Origins Despite an immense amount of research, I can find no contemporary evidence for the existence of batteries of foot artillery. The Artiglieria seems to have been formed sometime between l811-13 when the line horse battery was transferred to the guard. Originally a six gun unit, it seems that, by l8l5, the battery had been reorganised into two small batteries, each consisting of three 6 pounders and a howitzer. UNIFORM Coat In full dress the coat was a dark blue dolman with amaranth collar, cuffs and braid and brass buttons. The waist sash was amaranth and yellow with amaranth cords. The undress coat was a dark blue, chasseur slyle habit coat, with amaranth collar, epaulettes, aiguilettes on the right shoulder, turnbacks and piping to the pointed lapels and cuffs. Buttons were brass. The vertical rear pockets were piped amaranth and yellow grenade badges were worn on the turnbacks. Beneath this was worn a dark blue waistcoat with red piping and braid. Trousers In full dress, dark blue breeches were worn with amaranth Hungarian knots and piping down the outer seam. Those were worn with amaranth trimmed hussar style boots. Undress legwear consisted of dark blue trousers with a thin amaranth stripe town the outer seam. Headgear This was a black colpack with an amaranth bag piped dark blue with an amaranth tassel. Docoration consisted of an amaranth plume over a pompon of the same colour and, in full dress, amaranth cords and flounders. Equipment The belts and sabre were identical to those of the Cavalleggieri but with brass buclclcs while the cartridge pouch was of black leather, trimmed brass and bearing crossed cannon surmounted by a crown. The sabre strap and knot were amaranth. Horse furniture was also similar in style to that of the Cavalleggieri except that the shabraque was dark blue with amaranth edging and an amaranth grenade badge in the rear corner. The portmanteau was dark blue with the same edging and an amaranth grenade badge. Officers' Uniforms In full dress these were as for the men but with gilt buttons, gold pompon, gold piping on the colpack bag, gold braid, piping, Hungarian knot, sabre strap and knot and gold instead of amaranth on the shabraque. The pelisse, when worn, was dark blue with gold braid and trim and black fur and full dress belts were gold with silver trim. In undress the chasseur coat was worn with gold epaulettes, aiguilettes, turnback badges and trouser piping. Musicians In full dress, trumpeters wore amaranth dolmans with dark blue collar, cuffs and braid, the first two being piped in the standard musicians' braid. Breeches were amaranth with a duk blue knot and piping while the boots were the same as for the men. The colpack had a white over amaranth plume and mixed amaranth and white cords. The trumpets were brass with amaranth and blue cords. Trumpeters shabraques were in reversed colours. Artillery Train Coat The single breasted coat was dark sky blue in colow with an amaranth collar, pointed cuffs and turnbacks, the latter being decorated with yellow grenede badges. Buttons were brass and nine yellow batons were worn across the front in addition to one on each side of the collar. Amaranth epaulettes and aiguilettes were worn. Trousers Undecorated dark sky bIue trousers were worn with heavy cavalry boots. Headgear A black shakoo was worn; this sported an amaranth plume over an amaranth pompon, the uusal cockade, and cords and flounders and a brass grenade badge and chin-scales. In undress, a fatigue cap of the coat colour piped amaranth could be worn. Equipment The white edged, stiff shoulder belt supported a black cartridge pouch, edged in brass, bearing crossed cannon below a grenade. All buckles and fittings were brass. Unusually, the short sabre was worn directly on the waist belt; it had a brass hilt and an amaranth strap and knot and was carried in a b1ack scabbard with brass fittings. The cape was in the coat colour with an amaranth collar. The shabraque was square with pointed pistol covers. It was in the coat colour piped amaranth with an amaranth grenade in the rear corner while the square portmanteau was in the same colours. Officers' Uniforms Once again, as for the men with the following variations: Gold pompon, cords, flounders, epaulettes, lace and aiguilettes. In full dress, belts were edged silver, supporting the same cartridge pouch as the men and a brass hilted sabre with silver strap and gold knot in a black leather scabbard with brass fittings. This sabre was worn in the more usual fashion. The shako had a gold band around the top, this being in the form of interlinked gold hoops while the shabraque was as for the men but with gold instead of amaranth. Musicians No information is available. More Uniforms of the Neapolitan Army 1806-1815 Part 1: Line Infantry Part 1: Light Infantry Part 2: Cavalry Part 2: Artillery Part 3: Guard Infantry Part 3: Guard Cavalry Part 3: Guard Artillery Part 4: Naples City Guard Part 4: Provincial Legions Part 4: Provincial Companies Part 4: Cacciatori Volontari dei Tre Abruzzi Part 4: Internal Security Guards Part 4: Gendarmeria Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #15 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1995 by First Empire. 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