The Battle of Eylau: February 8, 1807

The Russians under General Bennigsen took Napoleon and the French by surprise when they launched a rare Winter offensive at the end of January, 1807. Bennigsen was fortunate that a captured courier then provided a detailed plan of Napoleon's response, which otherwise might well have trapped him via the maneuver on Ionkovo. The first part of the 1806 -1807 campaign in Poland is covered in James Arnold's excellent new book Crisis in the Snows. I recently had the pleasure of reading this book, which includes detailed information not only on this battle, which represented Napoleon's first significant check since the Siege of Acre, but the less well known battles that preceded it. Highly recommended!

I ran the Battle of Eylau (using Brent Oman's Field of Battle by Piquet) twice in 2007. The first game was in March 2007, within a month of the 200th anniversary, in my basement with members of the Hartford (CT) Area Historical Gaming Society or HAHGS.  The second game was in July at Historicon 2007. The pictures in this post are of the March HAHGS game. A narrative and pictures of the same scenario as run at Historicon 2007 can be found on my old site, here. The details of the scenario used follows later in this post, after the pictures. All of the winter ridges were built out of pink insulation foamboard specifically for the battle. The winter look makes a nice change of pace from our usual tabletop appearance!

Friant's Division is promptly threatened by the Russian Left Wing cavalry under Jancovitz, while a Division of French Dragoons form Murat's Cavalry Reserve maneuvers to support their foot compatriots.

Make that TWO Divisions of  French Dragoons keeping the Russian horse in check, while Davout's next Division (Morand) enters the table in turn. 

On the Northern end of the table Russian Cossacks and Cavalry move forward, while Lasalle's outnumbered  Light Cavalry Division tries to slow their advance. Note the strong Russian defensive position on the ridge line!

This sideways view shows the Cavalry of the Imperial Guard drawn out to prevent Lassalle's command from collapsing.

This proved less than successful, leaving the Russian Cavalry dominating the Northern portion of the battlefield. 

Davout with the French Dragoons have beaten back the Russian Cavalry in the South, but this has distracted them from their true objective - the village of  Serpallen on the left flank of the Russian main infantry position. 

However, with the Jancovitz's cavalry now neutralize, Davout moves aggressively to outflank both Serpallen and the main Russian Defensive position!

The town of Eyalu, with the French Imperial Guard in the foreground, and the Corps of Marshals Soult and Augereau beyond it. The stream is frozen solid and has no effect upon the play of the game. 

Davout and the French Cavalry Reserve continue to  make progress on the Russian Left.

The main Russian gun line is very intimidating; Soult and Augereau are doing their best to avoid closing with the Ridge of Death! Blinding snow squalls are helping make the Russian artillery fire upon them less galling than it might otherwise be.

Generals of the Czar: from the left Joe, Greg, and Barry.

In the service of the Emperor are Matt, Peter C, and Peter A.

The Artillery of the Guard attempts to hold the Russian Right flank in check, with only limited Infantry support.

Soult and Augerau judge the moment right to finally tackle the ridge line opposite them, with the Cuirassiers of the Cavalry Reserve in support. 

As things are looking grim on the Southern end of the battlefield, Lestoq and the survivors of the once proud Prussian Army arrive on the scene, having given Marshal Ney the slip. 

Prussians seeking revenge for their decisive defeats at Jena and Auerstadt just a few short months ago

French Legere try to eject some stubborn Russian Jagers who are still tenaciously holding out in Serpallen, as night descends. Marshal Ney arrives on the table, but as in real life, too little and too late to influence the result, which is a minor French victory. 

The following few shots are the first mock up of the battlefield before further carving the slopes of the ridges. Once they were painted white, I dry brushed the slopes with a variety of browns and greys (seen in the earlier pictures above). Without this, the ridges were almost invisible, being white on white. I think the effect worked well and looked good. 

The stream sections are ones I made way back in 1981 using artist's board for the basic shapes, and then applying Plaster of Paris to the top and sculpting it while still wet.  Rocks and a few logs (twigs) were added to the plaster before it dried. Then the plaster was painted in a variety of blue/gray tones, and the "crests" of the rough water dry brushed of white. The banks were made of brown plasticene clay, and then several coats of varnish were brushed on to everything. I think they have held up well and still look quite good for all the years they have been in service!

