The Towarczys, the only lancer regiment in Prussian service in 1806, were the successors of Frederick's Bosniaks or Bosniaken.
In 1800, the recruiting was modified and the corps was recruited almost exclusively from the lesser gentry of the newly conquered Polish provinces. The Towarczys corps was five squadrons strong, including a so-called squadron of Tartars, which had a slightly different uniform. They were armed with a lance, saber, and a pair of pistols. The lance pennon was white. The saddlecloth was blue and trimmed with red "wolf's teeth."
Like the Hussars, in 1806, the Towarczys wore the mirliton which, as can be seen from the drawing, is a shako minus the peak but the uniforms' similarities stopped there. The mirliton had a feather, a white feather plume with a black trim, with cords and cockade, but that of the squadron of Tartars had a white feather. The trumpeters had a white plume with a red tip.
The Towarczys wore a dark blue garment with a stiffened collar, lapels, sleeves with red Polish cuffs and pockets. As shown on the drawing, the jacket had a red collar and facings with two rows of 6 white (?) buttons each. The lapels were trimmed with red cloth and each lapel was held by 8 domed buttons. NCOs and troopers had a red stripe on each shoulder. The NCOs had braid on their cuffs. The white soft leather breeches were covered up by gray trousers with 2 red stripes. The Hungarian Hussar's leather boots were worn over these trousers. The officers had either gold or silver shoulder cords and aiguillettes. However, the NCOs, troopers, and trumpeters of the Tartars squadron had no shoulder strap.
The uniform of the officers was completed by a cavalry sash but no sabretache. The uniform of the NCOs and troopers had a red sash edged with white and black leather sabretache.
SOURCES:
Funcken, Liliane and Fred, Les uniformes et les armes des soldats du Premier Empire, vol. 1, Paris, 1968
Kling C. Geschichte der Bekleidung, Bewaffnung und Ausruestung derKoeniglich Preussischen Heeres, Berlin 1902.
Trainie J. and Carmigniani J.C. Napoleon et l'Allemagne, Paris, 1984, Lavauzelle.
Hofschroer, Peter, Prussian Cavalry of the Napoleonic Wars, 1792-1870, Osprey Mem-At-Arms Series, London, 1985.
Tradition, issue No.77, June 1993.
Reichel, Daniel, Davout et l'art de la guerre, Neuchatel, 1978.
ENDNOTES
[1] There were 3 rows of buttons except for Regiment No.8 (von Blucher) which had 5 rows of buttons.
[2] When the braiding was white, the officers had silver braiding and when the braiding was yellow the officers wore gold, with the notable exception of Regiment No.2 (Leibhussaren von Rudorff), in which the officers had gold and the troopers white.
[3] Regiment No. 2 officers had a sabretache with a red cover trimmed with gold. The eagle and crown were also gold.
[4] The troopers of Regiment No. 8 wore the cartridge pouch belt over their left shoulder.
[5] Originally, Regiments No. 1, 2,3,4, and 9 wore the colpack and Regiments 5, 6, 7, and 8 wore the mirliton.
[6]The Carabinier's plume was white with 3 black rings.
More Light Cavalry
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)
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