseur's bicorne, .1803-4. Walking-outdress. Black with orange trim.:mings, greenplum.e with red tip. Regim.ental Order Book
Right: Officer's undress cap. ~nd Regiment,18X5
17...
,..Pomerania. 1809 was therefore a good year forhim! Things continued to go well; in 1810 another10,000 francs came his way from Galicia. In 181 I
he became Chamberlain to the Emperor, Commander of the Legion d'honneur and general ofdivision. He commanded the Chasseurs of theGuard in Russia in 1812. He was wounded atLutzen on 2 May 1813, but not badly for he alsoserved at Bautzen on 20/21 May 1813 and wasmade a count soon after. He was taken prisoner atKulm on 30 August but exchanged in time for theBattle of Leipzig. Transferred to the Grenadiers acheval de la Garde, he served in the Campaign ofFrance 1814 and received two bullet wounds atWaterloo. He retired in 1816 but was re-employedfrom 1830-33.
Chasseur. Pellsse of scarlet cloth, trbnmedwith black lam.bskin, for winter dress
18
Chasseur. Dohnanas worn for a re~
view in thebarrack rooms,2 April 1803.Green with orangefacings. Red cuffs.RegimentalOrder Book
\
NICOLAS-MARIN, BARON THIRY (1769-1827), beganhis military career as a cannonier in the regiment ofGrenoble Ar/illerie on 2 August '786 and wascommissioned in 1792. He distinguished himselfwhen he and a party of the 10th Hussars, belonging to the Army of the North, captured twohowitzers and their crews in an affair at Blaton on18 August '793. He again did well at Quiberon on17 June 1795 and won a sabre of honour in 1802.He joined the Chasseurs de la Garde as a Chifd'Escadrons on 15 September 1805. He wasseriously wounded with two bayonet thrusts in thestomach at Austerlitz and bruised on the lefi legby a cannon ball at Eylau. Promoted Major in1807 he, like Guyot, came in for plenty of decorations and monetary grants. He was given a lightcavalry brigade in 1809. During his later serviceshe received three wounds at Borodino but, afterthis time, his career was undistinguished.
CHARLES, COUNT LEFEBVRE-DESNOUETTES (17731822), son of a cloth merchant, he escaped fromcollege to join an infantry regiment, but threetimes his parents bought his discharge. Eventuallyhe became a chasseur in the Oratoire battalion ofthe Paris National Guard on I December '789,He was commissioned in 1793. He fought atMarengo in 1800 and at Austerlitz in r805,winning the Legion ofHonour. In r806 he becamea general of brigade. Much money and manyhonours came his way. He won the battle ofTudela in Spain on 7 June r808 and was made
NCO's waistcoat.Scarlet with goldlace. The collarand the edging ofthe pockets andround the bottomis yellow andgreen
Surtout or undress coat of achasseur with waistcoat
PIERRE, BARON DAUMESNIL (1777-1832) enlisted asa trooper in the 22' Chasseurs a cheval on 15March 1794 and became a corporal in Bonaparte's Guides in Italy on 13 June 1797. He servedwith the Army of the Orient and was wounded bya sabre cut at the unsuccessful assault on Acre andwas hurled from the top of the ramparts into theditch by the explosion of a mine. He twice savedthe life of General Bonaparte and carried off thestandard of the Captain Pasha at Aboukir on 25July 1799. He returned to France with Bonaparteand was posted to the Chasseurs of the ConsularGuard and commissioned in 1800. He served withthe Grand Army from 1805 to 1807, in Spain in1808 and in Germany in 1809. He was woundedin the left leg at Wagram and it had to be amputated. He had become an officer of the Legion
general of division. He fought at Somo-sierra andwas commanding the Chasseurs de La Garde whenthey were routed by the English cavalry at Benevente on 29 December 1808. Wounded by a pistolbullet, he was captured and taken to England. Heescaped in 1812, having broken his parole, andresumed command of the regiment, serving inRussia. Wounded at Winkowo on 18 October1812, he left the army at Smorgoni with theEmperor to return to Paris. He served in Germanyin 1813 and was given command of the cavalry ofthe Jeune Garde on 25 November. He servedthroughout the campaign of France, despite twobayonet wounds at Brienne on 29 January 1814,and commanded Napoleon's escort after hisabdication. Hearing of Napoleon's return fromElba he went to Cambrai where his regiment wasin garrison and led them in an unsuccessfulattempt to seize the arsenal at La Fere. Napoleon,on reaching Paris, made him colonel of theChasseurs of the Imperial Guard on 14 April 1815and a peer of France on 2 June. He commandedthe light cavalry division of the Guard at Waterloo. Upon the return of the Bourbons he wasproscribed and took refuge in the United States.In 1822 he was drowned when the ship in whichhe was returning to Europe was wrecked offKinsale on 22 April. In tribute to his memory, hiswidow erected a remarkable lighthouse, ofdecidedly phallic appearance, on the coast offwhich he perished.
19
..d'hanneur in 1806 and received several monetarygrants, whilst in 18 IO he became a baron. In 1812he was made general of brigade. In 18 I 4 he wascommandant of the fortress of Vincennes and, onthe night of 30/31 March after the battle on theheights before Paris, he collected all the abandonedmateriel on the battlefield and took it into hisfortress and thereafter refused to surrender. Hewas once more governor of Vincennes in 1815when he defied Blucher, and again in 1830 whenhe refused to deliver the place to the insurgentsagainst Charles X's governmcnt. PromotedLieutenant-General in 1831, he did not live longto enjoy it because he was carried off by thecholera epidemic of 1832.