For those who might be interested, this is the scenario used. The various regiments refer directly to those of my own collection, and so while the troop types are generally correct, the exact regiments will not match those in my OOB. A few of the Divisional generals may also be different from the historical ones, for the same reason. 

Battle of Eylau: 8 February 1807

Scale: 1 Infantry unit = 1800 men, Cavalry = 1200 men, Artillery = 36 guns

Russian Army, Bennigsen   Poor  LD: D8   Radius 16” 

Abysmal Sequence Deck

Note: The scale of guns per artillery unit is 50% more than the French. To reflect the greater number of tubes, Russian artillery units have 3 UI instead of 2, and their listed Combat Die is 1 one higher than rolled for.

Right Wing: Tuchov  Abysmal  LD: D10   Radius 20”

5^th Division: Tuchov

Little Russia Grenadier  Crack    CD: D12+1  DD: D8

Guard Jager (Grenadier)  Crack    CD: D10   DD: D8

Bieloserk Line  Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

4^th Division:  Samov   Abysmal  LD: D8   Radius 16”

7th Jager  Crack   CD: D12   DD: D8

Koslov Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Oufa Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Riga Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Right Wing Cavalry: Markov Abysmal  LD: D8   Radius 16”

Arsamass Mounted Jagers  Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Soum Hussars  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

Ekaterinaslav Cuirassiers  Crack   CD: D12   DD: D8

Cossacks: Platov  Poor  LD: D8   Radius 16”

Don Cossacks  Rabble   CD: D10   DD: D4

Orel Cossacks  Rabble   CD: D8   DD: D4

Right Wing Artillery Gortcachov Abysmal  LD: D8   Radius 16”

Gde/CSapper 12 # Foot Artillery Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

AB Sapper 6# Foot Artillery Regular    CD: D12   DD: D6

CD 6# Horse Artillery Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Center:  Sacken  Abysmal  LD: D10   Radius: 20”

3^rd Division:  Sacken

1st Pavlov Grenadier  Elite   CD: D10   DD: D10

2^nd Pavlov Grenadier  Elite   CD: D10   DD: D10

Jaroslav Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6  

Viborg Musketeer Regular   CD: D12+1   DD: D6

Sousdal Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

8^th Division:  Essen  Abysmal  LD: D8   Radius 16”

Dneiper Musketeer Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

Pernov Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Moscow Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Center Artillery Langeron  Poor  LD: D8   Radius 16”

(Gde) 12# Foot Artillery Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

AB 6# Foot Artillery Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

GH 6# Foot Artillery Regular   CD: D12+1   DD: D6

Left Wing:  Bagration  Poor  LD: D8   Radius 16”

2^nd Division: Tolstoi    Abysmal  LD: D8   Radius 16”

9th Jager  Crack   CD:D10   DD: D8

Grouzinski Grenadier  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

Suravtov Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Nisovski Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Ouglitz Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

14^th Division: Kamenskoi   Poor  LD: D8   Radius 16”

5th Jager  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

Smolensk Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Tomsk Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Neva Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Left Wing Cavalry: Jancovitz   Abysmal  LD: D12   Radius: 24”

Empress Cuirassiers  Crack   CD: D12+1   DD: D8

Siberia Uhlans Regular   CD: D 10   DD: D6

Achtyrsk Hussars  Crack   CD: D12   DD: D8

Perelaslav Dragoons Regular   CD: D8   DD: D6

 Left Wing Artillery: Czaplitz   Abysmal  LD: D8   Radius 16”

EF 12# Foot Artillery Regular   CD: D12+1   DD: D6

CD 6 # Foot Artillery Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

AB 6# Horse Artillery Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

Prussians: Lestoq   Poor  LD: D10   Radius: 20”

1^st East Prussian Musketeer Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

2^nd East Prussian Musketeer Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

3^rd East Prussian Landwehr Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

Coburg Musketeer Regular   CD: D12+1   DD: D6

1^st West Prussian Dragoon Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

AB Prussian 6# Horse Artillery Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

TOTAL:  18 Musketeer, 5 Grenadier, 3 Jager, 2 HC, 2 Cossacks, 5 LC/Dragoons, 3 x12#, 4 x 6#, 3 x 6# HA. Represents 46,800 I, 10,800 C, 360 Guns

MORALE CHIPS:  47, plus 7 additional upon the arrival of Lestoq

Battle of Eylau: 8 February 1807

Scale: 1 Infantry unit = 1800 men, Cavalry = 1200 men, Artillery = 24 guns

French Army, Napoleon  Superior  LD: D12  Radius: 24”

