From Mercure Galant (translated from 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

Picardie 70 Companies
Champagne 70
Navarre 70
Piedmont 70
Normandie 70
La Marine 70
La Marine 32
Castelnau 33
Auvergne 33
De Sault 33
Bandeville 16
Regiment du Roy 70
Regiment Royal 70
Regiment d'Anjou 70
Praslin 18
Lyonnais 35
Dauphin 70
Cursol 18
Montaign 16
Turenne 33
La Motte 17
Dampierre 16
Louvigny 18
Grance 16
La Reine 70
Montpezat 16
Les Vaisseux 70
Orleans 33
Artois 33
Bretagne 16
Carignan 16
Chasteauneuf 16
Sourches 18
Vendosme 16
La Ferte 18
Conty 16
La Fere 16
Conde 17
Anguyen 17
Ionzac 18
Monperoux 16
Bouillon 16
Burgogne 33
La Marine nouveau 20
Vermandois 20
Fusiliers de Roy 24


Number of 46 Regiments, making 1569 Companies on the stand of 53 men per Company, altogether 83,157 men.

Regiments of Foreign Infantry

Alsace 12 Companies of 182 men each, that are 2184 men. Scots & English 20 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 Irish 16 x 104 = 1664

Royal Italien 27 x 104 = 2808

Royal Anglois 8 x 103 = 824

Stoupe Swiss 12 x 200 = 2400

Erlac Swiss as above

Festa Swiss as above

Salis Swiss as above

English 8 x 103 = 824

Fifty free Companies at 200 men each, 10,000 men.

Total number of the 13 foreign Regiments and 50 free Companies of different Nations 36,256 men.

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
Royal du Roy
Two foreign Regiments
Cravates du Roy
La Reine
Dauphin
Orlans
Conde
Anguyen
Rouvray
Gaffion
Des Fourneaux
Ioyeuse
Bonveze
Fourrilles
Resnel
Cabonet
Montauban
Pillais
Coulange
Merlin
Saint Loup
Cachan
Saint Aoust
Derdelin
Douget
Duconde
Nogent
Tilladet
Sourdis
Hislez
Bligny
La Fabliere
Lambert
Caberel
Humieres
Prouille
Bartillac
Beaupre
Paulmy
Beaufort
Carendo
Sanzay
Chenuet
Nouart
Sommieure
Hanjou


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
Auvergne
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, making 6000 Men and altogether 21,000 men:

155,687 men with the 21,000 = 176,687 men

Other Gazettes

1671 Levy in Paris
Mercure Hollandois
Army of Elector of Brandenburg
1676 Coronation of the King of Poland

This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com