JEAN-DIEUDONNE, BARON - LATER COUNT - LION
(1771 to 1840) was born at Walcourt in Belgiumwhere, in 1688,s the British Army had defeated theFrench. Lion enlisted in the Royal-Liegeois on 10September 1789 and was commissioned in 1794.At Mainburg on 7 September 1796 he capturedan Austrian battalion with two cannons and acolour. He saw much action and was woundedseveral times and, on 10 August 18°9, he wasmade Colonel-Major of the Chasseurs tl cheval de laGarde. On 20 April 1809 he captured two coloursand two battalions of Hungarians with his regiment, the 2nd Chasseurs. He was made a baron in1810 and served in Russia in 18 I 2 and Saxony in1813, being promoted general of brigade but continuing to command the Chasseurs of thc Guard.At Vauchamps on 14 February 1814 he receivedtwo bullet wounds, one in the head and the otherin the right hand. He refused to join in LefebvreDesniiuettes' rising at Cambrai on I I March 1815and followed Louis XVIII into exile. In consequence he continued to enjoy a distinguishedmilitary career under the Restoration, most of hislater commands being in the gendarmerie.
F RAN Q 0 I S - CH AR LES-JEAN- PIERR E-MARI E
O'AVRANGES, BARON O'HAUGERANVILLE (1782
1817), son of a general and nephew of MarshalBerthier, enlisted in the 5th Hussars on 17 October1796 and was commissioned in 1800. He joinedthe Chasseurs of the Consular Guard the followingyear but was posted as a captain to the 9thDragoons in 1802. After service in the great campaigns of the Grand Army, 1805 to 1807, and in
20
\IIIIII~
Top left: Kettle-drwn horse's plwne, 1804-5.Crbnson plume with two green and twocrimson plumes, alternatively, at base
Top right: Head ofkettle-dnunmer's horse, 1810.Red bridle. White aigrette, with CrUnsonplwnes at base. Dubois de I'Estang Collection
Bottom left: Corporal's saddle
BottODl right: Corporal's saddle, back view.Eduouard DetaiUe's Collection, Musee del'Annee
the Austrian Campaign of 1809 where he receiveda bullet wound in the left leg. at Wagram, he wasmade major of the Chasseurs tl cheval de la Garde on6 August 1811. He fought at Borodino and wasmade general of brigade on 27 February 1813. Hedid not serve with the Guard thereafter. He waswounded and captured at Leipzig and was convalescent in 1814 and followed the King to Ghentin 18 I 5, commanding his military householdduring the campaign in Belgium - not that it didanything.
Prince Eugene de Beauharnais, Conunander of the ClJasscurs b cheval
21
Francs2445go8.84
4·75552
8·752·5
2524
50
small peak
and although chasseurs they were ordered ahussar uniform - habil/emenl a 10 hussarde (8September 1800).
1 shako' and plume1 pelisse of scarlet cloth1 dolman of green cloth1 bonnel de police'1 pair, shoes1 pair, black gaiters, shirtI col nair en soie3
1 hat, maroon pompom and cockade1 pair of stockings1 pair of scarlet breeches'1 sabretache1 green cloth schabraquc trimmed with
scarlet cloth with 'glands, galon el cor dechasse'
'This was the fur colback with a(colback a visiere)., Forage cap is perhaps the best translation.3 Black silk stock or neckcloth.• These were not overalls but the type worn withboots.
Naturally, though the senior officers of theregiment may set its tone, without good juniorofficers, COs and chasseurs, the regiment wouldnever have been a corps d'elile. The quality of theselast lives on in the pages ofParquin. Though thereis not room in this book to quote long passagesfrom his memoirs, they are among the livcliest ofthe many which have come down to us fromNapoleomc days.
UnifOrmsrfthe (iJonsular guard
The Consular Guard, organized early in 1800, wasto escort the First Consul wherever he went. Yetmany of the Guides, newly returned from Egypt,were in rags. It was "a question of reclothing thewhole company of Chasseurs a cheval. It was, therefore, possible to make innovations. The new uniform is preserved for us in Isabey's painting Revuede Decadi. Beauharnais the commanding officerhas rich trappings of an oriental style, but those ofthe other officers and the men follow the regulations of 179 I.
The Chasseurs of the Consular Guard wore thecolback, a fur busby such as hussars had sometimes worn during the eighteenth century, whichby 1800 had replaced the bicorne worn by theGuides of 1796. Whether this was adopted inEgypt or rather later is not absolutely certain, butit was worn at Marengo.
THE HUSSAR UNIFORM
When, after Marengo, the Guides were increasedin number their uniform became more elaborate,
Most of these articles were expected to last threeyears, and should therefore have been in use untilthe end of ,80g, but the Regiment was increasedto four squadrons in October 1802 and so it would
Belt, sash and trousers,or hongroille of undressuni{onn
22
Detail of a paintillg by Melssonier showing the escortof chasseurs (left) at the Battle of Friedland
not be surprising if changes in the uniform came inat that time. It is likely that the third type of colback, the one which the Regiment wore throughout the Empire, was introduced at this date.
While the full-dress was ala hussarde the undress(deuxieme tenue) of the earlier chasseur styleremained in use.
Certain items of clothing scarcely alteredthroughout the Empire.
