French Napoleonic Line Infantry in Bicorne, part 1

For some time I had been feeling that I needed more French Line infantry. It is the one troop type that it always seems there isn't quite enough of in my collection. Sure, I can easily fill in with Italians, Westphalian, Poles and assorted Confederation of the Rhine troops... and I have. I had been considering doing another 'Division" of 4 units with Foundry figures in a pose that I hadn't already used for my existing troops ("loading"), but they're just so darned expensive, even with the post Brexit-vote pound, well over $2 per foot figure. Also, the composition of their command packs and the number of figures in their packs is odd, creating further increased cost due to wasted figures.

When I was at Histioricon this July, my long time friend from the Piquet mailing list was once again selling stuff at the flea market. Among the many items that I didn't need was a box of 50 Old Glory French Fusiliers in Bicorne. When Freddie offered them to me for $20, it became decided that the new French Division would be wearing the uniforms of the early Napoleonic Wars, 1804 - 1807. I put them away without inspecting them very closely... until I decided to do the Austerlitz game this December 3rd. Even after paring down the Order of Battle twice, I was still left needing 32 units of French Line, and I have "only" 28 of them. I then recalled these troops, and sorted them out. I found that I had enough figures to make 4 units of 12 fusiliers, including command. I will have to eventually add grenadiers and voltigeurs to bring them up to my usual 18 figure strength, but for this game I will be using 12 figure infantry units anyway to decrease the footprint on the table as well as the time needed to pack, set up, take down, repack, and then unpack them again at home, so this will work out fine for the business at hand.

This is the first of the units, designated as the 54e Ligne.

The 54e is descended from the Royal Roussillon Regiment, first raised 1657.  I had some GMB French 1804 pattern infantry flags on hand, but they were just too big for the Old Glory flagpoles and Eagles. Fortunately, I also had a generous supply of old Signifer flags, and those are what you see here. 

Among others, this regiment fought at Austerlitz, Friedland, Somosierra, Talavera, Waterloo

These figures are listed as being in "campaign dress", and I really enjoyed all the little details the sculptor added to them, as well as the very animated style. Note the frying pans strapped to the packs of the figures in the foreground!

I included the two bareheaded figures in this unit; they fit well with the Campaign theme. 

The next unit of the Division is the 45e Ligne. By the way, the units of the Division are mostly from the Division of  Pierre Belon Lapisse, Baron de Sainte-Hélène, which formed part of  Victor's I Corps at Friedland in 1807. I couldn't resist the name!

The 45e Regiment descended from the Regiment de la Couronne, raised 1643

It fought at the battles of Austerlitz, Mohrungen, Friedland, Talavera, Dresden,  and Waterloo.

Note once again the various sacks, gourds, water bottles etc hanging off the figures

! 

I gave this unit light buff  colored pants, figuring they had replaced their worn out Government issue with some locally liberated items. There is one blank spot left by a "deserter"; that will have to be filled when I purchase and add the Grenadiers and Voltigeurs to the unit next year. 

I enjoyed painting the older, long tailed coats - it made it much easier to do all the little intricacies of the French Line infantry uniform:  white lapels and turn-backs piped red, red collars and cuffs piped white, with dark blue cuff flaps bearing 3 brass buttons, red edging on the pockets, etc.I gave the drum rims a rather Republican flavored tricolor rims. 

Although these are troops of the early, glory days of the Empire, they look so Republican that I found myself singing La Marseillaise to myself often while painting them. More appropriate would be another song of the French Revolution, Le Chant du Départ. Lyrics as below. The song was made the Anthem of the Empire by Napoleon (not to be confused with the Hymn of the Empire, Veillons au Salut de l'Empire).