Superior Sequence Deck

Guard Infantry: Dorsenne   Average  LD: D12  Radius:  24”

Guard Grenadiers a Pied  Elite   CD: D12   DD: D10

Chasseurs a Pied  Elite   CD: D12   DD: D10

Guard Cavalry:  Marshal Bessieres  Skilled  LD: D12  Radius:  24”

Grenadiers a Cheval  Elite   CD: D12+1   DD: D!0

Chasseurs a Cheval  Elite   CD: D10   DD: D10

 Artillery Reserve: Hanicque  Skilled  LD: D10  Radius20”

AB 6# Guard Horse Artillery  Elite   CD: D12+1   DD: D10

AB 6# Horse Artillery  Elite   CD: D10   DD: D10

CD Horse Artillery  Elite   CD: D10   DD: D10

III Corps:  Marshal Davout  Superior  LD: D12+1   Radius:  26”

1^st Division:  Morand  Superior  LD: D12   Radius:  24”

15e Legere  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

48e Ligne  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

111e Ligne  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

2^nd Division:  Friant  Skilled  LD: D10   Radius 20”

10e Legere  Crack   CD: D12   DD: D8

3e Ligne  Crack   CD: D12+1   DD: D8

105e Ligne  Crack   CD: D12   DD: D8

3^rd Division:  Gudin  Skilled  LD: D12  Radius:  24”

33e Ligne  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

108e Ligne  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

EF 8# Foot Artillery  CD: D10  DD: D6

Cavalry: Exelmans   Skilled  LD: D10   Radius: 20”

16e Chasseur a Cheval Regular   CD: D8   DD: D6

IV Corps:  Marshal Soult  Skilled LD: D12   Radius 24”

1^st Division: St Hilaire  Superior LD: D12  Radius:  24”

7e Legere  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

12e Ligne Regular   CD: D8   DD: D6

85e L:igne Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

2^nd Division:  Legrand  Average  LD: D8  Radius: 16”

21e Legere  Crack   CD: D12   DD: D8

72e Ligne Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

AB 12# Foot Artillery  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

3^rd Division:  Lewal  Skilled  LD: D12+1   Radius: 26”

25e Ligne Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

57e Ligne Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

Light Cavalry Division:  Lasalle  Superior  LD: D12+1   Radius: 26”

2e Hussar Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

9e Hussar Regular   CD: D10   DD: D 6

VII Corps:  Marshal Augereau (Oudinot)  Average  LD: D10   Radius: 20”

1^st Division:  Desjardin   Average  LD: D12+1   Radius: 26”

4e Ligne Regular   CD: D 12   DD: D6

46e Ligne Regular   CD: D8   DD: D6

CD 12# Foot Artillery Regular   CD: D8   DD: D 6

2^nd Division:  Heudelet  Average  LD: D10   Radius 20”

24e Legere  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

2e Ligne Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

18e Ligne Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

VI Corps:  Marshal Ney  Average  LD: D8   Radius: 16”

1^st Division: Marchand   Average  LD: D12+1   Radius: 26”

2nd Italian Light  Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

1^st Italian Line (French) Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

5^th Italian Line (French)  Raw   CD: D10   DD: D4

2^nd Division:  Dessaix  Skilled  LD: D12   Radius: 24”

2^nd Italian Line (French) Raw   CD: D10   DD: D4

4^th Italian Line (French) Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

Cavalry Reserve:  Marshal Murat  Superior  LD: D12   Radius: 24”

1^st Heavy Cavalry Division: Milhaud  Skilled LD: D12  Radius:  24”

4e Cuirassier  Crack   CD: D10   DD: D8

7e Cuirassier  Crack   CD: D12   DD: D8

2^nd Heavy Cavalry Division:  Hautpol  Skilled LD: D12  Radius:  24”

2e Carabinier  Crack   CD: D12+1   DD: D8

1e Cuirassier  Elite  CD: D12   DD: D10

10e Cuirassier  Elite   CD: D12+1   DD: D10

2^nd Dragoon Division: Grouchy  Skilled  LD: D10   Radius: 20”

9e Dragoons Regular   CD: D8   DD: D6

30e Dragoons Regular   CD: D10   DD: D6

3^rd Dragoon Division: Klein  Average  LD: D12+1   Radius: 26”

15e Dragoons Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

19e Dragoons Regular   CD: D12   DD: D6

Totals: 2 Guard Infantry, 5 Light Infantry, 20 Line Infantry, 2 Guard Cavalry, 5 Heavy Cavalry, 3 Light Cavalry, 4 Dragoons, 2 x 12# FA, 1 x Guard 6# HA, 2 x 6# HA., 1 8# FA. Represents 48,600 I, 16,800 C, 120 Guns

MORALE CHIPS:   46, plus 6 additional upon the arrival of Ney.

