Eclaireurs de la Garde Imperial
Uniform: Chasseurs a Cheval
by Paul L. Dawson
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Sous Lieutnant P L Driere (1788-?) of the 2eme Eclairareurs de la Garde. This painted window illustrates well the officers habit-kinski, pouch belt and epaulette. The undress kinski appears to have been closed by 15 buttons rather than the regulation 9. In full dress a habit veste with crimson lapels was worn. They were raised from a levee of 30.000 conscripted Chasseurs ŕ Cheval, and had not to thus earn themselves to the largest part the admission into the guard. Officers, NCOs, Brigadiers and Trumpeter were transferred from the squadrons of the old guard and maintained their original uniform, the Schabraque used by the young guard were slowly adopted. Generally the young guard carried the uniform of the Chasseurs of the old guard, however with small changes. The young guard was not issued with the Colpack, Pelisse and Habit. However there is an illustration by Boisseliers, which is based on a contemporary representation, which shows a Chasseur of the young guard with Pelisse. Also, two portraits of officers show the use of the pellise. The portrait of Francois-Joseph Zickel, shows a red pellise, edged with white fur and laced gold. The portrait of Alexandre-Numance, Comte de Girardin (1794-1851), also shows a pellise and the wearing of a colpack. A Shako Tronconique, was worn in place of the colpack. Different authors disagree over its appearance, and give different models ranging from a tall vertical shako to a bell topped shako of the 1812 model. The majority of sources give the shako a red felt body, like the Gardes d’Honneur. The upper shako band was aurore, and perhaps the bottom one. At the front of the shako was an eagle plate, made of yellow metal. A red pompom was worn, and over it the plume of the Chasseurs, being green with red tip. The chinscales were made of yellow metal.
The Shako rouleau, is described by other sources as having a red felt body, but the upper and lower shako band are described green and aurore, or mixed green and aurore. The green plume with red point was worn, but this time from an aurore pompon. At the front a large cockade was to be seen, which was held in place by an aurore ganse. On the back a black piece of leather was to be seen, which possibly served as neck cover. Since the Shako rouleau had no chinscales, it was held in place and a double aurore or a mixed aurore and green melierte cord, which was formed in a loop, around the neck and was fastened to the lacing of the Dolman. It is not completely clear whether both versions of the shako were a worn at the same time, successively or at all. Bucquoy assumes that the when the young guard moved Antwerp, they exchanged the shako Tronconique for the Shako Rouleau. This would mean however that 11. Company, which remained with the old guard squadrons, maintained the classic shako model. For economic reasons, it seems very likely that the same model shako as issued to the guard d'Honneur would be issued to the Chasseurs a Cheval. For the same reasons the Chasseurs would have receive around the turn of the year 1813/1814, the cylindrical model, which was issued to the Eclaireurs. After the abdication of Napoleon in 1814, shako rouleau are mentioned in the budgets of the regiment depot; with a high degree at probability it can be accepted thus that both shakos were actually carried. Both model of shako would be protected in the field with a black wax cloth cover. The shako rouleau was introduced by the army despite the 1812 regulations. This pattern was somewhat taller than the 1812 model, 210mm compared to 190, and consisted of a reinforced felt cylinder, often covered in a coloured fabric, of which the most popular was red. It had a black leather peak and fold down neck cover for inclement weather at the rear. By the end of the Empire, its popularity eclipsed the 1812 pattern shako, although it was never regulation issued. A green bonnet de police was worn. For NCO’s the aurore lacing was replaced with mixed aurore and gold. The young guard did not carry sabratache (except the Brigadiers and NCOs transferred from the squadrons of the old guard) in 1813. They were universally carried in 1815. Green riding trousers with aurore trimming and Hungarian knot like those worn by the old guard squadrons were worn. These items, however, were probably never carried them in the field and on the march, and were replaced by either green or grey over trousers with double aurore stripes on the outer leg. The Dolman was cut from Imperial Green wool, and had at the front five rows of aurore braiding with 18 yellow buttons. The middle row was than the outside. The aurore cord trimming terminated at the ends in loops. One closed the Dolman by means of buttons and loops. At the left upper arm the aurore service chevrons were worn. The collar and cuffs were red, laced aurore. The dolman was lined in white linen, and the lower back in crimson sheepskin leather. Under the dolman a sleeveless scarlet waistcoat was worn. A green stable jacket, closed by two rows of 10 small buttons were worn with the pantalon de treillis, made from unbleached linen, and were closed by means of 18 buttons in barrack or stable dress. Black gaiter cut to stop below the knees, were worn during barrack service over the Pantalon ŕ la the Hongroise or under the Pantalon de Treillis. According to an inventory from the time of the 1ere Restoration, 799 pairs were still in the magazines. In 1815, the regiment wore a red shako and overalls of the same colour. The greatcoat was white, and around 1812, coats with sleeves were issued, however the older version remained in use. If the coat was not carried, it was stowed away-rolled over the saddle