On January 1812, a decree introducing sweeping changes in the uniforms of the French line and light infantry was first published in the Journal Militaire. The new regulations not only substantially modified the cut of the uniform of the infantry as well as some of the mounted troops, but also called for standardizations in uniforms among the musicians (to a green Imperial livery) and other personnel comprising the "heads of columns." Because the edict occurred early in the year and thus prior to the Russian invasion, many publications, including numerous Napoleonic uniform guides, have promoted the French 1812 uniform as that which was worn in the field from Moscow to Waterloo.
But is that true? Could a uniform decree be published in January and be realized throughout the Empire, or just within the Grande Armee, within a few months? Considering that existing depots and regimental stores of clothing had the old uniforms - not to mention what the men already had on their backs and on their heads - how quickly could the change be implemented? Before finding the answers by consulting the inspection documents and reports found at Vincennes and the Musee de l'Armee, plus famous uniform manuscripts of Freyburg and Sauerweid, perhaps it is appropriate to recall the reasoning behind the new uniform decree.
Prior to 1812, the last official French uniform decree was that of 1786 made by the Ancien Regime. The many changes in uniforms throughout the Revolution and First Empire had been done without any codification. Indeed, it was the colonels of the individual regiments who were allowed the greatest possible latitude in the cut of the coats, the headgear, equipment and rank insignia, plus the usually stunning color combination and design of the uniforms of the regimental musicians. By the time of the early years of the Empire, many uniform features of the line and light infantry were seemingly standardized by infantry type, such as the famous French blue tunic (habit-veste) with its appropriate differences between the troops of the line and those of the light infantry. Nevertheless variations in coats, headgear and cording decoration of the headgear from regiment to regiment - and in some cases from battalions within the same regiment and companies within the same battalion - gave the uniforms of the line and light infantry a distinct character and flair.
By 1809, headgear for the center companies (fusiliers) and voltigeurs of the line infantry was changed from the bicorne to the shako, completely decorated with cords and racquets. However, most grenadier companies of the line infantry as well as the carabinier companies within the light infantry, kept their familiar bearskin headgear.
The differences in the dress among the regiments caused many within the French military to call for establishing a standardized uniform. According to L. Rousselot, a commission was assembled in 1811 with the mission to codify everything connected with the army's uniforms and to set out a complete regulation covering all the details. For months this commission worked. Finally, in January of 1812, an extensive manuscript was completed (which still exist today in the library of the Musee de 1'Armee), extract from which were published as mentioned before. With the new regulations, patterns and samples had to be forwarded to the factories, which began work on the new clothing items.
With this brief background, let us review the various existing documents which mention the new uniform and its appearance in the field. On 12 April 1812, the Journal Militaire specified that the men of the supplementary levy on the class of 1807 through 1812 who became newly created "cohorts" (which in 1813 became line regiments #135 through 156) were to have the old style uniform. In July 1812, the Journal Militaire also reported that the Class of 1813 was to be uniformed in the old style clothing (the Class of 1813 had already been assigned the existing uniforms). On 14 March 1813, an "Operational list of 1813 materials in the Imperial stores..."mentions uniforms and equipment of both old and new among different regiments of the line and light infantry. Surviving manuscripts of Freyburg and Sauerweid detail uniforms in existence within the Grande Armee and they confirm that during the 1813 spring campaign, a vast majority of the line and light infantry were still in the old uniform.
In addition, the Sauerweid manuscript shows infantrymen in August of 1813 wearing the old shako whereas the Freyburg manuscript drawn during the same period shows the infantry still wearing the old uniform coat and the grenadiers wearing bearskins.