FRENCH DEPLOYMENT: As shown on the map; Friant's Division Makes a MOVE onto the table where indicated (for Davout) after both side set up but before any cards are turned.

RUSSIAN DEPLOYMENT: As shown on the map. The Guns should be placed along the ridge line with the infantry behind them wherever applicable.

Battlefield Terrain Map

Battlefield Deployment Map (French in black)

Game starts at 9AM; each Move card turned by the French Player equals one hour elapsed. Thus 10AM = second Move card turned by the French. If the game has not ended before that time, it ends after the 9PM turn has been played.

Reinforcements:

10 AM: 1^st Division (Morand) of Davout’s Corps enters from the South corner of the Battlefield where indicated.

12 NOON:  3^rd Division (Gudin) of Davout’s Corps enters from the South corner of the Battlefield where indicated.

2 PM:  Lestoq’s Prussians enter from the Northwest in between the two ridges.

5 PM:  Ney’s  Corps enters from the Northwest in between the two ridges.

WEATHER:

When each MOVE card for either side is turned, roll a D6. On a roll of “1” (“1” or “2” starting at 6PM and thereafter), there is heavy snow. In the event of heavy snow, all movement is half of normal, and all ranges count as one band longer than measured (thus fire at Long range is not possible in Heavy Snow.

The Battle of Eylau, February 8^th, 1907

Time	Move Card #	Reinforcements	Heavy Snow?
9 AM	0		1
10 AM	1	Morand	1
11 AM	2		1
12 Noon	3	Gudin	1
1 PM	4		1
2 PM	5	Lestoq	1
3 PM	6		1
4 PM	7		1
5 PM	8	Ney	1
6 PM	9		1,2
7 PM	10		1,2
8 PM	11		1,2
9 PM	12		1,2

Brrrrrr!!! All that snow is making me feel cold... time for a glass of Brandy, and then back to painting still more Russians for our Borodino project. At least we now at last have a date and a place for Historicon 2012 - July 19-22 , in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Hope to see many of you there!

Peter

French Napoleonic Hussars

The French Hussars of the Napoleonic Wars, 1804 - 1815

There were 10 regiments of these spectacularly colorful light horsemen at the begining of the Empire in 1804. The 11th regiment was raised from the 2nd Dutch Hussar regiment in 1810. The 12th hussar regiment was raised in February from the 9th (bis) Hussars stationed in Spain, itself created in January 1812. The 13th regiment was raised in January 1813 from recruits in Italy; it was combined with the 14th Hussars in December 1813, but then re- raised again in January 1814 from the remnants of the hussar regiment Jerome-Napoleon. The 14th Hussars were raised in Italy in January 1813 as well.

The uniforms of the Hussars were very complicated and extremely expensive. Their heavily laced shell jacket or dolman, or the fur trimmed pelisse were usually both worn only in full dress, assuming the soldier actually had both. Of course, in my own miniature armies, they always do, and Full Dress is the order for the tabletop! The following table gives the distinctions of the various regiments of French Hussars:

Regt	Dolman	Collar	Cuffs	Pelisse	Pants	Lace/Buttonsce
1	Sky Blue	Sky Blue	Red	Sky Blue	Sky Blue	White/Silver
2	Brown	Brown	Sky Blue	Brown	Sky Blue	White/Silver
3	Grey	Grey	Red	Grey	Grey	Red/Silver
4	Dk Blue	Dk Blue	Scarlet	Scarlet	Dk Blue	Yellow/Gold
5	Sky Blue	Sky Blue	White	White	Sky Blue	Yellow/Gold
6	Scarlet	Scarlet	Scarlet	Dk Blue	Dk Blue	Yellow/Gold
7	Dk Green	Scarlet	Scarlet	Dk Green	Scarlet	Yellow/Gold
8*	Dk Green	Scarlet	Scarlet	Dk Green	Scarlet	White/Silver
9	Scarlet	Sky Blue	Sky Blue	Sky Blue	Sky Blue	Yellow/Gold
10	Sky Blue	Scarlet	Scarlet	Sky Blue	Sky Blue	White/Silver
11	Dk Blue	Scarlet	Scarlet	Dk Blue	Dk Blue	Yellow/Gold
12	Scarlet	Sky Blue	Scarlet	Sky Blue	Sky Blue	White/Silver
13	Brown	Sky Blue	Sky Blue	Brown	Sky Blue	White/Silver
14	Dk Green	Scarlet	Scarlet	Dk Green	Scarlet	White/Silver

The second listing under lace/buttons applies to the officers, the first to the troopers.

