What I am attempting to do in this article is highlight the spirit and strengths of the women, both British and French, as portrayed by the women of the Napoleonic Association. Everyone is familiar with the term "camp followers" but most people assume them to consist mainly of female hangers-on, wives and prostitutes. In fact most women were on campaign by the grace and permission of Wellington or, as with the French, because they were officially licensed and recognised as a legitimate part of the army. All had to be respectable and moral women.

I wish to touch upon the courage and endurance of the women who played vital roles within the armies.

The women of the Napoleonic Association represent the bank of support which accompanied armies of all nations in a variety of roles both on and off the battlefield throughout the European campaigns.

The reality of these women was one of great hardship, deprivation and very often bravery equal to that of any front line soldier. Some women accompanied their regiment onto the battlefield to assist the men thereby exposing themselves to gunfire. Others remained in camp anxiously awaiting news.

Until 1793 the French Revolutionary army was overrun with women and children who occupied all the baggage wagons as well as the minds and priorities of the soldiers who often found themselves more concerned with the well being of their mobile families than Liberté. Disease was rife and babies swelled the numbers. A ruling had to be passed whereby a limited number of women with a legitimate purpose could remain with the army, i. e. Vivandiers, Blanchessieus etc. and this rule was upheld by Napoleon.

Likewise, the British also suffered the same lot and during the Peninsular wars Wellington had to find ways of cutting down the numbers. On the march behind artillery, wagons of stores and equipment, the baggage train would follow, an assortment of women and children, on foot or riding mules and donkeys. Riding in the wagons was not permitted. Far from the screen image of fresh faces and shiny ringlets British women would have presented a colourful but dusty column of femininity. "Many of the women wore shabby redcoats, the property of former husbands or taken from the corpses on the battlefield, beribboned old bonnets that partly covered dishevelled hair, skirts repaired by multi-coloured patches and perhaps top-boots."

They were often charged with ill discipline particularly on account of plundering and scavenging for food for their husbands and children. As Wellington said, "It is well known that in all armies the women are at least as bad, if not worse, than the men as plunderers."

Only Six Wives per Hundred

In 1811 the Duke of York issued a regulation confirming that only six lawful wives per hundred soldiers, including NCOs, were permitted and allocated rations.

Many women became widows several times over. It was unwise to be a woman alone and unprotected in a strange country, so despite her devotion to her husband she still had to survive and there was no shortage of perspective husbands. It suited both parties. she had respect and protection for herself and her family and he had legitimate companionship and a personal cook, laundress and seamstress.

On the 200 mile retreat to Corunna, over mountain passes and pursued by the French, the roads became littered with the dead, men, women and children, if not picked off by the French then taken by starvation, disease or exhaustion. But if they survived the battles there were rich pickings for all. The dead and wounded were quickly stripped of their belongings by women of both sides.

French or British the need for survival against all the odds was paramount.

In 1810 a vivandiére of the 26eme made her way up a "bloody slope" to give aid to a General horribly wounded by a British bullet. Recognising her as a vivandiére the skirmishers ceased to fire to let her pass.

"Many cantiniéres were as brave as veteran grenadiers... Thérèse brought brandy to the soldiers amidst balls and bullets; she was twice wounded. Don't think that she did this to make money... when we were fighting she never asked for payment" (Elzéar Blaze 'La Vie Militaire') "What good fortune indeed when you found yourself in a ploughed field, wet to your bones, and thinking you must sleep without supper, to find beside a good fire a slice of ham or a bowl of hot wine."

Obviously not all were ministering angels. Many could still cause havoc within regiments as Napoleon was only too aware, but even he gave credit where it was due.

Marie, a blanchesseuse of the 51eme risked her life saving two drowning soldiers. Napoleon rewarded her with a miniature Civic Crown suspended on a golden chain.

After the battle of Leipzig a Cossack noticed a vivandiére lagging behind the column and charged at her. She promptly produced her pistol and shot him out of his saddle, mounted his horse and rejoined her battalion "to the applause of all the columns"!

Probably every major battle included many women sprawled among the dead and dying.

"Many females were found amongst the slain... As is common in the camp, the female followers wore male attire, with nearly a mar-tial a bearing as the soldiers" ('Factual Account of the Battle of Waterloo' Sgt. Major Edward Cotton, late 7th Hussars.)

It is important for the women of the Napoleonic Association to show the public at reenactments that women did in fact do more than simply tag along. We honour those ladies by faithfully representing their various roles both on the battlefield and in camp.

Whilst enjoying our hobby we endeavour to portray an all too often neglected aspect of the misfortunes of war.

Books used for reference include:

Swords Around A ThroneM John R. Elting
Judy O'Grady and the Colonels Lady Noel St. John Williams