Well I'm not sure that I'm entirely content with the title of FE's agony aunt, it conjures up visions of a pompous fat woman with large bosoms. Furthermore, I certainly don't intend to attempt to answer all the questions myself, nor can I.

My own particular area of interest is uniforms, colours and standards and the drill of the period, all of which has evolved from my needs in the context of wargaming the period, which I have been doing now for nearly 35 years. This leads me into a number of points I would like to make, which also illustrate the limitations of my own particular interests, and a couple of questions of my own.

On Frankfurt

The first point is that it was good to see a contribution from one of the NA study groups in FE (FE30), but the discussion of Frankfurt's infantry has been going on for three issues now so where were you, German States Study Group, when we needed you?

The second concerns shortcomings where the "character and status of the lands" of Frankfurt is concerned. I am not entirely sure what John Henderson's point is since this aspect was not discussed as I recall, and I know next to nothing about it. If I was uninformed I am, however, now a little confused.

In the context of the city of Frankfurt Knötel says "on 17 July 1806 the Free City of Frankfurt lost is independence and was annexed by the Primatic State as its capital" ("Am 17. Juli 1806 velor die freie Stadt Frankfurt ihre Reichsunmittelbarkeit und werde dem primatischen Staate als Haupstadt einverleibt"). John alludes to the Principality of Frankfurt becoming a free city again in 1815. It was my understanding, quite possibly incorrectly, that the Principality of Frankfurt and the Free City of Frankfurt were separate entities.

Although none of this is relevant to the discussion of uniforms, it would be useful and interesting, nevertheless, to have a rather more expansive piece on this aspect to round off the subject of this little country whose head of state Baron von Dalberg, incidentally, is credited with the suggesting the concept of the Confederation of the Rhine to Napoleon. Perhaps I could invite John, or one of his group, to do just that under the auspices of ADC. I also have a more specific question about Frankfurt that the German States Study Group, or readers generally, may be able to help with.

In Armies of the Napoleonic Era by 'Otto von Pivka' there is a monochrome illustration on page 132 of Frankfurt infantry 1808 reproduced from the Augsberger Bilder. It will be remembered that the blue uniforms I illustrated in FE28 came from a Knötel plate which was also based on the Augsberger Bilder. Now then, the uniforms shown in Armies of the Napoleonic Era are not the same as those illustrated by Knötel. They appear to be entirely white, although this might be an effect of monochrome reproduction, worn with a shako, including the grenadiers, and a jacket cut in the French style with long tails and squared lapels, like French line infantry, rather than the shorter tails and pointed lapels, like French light infantry, shown by Knötel in his illustration of the blue uniform. The jacket seems to be a combination of features from the old white ones and the new blue one. In summary it appears different from those already described in FE. What I would like to know is this. Has any reader got access to a coloured copy of this illustration and is this another uniform worn by the Frankfurt infantry not yet discussed in FE?

French Line Grenadiers

To move on there are a number of questions of a French nature extant from a recent issue (I was going to say that the was a French letter in a recent issue but I thought better of it. Anyway, the editor might be inundated with complaints about the missing free gift with FE29).

Jim Gaskill of Bornemouth, UK, asks in FE29 where French line grenadier battalions were drawn from, what their role was, their organization and uniforms? Jim also asks if there are any English language sources on the subject. I have quite a lot of material concerned with the Grenadiers de la Réserve and formations associated with Oudinot, perhaps the best known and most formalized combination of such battalions.

Before I rush into print, can I ask for contributions on the subject generally from the readership, perhaps with a view to a combined effort. It seems to me that something in the context of the use of combined grenadier battalions generally, in Spain where they seem to crop up fairly regularly, and elsewhere, would be of interest.

Jim also asks about the regional associations and reputations of French regiments. That, at least, was the essence of his question(s). He wants to know about recruiting areas, nicknames, reputations, characteristics and legends, what he calls regimental folklore. Jim suggests it is a tall order. I suspect he is right! I think French sources are the only places where all this will be found. Regional associations are given in French Napoleonic Line Infantry 1796-1815 by Emir Bukhari (Almark Publishing, 1973) but this, unfortunately, is long out of print. A great pity since it is probably the most comprehensive English language introduction to the subject by quite a long way.

So, invitations are extended to readers to answer all or part of Jim's question(s). Contributions via the editor, in the usual formats, disk, typed, hand written, illuminated scrolls, and so on.

Related:

Letter to Editor #33 on Frankfurt