NOTE FROM EDITOR: The following article is the continuation
of the article on the "Royal Sicilian Army" published in EEL 82.
Beside the Royal Albanian regiment, there existed another Albanian unit, the Cacciatori Albanesi battalion. The tradition of Albanians serving in the Sicilian army dates from 1737 when Charles, King of Naples and Sicily (later Charles III of Spain), brought the Chimara region of Albania (along the Epirus coast) under his protection (Vaudoncourt, p.316). Ferdinand, short of quality troops extended along the coast, raised the light battalion of 1798.
Both units were famous for two things, ferocity and dirtiness. Ferocious in the field (and in the barracks), they never failed to distinguish themselves. The Albanians retained the native practice of associating valor with filth, never bathing and only changing clothes when completely worn out.
With the adoption of the constitution of 1812, the Cacciatori Albanesi disbanded for political reasons, the ranks transferred to other regiments (Crociani; Tradition #59, p.23-24).
CACCIATORI ALBANESI (Albanian chasseurs)
The standard or traditional uniform (after Forthoffer) was a dark blue jacket with red collar, cuffs and piping, yellow buttons; close fitting light greyish-blue trousers with lateral stripes of red piping worn both inside and outside the leg; red skull cap and tuft; white fustanella (Greek shirt-kilt); white waistbelt with brass clasp worn over red sash; white socks; black shoes and laces.
Accoutrements (after Crociani, Tradition) - Balkan musket with steel and brass fittings, white slings; sabre with hilt in the shape of a bird's head held in a brass and leather scabbard. Forthoffer attributes a black pouch and white belt to this unit.
Brandani's version differs slightly; white skull cap with black tuft; waistbelt worn under sash which is worn over the jacket; jacket worn closed with buttons on the opposite side; black neck stock.
The sketch departs from Forthoffer's plate on one account, the hair'. While it is quite reasonable that the Royal Albanian regiment, wearing a near conventional uniform, would adopt a western hairstyle the same cannot be said for the Albanesi wearing their native drLss. Therefore, I sketched the figure with the hair style worn by all Albanians and most Greeks of the era. They shaved their hair tc behind the ears, wearing it long in the back.
Both Brandani and Forthoffer show an alternate headgear. A small black cap with red bag piped white and white tassel, Forthoffer's has a yellow top bank. This could be an elite company distinction, or a tribal distinction given to individuals who transferred from the disbanded Royal Albania regiment.
The basis for the sketch comes from Tradition #59. He wears a white shirt and trousers, black shoes and grey gaiters (line infantry equipment) and Forthoffer's version of the cap. Note the number and placement of buttons.
Brandani also gives the barracks dress as "Blue forage cap with white piping, tassel and a hunting horn and 'CA' (the battalion cyphers) embroidered on the front. Light greyish coat and trousers, white buttons, grey gaiters. Red waist sash worn under the coat. Brass hilted sabre in black leather scabbard with brass fittings and white slings" (Tradition #59, p.25). With their habit of never changing clothes, this uniform probably was never worn.
With the French occupation of the Ionians and the mainland city of Parga, the men of the Royal Albania regiment lost contact with their homeland. The regiment mutined in 1808 (at least the larger part of the regiment) and returned home (Vaudoncourt, p.329). The remaining members probably transferred to the light battalion who were of another tribe which maintained communications via the British fleet.
Additions to + alamari paragraph.
Forthoffer simply gives the Estero's distinction as white trim. However, he illustrates a drummer of the grenadiers of the Etranger (Estero) regiment in Fiches Documentaires No. 252/253. - He wears mixed red and white lace on: Four buttonhole lace loops on each cuff (as in the-British army), double spaced: the roll wings; around the cuffs; cheverons (I count six on each sleeve) pointing up; (it appears eight) double spaced lace loops across the chest, each with a small tassel of the same material on both ends mixed red and white piping appearing on turnbacks and wings. White piping on the collar, white fringe on wings, and a single white lace loop on each side of the collar. Brass drum with white cords and apron, hoops of alternating diagonal stripes of red and white. Brass band around the base of the shako (shaped like that of the Sicilian Volunteer chasseur sketched), white over red plume and mixed red and white band near the top of the shako. All remaining details as the line.
Substitute paragraph for Standards, paragraph #3 - beginning with Although. EEL 82 (pg 30)
In the Fiches Documentaires Forthoffer gives the Colonel's color of the Royal Bourbon regiment: reverse; as described above; obverse; the Bourbon coat-of-arms (armoires des Bourbon). The battalion having the cross of Constantine and the cross of St. George on both sides, the regiments identified by initials, but no corner devices. Durinq the 1799 campaign two peasant units were given standards embroidered by the Queen; on one side the royal coat-of-arms and the inscription in gold 'To the brave Calabrians' (Via Breve Calabrese?) and on the other the cross with In hoc singo Vinces (I,H,S,V,) - in this sign conquer (Acton, p.).
As a gesture to irritate Murat, Bentinck allowed one Neapolitan battalion to carry the slogan "Italian Unity' (Unita Italiana?) on it's color during the 1814 Italian campaign. Oddly, I have found no mention of the 'Three Legs of Sicily', said to be the ancient symbol of the island, on any Sicilian color, though Murat incorporated it in his 1811 standards.
Addition to Sicilian Volunteers EEL 82 (pg 37)
Forthoffer gives the standard of these units as the 'Eagle of Sicily' on a white field, and the provence's (valle) badge in the corners. The pattern of the eagle sketched comes from the bearskin plate of Brandani's grenadier of a Vallemazzara regiment (Uniformi..p.49).
Additional Sources:
Crociani, Piero with illustrations by Massino Brandani; Albanian Troops in the service of Naples, Tradition Magazine #59, (London,1972?)
Forthoffer, R.; Fiches Documentaire -No252/253,(Paris,1971) both kindly provided and Forthoffer translated by Whit Young.
Vandoncourt, Guilliame de; Memoirs on the Ionian Islands,(London,1816).
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