Infantry Uniform

The assortment of colours and styles in the uniforms prior to 1806 presents a confusing picture compared with the simplified arrangements that followed. The basic infantry uniform before 1806 was a bright (or "royal") blue coat, with open buttoned-back lapels, which in the Lippe, Minas, Setubal, 2nd Elvas and Campo Mayor regiments were piped white with two or three white lace button loops. The coat had long turned-back tails coloured white or yellow and the collar, lapels and waistcoats were distinctively coloured to identify the regiment. Blue breeches were worn with black half-gaiters for rank and file and "Hessian" calf-length boots trimmed in gold or silver lace for officers.

There were, however, exceptions to these general rules. The 1st and 2nd Armada regiments had green coats and green breeches; the 2nd Porto and the Almeida regiments had yellow breeches; the 1st Porto had red breeches; and the Valenca Regiment's breeches were white. Cuffs were blue except for the Albuquerque, 2nd Olivenca, Vianna and Castel de Vide regiments which were white. The Mina, Pedicle, Campo Mayor, 2nd Elvas and both Armada regiments had their cuffs edged in lace of the button colour. Officers had red silk waist-sashes, and epaulettes in gold and silver, details of which are given later. Contemporary illustrations also show officer's breeches embroidered with silver thigh-knots. The regimental distinctions were as the table opposite (where it is stated "blue" this is the same colour as the coat).

The three colonial regiments were distinguished as follows:

Regiment	Collar	Lapels	Buttons & Turnbacks	Waistcoat	Epaulettes
Rio de Janeiro	red	-	white	red	white
Moira Rio de Janeiro	yellow	-	white	yellow	yellow
Braganca	red	white	yellow	red	white

The two Rio de Janeiro regiments had white lace loopings across the front of the coat which was without lapels.

Headdress

The headdress worn by the infantry before 1806 was a small, black, felt bicorne. The hat was worn sideways across the head, sloping forward. Officers had lacing along the edges of the bicorne in the regimental metal colour and a lace loop, and tassels on the ends of the hat pulls also in the metal colour. All ranks carried a round, red-within-blue cockade. Some of the regiments wore their bicornes without plumes, those that had plumes were coloured as follows:

Lippe, Minas, 2nd Armada, 1st Elvas, 2nd Elvas, Rio de Janeiro -white
Albuquerque, 1st Armada, Setubal, Peniche, Serpa, 2nd Olivenca, Lagos - red Cascaes - carmine
1st Olivenca - light blue

Equipment

All belts were white leather, those of officers bearing a gilt belt plate stamped with the Royal arms. The cartridge pouch was black leather and bore the regimental number in brass numerals. Prior to 1809 the back-packs were made of brown hide and great coats were blue-grey, after this date these items were gradually replaced with the standard black painted canvas back-packs and grey greatcoats of the British infantry. Haversacks were white, and the round, wooden, light-blue canteens were suspended from a brown strap. The blue shabraques of mounted officers were rectangular in shape and were edged with a broad band in the Divisional colour.

The infantry was armed with the British East India pattern musket with a nineteen inch triangular bayonet, the latter held in a black leather sheath. Musket straps were white. Although there were some supplies of locally manufactured weapons it appears that even before 1809 many muskets were imported. In addition to their muskets Grenadiers carried short, brass-hilted swords in black leather sheaths. NCOs were also armed with a similar straight-bladed sword with a yellow sword-knot. Officers carried a longer straight-bladed sword with a brass hilt in a black leather scabbard with brass fittings; the sword-knot was gold. Pioneers wore a full-length white leather apron and were armed with a long-handled axe as well as a short carbine and a Grenadier sword.

The infantry drum had a blue body with red hoops and bands in the piping colour. The cords and tensioners were white. Painted on the body of the drum was the Royal arms which had a central device with, on its left side, gold "castles" on a red background and a white inner section with small blue shields, and on its right was a red cross on a white background. Around this device was gold scroll-work above which was a gold crown with red filling.

[Extracted from a forthcoming Partizan Press title]