Colback. Bearskin. Under the Consulate therewas at first no pompom, but later, perhaps, eachsquadron had one of a special colour. Eachchasseur had a waterproof cover for his colbackmade of black cloth, waxed and varnished.
Bieorne hat. Black felt.Bonnet de police. Green cloth.Dolman. Green a la hussarde with scarlet
facings. Five rows each of 18 buttons, those in thecentre being large and the rest medium.
Pelisse. Scarlet, lined with white flannel,trimmed with black lambskin, and decoratedwith 24 big and 72 medium-sized buttons.
Waistcoat No. I (Gilet treSS/i). Scarlet. Withthree rows of 18 little buttons for the men andfive rows for the NCOs. This waistcoat was wornwith the coat or under the pelisse.
Waistcoat No.2 (Gilet croisc). Red cloth without sleeves, ornamented with two rows ofbuttons.
Belt. The belt was not made in one rigid piecebut consisted of a series of more-or-less overlapping links.
Coat (Habit). Green cloth with pointed turnbacks (revers), ornamented with hunting hornsembroidered in orange (aurore) cloth. The coathad 24 big buttons and 6 small. On the right anorange (aurore) shoulder-knot (trijle) , backedwith scarlet was worn, and on the left shoulderorange aiguillettes.
Stable jacket (Veste d'ccorie). 6 Green jersey.7 Itprobably conformed to the regulations of 1791and had 20 buttons in two rows. This was certainly the case after 1812.
Hongroise. Green breeches ornamented withorange (aurare) cloth.
23
,..Overalls (Pantalon du cheval). Green cloth with
leather on the inside of the leg, with a red clothstripe, and 18 buttons on each leg.
Trousers for fatigues (Pantalon du treillis).Ornamented with 36 bone buttons.
Boots (A la hussarde). With orange (aurore)ornaments.
Gaiters. Black, of the general pattern usedthroughout the army. Worn with shoes, over thehongroise or under the pantalon du trtillis, for footparades and stables.
Top left: Imperial pouch belt or gibernc of acha.sseur
Top right: Detail oC colback orna.m.ent
Lower left: Imperial Eagle badge
Lower right: Bugle-born badge
24
Conductors' uniform. An inventory of 1 April1812 records green waistcoats, greatcoats andpantalons de charretiers which, doubtless, wereintended for the men in charge of the vehicles ofthe Regiment.
TRUMPETERS ANDKETTLE-DR UMMERS
In Egypt the trumpeters of the Guides had a skyblue uniform with crimson facings. In full dress(grande tenut) they continued to wear leatherbreeches as under the Old Regime.
When under the Consulate the unit receivcdcolbacks, those issued to the trumpeters were ofwhite fur. At the end of 1800 the trumpetersreceived the hussar uniform. Items which weregreen for the Chasseurs were sky blue for thetrumpeters, and those that were scarlet for theformer were crimson for the latter. On anycrimson clothing the trumpeters wore gold lacebacked with blue cloth, and on blue articles theyhad gold lace backed with crimson cloth, exceptof course on the collar and turnbacks where theinsignia was just gold.
Kettle-drummer. By 8 March 1802 the unit had astimbalier a very young man named Bruno Lemoine,who had entered the Consular Guard as a musicianat thc age of 14. Because of his small stature,Bonaparte made him the kettle-drummer of theChasseurs, and had a Mameluke costume madefor him.
LES CAHIERS DE MALMAISON
Ten of the Order Books of Eugene Beauharnais ascommanding officer of the Chasseurs of theGuard have survived. They cover the period 7February 1800 to 31 October 1804. Up to 15October 1802 thcy relate to all the cavalry of theGuard and are signed by Bessieres and MichelOrdener (1755-1811), the commander of theGrenadiers d cheval, as wcll as Beauharnais. Thereaftcr they are only concerned with thc chasseurs.They have a certain amount to say aboutdress. For example, men who had received armsof honour were to carry them on all occasions,except parades in barracks (service de quartieT).Boots were always to be worn with walking-outdress (lenue de ville).
MICHAel VOU£fIlS
Lieutenant, StandardBearer, Full Dress I808
A
..
B
Tnunpetert Full Dress 1:803
MICHAEL YOU£NS
MICHAEL YOUENS
Chasseur 1805-1'" FullDress as worn on serviceescort duty
c
o
Full Dress under theConsula~e.
I Chasseur, 1800;
2 Chef de brigade Eug~ede Bu.uharnals, 1800;
3 Officer, Consulate
MICtIA£L "'OVENS
I
MICHAEL YOUENS
3
Walking-out Dress.I Cbasseur, :1803-4,Sundays in wiuter;2 Officer, :1804;3 Cbasseur, 1803-4, week·days in winter
E
F
On active service.1 ChasseurJ Battle ofAusterUu, 1805;2 Chasseur, cam.paign of1806, escort duty on foot;3 Chasseur, caDlpaignS of%806 and I807, Dlountedescort duty
MICHA£l YOUENS
On active service.1: Officer, 1:81:2-1:4, on theJDarcb;2 Officer, 1808, SoJDO~sierra;3 Cha88eur, 1808, on theJDal'ch in Spain
MICHAl:l YOUENS
3
G
H
I Chef de m.u8ique, I8IO2 Kettle~rum.m.er, I80S;3 Tnunpeter, 1801;
MICHAEL YOUENS
The sabretache was never to be worn exceptwith the tenue ala hussarde, that is to say pelisse anddolman. This was the usual thing with Hussarregiments.
