The French Army of the Napoleonic period encompassed many foreign troops. "La Tour d'Auvergne" was the first of the four foreign regiments (Regiments Etranger) titled as such in French service which Napoleon used to call 'foreign regiments in my pay'. La Tour d'Auvergne, the 'First Grenadier of France' killed in action in 1800, was a truly remarkable character and it is no surprise that a regiment was given the name of such a personage. However, the medley of nationalities must have been a real challenge to the cohesion of such a unit, notwithstanding the lack of trust that certain battalions made up from Austrians and Spanish prisoners of war must have inspired to their European comrades in arms and to their officers.
Compared with most French light infantry regiments, the uniform was truly magnificent. The chasseurs wore a tall plume and had white epaulettes, and even retained the sabre-briquet which the French chasseurs were ordered to return to store following the decree of the 7th of October 1807. One obviously envious Frenchman commented that thanks to their handsome green uniforms, the men of this regiment were making a large number of female conquests among the cooks! The availability of 15 and 25 mm figurines compatible with this uniform truly must make it an interesting sight on any tabletop. I have used 25mm Wargames Foundry figurines to illustrate the regiment in its 1806 uniform.
THE REGIMENT
(a) History
The Regiment "La Tour d'Auvergne" was created in Wissembourg in 1805 with men of all nationalities, and had an establishment of three battalions. In 1806 the whole regiment was sent to the Kingdom of Naples. In 1809 a fourth battalion was organised from Austrian prisoners of war in Belfort, and was sent to Catalonia (a north-eastern Spanish province). It rejoined its regiment at Naples in 1811.
Two more battalions were formed from Spanish prisoners of war following the decree of the 4th of August 1810, and the whole regiment remained in Naples attached to the occupation corps. The regiment was re-designated "Premier Regiment Etranger" on the I I th of August 1811.
In 1812, the regiment moved to Florence. While the centre companies were garrisoned in several Italian towns , the flank companies were formed into two elite battalions and attached to the 7e Division of the Army of Italy, following the decree of the 18th June 1812. In 1814 the regiment was sent to Aire to be organised as a French infantry regiment following the ordinance of the 15th December 1814
(b) Equipment and Weapons
The equipment and weapons were the same as French light infantry troops: infantry musket and bayonet, long light infantry sabre (briquet), white belts and black cartridge box.
(c) Organisation and Uniforms
The regiment was considered light infantry, and as such its centre companies were titles 'chasseurs' and its flank companies 'carabiniers' and 'voltigeurs'. Its uniform was of the same design as the French light infantry regiments (i.e. pointed lapels) with rectangular cuff flaps. The colour of the coat and breeches were green, lace and buttons were silver for officers and white for the rank and file.
The regiment was issued with two types of headgear
throughout its existence. In 1805-1806, the chasseurs wore the
bicorne with a green feather, the carabiniers had the light infantry
bearskin (without brass plate) with red cords and feather, and the
voltigeurs had the typical light infantry shako with green plumes
and green feather tipped yellow. In 1806, all the companies were
issued with the shako with white metal lozenge plates and chin
straps and centre feather. The elite companies kept the same colour
cords and feathers and the chasseurs were given white cords with
green feather over a pompom corresponding to their companies.
Even though it had white lace and buttons as its distinctive colour,
the regiment received the yellow copper eagle over crescent plate
and chin straps only a little later, when attached to the Army of
Naples. [1]
It was whilst in the Kingdom of Naples that the regiment
was issued with its summer uniforms, white jacket with white
collar (chasseurs), red collar piped white (carabiniers) and chamois
collar piped red [2]
(voltigeurs); carabiniers and voltigeurs wore their epaulettes with
this uniform.
Chasseurs
Green feather over company pom-pom, green lapels, cuffs and turn
backs piped white, red collar and cuff flaps piped white, white
epaulettes, shako cords, waistcoat and sword knot, white stars on
turn backs. [3]
Carabiniers
Red feather, shako cords and epaulettes, red cuff flaps and collar
piped white, green lapels, cuffs and turn backs piped white, light
infantry boots edged red with red pom-pom, red grenades on
turn backs. It is probable, but there is no clear evidence, that the
elite companies had a coloured lace around the top edge of their
shakos (i.e. yellow/voltigeurs or red/carabiniers).
