NOTE FROM EDITOR: We have received a number of answers to the questions raised in EEL 75 from several different contributors and they are presented below. To save space we are not reproducing the complete questions as we usually do, instead, we prepared a resume' of each questions. Question 75-1: requested information on "Hulan Britannique". Question 75-3: requested data on French Marine Artillery. Question 75-4: concerns Polish hussars uniforms. Question 75-5: concerns 4th Confederation of the Rhine Regiment. Question 75-6: concerns 5th Confederation of the Rhine Regiment. Question 75-7: concerns 6th Confederation of the Rhine Regiment. Question 75-8: concerns the Baker carbines in the Mexican Army. (1) The following partial answer to questions 75-5, 75-6 and 75-7 were kindly provided by Peter Hofschrber: The subject of the confederation Regiments is most fascinating and rather complex. Simple answers to most questions on the subject cannot be given without reams of explanation. It would therefore be best to refer the questioner to some books which deal with the subject. In addition to those listed on pp. 49 of EE&L no. 66, the following should be consulted: 1) Leo von Pfannenberg: Geschichte des Infanterie-Regiments Grossherzog von Sachsen (5. Thueringisches) Nr. 94 and seiner Stammtruppen 1702-1912 (Berlin 1912) 2) L. Freiherr von Seebach: Geschichte des Herzoglich Sachsen Weimarischen Scharfschuetzen im Jahre 1806 and des Infanterie Regiments Herzoege von Sachsen in den Jahren 1807, 1809, 1810, and 1811 (Weimar 1838) 3) C. Geissler: Geschichte des Regiments Herzoege zu Sachsen unter Napoleon mit der grossen Armee im Russischen Feldzuge 1812 (Eisnach 1840) 4) Sauzey: Les Allemands sous les aigles francaises (Paris 190t) 5) G. Jacobs: Geschichte der Felzuege and Schicksale der Gotha Altenburgischen Krieger in den Jahren 1807-1815. Finally, it would be advisable if the questioner was not to place any reliance on works like those by "von Pivka" (Digby Smith). They may give some idea of the subject but can be vague and unreliable. (2) The following answers were sent to us by Philip Haythornthwaite: Question 75-1 The "Hulans Brittanniques" was an emigre corps formed of exmembers of the French Royal Army by Comte Louis de Bouille in 1703, and it is by the title of "Bouille's Regiment" that the corps is most often identified in British records. It was the only British corps to be armed with the lance during the Napoleonic Wars (with the possible exception of an Irish yeomanry corps, the Dunlavin Light Dragoons), the other projected lancer corps never being formed: a regiment of Polish Lancers planned by Prince Lubomurski in 1793, and a proposal to form a corps of "British Lancers" by Capt. J.B. Drouville in 1813, the latter an army agent whose book On the_ Formation of British Lancers (1813) fell upon deaf ears. Bouille's regiment served well in Holland, numbering some 600 members by 1794, but following the evacuation of Holland it became one of a number of emigre units destroyed by official neglect. Sent on the expedition to the Isle d'Yeu, its horses were ruined by being kept aboard ship for 74 days and the men, untrained as infantry, were first sent back to England and then, as "dismounted cavalry" as a report in the London Chronicle of 16 January 1796 euphemistically styled it, sent to the fever-ridden West Indies where, doubtless demoralised by the loss of their horses, disease and the fact that they had enlisted to fight the French republicans, morale appears to have disintegrated and were ultimately returned to England for disbandment, though a number (including the Comte de Bouille) returned to the West Indies to participate in the formation of a new corps, the "Uhlans Britanniques de St. Dominique". The best source for details of this (and indeed other emigre corps) is Vicomte Grouvel's Les Corps de Troupe de l'Emigration Francaise, but more accessible is A History of the Uniforms of the British Army (C.C.P. Lawson, London 1966, Vol. IV), which includes illustrations of uniform. Question 75-3 The French Marine Artillery which served as infantry in 1813 wore dark blue artillery-style uniform with scarlet collar, cuff flaps, epaulettes and piping. Most wore the shako with an 1812 pattern plate bearing an anchor and crossed cannons upon the "shield" part, with a red pompom, but some were so ill-equipped as to be forced to wear a bicorn hat instead. Their greatcoats were dark blue, and the text to the two Hourtoulle plates which illustrate the unit (in the series Soldats et Uniformes du Premier Empire, plates 62/63) states that some officers wore blue mameluke-style trousers or charoual, with gold lace stripes on the outer seams. Question 75-4 This is explained simply. The Polish officer wearing a crimson pelisse and dolman, shown in my Uniforms of the Retreat from Moscow, wears a uniform of hussar style, not colouring; the crimson was peculiar to the figure shown, aides-de-camp to Prince Poniatowski. The ordinary Polish hussar uniform was blue. Question 75-8 The use of "Baker carbines" by the Mexican army is a most interesting reference. I would tend to agree absolutely with Kevin Young's opinion, but it is interesting to note that Ezekiel Baker did produce a cavalry version of his famous rifle, the earliest mention of being a batch of "Carbines rifled for the Life Guards", supplied complete at 97 shilling each. As this was the same price as for the infantry rifle it suggests that these weapons were little different, but in September 1812 a further shipment was ordered at only 63/10d each. Miniature Baker rifles with 20-inch barrels were apparently the type issued in November 1811 to the 10th Light Dragoons as an experiment, with a re-styled stock which proved so successful that the 10th had all their weapons re-stocked in a similar pattern. The batch of 500 ordered in 1811 cost only 40 shillings each.  So it is possible that the Mexican army did possess Baker carbines, but it's probably unlikely! Those interested in the subject should consult British Military Firearms 1650-1850 (H.L. Blackmore, London 1961), where the later pattern of Baker carbine (post-1811) is illustrated. (3) The following answer to question 75-4 is from William C. Lee: The written descriptions of Polish hussar uniforms given by von Pivka and Haythorthwaite are correct. The questioner's confusion arises from misreading Haythornthwaite's color plate. He has mistaken a picture of Poniatowski's ADC for that of a regular Polish hussar officer. Only Poniatowski's ADCs wore a hussar uniform with a crimson dolman and pelisse. Regular Polish hussar officers had two basic forms of uniform. Full parade dress was a crimson dolman with crimson collar and cuffs. The Pelisse was dark blue with crimson silk lining and white fur trim. Breaches were sky blue and all lacing and braid was either gold (10th regt.) or silver (13th regt.). Service dress was the same except for the dolman, which was dark blue with crimson collar and cuffs. Lacing and braid were again silver or gold. Troopers' uniforms were a dark blue dolman and pelisse, with only the collar and cuffs of the dolman being crimson. Fur trim on the pelisse was black and the pelisse itself had a white lining. Lacing and braid on the uniform was either yellow (10th) or white (13th). Sky blue breeches were originally issued but were replaced with dark grey overall trousers for campaign wear in 1811. Those desiring a more comprehensive description of the Duchy of Warsaw's troops should get W.J. Rawkins The Polish Army 1807-14. The preceding information was taken from this source. Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 1 No. 78 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by Emperor's Headquarters This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com