The Prussian Hussar's uniform-basically an imitation of the original Hungarian light cavalry dress-was not much different from that of other nations. It consisted of the unavoidable highly decorated pelisse covering the equally ornamented dolman, complemented by the Hungarian style trousers and boots, and for headgear some form of the original shako. Perhaps the only distinction of the Prussian Hussar's uniform was the neckstock made of black cloth. Large Illustration of Regt No. 10 Von Usedom (very slow: 275K) The Dolman The dolman was of the classic Hungarian cut with cuffs, a collar, and short tails. The dolman color was different for each regiment and the cuffs and collar were colored in some regiments but in others they were of the same color as the uniform and marked only by a trim that ran down down the front of the dolman and around the short tails. The pockets as well as the back seams were also trimmed but the design varied from regiment to regiment. That of the officers was gold or silver. The dolman was heavily decorated with ornamental braiding (see Table 1 for regimental colors, etc.) which varied for fastening; each fastening consisted of a button and a loop through which it passed. This braiding, often called frogging, was divided into a number of horizontal lines (between 10 and 18 lines depending on the regiment [1] ), set between 3 rows of buttons. The buttons were brass or of white metal depending on the color of the braiding. [2] The details of the trooper's regimental colors are given in Table 1. The Pelisse: We are all too familiar with the Hussar's fur lined pelisse hanging from the left shoulder and held in place by a cord. The color of the pelisses varied with each regiment and the fur was either white or black (see Table 1). It was decorated and of a cut similar to that of the dolman. The Trousers: The trousers cut in the Hungarian fashion were made of white soft leather.. The Hungarian Boots: The Hungarian boots were made of black leather and were trimmed in regimental colors. Those of the officers were trimmed with silver or gold laces. The Waist Sash: The uniform was completed by a waist sash worn over the dolman. It consisted of a bundle of cords sewn together and wrapped around the waist several times. The officer's waist sash was made of silver cords spotted with black. (See Table 1 for details) The Overalls: While in the field, cloth overalls were worn, especially in winter, and the piping was that of the regimental colors. Some buttoned overalls were also worn and the color of the piping was different for each squadron and used to distinguish squadrons within a regiment. Greatcoat: The Prussian Hussars were equipped with large, white, sleeveless greatcoats with wide collars, but Regiments No. 1, 5, and 6 had their coats in the color of the dolman. Sabretache: The sabretaches had a cloth cover bearing the royal monogram and crown, trimmed in the regimental color with the exception of Regiments No.5 and 8 which were made of black leather. The sabretaches of Regiment No. 10 had a "wolf's teeth" trim. The officer's sabretache had a Prussian eagle as shown on the adjacent drawing. A simpler design was often used. It consisted of a colored cover with a white badge with a black Prussian eagle and above it the crown trimmed with a simple lace. [3] The Belts: The carbine belt (only worn by troopers) was made of white leather with brass fittings and was worn on the left shoulder. In addition, a belt worn on the right shoulder [4] sustained the cartridge pouch made of Russian leather. The sabre was held by a belt of natural leather worn over the waist sash. The officers had a more elaborate saber belt made of lace trim also worn over the waist sash. The Headgear: Originally the Prussian Hussars wore either the colpack or the mirliton [5]. Starting in 1804, the shako was introduced and during the Campaign of 1806, a mixture of shakos and mirlitons was used in the field, but most regiments went to war in 1806 wearing their mirlitons. The mirliton had a plume on the right side, white for troopers, white with a black trim for NCOs, and black for officers. [6] The trooper's cords were of a different color for each squadron but those of the NCOs were black and white. The officers' cords were gold or silver according to the regimental colors. Hair Styles: The Prussian Hussar's hair, like that of all the Hussars in 1806 was long and plaited, and each plait was weighted with a lead pistol ball. In addition, practically every Hussar grew a mustache. Horse Furniture: The horse furniture was of a Hungarian pattern and the saddlecloth was of the same color as the pelisse and trimmed with "wolf teeth" as shown on the drawing. The trimming was of the same color as the pelisse fur. Additional equipment included a bag of the same color as the saddle to hold the folded greatcoat. That bag had circular trim at each end. A linen fodder sack completed the horse furniture. More Light Cavalry Introduction Hussars Towarczys More 1806 Prussian Uniforms Part II: The Cavalry Introduction The Cuirassiers The Dragoons Uniform Illustration: Horseman of the Regiment von Beeren (slow: 136K) Uniform Illustration: Dragoons and Cuirassiers (slow: 105K) Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 2 No. 6 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by Emperor's Headquarters This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com