It may be recalled that in my previous article on the infantry of the Grand Duchy (in FE 28), I alluded to modern illustrations showing a grenadier wearing a French style white jacket. [1]

Upon further investigation, it would appear that the source for this is yet another plate from Knotel's Uniformenkunde. [2] The information on which Knotel based this particular illustration came from one of themany correspondents to his encyclopedia 18 volume work. [3] What the source of the original material was, Knotel does not say. The illustrations accompanying this article are based on Knotel's rendition.

At first glance, the uniform appears to conform to that worn by the fusilier in Uniformenkunde Vol. II Plate 39, which is described and ilustrated in my previous article. On closer examination, however, only the white breeches and black gaiters are unchanged and other than the general colour scheme, it is evident that the grendaier wears a uniform that is quite different in style.

French Style

Rather than being Austrian in cut, it exhibits a very French influence with much longer tails reaching to the back of the knees. The double turnbacks and the piped pockets are also like the style worn by the French infantry generally in this period.

Similarly the grenadier epaulettes and insignia tend away from the German to French fashion. Observed from the front, the jacket is simliar in appearce to a French 'surtout' and note that, unlike the fusilier's jacket, the front of this single breasted garment is pipped with the red distinctive.The bearskin cap is entirely French in design. Finally, a minor observation, the pack seems similar in appearance to the French item of approximately 1810.

So, what we have here is a grenadier uniform, the jacket of which, whilst of the same hue, is distinctly different from that worn by the fusiliers, the latter originating from a known primary source, specifically Weiland's "Darstellung." The question, therefore, is this: Is this depiction of a grenadier wrong?

Right or Wrong?

On 17 July, 1806 the free city of Frankfurt am Main was annexed by the Prince Primate. Atthat time, the forces of the Grand Duchy consisted of seven district companies, one artillery company, and a veteran company. It was from these various contingents that, in September 1806 the nine company battalion, which eventually saw service in Spain, was initially raised.

We do know the jager company wore an entirely different form of dress at this time, so it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the grenadiers were similarly distinguished. It may be therefore, and I must emphasize this is pure conjecture, that there was some disparity of dress amongst the various sub units.

The figure on the right of my illustration is entirely after Knotel Volume IX Plate 60, the upper garments of that on the left are from the same source. I have taken the liberty of dressing it in baggy brown trousers such as those made from Spanish cloaks after Medelin might have looked. This style is frequently encountered with the locally produced nether garments worn by the French forces in Spain. As we know the batallion took shoes from the dead Spaniards, I have also given this figure a pair of the typical Spanish sandals that were popular with the French troops, and presumably, their allies.

Footnotes