horn under the Schabraque. In combat one could wear the coat rolled and over the right shoulder, in order to protect the rider against sword blows. Equipment was like that of old guard, but without the remarkable stitching at the edges. Beside the sword the Chasseurs was equipped with a Hussar carbine model 1786, which was modified in such a way that a bayonet could be fastened to it. Over the lock mechanism a white leather protection could be pushed, which protected the lock against dust and weather. Along the left side of the carbine led a bar with a tie clip, which could be hooked into the ring of the carbine bandoliers. The carbine hung on the right side of the Chasseurs with the muzzle downward and could be easily used from this position. The bayonet corresponded to the infantry model and had a length of 487mm and was in a sheath from brown leather. The pistols were of the model AnIX or AnXIII. The giberne and carbine bandolier were from white leather with brass fittings, whereby the bandolier were 50mm in width and the carbine bandolier a width of 81mm. The Giberne was from black leather without decoration. In the year 1809 the cartouche became generally smaller and received on the cover an imperial eagle, and were mentioned in an inventory of 30th March 1814 as being of the Imperial Arms. The waistbelt, was likewise from white leather with three brass rings, at which the sword bag and the sword were hung up. To this waistbelt, the bayonet sheath was fastened. The Sabretache was of black leather supported from three white leather slings, and was decorated with a yellow metal crowned eagle device. The Schabraque were scarlet with a green edging (aurore after Malibran). Within the range of the legs of the rider at the lower edge of the Schabracke a black leather protection. Some sources show a aurore eagle in the rear corners of the Schabraque. Over the Schabraque a white sheep skin was put. The coat bag was likewise scarlet with a green edging. Officers wore the uniform of the old guard squadrons as did the NCO’s. Trumpeters did not wear the pelisse, but wore the dolman and trousers as for trumpeters of the 1st regiment. The cloth was of inferior quality, and a shako replaced the colpack. In 1815, the regiment appears to have worn the same uniform as the 1st regiment, but with the shako. The uniform was decree on 28th May 1815. An inventory of the magazines of the regiment taken before 1st January 1816 tells us the regiment had the following items returned to store or unissued from the campaign (SHAT Xab 73):
Black Fur White Linen Aurore Lace 15 and 8 Lignes wide Gold Lace 10 and 6 Lignes wide. 909 Stable Jackets, green with garance distinctions, each had 18 small buttons, they were laced with 6.5meters of yellow lace. 1 Stable jacket for trumpeters. Pelisse for NCO’s and Troopers 1 Dolman and Pelisse for the trumpet major in Sky Blue cloth with scarlet facings 20 pairs of Grey, Sky Blue and Garance Pantalons a Cheval for trumpeters 6 Bonnet de Police for NCO’s 2 Bonnet de Police for troopers in light green cloth piped scarlet, lined in cotton Bonnet de Police a la Polonaise (Confederakta) for officers 2 habits for regimental drivers Shako Cords Overcoats Sword Knots Trumpets and Cords During the 1er. Restoration remained the uniform of the Chasseurs remained unchanged, however all imperial emblems, were removed. In place of tricolour cockade a white cockade was attached, the Schabraque lost its eagle and on the sword bag appeared the royal coat of arms: blue signs with three fleur de lys, surround by golden branches of oak leaves, over it a golden crown. Beyond that it is probable that the plume, like all royal regiments, was replaced by white. The regiment also contained some persons, who did not lead the status of a soldier, it corresponded thus to our current civil officials. The regiment led a number of carts, which were moved by that the regiment, were driven by hired farmhands on the march or during a campaign. An inventory list from the time of the 1er. Restoration shows the kind of the clothing of these drivers: the green sleeved waistcoat, Pantalons and over-coats (the two latter probably also green). From the inventory, no habits are indicated, therefore it is to be accepted that the over-coat represented the constant clothing outside of a building. For head coverage the Bonnet de Police probably served. Officers could take grooms into the field to look after their horses. These were often domestic servants employed directly by the officer, or could be hired, often farmhands, as was common by the NCO’s and Trumpeters. From the inventory, it appears that a round-cut, green sleeved waistcoat with yellow collar and white buttons was worn. The regimental sleeveless waistcoat and trouser, if carried, should have been green or grey. For head coverage, it appears that a round hat with a loop from white wool was worn. An over- coat was officially not issued, though a non regulation issued however appears to have been procured. It was dark-green, closed by six white metal buttons and had a yellow collar. Wealthy, or senior officers could hire themselves domestic servants, who were uniformed like the horse hands, but the over-coat was provided with a Cape. Eclaireurs de la Garde Imperial
Uniform: Chasseurs a Cheval Uniform: Grenadier a Cheval Uniform: Dragons d'Imperatrice Uniform: Lancers Polonaise Uniform: Bibliography Uniform Plates (very slow: 214K) Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire # 80 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2005 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com |
The young guard essentially carried the
uniform of the Chasseurs of the old guard,
however there were some small differences.
Crimson Shako Rouleau ascribed to the Eclaireurs.