The hair was to be worn in uniform fashion witha queue six inches long (9 July 1800). Bessieresissued elaborate orders on the subject on 18 April1811. He himself continued to wear the queueuntil the day of his death in 1813, by which timeit was certainly very outmoded among generalofficers.
The Chasseurs with pelisse, dolman, coat,stable-jacket, three forms of waistcoat and threedifferent headgears, not to mention breeches,overalls and so forth, had a number of differentorders of dress. It is thanks to the Cahiers de laMalmaison that we are able to sort them out.
Full Dress (Grande Tenue). Although artistshabitually show us the Chasseurs in this order ofdress it was in fact rarely worn.
Escort and Picket Order (Tenue d'Escor-u et dePiquet). By an order of I I October 1803 it was
SADDLES
Top left: Chasseur, 18°4-15. Green wlth orange ornatnents.Regirnental Order Book
Top right: Saddle-cloth of a trwnpeter. Full dress, :1804-5.Crim.son with gold bugle-horn and borders. After Hoff."'annLower left: Saddle-cloth of a kettle-drum.rner, 1804-5.Green with gold border and bugle-horn. Traditional type
Lower right: Officer's schabracque. Full dress under theConsulate. After Hofftnann
25
laid down that from the 23rd mounted picketsshould wear the pelisse, leather breeches, gilelIresse, belt, sabretache, colback, etc. After 6.00 p.m.they were allowed to wear overalls. Only in foulweather were the men allowed to put the waterproof covers over their colbacks. The point is thatin the summer the chasseurs wore the dolmanand in the winter the pelissc. Bucquoy points outthat the Emperor's escort entered Vienna in 180gand Moscow in 1812 wearing the dolman.Though the men had green cloaks, the escort wereforbidden to wear them, the idea being that onecould tell at a glance from its distinctive uniformsthat the staff that was approaching was that of theEmperor in person.
Cape (Manleau). The Chasseurs of the ConsularGuard had a cloak called 'Trois-quart' withoutsleeves and with a very short cape. At the end of
the consulate a new model was issued (c. February1804) with a larger cape. The capes were to beworn outside the cloaks when on the march, forfoot duties, and in foul weather when escortingthe First Consul, during which service the cloakwas never to be worn.
The Chasseurs liked to wear this convenientgarment when walking out in wet weather, butsoon this was expressly forbidden (17 February1804).
Here are examplcs of the orders for dismountedinspections:
3 Fruclidor an XI (21 August 1803)Revue de proprete a 9 heures. Troupe: hongroise
verle, gilel lresse, colback et plumel, fournimenl, sabreel carabines. Les officiers aurenl Ie chapeau el Ie plumel,Ie panlalon rouge el Ie gilel blanc sans giberne.
A channing picture by Fran.;ois Flameng of a chasseurin conversation with two ladies in the CODsulate period
26
(Inspection at ogoo hours. Men: greenbreeches, full-dress waistcoat, colback andplume. Sabres and carbines. Officers: Hat andplume, red breeches and white waistcoats. Nocartridge-cases. )
[5 Florial an XII (5 May 1804)La Iroupe sera en dolman, panlalon de nankin, gilel
blanc, chapeau el plumel, sabre el sabrelache. Lesofficiers aurenl la meme lenue, a I'exceplion de lasabrelache.
(The men will wear the dolman, nankeenpantaloons, white waistcoats, hat and plume,sabre and sabretache. The officers will be in thesame tenue, except for the sabretache.)
NCOs. Generally speaking the NCOs wore thesame uniform as the men, the main differencebeing that their badges of rank were in gold.
Officers. Officers' aiguillettes and badges ofevery sort, were also, of course, in gold, and theywore an epaulette on the left shoulder and anaiguillette on the right. Their pelisses weretrimmed with light grey fur. The officers of theRegimental Headquarters were distinguished fromthose of the squadrons by their white plumes.
All the officers, including Bessil:res and Beauharnais, seem to have had a liking for scarletbreeches. Some also went in for red or green boots,which was hardly regulation - rather what theFrench call lenue de fantaisie.
A portrait of Lieutenant Bourdon preserves thetenue worn in society: white silk stockings, buckledshoes, white waistcoat and breeches, a dress swordand a bicorne hat (Ie chapeau claque): in short thelegendary uniform of the First Consul.
Servants and grooms. A certain number ofofficers' servants were allowed (Order of 26February 1803) so long as they had good conductcertificates. They were compelled to wear a simplegreen uniform coat, and a three-cornered hat.Waistcoats and trousers were not ofany obligatorycolour. The servants were not allowed to beararms. Since Beauharnais gave notice that hemeant to inspect the servants himself, one mayassume that these orders were adhered to. Seniorofficers and those who were well-to-do, havingseveral horses, naturally required grooms andcould afford to dress their servants with un
OfIicer's cloak as worn on campaign, 1813
peu plus de luxe, and this Beauharnais' orderspermitted.
ARMAMENT
SABRE. All ranks were armed with the sabre. The1802 model was issued on 21 September 1802.
CARBINE. The Guides returned from Egypt with avariety of different carbines. Though they weresupposed to have that of 1786, they actually hadcut down muskets, foreign carbines and evenblunderbusses. In 1800 carbines of the 1786pattern were issued, and on 13 October 1803a new model which had a socket for fixingthe bayonet. A white leather bayonet frog wasissued.