* Several sources show the 8th Hussars as having red  (or red mixed with dark green) lace and white buttons, probably starting sometime after 1805.

Another detail of hussar dress were the “barrel sashes” worn around the waist, forming vertical bands of alternating colors usually red/white or  red/yellow according to the lace color, but at least in the case of the 8th regiment, red/green was known as well. Finally, the  elaborately decorated covers of the hussar’s sabretaches formed yet another item of delicious extravagance. There were many variations in pattern, usually based upon the uniform colors of the regiment, and the regimental numeral along with wreath or eagle motifs. On campaign, these expensive items were often covered by plain black leather bearing the regimental number in white or yellow metal, or simply left home! Later in the Empire, these simpler devices were made regulation, but is doubtful that older designs were retired by those who already owned them! The Sabretache listing below is far from exhaustive, most regiments having several different patterns in use at any one time...

Regt	Barrels *	Sabretache: Ground, Device, Border
1	Red	Lt blue, green wreath white “1”, red with white inner piping
2	Red	Red, white “2” beneath yellow eagle, white
3	Red	Lt grey, white 3 beneath white eagle, white
4	Red	Red, green wreath around yellow “4”, yellow
5	Red	Lt Blue, yellow eagle and “5”, yellow
6	Red	Red, yellow eagle and “6”, yellow
7	Red	Dark Green, yellow wreath around “7”, yellow
8	Red	Red, white eagle w/ white “8” on green shield,  green
9	Red	Red, yellow eagle and “9”, white
10	Red	Light blue, white eagle and “10”, white
11	Red	black, gold “11”
12	Red	?? probably just black with white metal “12”
13	Red	?? probably just black with white metal “13”
14	Red	?? probably just black with white metal “14”

Troopers of the 1st company, 1st squadron, or compagnie d’ elite, usually wore colpacks with red plumes and cloth bags. Officers of all companies in the hussars often wore the colpack as well. They also substituted gold for yellow and silver for white lace, etc, wherever they appeared in the troopers uniform. Bandoliers of colored leather with metal ornamentation were also common for Hussar officers, at least for full dress wear.

Until the introduction of the Imperial Livery in 1811, Hussar trumpeters would usually have worn reversed colors for both the Dolman and pelisse, and sometimes even the pants. Trumpeter shakos might be like those of the troopers, or made with colored fabric or white or black Colpacks might be worn. Not surprisingly for troops with such flamboyant uniforms to start with, some regiment’s trumpeters were dressed distinctively in colors that were soley the whim of the Colonel. One suspects the more somber Imperial Livery “wore out” rather quickly and that non regulation garb for hussar trumpeters returned after a fairly brief interval!  Existing uniform sketches would seem to confirm this speculation. As with other French cavalry, the trumpeters generally rode grey or white horses, and their sheepskin saddles were customarily black instead of white.


George Grasse's site gives one set of explicit listings of French Hussar trumpeter uniforms, as well as some pictures of beautifully painted larger scale Hussar models.


Tim Reese's schematic drawings of French Hussar uniforms are an excellent reference in general, and illustrate at least one trumpeter variant for each regiment as well.


The Napoleonistyka site’s section on uniforms includes the glorious plates of French Hussars from Fred and Liliane Funken’s L’Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats du Premier Empire. I bought my copy of this work at age 15 way back in 1970, and taught myself to read basic French to make use of it. That was soon followed by Knoetel’s Handbuch der Uniformkunde and an understanding of basic German, which improved greatly when I took 2 years of German in college, that language being highly recommended for Chemistry majors back then, much of the early Chemical literature and encyclopedias (Beilstein!) being in German. I was more interested in being able to read Knoetel, though! I also have J.O.B’s plates and others on CD, courtesy of Uniformology, a compact but not always terribly easily searched format.


