Bearskin or Shako? French Napoleonic Carabiniers and Grenadiers Headgear: an Introductory Study

Bearskin or Shako?

French Napoleonic Carabiniers
and Grenadiers Headgear:
An Introductory Study

by M.D. Guild, UK

A recent inquiry by a reader as to what was worn by Carabiniers and Grenadiers during the Peninsular war period suggested that this could be answered by trawling through the readily available reference books. However, these, with the odd exception seemed to go in for vague generalisations. Yet, this being said, these generalisations are not without a certain worth. Broadly, it can be said that bearskins were more common at the beginning of the period (1807), whereas the shako was in increasing use by the end of the period (l814).

The shako tendency was probably due to the problems of supply and cost, aggravated by bullets and moths, rather than the ravings of military bureaucrats. For, as the editor has already remarked, the flanker was fond of his fripperies. (F.E.21) No reference will be found to the "Bardin Uniform" in what follows, partially for the reasons cited above, but also because there is some doubt as to what extent it was worn in Spain, if at all! [1]

So what did the grenadiers and carabiniers actually wear?

"How different their appearance from ours! Their hats, set round with feathersr their beards long and black, gave them a fierce look. Their stature was superior to ours; most of us were young. We looked like boys; they like savages." [2]

Not the sort of person one would wish to meet on a dark night! It can be seen that the French carabinier or grenadier was a formidable-looking fellow. So much so that one peninsular memorialist recalls encountering the Imperial Guard (the Vieille Garde were famous for sporting bearskins) at Fuentes de Oñoro. [3]

Converged Grenadiers

What he actually saw was a converged grenadier battalion, but this does reveal one important fact: namely, that the bearskin was associated with the French grenadier. In other words: if you have got it, flaunt it! Yet this statement should be qualified. The 14ème Léger were issued with bearskins in 1805. These, however, were put in store and for the duration of the 1805 Italian campaign and their sojourn in Corfu they wore the egregious schako à flamme (the flamme was red for the carabiniers). It should be mentioned that at least three types of bearskin were in use among the line grenadiers, and two among the carabiniers.

One must also remark on the presence of a (combined?) battalion of Veliti de la Guardia Reale who certainly wore bearskins; though I appear to be a bit short on Italian information "Sono perduto! Aiutame!" Perhaps the words above the gates of Hell (according to Dante) "Lasciate ogni speranza vol qui entrate." [4] are appropriate to the study of Italian uniforms.

It is to be assumed unless otherwise stated that grenadier bearskins have plates and that those of the light regiments did not. This list is incomplete and there are liable to,be inconsistencies and dare I say it mistakes. However, there are infuriating gaps, which it would be pleasing to fill. Any information on élite company headgear would be gratefully received, even if it contradicts the above. Yet,.one fears it would require at least a quarter's research in the Musée de l'Armée and at Vincennes to adequately deal with this problem, and even then there would be anomalies.

Tables are below...

Footnotes

[1] EE&L 1(July/August 1993): the 1812 French Uniform Myth, Scott Bowden P.51-2.
[2] A Soldier of the Seventy-First :(ed. Christopher Hibbert), Leo Cooper, London, 1976 reprint of 1975 Edition. P.62; the author is nowadays believed to be a certain Thomas Howell.
[3] I would be obliged if some reader could identify this source.
[4] The first is translated: "I'm lost! Help!"; and the second is generally rendered as " Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

Bibliography

Alexander Don W.:"Rod of Iron", Scholarly Resources Inc., Wilmington, Delaware, 1985; no uniform details but good Orbats for the Aragonese theatre and just about the only book that deals with Napoleonic counterincurgency.
Bucquoy Commandant: "Gardes d'Honneur et Troupes Etranger", Jacques Grancher, Paris, 1977 Bucquoy Cdt.:"L'Infanterie", Jacques Grancher, Paris,1979
Dempsey Guy C. Jr.: "Napoleon's Soldiers", Arms & Armour, London, 1994
Elting John R.:"Swords Around the Throne", Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London ,1988
Elting John R. & Knotel. Herbertt: "Napoleonic Uniforms", MacMillan, New York, 1993
Haythornthwaite Philip & Fosten Bryan:"Napoleon's Line Infantry", Osprey MAA141, London, 1983
Haythornthwaite Philip & Fosten Bryan:"Napoleon's Light Infantry", Osprey MAA146, London, 1983
Haythornthwaite Phillip & Chappell Michael :"Uniforms of 1812", Blandford Books, Poole, Dorset, 1982 reprint of 1976 Edition
Lachouque H., Tranie J., J-C. Carmigniani (Trans. Mallender J.S & Clements J.R.: "Napoleon's War in Spain", Arms & Armour Press, London, 1982 - excellent plates by Louis de Beaufort.
Nafziger George, Wiesolowski.l Mariusz T. Devoe Tom: "Poles and Saxons of the Napoleonic Wars", the Emperor's Press, Chicago, 1991
Pigeard Alain: "L'Armée Napoléonienne", Éditions Curandéra, 1993 (Warning: Do not attempt to read this in bed! (especially if not alone) It is extremely heavy!)
Windrow M.C, & Embleton,G.: "Military Dress of the Peninsular War" Windrow &Greene, London, 1991 reprint of 1974 Edition