PISTOL. Corporals and Chasseurs carried one pistolin their left holster. NCOs and trumpeters, havingno carbines, had two pistols. Quartermasters andcorporals had small axes which were carried in theright-hand holster. These were only carried on themarch.
27
SABRETACHE. Dctails of the patterns in use areshown on page I 1.
G1BERNE. The cartridge-case of black leather wasprobably ornamented with a metal horn.
SADDLERY. At first the saddle was of the normallight cavalry pattern, which was intended to becovered by a schabraque. However, as time wentby the Chasseurs received the first light cavalrysaddle which could be used uncovered.
BRIDLE. Light cavalry model with slight regimental peculiarities.
PORTE-MANTEAU. On campaign the porte-manteauwas supposed to contain two shirts, two cravats,two handkerchiefs, a pair of trousers or pantaloons,a waistcoat, the bonnet de police, the stable jacket, aspare pair of boots and la trousse.
Exactly how the Chasseurs fitted on all the bitsand pieces they were meant to carry was something ofa mystery even to Commandant Bucquoy.In the First World War it was noticed that Frenchcavalry tended to overload their horses. It ratherlooks as if this was a time-honoured custom!
ArJDoriaJ bearings of a Count of the Em.pire carriedafter March 1808
28
Uniformsofthelmperial quard
On 18 May 180t the Consular Guard took thetitle of Imperial Guard. The change of namemade little real difference to the dress of theChasseurs, who, as we have seen in the previouschapter, had already adopted the uniform whichthey were to wear throughout the period of theEmpire. There was, however, some modificationof badges.
COLBACK. The pattern of pompom was nowchanged for the last time - it was to be a semispherical tricolor pompom-cockade; the bluecentre being embroidered with an eagle of orangecloth.
In 180g Lefebvre-Desnouettes wanted to introduce a red plume, and Lejeune's painting ofSomo-Sierra shows the chasseurs wearing it, butit did not survive the Spanish campaign of thatyear.
G1BERNE. A brass eagle replaced the horn.
EQUIPMENT. In 1806-7 black leather equipmentof Prussian origin was issued.
SABRETACHE. The pattern with a red backgroundworn under the consulate was replaced by one ofgreen cloth with the Imperial arms. Several stillexist. This pattern remained in use until 18 I 5.
SCHABRAQUE. The eagle embroidered in orangecloth replaced the horns at the rear angles of theschabraque.
Tnunpet banners of the Chasseurs acheval. Left: 1802.-4iright: 1804-6. Green with gold lettering and fringes.Hilpert
CULOTTE. Although there are a few plates whichshow chasseurs in red trousers, and althoughofficers occasionally wore them, it is thought thatthey were never really a general issue to theRegiment. Although there are a numbcr of platesby Gcrman artists which purport to show thcuniform of the Chasseurs, these generally containa number of crrors and must therefore be regardedwith suspicion. Bucquoy has put us on our guardagainst the plates of Kolbe and Weiland.
A document of 15 December 1812 lists the itemsissued to each chasseur on arrival. It was not anew regulation but a statement of things as theywere at that time. Two minor points are worthnoting: the stable jacket was decorated with tworows of buttons, and the old leather pantaloonshad been replaced by ones trimmed with cloth andwith orange borders.
SCHABRAQ.UE of 1814. In 1814 the squadrons of theYoung Guard had red schabraques. It is possiblethat they were also issued to the Old Guard. Atthe sale of the Castanie Collection in 1899, theschabraque which had belonged to a chasseur
named Merme was sold. It was red, the fronttrimmed with leather, the seat of white sheepskinand was lined with leather and cloth. In 1814Merme had been posted to the eclaireurs as aninstructor. It is possible that this means he hadgone to the Young Guard. A portrait of an officerwhich appeared in the same sale, and seemed todate from 1814, also showed a red schabraque.These clues rather make it look as if there was agencral issue of red schabraques to the wholeCorps between 1813 and 1814.
NCOS. There was little change in the turnout ofNCOs under the Empire. The sabretache was thesame as that of the Chasseurs except that it hadgold ornamentation, and the eagles on theirschabraques seem to have been made from metalthread instead of orange cloth.
CORPS ROYAL DES CHASSEURS DEFRANCE
The Restoration changed very little III the umform of the Corps except for the emblems. The
29
A well-known painting by Gericault showing LieutenantDieudonne
30
eagles, of course, disappeared for the time beingand were replaced by the escutcheon of Francesurmounted by the Royal Crown and surrounded:"y a wreath. The cagle also disappeared from theschabraque but nothing was put in its place. Awhite pompom, or possibly a white plume,replaced the green and red pompom formerly inuse.
THE HUNDRED DAYS
The Imperial insignia was not slow to reappearwhen the Emperor returned in 1B14. For theWaterloo Campaign, riding trousers resemblingthose in usc under the Consulate were issued. TheRegiment did not receive pe1isses.
OFFICERS
For officers, as for men, the change from Consulateto Empire meant little except a change of badges.There are plenty ofpictures ofofficers in full dress.Of these, perhaps the spirited portrait of Lieutenant Dieudonne by Gericault is the best known.It was displayed in the Salon in IBI2. Dieudonnewas wounded on 7 December IB12 on the Vilnaroad and died next day. A number of otherportraits survive, the subjects including Eugene,Lefebvre-Desnoucttcs, Zicke1 and others.
ARMAMENT
Under the Empire the officers carried a sabre witha hilt of gilded brass. The blade was often veryornamental and had a crowned eagle and theinscription 'Chasseurs aCheval de la Garde Imperiale'.