Voltigeurs
Green feather tipped yellow and green shako cords, green
epaulettes wih yellow fringes, red cuff flaps and collar piped
white, green lapels, cuffs and turn backs piped white, yellow horns
on turn backs, light infantry boots edged green with yellow pom-
pom.
Officers
Silver lace, uniforms and feathers as per their companies. Superior
officers had white feathers on their shakos.
Sapeurs Bearskin (without brass plate), red cords feathers and
epaulettes, red collar piped red, red cuff flaps piped white, green
lapels, cuffs and turn backs piped red, white grenade on turn
backs.
Drummers, Fifers and Cornets
Collar, lapels and cuffs piped red, cuff flaps piped white.
Musicians
White lace around top edge of the shako, white feather, cords and
epaulettes (no fringes), cuff flaps red piped white, red collar piped
silver, green lapels, cuffs and turn backs piped silver, white sword
knot, light infantry boots edged white with a white pom-pom.
In 1777, the Duke de Bouillon allowed him to call himself "La
Tour d'Auvergne Corret", which was defintely notified to him in
1780. In 1779, he was first lieutenant and in October 1781 he
volunteered for Minorca among the ranks of the regiment Bretagne
and participated in all the engagements of this campaign. There he
became aide-de-camp to the Duke de Crillon which compelled him
to return to France in january 1782. He rejoined the regiment
Angournois at Strasbourg and , despite his courage, dedication and
intelligence, was promoted Captain in 1784 only due to his age.
Except for one trip to Spain in 1786, he was in garrison at
Collioure and at Perpignan until the revolution. In 1789, he was
Captain commanding the detachment of grenadiers and chasseurs of
the 80e Infantry Regiment and rejoined the Army of the Alpes.
In 1793, he was given command of the 20e Infantry
Regiment but turned it down as he would rather have kept his rank
and stay with his grenadiers. The same year he retired at his own
request and was allocated an annual pension of 800 francs by the
'Comit6 de Salut Public'. In 1797, he asked to be attached to the
46e Demi-Brigade (ex-Bretagne), in the Army of the Rhine and the
Moselle. He was offered the position of 'Deputy of the Finistere'
(department of Brittany) but once again turned it down.
At the request of Ministre Carnot, First Consul Bonaparte
conferred on him a Sabre of Honour and above all the title of
"Premier Grenadier des Armees de la Republique' (first grenadier of
the Republican armies).
In 1799, the 46e Demi-Brigade was transferred to the
Army of the Danube and directed to Switzerland, and in September
of the same year, at Dusingel, 'La Tour d'Auvergne' and his
grenadiers captured five Russian flags and two guns. In 1800, the
46e was in Bavaria and routed the Austrians at Engen and
Maeskirch. On 27th June 1800, at Oberhausen, 'La Tour
d'Auvergne' was killed by a sabre thrust straight in his heart. He
was buried at Neubourg and General Moreau ordered: "...that the
name 'La Tour d'Auvergne' would be kept at the head of his
company where he chose to stay, that his space would not be filled
and the establishment of his company would from now on only be
of 82 men."
[1] As early as 1808 according to Planche no 60 of the Buccluoy series and
probably even before.
Cdt BUCQUOY: Les Uniformes du Premier Empire, l'InfanterieDETAILS OF UNIFORM
THE PERSONAGE
Theophile Malo Corret was born ar Carhaix in 1743. His military
career started in 1767 as sous-lieutenant with the 2nd company of
Mousquetaires. He then transferred as sous-lieutenant of
grenadiers and was promoted second lieutenant in 1771.
Notes
[2] I have no indication of the piping colour for the Voltigeurs so I assumed that the piping would be red as for most French light infantry units.
[3] It is not clear whether Chasseurs had only white stars on their turnbacks.
The only indication I have found is in JR Elting, Napoleonic Uniforms, Vol.2: Foreign Troops, PIA It is a possibility that the white stars were on the outside turnbacks and maybe white horns on the inside.
Sources
John R ELTING: Napoleonic Uniforms, Volume 2
Back to Napoleonic Notes and Queries #16 Table of Contents
Back to Age of Napoleon List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines
© Copyright 1995 by Partizan Press.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com