Notes

Troops in French Service, 1672

by G. Carlo Boeri, Italy


I have found that contemporary Gazettes & Newspapers in the late years of the XVII century and early years of the XVIII supply much useful information about uniform details and army lists that are often not otherwise known . Below is the first of a series of snippets.

Please remember that the spelling in those times was very irregular and on the same page the same name can be spelt in two different ways. I also hope that other readers would like to take up the challenge and come out with other information from Gazettes and Chronicles and keep the NOTES pages full

From Mercure Galant (written in French)

January 1672 (Vol. 1, page 98 and following)

State of the Troops of Infantry and Cavalry that are at the King's [of France] service

Regiments of French Infantry of 53 men per Company, Officers included

RegtCos.
Picardie70
Champagne70
Navarre70
Piedmont70
Normandie70
La Marine70
La Marine32
Castelnau33
Auvergne33
De Sault33
Bandeville16
Regiment du Roy70
Regiment Royal 70
Regiment d'Anjou70
Praslin18
Lyonnais35
Dauphin70
Cursol18
Montaign16
Turenne33
La Motte17
Dampierre16
Louvigny18
Grance16
La Reine70
Montpezat16
Les Vaisseux70
Orleans33
Artois33
Bretagne16
Carignan16
Chasteauneuf16
Sourches18
Vendosme16
La Ferte18
Conty16
La Fere16
Conde17
Anguyen17
Ionzac18
Monperoux16
Bouillon16
Burgogne33
La Marine nouveau20
Vermandois20
Fusiliers de Roy24
Number of Regiments= 46
Making 1569 Companies
on the stand of 53 men per Company,
altogether 83,157 men.

Regiments of Foreign Infantry

Gendarmes, Chevaux-legers and Mousquetaires a Cheval
Four Companies of Gardes du Corps 1039 men.
Company of Gendarmes Escossois 105 men.
Two Companies of Mousquetaires a Cheval making 554 men.
Company of Gendarmes Anglois 105 men.
Company of Chevaux-legers Anglois 110 men.
Gendarmes de la Reine 154 men.
Gendarmes of Monsieur le Dauphin 209 men.
Company of Chevaux Legers of the said Monsieur 108 men.
Gendarmes of Anjou 105 men.
Gendarmes of Orleans 154 men.
Company of Chevaux Legers of Orleans 157 men.
Total of Companies of Gendarmes, Chevaux Legers and Mousquetaires a Cheval as above 2800 men.

Light Cavalry

The Regiment being of six Companies of 54 men each
Colonel General of the said Cavalry
Mestre de Camp General of the said Cavalry
Commissaire General of the said Cavalry

RegtOrganization
Alsace12 Companies of 182 men each, that are 2184 men.
Scots & English20 Companies at 123 men each, 2460 men.
Roussillon 12 companies at 188 men, 2184 men.
Furstemberg 12 x 182 = 2184
Irish 12 x 104 = 1284
Other Irish16 x 104 = 1664
Royal Italien27 x 104 = 2808
Royal Anglois 8 x 103 = 824
Stoupe Swiss12 x 200 = 2400
Erlac Swiss12 x 200 = 2400
Festa Swiss12 x 200 = 2400
Salis Swiss12 x 200 = 2400
English 8 x 103 = 824
Free Companies 50 at 200 men each, 10,000 men.
Total number of the 13 Foreign Regiments
and 50 free Companies of different Nations: 36,256 men.
Royal du RoyMontaubanLa Fabliere
Two foreign RegimentsPillaisLambert
Cravates du RoyCoulangeCaberel
La ReineMerlinHumieres
DauphinSaint LoupProuille
OrlansCachanBartillac
CondeSaint AoustBeaupre
AnguyenDerdelinPaulmy
RouvrayDougetBeaufort
GaffionDucondeCarendo
Des FourneauxNogentSanzay
IoyeuseTilladetChenuet
BonvezeSourdisNouart
FourrillesHislezSommieure
ResnelBlignyHanjou
Cabonet--
Number of 52 Regiments of six Companies each
of 54 men each per Regiments
324 men and altogether 16,848 men.

Other Regiments of Cavalry

with three Companies each, 54 Men per Company

    Coislin
    Estrades
    Bethune
    Montgeorge
    Busenval
    Basleroy
    Thiange
    Longueville
    Ragny
    Bouillon
    Auvergnev Grignan
    Laurieres
    Granville
    Duroure
    Mere
    Thury
    Valavoire
    Arnolfiny
    Harcourt
    Armagnac
    Saint Aignan

    Number of 66 Companies of the above 22 Regiments of 54 men each, altogether 3564 men.

Foreign Light Cavalry

Prince of Piedmont 10 Companies of which one of 64 men and the others of 54, total 550 men.
Konismark, 24 Companies of 54 men each, total 1296 men.
English, 10 Companies of 54 men, total 540 men.
Schomberg, three Companies de 54 men 162 men.
Rose, three Companies idem 162 men.
Housset, three Companies idem 162 men.
Total of the said foreign Cavalry 3196 men.

Two Regiments of Dragoons

Colonel General of the said Dragoons of six Companies of 104 men each, total 624 men. Dragoons du Roy of six companies of 54 men each, total 324 men.
Number of the said Dragoons 984 men.

Maison du Roy (Royal Household)

Regiments of the Gardes Francoises 30 Companies of 100 men each, total 3000 men.
Regiment of the Garde Suisses, 10 Companies of 200 men each, total 2000 men.
Gendarmes du Roy 200 men.
Chevaux Legers de la Garde 200 men.
Number of 5400 men.

These 46 Regiments of French Infantry Francois amount to 83,697 men.
The 13 Regiments of foreign Infantry amount to 36,256 men; to which summing up the Regiment of the Gardes Suisses of 2000 men and the 50 free Companies of different nations makes 41,318 men.
The 16 Companies of Gendarmes 2608 men
The 52 Regiments of French Cavalry 16,848 men
Twenty-two other Regiments of French Cavalry 3564 men
Twelve other Regiments of French Cavalry 648 men
Regiments of foreign Cavalry 3096 men
Company of Gendarmes du Roy 200 men
Company of Chevaux Legers 200 men
Total of Infantry and Cavalry: 155,687 men

After this review, the King has granted in the month of February 1672 Commissions for raising 300 Companies of Infantry, making 15,000 men, in order to enlist the men into Vieux [=Old] Corps, and 80 Companies of Cavalry (6000 men) and altogether being 21,000 men in total.

Therefore, the total army strength is 176,687 men (the 155,687 men with the 21,000 men).


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