SABRETACHE. This was sometimes made of greenvelvet on the same general lines as that of thetroopers but with all their orange ornaments beingreplaced with gold.
HARNESS. In full dress the officers had a schabraqueof panther skin.
TRUMPETERS ANDKETTLE- DRUMMERS
At the beginning of the Empire there was littlechange in the dress of the trumpeters, except for
Belt plaque asworn from 1805onwards
Detail of knot ofofficer's goldaigulette whichwas worn on theright shoulder
the usual Imperial insignia and, in general, thesame uniform was worn throughout the Empire.
The kettle-drummer wore Mameluke costume.There are many versions of this uniform. For sometime the kettle-drummer was Bruno Lemoine,whose portrait and sabretache are in the Musee deI'Armee. He wears a Hussar uniform. He becamecorporal trumpeter in 1B05, though still appearingsometimes as kettle-drummer and was killed inIBoB in a combat at Torquemada. The Mame1ukecostume was worn between 1B05 and IB06 andthereafter was superseded by the Hussar costume.
SAPEURS
Some of the Alsatian collections show a group ofsapeurs with tremendous beards and crossed axesembroidered on their arms, but there is nothing toconfirm that they ever existed in reality.
CAMPAIGN UNIFORM. In 1805 the Regiment worethe pe1isse but it fought at Austerlitz in full dress.The cloak was often rolled up and worn bandolierfashion, ala Mandrin, as this was called; a reference
31...
to the celebrated French bandit of the earlyeighteenth century. In 1806 and 1807 the regiment wore the green surtout because the scarlet ofthe pelisse had been found to run and fade toomuch under the hard conditions of active service.In bad weather they put a cover over the colpackand wore a cape over their cloaks. 1808: GeneralLejeune's picture of the Battle of Somo-Sierrashows the uniform worn in Spain. I 80g: the lastfive campaigns of the Empire were made in thedolman only. The leather trousers were left at thedepot and so were the surlouls. The cloth trousersknown as Iwngroise were worn. 1815: for the campaign in Belgium the turnout was simplified.Plumes were not worn and nor were cordons. Thepantaloon or overall replaced the culotte. Theonly difference between the dress worn on themarch and that for escort duty was that in thelatter order the flamme of the colback was allowedto float freely.
We are not concerned here with the uniform ofthe Young Guard Regiment or of the Mamelukes.As far as the Old Guard Regiment is concerned,
Officer's pelisse trinuned with light grey fur.The eight chevrons on the sleeve distinguishit as that worn by a General of the Guard
32
and despite a mass of varied information, onereceives the impression that the Regiment stuck asfar as possible to its original and traditionaluniform, making really very little change from itsoriginal appearance under the Consulate.
guidonsandcJtandards
'Les itendards que la Garde acheval are~us hier alaparade, doivent fIre loujours pour eUe Ie poinl derassemblement contre ies ennemis du Gouvernement. Laplus gloire sera loujours un divouemenl sans bornes ala personne du Premier Consul.'
Regimental Orders, 23 January [804
CONSULATE
Sous-Lieutenant Nicolas Le Gros who had won acarbine of honour was nominated Standardbearer on I August 1801. We may assume, therefore, that from this period the squadron carriedStandards. The Standard-bearer of the secondsquadron, nominated on I October) was SousLieutenantJoseph Guibert, the holder ofa sabre ofhonour. These Standards were carried at thereligious ceremony for the promulgation of theConcordat and at the national holiday whichmarked the general peace after the Treaty ofAmiens (1802). These Standards were in factembroidered Guidons of crimson damask.
Left: the guidon of the 1St squadronRight: the hnperial Eagle
In October 1802 the Standard-bearers were:
From a letter of Beauharnais to the WarMinistry we find that on 28 November 1802, theregimental regalia included 2 Standards with redbackgrounds; 16 green trumpet banners, fulldress; 17 green trumpet banners, undress; I pairof kettle-drums; 2 green kettle-drum banners likethose for the trumpets. These were embroideredby Madame Challiot of 7, rue Boucherat, auMarais, who overcharged for them! The kettledrums were made by Ie sieur Cagnor of No 36, ruedu Petit Carreau.
The Proclamation of the Empire (18 May1804), brought changes to the Colours as well asthe uniforms of the regiment. The Imperial Eaglenow appeared at the top of the poles.
From 1804 to 1812 the regiment carried 4
1st squadron2nd squadron3rd squadron4th squadron
Joseph GuibertAntoine PeyrotPaul PailhcsRobert Addet
Tricolour Guidons. From 1813 to 1814 and during the Hundred Days, it had one TricolourStandard (not a Guidon). Mter the reorganizationof 15 April 1806, the regiment, in common with
Truntpet and banner. Full dress, 1804-5. SUver trumpet,green banner with gold tri.m..Jnings and ornam.ents.After Hofl'm.ann
33
':Ir.+
Chasseurs standing guard over the person of the EDlperorat the Battle of SlDolensk, 17 August 1812
\ '
Detail of orna·Dlent in thecorner ofaguidon
34
,;\
The eagle and standard of the Cluuuur$ i\ cheval, 1813-14.Left: the face; right: the reverse. Gold lettering on tricolour. HUpert
others of the cavalry of the Guard, received newtrumpet and kettle-drum banners completelydifferent from the old ones. The new trumpetbanners were square with gold fringes; werecrimson instead of green and the Imperialescutcheon embroidered in gold appeared in thecentre.
