2nd Nassau Infantry Regiment

Then twin duchies of Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Weilburg joined the Confederation of the Rhine on July 12, 1806 as the united Duchy of Nassau. They were ultimately required to supply 2 Infantry regiments, each of 2 battalions, and a small cavalry unit of  2 squadrons of Jagers zu Pferde.

In 1807, the Nassau contingent served at the siege of Colberg, and also participated in the assault on Stralsund. 

The 2nd Nassau regiment and the mounted Jagers were both sent to serve in Spain in 1808, while the 1st Regiment participated in the Danube campaign in 1809, and then later joined their colleagues in Spain. The 2nd regiment participated in the Battle of Talavera. Nassau went over the the Allies in November 1813; the 1st regiment defected to the British and the 2nd regiment was disarmed  in Spain at that time.

During the hundred Days campaign in 1815, the 2nd Nassau regiment was famously present from the beginning of the fighting at Quatre Bras on June 16, and Nassau troops were involved in the fighting at Hougoumont, Papelotte, and La Haye Sainte at Waterloo on the 18th. 

These excellent Front Rank sculpts wear the uniform of the 100 Days campaign. The only significant change from the uniforms worn from 1808 were the introduction of the Colpack headdress for the Grenadiers by 1810 (some say fur should be more brown in color), and the change from epaulets (red for Grenadiers, bright green for Voltigeurs) to shoulder rolls or Achselwuelste (red for Grenadiers, yellow for voltigeurs). For details of this uniform one can hardly do better than the Cent Jours site. 

The pom-poms on the shakos of the four Fusilier companies were:  1st yellow, 2nd white, 3rd light blue, 4th black. Uniquely, all of the leather work foer the Nassau regiments was buff. 

    As for the Mounted Jagers, they wore an all dark green uniform of Hussar style (no pelisse) with silver lace, and a black helmet resembling that of the Bavarian dragoons with a green side plume and a black "sausage roll". Belts were silver, later black. They later (post 1810) adopted a dark green pelisse with silver lace and  brown fur, and a brown colpack with a green bag, and white tassle (silver for officers). 

    I had long planned on adding a unit of versatile Nassauers to my collection, but realizing they fought during the Talavera campaign and battle, and needing to place an order to Front Rank for some additional Generals made me pull the trigger on these fellows. They are now ready to march on Lancaster (and Talavera) in just a few more days!