Inspection returns of several corps dated 1 August 1813 mention numerous uniform combinations. From Vandanune's I Corps, the 7th Legere's voltigeurs were in the old uniform while the chasseurs were in the new uniform and the carabiniers in the new coat but retained their beloved bearskins. On the same day, the 3rd and 4th battalions of the 36th Line - part of the same division as the 7th Legere - report that these battalions were completely fitted in the new uniforms. Line regiments #135 through 156 are all in the old uniform, whereas the provisional regiments making up the 51st through 54th Divisions (XI Corps) are all in the new uniform. The original members of the four Regiments de Marines in Marmont's VI Corps are known to have worn their old uniforms with bicornes while conscripts from the 'levy of the four classes' and the Class of 1814 which helped flesh out these regiments reportedly wore the new uniform. Many line regiments in 1813 mention the men in the new uniform, but with the voltigeurs having modified the coat by adding fringed epaulettes (the 1812 regulation uniform did away with fringed epaulettes for voltigeurs - a detail almost always universally ignored as the men modified their coats with the addition of epaulettes thereby making them similar to the old uniform) and the grenadiers still wearing bearskins or plumed shakos with cords and racquets. Another manuscript drawing dated 1814 shows the 2nd Legere of Soult's Army of Spain all in their old uniforms, including carabiniers in bearskins.
With these facts, let's postulate the time frame as to when the 1812 uniform was seen in the field with the French line and light infantry. It is certain that the army which marched to Moscow and back was uniformed in the old style coats and headgear. Also, most of the troops that fought in Germany in the spring of 1813 wore the old uniform. Even considering that the men who were called to the colors during 1813 were equipped with the new uniform, it is virtually certain that it was not seen in large numbers until the 1813 fall campaign in Germany. Even then, many regiments had mixtures of old and new uniforms. Further, it is certain that the new regulations were modified at the regimental level with the addition of fringed epaulettes for voltigeurs.
Also, the retention of the old plumed shakos and coveted bearskins within the grenadier and carabinier companies is not surprising. Finally, it would seem the Army of Spain lagged significantly behind the Grande Annie in receiving any of the new clothing (remember that the depots were stripped from this army in 1813 and used to rebuild the Grande Armee in Germany) and is a virtual certainty that most of the Army of Spain wore the old uniform up until the end of hostilities in 1814.
Therefore, the evidence would strongly suggest that the uniform regulation of 1812 was never fully enacted by the Grande Armee throughout 1813. When the Army of Spain is included, it is safe to assert that the regulation of 1812 was never realized by all Imperial troops prior to the April 1814 abdication. Thus, it can be argued that the only time the Imperial armies took the field in the socalled 1812 uniform was during The Hundred Days in 1815, and even then changes were inevitable.
More on the French Uniform Myth
by Jean A. Lochet
Scott Bowden in the above article did an excellent job in debunking the 1812 French uniform myth. It should be kept in mind that, in spite of issuances of new uniforms ordinances, in all the armies of the Napoleonic era, stocks of older uniforms were first depleted and only replaced by the new regulation uniform when worn out. From Scott's article it would be equally wrong to conclude that all the so-called French line regiment entering Russia with the Grande Annie wore the old style blue coat uniform.
A striking evidence of that can be found in a report of Colonel Wagner commanding the 125th of the Line and dated June 29, 1812 when the Grande Annie began the invasion of Russia. Colonel Wagner says that "on the three battalions making the 125th of the Line only two elite companies are in blue, the others are in white with pink or yellow facings."
The Kingdom of Holland became part of the French Empire on July 10, and its army was disbanded on August 10, and incorporated in the French army.
Consequently, the 125th of the line was raised in Holland on September 1810 from the first two battalions and the depot of the 4th Dutch Line regiment (pink facing) and of the second battalion of the 7th Dutch Line regiment (yellow facings). Then, the 125th of the Line was transferred to the Grande Armee in March 1812 and it kept its white uniforms and wore them - with the exception of two elite companies that wore the blue coat - during the Campaign of Russia.
The 125th of the Line were part of Victor's IX Corps, Division Partouneaux. The first three battalions of the 125th were at Borisov and covered themselves with glory during that combat.
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