On 21 November [807 when the ImperialGuard returned to Paris after the campaigns inPrussia and Poland, the Prefect of La Seine, oneFrochot, presented on behalf of the city of Parisgold crowns which were to be attached to theEagles of the regiment of the Chasseurs acheval incommemoration of the victory of Austerlitz.
By decree of I July 1813, the Eagle of the 1stsquadron became the regimental Standard andthe Standard-bearers of the 2nd, 3rd and 4thsquadrons were suppressed. The new Standardwhich was now attached to the Eagle bore thenames of the victories at which the regiment hadbeen present, from Marengo to La Moskowa(Borodino) .
THE RESTORATION>
With the Restoration of 18 I 4, the Corps had ofcourse a new Standard which was designed by Iesieur Gastel of the depot de la Guerre. ThisStandard was probably received when the regiment was in garrison at Saumur in December1814. It was not destined to be carried in action.
THE HUNDRED DAYS
The Emperor distributed Eagles on the Champ deMai on I June 1815, the Chasseurs receiving aStandard similar to the one carried in 1813.Whether or not battle honours for the campaignsof 1813 and 1814 were added, we cannot tell.
When the Imperial Army was disbanded afterWaterloo, the Guard was ordered to hand in itsEagles to the artillery headquarters at Bourges.On 31 August [815 the regiment delivered oneEagle and one Standard with the usual attachments; these were destroyed on the orders of theMinistry on 22 October.
35...
36
Napoleon in his study, front a painting by Delaroche. Heis wearing the undress uniform of a colonel of thechasseurs
YOUNG GUARD
The second regiment of Les Chasseurs acheval de laCarde Imptiriale, created by Imperial decree on 26May 1815, received a Standard from the Emperoron I June. It was similar to that of other cavalryregiments. This was also destroyed on 22 October.
MAMELUKES
Legend would make one think that the Mamelukes carried a sort of Oriental Standard with a
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Le Captaine E.-L. Bucquoy, O. Hollander and P.Benigni: Les Chasseurs a cheval de ia Garde Imperiale(1800--15).
D. G. Chandler: The Campaigns oj Napoleon (NewYork, Ig66).
Commandant H. Lachouque and Anne Browne: TheAnatomy of Gtory (London and New York, Ig61).
A. Martinien: Tableaux par Corps et par Batailles desOjficiers Tues et Blesses pendant ies Guerres de I'Empire(Paris, n.d.).
Charles Parquin: Military Memoirs) translated andedited by B. T. Jones (London, Ig6g).
Jean-Claude Quennevat: Les Vrais Soldals de Napoleon(Paris and Brussels, Ig68).
Lucien Rousselot: Armie FralZfaise, Planches Nos. 69,70 and 94.
Albert Schuermans: Itiniraire Generate de Napoleon It!
(Paris, IgIl).
horse's tail floating from it but, in fact, they seemto have carried Guidons and Standards much likeany other cavalry regiment.
The decree of 25 December 181 I, which laiddown that no cavalry corps of less than 600 menshould have an Eagle, was not applied to theMamelukes.
The names of two of the Standard-bearers ha"ebeen preserved; they were: Sous-Lieutenant PierreMcrat, 18 December 1805 and Jean.Fran~ois
Fonnade, 6 December 18I1 to 5 August 1814.
Georges Six: Dictionnaire Biographique des Ginbaux etAmiraux de la Revolution et de {'Empire (1792-18/4)'(Paris, 1934.)
NOTES
I. General Baron Jean-Baptiste-]uvenal Corbineau (1776-1848).
2. I regret to observe that a modern MichelinGuide makes no mention of this hotel!
3. Edward-jean-Baptiste comte Milhaud (17661833) .
4. Horace·Fran~ois-Bastien, comte Sebastiani de laPorta (1772- I 8S1), Marshal of France, T840.
S. The author has dragged this in because his ownregiment, later the 16th Foot, defeated the Frenchcavalry single handed!
6. Or gilet d'ecurie.7. Tricot.
37...
