Although the French Army fared rather badly in Europe during the Seven Years War thanks to a succession of corrupt and incompetent commanders (men like Soubise and Richelieu), French troops serving in Canada proved an honorable exception.

The Marquis de Montcalm, their commander, deserves a great deal of the credit, as do his two major lieutenants, Bougainville, his remarkable aide, and the Chevalier de Levis, his second in command.

But the troops themselves were sturdy, well-trained men, and they proved remarkably resourceful in the strange new surroundings they were obliged to fight in. With inferior numbers, rations, ammunition and equipment, they were able to hold overwhelming British forces at bay for several years.

Only the stupidity of the Royal Governor and his graft-taking cronies, and the failure of the French Government to support the Royal Colony in its struggle for survival prevented Montcalm and his men from saving Canada.

Uniform

The basic uniform pattern of the French Regulars of this period is already fairly familiar. Excellent information was carried in Number 24 Of Tradition, and this was followed by a piece on Canadian militia and irregulars in Number 26, along with some clarifying comments and corrections by Monsieur Rene Chartrand. And for some time now, the superb plates by Eugene Liliepvre have been available.

The purpose of this brief article is to provide the war gamer with a concise guide to the uniforms and organization of the troops serving in New France, in a convenient and accessible form.

The uniform worn by the French Regulars in the Seven Years War was essentially that of the 1740 pattern. The traditional uniform color was an off-white. German regiments in the French service wore blue coats instead, Swiss and Irish units, red. Belting was tan, natural leather. Sword hilt and buckles were of brass. Other metalwork and buttons were either of white or yellow metal, depending on the regiment. This also applied to the taped edging along the black- cockaded tricorne.

Hair was worn tied back in a long que, and grenadiers sported moustaches. Breeches and gaiters were ordinarily the same off-white as the coat. The sleeved vest varied in color. Individual regiments were distinguished by their facing color, which was worn on cuffs, collars and, in some cases, the vest. Most units, though there were exceptions, wore single-breasted coats without turned back lapels. The shape of the pockets and number of buttons also varied with the units. Ordinarily, eight buttons ran down the front of the coat.

Black, green, yellow, red, blue and carmine were the most common facing colors; blue being reserved for Royal Regiments. The vest was sometimes the same color as the coat, sometimes red or blue, or in Irish units, green.

The following roster lists regular units serving in Canada during the Seven Years (French & Indian) War:

Regiment La Reine (Number 24 in French Army lists): Arrived in New France in 1755. Red facings, blue vest. White metal. One battalion served in Canada.

Regiment Bearn (Number 72): Arrived, 1755. Vest, collar and cuffs, red. Yellow metal. One battalion in Canada.

Regiment Languedoc (Number 53): Arrived, 1755. Vest, collar and cuffs, blue. Yellow Metal. One battalion in Canada.

Regiment Guyenne (Number 68): Arrived, 1755. Vest, collar and cuffs, red. Yellow metal. One battalion in Canada.

Regiment Artois (Number 31): Arrived, 1755. Off-white cuffs, red vest. Yellow Metal. One battalion at Louisbourg.

Regiment Bourgogne (Number 43): Arrived 1755. Collar and cuffs, white. Vest, red. Yellow metal. One battalion at Louisbourg.

Regiment Royal-Rousillon (Number 37): Arrived, 1756. Vest, collar and cuffs, blue. Yellow metal. In Canada with the exception of the last four companies raised in 1755.

Regiment La Sarre (Number 34): Arrived, 1756. Collar and cuffs, blue. Vest, red. Yellow metal. One battalion in Canada.

Regiment Berry (Number 71): Arrived, 1757. Vest, collar and cuffs, red. Yellow metal. 1st and 2nd battalions in Canada.

Regiment Cambis(e) (Number 62): Arrived, 1758. Vest, collar and cuffs, red. Yellow metal. One battalion at Louisbourg.

Another unit, Les Voluntaires Etrangers (Foreign Volunteers) arrived in 1758 at Louisbourg, but no uniform information for it is at hand as this is written.

The Canadian equivalent of the French regulars was a group of thirty (in 1754) companies of Troupes de la Marine. These men, usually raised in France specifically for service in Canada, were not considered on a par with the French Regulars. They did a great deal of garrison duty in remote stations where they were usually out of harm's way. Their operations with Indians and irregulars were often successful. There was no battalion organization for the Troupes de la Marine, each company being an independent command, however, the Marine Troops sometimes operated in improvised brigades.

A Captain in the Troupes de la Marine was the equivalent of a French naval lieutenant. Each captain commanded (usually only on paper), 1 lieutenant, 1 ensign, 2 sergeants, 4 corporals, 1 drummer, 1 fifer and from 35 to 70 privates.