For those of us who find painting sabretaches tedious, but the effect worthwhile, there is this excellent sheet of  Aldo Stocco's print-out Hussar Sabretaches as listed on Robert Egar’s “The Napoleonic Wargamer” blog. As I do not have permission to share Mr. Stocco’s fine work, I have provided the link above.


Both fascinating, and proof that full hussar kit is no less expensive now than it was 200 years ago, is this French company making and selling Reproduction Sabretaches They are quite beautiful, but average 500 Euros each! I imagine some of these images could be manipulated and printed out for use on 28mm or larger figures as well. Hmmm!


Well, time to move on to some pictures of my own Hussar regiments. These are all Wargames Foundy figures.

This is the 2e Hussars, dressed in marroon brown dolmans and pelisse, with sky blue pants and facings. 

I've painted them still wearing the old fashioned queues and powdered hair.

This picture shows the sabretaches well. 

The trumpeter wears "reversed colors"; note also the difference in the plume colors.

This is the 4e Hussars; this particular regiment has always been my favorite for some reason. 

The 4e Regiment has dark blue dolmans and pants with red pelisse. In away this is a bit reminiscent of the Chasseurs a Cheval of the Guard, substituting blue for green.

The trumpeter once again wears reversed colors with a different plume variant; even the sabretache colors for this trumpeter are different from the troopers.

The trumpeter's uniform is especially well seen here.

Here we have the 9th Regiment of Hussars. The trumpeter's sabretache is once again different in coloration from that of the troopers. 

Rather than the usual reversed colors, this trumpeter wears a more fanciful design, doubtless a caprice of the Regiment's colonel. This particular variant is described below.

Another view of the 9th Hussar regiment.

The 9th regiment of Hussars; note the colpack worn by the Elite company.

Other Uniform Variants:

1st Hussars: Funken shows trumpeter in reversed colors except both collar and cuff are light blue; pants light blue. Sabretache red with white border and large “1” surrounded by green wreath (1807). Osprey shows a trumpeter (1812) wearing a white pelisse (black fur) with light blue lace and white metal buttons (scarlet dolman?), light blue pants, and the tall shako rolleau in light blue fabric with white band at the top and a scarlet pom-pom.


3rd Hussars:  Knoetel shows a band leader in scarlet dolman, pelisse (black fur), and pants with grey-blue collar and cuffs (both piped white,  and grey-blue braid, white buttons. Sabretache grey-blue with white eagle, red border (the troopers have plain black with brass “3”). Black Colpack with grey-blue bag trimmed white, black plume. Osprey shoes an officer, 1809-1813, in regulation uniform but with brown fur on the pelisse.Red leather baldric, boots, and belting complement the silver buttons anf lace on the dolman, pelisse, and pants.


4th Hussars: Knoetel shows an officer wearing black colpack with red bag and plume, more or less regulation uniform, but grey fur on the pelisse. Sabretache red with yellow border and large “4” in the center; troopers abretache similar but yellow eagle in the center with small 4 below.  Osprey shows trumpeter (1804-5) with reversed colors including scarlet pants, dark blue and red flamme trimmed yellow wrapped around the shako. Osprey also shows a Trumpet Major (1810) in reversed colors, but with red mixed with yellow cords on the pelisse (and presumably dolman, if worn), a scarlet shako also with the same colored cords. Black plume.


5th Hussars: Knoetel shows  troopers (1807, 1808) with medium blue shako and white plume, another with a  black shako with medium blue topped white plume. Sabretache variants red center with yellow border piped white, one with just a large yellow “5” in the center, another with the same surrounded by a green wreath. Osprey shows trumpeter with light blue dolman with white cuffs, scarlet pelisse  (black fur) and pants. Shako covered with white fabric, yellow cords and plume(1805) . Hourtelle (1809) shows a trumpeter with whitepants and dolman (blue cuffs and collar trimmed red), and blur pelisse (black fur). All have yellow lace and buttons. Hako is blue with a white plume. Trumpeter’s sabretache is blue with yelllow border piped red, yellow eagle with “5” below it, all surrounded by a green wreath.


