That already tells us a lot about their dress and arms. They all wore quite similar costume, comprising basically a caftan, i.e. a dressing gown type of garment, with tapering sleeves and held by a brightly colored sash. Depending on the length of the individual garment, baggy trousers might be seen, tucked into soft leather boots, as described above. The sash and trousers could be any color and boots were either left in some shade of brown or lite red, yellow or purple. Beneath the caftan might be worn a shirt, either of the same cut or a European one fastened at the neck with a single button.

There was little variation in this. A Napoleonic Bashkir [3] is pictured in one-piece leather trouser-boots which seem to have been a garment borrowed from the Asiatic neighbors, the Kirghiz [4], and may have been seen in our period. A poverty-stricken Kalmuk is pictured with a mere rope or cord around his waist rather than a sash [4]. A Kazan Tartar is shown with an over-caftan on top. which has wide half-sleeves and a colored lining which stands up round his neck, almost like a collar [4].

Wealthy individuals might wear something more exotic than this: perhaps they own robes made of embossed silk, a turkish style helmet, or even a chainmail jerkin [3]. Certainly they would have finer and more complete weaponry than their social inferiors.

When it comes to hairstyles, the Kalmuks seem to have been distinguished from the rest by having a long plaited top-knob on their shaven heads [5], as well as droopy Fu Manchu moustaches. The other peoples had completely shaven heads, with small moustaches and beards [4].

All of them wore fur-lined or fur-brimmed hats, though different shapes are shown. These could just be individual taste, but I prefer to think they are tribal styles. A Kazan Tartar's hat is shown with a thick fur brim and flat-topped crown of medium height [4]. Kalmuks are shown with a narrow fur brim and low, flat crown [4], a rounded crown of medium height and the same with a button or bobble on top [5] ( a Kalmuk is shown in the last source with a very high pointed crown to his hat, but I think that's guesswork based on later Bashkirs [7]).

The Metcheraks dressed exactly like the Bashkirs [4], so both must have worn their more flamboyant headgear. This comprised either a substantial fur brim around a high, tapering crown, or such a crown attached to a fur-lined peak, earpieces and neck guard [3]. These could be folded up in warmer weather, producing the effect of a "Robin Hood" hat, or even "rabbit ears" if the earpieces were long enough. The crowns of all these hats were almost always red, sometimes with white piping.

The bow was the most common weapon and sometimes the only one. [1], [3]. It was the standard Asiatic composite bow, very accurate in the hands of these warriors, but of low lethality. It was carried in a bowcase slung either from the waist or over one shoulder, as was the leather quiver for the arrows.

Muskets were sometimes carried (not usually carbines) on a strap over the shoulder. These might be standard military weapons, or more elaborately decorated Asiatic types. The strongest feature on some of these was a sort of folding bipod, popular with Chinese soldiers at this time. The bipod is attached to the muzzle and comprises two blades which flare outwards, looking like some sort of exotic oriental bayonet.

The other common weapon was some kind of saber, usually without any handguard, like the later Cossack "shashka". Lances don't seem to have been carried. I would imagine that those who didn't seem to have sabers at least carried a dagger in their belts.

Other variations in armament might comprise a pistol, box or powder flask on a strap, or some sort of captured Prussian weapon (probably on out of date militia items, since they wouldn't get much chance to take a weapon from a proper Prussian soldier!).

There is no mention of flags at all, but the odd horsetail standard wouldn't be out of place. All the Various Peoples rode small horses, with high padded saddles, like Cossacks. Like them, they wore no spurs, but guided their mounts with little whips. The horses would be dull-colored shaggy beasts for the most part, with very basic trappings made from undyed leather. As usual, wealthier characters would have decorated, colored trappings, maybe even with pistol holsters.

So there you have it. Every Seven Years War army seems to have its "comedy unit" as light relief from the dauntless and deadly. The Prussians had the Bosniaks, the British had the Legion Britannique, and when it comes to the Green-coated Horde, these are the boys! (of course some armies were made up entirely of clowns, but more of that in my forthcoming article on the Neapolitans).

Bibliography