Periodicals

"Tradition" No. 90-91 (juillet-août 1994): L'Infanterie-Légère sous le Consulat et l'Empire, Rigo (Albert Rigondaud)
"First Empire" No 3 Reavley Charles: 3ème Régiment Étranger Plates Rousselot, Plance No. 33: L'Infanterie Légère, Spadem 1978

Tables Below

The subjects covered in the list that follows, include the French Line and light regiments, the Corps hors Ligne, and the Italian regiments. Others are better placed to comment on the Neapolitans, the Dutch, and the Confederation of the Rhine troops.

A brief word is perhaps in order about abbreviations, they are as follows:-" bearskin (B), colpack (C), and shako (S). It has been assumed (perhaps erroneously) that the more junior regiments would tend to wear the shako, such as those coming from the Légions Départmentales de Réserve (ex-LDR) for these had no élite companies, are marked (?). Likewise those regiments marked (NK: not known) does not mean that there is no information available, merely that the author does not possess it.

Infanterie de Ligne

Regiment Headgear Cords Notes

1er NK NK -

2ème NK NK -

3ème S Red 1814-modified Bardin shako

5ème NK NK -

7ème NK NK -

8ème B Red Peaked bearskin

10ème NK NK -

14ème S White Cocked hat also noted-

15ème S White -

16ème NK NK -

20ème NK NK -

21ème B White No plate-

22ème S Red -

24ème B Red -

26ème S Red -

27ème S Red -

28ème NK NK -

32ème NK NK -

34ème S NK -

36ème NK NK -

39ème NK NK -

40ème NK NK -

42ème B White No plate

43ème NK NK -

44ème S NK -

45ème S Red -

46ème B White -

47ème NK NK -

50ème NK NK -

51ème NK NK -

52ème NK NK -

54ème NK NK -

55ème NK NK -

56ème S NK -

58ème NK NK -

59ème S NK -

60ème NK NK -

62ème NK NK -

63ème S Red White cords possible?

64ème NK NK -

65ème B Red Grenade badge in lieu of plate

66ème NK NK -

67ème S Red Cords diagonal

69ème NK NK -

70ème NK NK -

75ème NK NK -

76ème NK NK -

81ème NK NK -

82ème NK NK -

86ème NK NK -

88ème B Red Shako also noted

94ème B Red No plate

95ème B White Peak and chinscales

96ème B white -

100ème NK NK -

101ème NK NK -

103ème NK NK -

105ème NK NK 1814

113ème NK NK -

114ème S? NK ex-LDR

115ème S? NK ex-LDR

116ème S? NK ex-LDR

117ème S NK ex-LDR

118ème S? NK ex-LDR

119ème S? NK ex-LDR

120ème S? NK ex-LDR

121ème S? NK ex-LDR

122ème S? NK ex-LDR

Regiments Étrangers

Regiment Headgear Cords Notes

3ème S Red Bearskin Possible?

4ème S Red -

Vistula Legion

Regiment Headgear Cords Notes

1er S White B, Red cords

2ème S White -

3ème S White -

Infanterie Légère

Regiment Headgear Cords Notes

1er B Red -

2ème B White -

3ème B White Brown fur

4ème B NK -

5ème S Red No plate, brass chinscales, B also possible

6ème NK NK -

8ème B/S Red -

9ème B White -

10ème S White Since the Voltigeurs had Colpacks in 1807; bearskins of some sort are a possibility

12ème B? NK -

14ème S White Red flamme

15ème B White -

16ème S [B] Red [white] -

17ème B [S] White [Red] -

18ème NK NK -

21ème C Red Diamond plate

23ème NK NK -

25ème NK NK -

27ème B -

28ème NK NK --

31ème S? NK -

32ème NK NK -

34ème NK NK -

Corps hors Ligne

Regiment Headgear Cords Notes

Garde de Paris

1er B[S] White[red] formed a combined regiment

2ème B White -

Légion du Midi B Red -

Bataillon Valaisan S Red -

Légion Hanovrienne S White(?) -

Bataillon de Neuchatel B/S Red -

Régiments Suisses

2ème B White -

3ème B White -

4ème B White -

Polish Line attached to French

4y B Red Peak

7y B White Peak

9y B NK No plate

Fanteria di Linea (Italy)

1 B Red Brass plate

4 NK NK -

5 B Red -

6 NK NK -

7 NK NK -

It is perhaps worth noting that nearly all representations of Italian grenadiers show them with red-corded bearskins, but it would be foolish to rule out the possibility of shakos. Is this a (rare) example of a regulation being adhered to?

Fanteria Leggera
1 C Red -

2 C Red Bearskin also noted

Related Article:

Goatskins? (and Bearskins)

Aide De Camp #34: More on French Grenadiers

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