6th Hussars: Knoetel hows more or less regulation uniform, officer with black colpack having gold cords and red plume, white fur on the pelisse. Sabretache dark blue with gold eagle and border, gold metallic fringe. Trooper’s shako has red plume tipped black, sabretache dark blue bordered yellow, with yellow “6” surrounded by green wreath. Osprey shows a trumpeter (1812) in reversed colors, namely blue dolman with red cuffs and collar, red pelisse and pants, The pelisse has white fur, and he wears a white colpack with red bag. Hourtelle (1809) shows an elite company trumpeter in an all red dolman, pelisse (black fur), and pants, yellow lace , buttons, and red/yellow barrels. Black colpack with dark blue bag piped yellow, black plume with red pom-pom  at base. A trooper is shopwn in regulation uniform, sabretache dark blue with yellow border and “6”, surrounded by a green wreath.


7th Hussars: Knoetel shows trumpeter wearing all scarlet dolman, pelisse (black fur), and pants, with red mixed with yellow braid and trumpet cords, white colpack with the same colored cords, red plume tipped yellow, red bag piped yellow. Barrel sash dark green and yellow. Sabretache red with yellow border and “7”, surrounded by dark green wreath (including troopers).  Funken shows the same (1807).  Hourtelle (1809) shows an wlite company  trumpeter wearing a red dolman (with dark green collar and cuffs piped red) and pelisse (black fur), dark green pants, all with yellow buttons and lace. Black colpack with green bag piped yellow, red over white plume with yellow pom pom at the base.


8th Hussars:  Knoetel (1812) shows a large number of variants in headwear including the tall “shako rolleau”) covered in red fabric, as well as the earlier shako, and of course the colpack  for the elite compnay. Some have white lace on their uniforms, some red, some red mixed with green!  The trumpeter wears an all red uniform with dark green lace and barrel sash, white plume in place of the black of the troopers. Funken (1804-1806) shows trooper with red lace on dolman and pelisse, green lace on pants.


9th Hussars: Buquoy shows a trumpeter, presumably of the Elite company, 1812 wearing a scarlet dolman and pants with yellow braid, golden yellow pelisse with white fur and yellow braid, white colpack with red bag and light blue cords and plume. Sabretache red with golden yellow border and grenade emblem in the center. JOB shows a trumpeter of the same regiment, center company, 1806-12 wearing a golden yellow dolman, scarlet pelisse and pants, turquoise shako with yellow plume and cords, and white buttons and lace on the dolman (red collar) and pelisse, black fur and black lace on the pants. Light blue mixed with white trumpet cords. Hourtelle shows a similar uniform, except the lace on the dolman is blue.


10th Hussars: Knoetel shows trumpeter with reversed colors (red dolman with blue collar and cuffs, red pelisse with black fur, both with white mixed with blue lace as well as trumpet cords. Pants dark blue with white lace, barrel sash white and dark blue, shako dark blue with white lace band around the top, red plume. White sheepskin with dark blue “wolves's teeth” border. Plain black sabretache with gold shield bearing inscribed “10”.


11th Hussars: Funken shows (1810) regulation uniform, but with white fur on the pelisse and tricolor (red- white-blue) barrel sash.


12th Hussars:  Osprey shows a trumpeter of the 9th Hussars (bis) in 1812, the parent unit of the regiment, wearing yellow pelisse (black fur), yellow dolman with scarlet collar and cuffs, white buttons and braid, and light blue pants with scarlet stripe on the seem. His black Colpack has a scarlet bag piped white and a scarlet pom pom. Also described in 1813 after the name change is a new trumpeter’s uniform consisting of white dolman and pelisse with scarlet cords/lace, and light blue collar and cuffs on the dolman. the pants were light blue with white lace.



I hope you enjoyed this survey of the uniforms of the dashing Hussars. This concludes my coverage of the French Line Cavalry, having previously addressed the Chassuers a Cheval, Dragoons, Cheavu-Leger Lanciers, Cuirassiers and Carabiniers. The Cavalry of the Guard will be covered in the future as well.

Peter



SOURCES:
Weblinks as listed within the text of the posting above
Uniformology CD’s of uniform plates including those by buquoy, Marbot, JOB, and Knoetel.
E.G. Hourtelle, Austerlitz: the Empire at its Zenith and Wagram: the Apogee of the Empire. Histoire and Collections, Paris, 2003 and 2005 respectively.
Emir Bukhari and Angus McBride, Napoleon’s Hussars. Osprey Publishing, London, 1978 (reprinted 1989).
Fred and Lilliane Funken, L’Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats du Premier Empire. Casterman, Paris, 1968. (the 2 page plate in the center of this book, depicting a group of hussars from a variety of regiments charging, should enough to convince almost anyone they need some of these dandies in their army!)