Much less reliable, and often commanded by swindlers or shirkers, were the militiamen. They were organized by Parish, usually under the command of the local Seigneur. They often deserted en masse in bad weather or during the harvest season, but they occasionally did good service on raids, or when their backs were to the wall.

They wore civilian garb, of the same general cut of the French regulars, but instead of tricorners, they wore woolen caps of the sort later identified with French Revolutionaries.

The wiley Coureur de Bois is a legendary figure in the history of the French and Indian War. These forest rangers were a rugged, flamboyant lot, dressed for the most part in fur and buckskins. They were excellent trackers and woodsmen, and often led their Indian allies on scalping raids and ambush operations in broken country.

The artillery of the French Regular Army wore blue coats with red cuffs and collar. Metal was yellow, and the red vest had two rows of 8 buttons apiece. Like the infantry, they wore black stocks around their necks. A company of Canadian bombardiers was raised in 1750. They wore blue faced with red, in the pattern of the Troupes de la Marine from which they were for the most part drawn. Metal was white.

The table of organization for a Regular French Infantry Battalion of the period is as follows:

1 Colonel
1 Aide Major
2 Ensigns
1 Grenadier Company
12 Fusilier Companies

A grenadier company was supposed to consist of 3 officers and 45 men; a fusilier company of 2 to 4 officers and 40 soldiers. Total battalion strength: 580 officers and men.

Naturally, between capture of troop convoys en route to New France and casualties and desertion, battalion strength seldom if ever reached this level, or kept it for long.

For those interested in a more detailed examination of troops of New France in the Seven Years War, Colonel Edward P. Hamilton's bi-lingual study, The French Army in America provides excellent introductory material along with reproductions of engravings from contemporary drill manuals. It can be purchased from the Museum Restoration Service, P. 0. Box 2037, Station D, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The price is $3.00.

Another modest but useful source of information on uniforms and standards (besides the articles cited in the text) is the twelve-card set of French troops at Ticonderoga drawn and colored by Colonel Harry Larter 'and published by the Fort Ticonderoga Museum, Tinconderoga, New York, for $1.25.

Good general histories of the French in Canada abound. Parkman's monumental (though far from flawless) series is now available in paperback, published by Colliers. Hamilton has written an excellent history of colonial conflicts with New France, The French and Indian Wars, published by Doubleday several years ago, and in 1965 another good general study of the Seven Years War in America appeared: Battle for A Continent, by Harrison Bird, the author of a magnificent history of the Burgoyne Campaign.

Hamilton has also edited and translated an edition of Bougainville's Journal which gives a useful, but highly partisan account of the last phases of the struggle as viewed by a major participant.

Those seeking figures of the period are also in luck. Many of the manufacturers of 30mm flats, including Neckel and Ochel, have good selections of 1750 French Infantry. Holger Ericksson's 30mm. solids of 18th century Swedish infantry can also be painted as French troops of the period.

Jack Scruby, of Visalia, California, has produced authorized copies of the Erikson figures in the United States along with some 30mm French and Indian War castings of his own design. in addition, his 20mm (3/4 inch) Greenwood and Ball figures include many infantrymen that can be painted as French troops.

Miniature Figurines (Formerly Alberken) of Southampton England have also turned out some "large" 20 mm 1750 French troops that are perfect for the period.

Artillery, officers and accessories are available from many of these makers. A special series, deserving particular notice, is the 30mrn solid range of French and British infantry, officers, artillery, militia, Coreurs de Bois and Indians produced by Jose Almirall of Barcelona, and sold in the United States by Military Cast of Valley Stream, New York.

For the collector of 54mm display pieces, there is a smattering of figures by various makers. Many of the better French designers have produced pieces of this epoch, and Stadden and Gammage have both come out with French Seven Years War types.

The Gammage figures are, to my mind, the best of the commercial castings available and deserve special praise for detail and anatomical proportion, unlike some of the Stadden efforts. However, Stadden usually manages to put more animation (even if a bit distorted at times) into his figures than is found in the statuesque but languid creations of Mr. Gammage.

Any collector wishing to commission original figures of the French and Indian War not currently available from commercial makers, would be well advised to contact Shamus Wade of Dublin, Ireland. Mr. Wade has recently begun doing commission work at the remarkably reasonable rate of a little over $6.00 per foot figure. Sometimes the customer must provide uniform information, but the work is always of good quality. The figures, mounted on painted wooden bases, duly inscribed, are fully finished. They are produced in plastic composition and are in standard 54mm scale, comparable in quality to much more expensive creations.