LYRICS

Un député du Peuple	A deputy of the People
La victoire en chantant Nous ouvre la barrière. La Liberté guide nos pas. Et du Nord au Midi La trompette guerrière A sonné l'heure des combats. Tremblez ennemis de la France Rois ivres de sang et d'orgueil. Le Peuple souverain s'avance, Tyrans descendez au cercueil.	Victory sings Opens its gate for us Liberty guides our steps And from North to South The horn of war Rang the battle hour Tremble, enemies of France Kings drunk on blood and pride Sovereign People comes forth Tyrants go down to your graves
Chant des guerriers (Refrain)	Song of the Warriors (Chorus)
La République nous appelle Sachons vaincre ou sachons périr Un Français doit vivre pour elle Pour elle un Français doit mourir.	The Republic is calling us Let's know how to vanquish or let's know how to perish A Frenchman must live for her [the Republic] For her [the Republic] a Frenchman must die
Une mère de famille	A mother of a family
De nos yeux maternels ne craignez pas les larmes : Loin de nous de lâches douleurs ! Nous devons triompher quand vous prenez les armes : C'est aux rois à verser des pleurs. Nous vous avons donné la vie, Guerriers, elle n'est plus à vous ; Tous vos jours sont à la patrie : Elle est votre mère avant nous. (Refrain)	Do not fear that our motherly eyes shall weep From us begone, cowardly grief! We shall triumph when you take up arms It is kings who should shed a tear We gave you life Warriors, it is no longer yours All your days belong to the Motherland She is your mother more than we are (Chorus)
Deux vieillards	Two old men
Que le fer paternel arme la main des braves ; Songez à nous au champ de Mars ; Consacrez dans le sang des rois et des esclaves Le fer béni par vos vieillards ; Et, rapportant sous la chaumière Des blessures et des vertus, Venez fermer notre paupière Quand les tyrans ne seront plus. (Refrain)	May their fathers' blade be placed in the hands of the brave, Remember us on the Field of Mars (on the battlefield) Baptise in the blood of kings and slaves The blade thus blessed by your elders And by bringing back home Both wounds and virtues Return to shut our eyes When tyrants are no more (Chorus)
Un enfant	A child
De Barra, de Viala le sort nous fait envie ; Ils sont morts, mais ils ont vaincu. Le lâche accablé d'ans n'a point connu la vie : Qui meurt pour le peuple a vécu. Vous êtes vaillants, nous le sommes : Guidez-nous contre les tyrans ; Les républicains sont des hommes, Les esclaves sont des enfants. (Refrain)	The fates of Barra and Viala fill us with envy They died, but they prevailed Cowards crushed by the weight of years never truly knew life He who dies for the People has lived You are brave, so are we Lead us against Tyrants Republicans are men Slaves are children (Chorus)
Une épouse	A wife
Partez, vaillants époux ; les combats sont vos fêtes ; Partez, modèles des guerriers ; Nous cueillerons des fleurs pour en ceindre vos têtes : Nos mains tresserons vos lauriers. Et, si le temple de mémoire S'ouvrait à vos mânes vainqueurs, Nos voix chanterons votre gloire, Nos flancs porteront vos vengeurs. (Refrain)	Leave, valiant husbands! Battles are your feasts Leave, models for warriors We shall pick flowers to crown your heads Our hands shall braid laurels And if the temple of memory (death) Should open for your victorious manes Our voices shall sing your glory Our wombs shall bear your avengers (Chorus)
Une jeune fille	A young girl
Et nous, sœurs des héros, nous qui de l'hyménée Ignorons les aimables nœuds ; Si, pour s'unir un jour à notre destinée, Les citoyens forment des vœux, Qu'ils reviennent dans nos murailles Beaux de gloire et de liberté, Et que leur sang, dans les batailles, Ait coulé pour l'égalité. (Refrain)	And we, sister of the heroes, we who of Hymenaios marriage's sweet bonds Are still ignorant If someday to join his fate to ours A citizen should express the wish Let them come back within our walls Embellished with glory and liberty And let their blood, in battle Have spilled for equality (Chorus)
Trois guerriers	Three warriors
Sur le fer devant Dieu, nous jurons à nos pères, À nos épouses, à nos sœurs, À nos représentants, à nos fils, à nos mères, D'anéantir les oppresseurs : En tous lieux, dans la nuit profonde, Plongeant l'infâme royauté, Les Français donneront au monde Et la paix et la liberté. (Refrain)	On the iron, before God, we swear to our fathers to our wives, to our sisters to our representatives, to our sons, to our mothers that we shall annihilate oppressors Everywhere, into the deep night by sinking the infamous royalty the French shall give to the world peace and liberty (Chorus)