,.APPENDIX A
Numbers of Officers killed and wounded. 18°5-15
1805 KDW W Total 27 Sept. Combat before Alten- KDW W Total
22 Oct. Affair near DIm bourg
20 Nov. On escort duty with 14 Oct. Combat near Magde-
Marshal Bessiercs bourg
2 Dec. Battle of Austerlitz 2 '7 19 18 Oct. Battle of Leipzig 6 7
180623 Oct. Combat of Weimar 3 4
25 Dec. Affair of Lopaczyn27 Oct. Affair of Wach29-30
1807 Oct. Battle of Hanau 3 38 Feb. Battle of Eylau 4 12 17 27 Dec. Combat before Breda10 June Battle of Heilsberg I I 31 Dec. On reconnaissance near14 June Battle of Friedland Breda
1808 181 42 May Insurrection in Madrid - 8 8 29Jan. Battle of Brienne29 Dec. Combat of Benavente 5 6 II Feb. Battle of Montmirail
180912 Feb. Combat of Cha.teau~
4 July Crossing the Danube 1 Thierry 2
6 July Battle of Wagram 4 10 14 18 Feb. Battle of MontereauI Mar. Affair of Lisy
1810 4 Mar. Combat before18 June Escorting prisoners Soissons
in Spain 7 Mar. Battle of Craonne 4 5lSI I 1 I Mar. Combat before
2 May Combat of Carascal, Soissons
Spain I I Mar. Combat near LaoD
18IZ'7 Mar. Combat of Braine
10 Feb. On a mobile column in30 Mar. Battle of Paris
Spain31 Mar. Combat of Courtrai 4 4
23 April Combat of Robrez, 181 5Spain 18 June Battle of Waterloo 5 14 20
'4 Oct. At the outposts beforeCOMPANY OF MAMELUKES (SQUADRON IN 1813)Moscow
15 Oct. Combat on the Kalouga 1805road 2 Dec. Battle of Austerlitz 3 3
24 Oct. Battle of Malojarosla- 1806wetz 25 Dec. Affair of Lopaczyn
25 Oct. Combat near Malojaro- 26 Dec. Combat of Golyminslawetz
'7 Nov. Battle of Krasnoe 180721 Nov. Combat on the Borisow 8 Feb. Battle of Eylau 3 3
road 18087 Dec. On the Vilna road I. 2 May Insurrection in Madrid 5 5
18134 Aug. Attack on Saragossa
2 May Battle of Lutzen 29 Dec. Combat of Benavente 2
22 May Combat ofReichenbach - 2 2 181 326-7 Aug. Battle of Dresden 3 3 28 Sept. Combat of Altenbourg 2 226 Sept. Affair before Alten- 23 Oct. Combat of Weimar
bourg 30 Oct. Battle of Hanau
38
APPENDIX BSenior Officer casualties
CHASSEURS A CHEVAL
Colonel
Morland K Battle of Austerlitz 2 Dec. 1805
Chef d'EscadroTlS
Nicolas-Marin Thiry (1769-1827) SW Battle of Austerlitz 2 Dec. I l')
Frederic-Auguste Beurmann (1777-1815) W Battle of Austerlitz 2 Dec. I 5Charpentier W Battle of Austerlitz 2 Dec. 180-Nicolas-Marin Thiry W Battle of Eylau 8 Feb. ISo;Pierre Daumesnil (1777-1832) W Insurrection in Madrid 2 Ma\' I
Cen. de Brigade
Lefebvre-Desnouettes (1773-1822) W&PW Combat of Benavente 29 Dec. 1808
Chef d'EscadroTlS
Pierre Daumesnil W Battle of Eckmtihl 22 ~Ia\ IlloqFrancq W Batdc of Wagram 6 Jul\' Illoq
Major
Corbineau SW Battle of Wagram 6 July 18oc)Pierre Daumesnil SW Battle of Wagram 6 July 180lJ
Chif d'EscadroTlS
Kirmann W Combat near Malojaroslavetz 25 Del. 1812
Lafitte W Battle of Leipzig 18 Del. 181 3Kirmann W Battle of Leipzig 18 Del. 181 3Vanot W Combat of Weimar 23 Oct. 1813Lemercier W Combat of Weimar 23 Del. 1813Joannes W Battle of Hanau 30 Oct. 1813Lemercier W Affair of Lisy I Mar. 1814Blanquefort W Battle of Waterloo 18 June 1815Lafitte W Battle of Waterloo 18 June 1815
MAJ.iELUKES
Chef d'EscadroTlS
Antoine-Charles-Bernard Delaitre(1776--1838) W Affair of Lopaczyn 25 Dec. 1806
K-Killed, OW-Died of wounds, SW-Severely wounded, W-Wounded, PloV-Prisoncr of war
39•
CJlfe 'Plates
A Lieutenant, Standard Bearer, Full Dress 1808He wears the Hussar uniform and the standard isa guidon. Source, plate by P. Benigni in CaptainE.-L. Bucquoy's publication Les Uniformes du I"
Empire.
B Trumpeter, Full Dress 1803His sabretache is of the normal type in use underthe Consulate, crimson, trimmed with gold lace.The porte-manteau is blue, probably because itwas used in all weathers, and had it been crimsonlike the full-dress sabretache would have faded inno time, for crimson is not a durable colour.
C Chasseur 1805-14Full Dress as worn on service, when on escort dutywith the Emperor.
Dl Chasseur, Full Dress, 1800From Isabey's painting La Revue de decadi.
D2 Chefde Brigade Eugene de Beauharnais, 1800From a painting by Carle Vernet.
D3 Officer, Full Dress ConsulateMter Hoffmann.
40
El Chasseur, 1803-4He is wearing his pelisse as a jacket. This was theuniform worn on Sundays in the winter. Source, theRegimental Order Book.
E2 Officer, 1804The red breeches were probably never 'regulation',but a tenue defantaisie. Source, the Regimental OrderBook.
E3 Chasseur, 1803-4The uniform worn on week-days lU winter.Source, the Regimental Order Book.
Fl Chasseur, Battle of Austerlitz, 1805The pelisse is worn as a jacket, and the cloak isworn bandolier fashion and gives some protectionagainst sword cuts.
F2 Chasseur, campaign of 1806Uniform worn by pickets when on duty on footguarding the Emperor's person.
F3 Chasseur, campaigns of 1806 and 1807Uniform worn on mounted escort duty lU foulweather.
Gl Officer, 1&2-14On the march. After Horace Vernet.
G2 Officer, 1808The uniform worn at Somosierra. Mter Marbot.
G3 Chasseur, 1808Uniform worn on the march lU Spain. MterGeneral Baron Lejeune.
HI Chif de musique, 18/0The bandmaster was evidently a. Senior NCO.
H2 Kettle-drummer, 1805Mter Hoffmann.
H3 Trumpeter, 1801
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