| Cantonese | 15 Sep 2009 8:00 a.m. PST |
Hi all, I am a regular reader of this board and I really appreciate the accuracy of info you are providing here. Today I need your help about the color of the Russian Jaegers pants from 1812 to 1815 :
Did they wear white pants or dark green pants with red piping ?
Subsidiary question : did Carabiniers, Musicians and Jaegers all wear the same pants or was there a difference ?
Same question with NCO and officers. The translation of M. VISKOVATOV work is not very specific on that point. It does say that after May 1808 all pants were dark green with red piping but at the same time the 1811 changes made to Grenadier and Musqueteer regiments were applied to Jaegers (i.e. when white pants were issued). Last but not least, when you look at engravings from this period, some of them show Jaegers with dark green pants and others with white pants…
This is very confusing. So I would really appreciate if someone could help me to make the difference between the ordinance regulations and the field … Many Thanks Cantonese |
 lewis cannon  | 15 Sep 2009 8:19 a.m. PST |
White pants in summer, the green in winter, as a rough rule of thumb. No absolutes in this business, though. lc |
| Vintage Wargaming | 15 Sep 2009 8:39 a.m. PST |
Were they Y fronts or Boxers? |
| nvrsaynvr | 15 Sep 2009 8:48 a.m. PST |
In 1812, the black leather leggings became a little higher, otherwise things remained the same. The summer dress was white trousers. The winter dress was d.green with red piping and black leather leggings with brass buttons. This was for the combattant troop, which includes the musicians. Officers wore d.green pants with red piping. It's not clear if they were authorized the gray riding pants (gray, black leather inseams and cuffs, brass buttons) the Infantry and Grenadiers used, but Ul'yanov does illustrate a mounted Jaeger staff officer with them. The August 1814 orders specify a new style of riding pants for the Jaegers, which is either the introduction or a change. |
| Cantonese | 15 Sep 2009 9:17 a.m. PST |
Thanks for your answer lc, It's one of the solution I had thought about and probably the most reasonable… One of my book depicts a russian jaeger putting black leggings over its white pants and the caption says : "…wearing winter leggings because of the very bad weather in this summer 1813". Howerver this source is not a primary one (even though its from M. Embleton). A beautiful primary source by editor Johann Cappi (1765-1815) shows a russian jaeger in dark green pants. You can see it here : picture |
| Cantonese | 15 Sep 2009 9:20 a.m. PST |
oups ! new messages while I was posting my answer to lc… Thanks again all. |
| plutarch 64 | 15 Sep 2009 9:27 a.m. PST |
Dark green pants, with a red stripe, I would say. |
| Regards | 15 Sep 2009 9:54 a.m. PST |
As "plutarch 64" states, this is what is in the museums at both Borodino and in St. Petersburg at Gatchina (or at least, that is what they had back in the late 90s when I was there). Erik |
| nvrsaynvr | 15 Sep 2009 11:42 a.m. PST |
"…wearing winter leggings because of the very bad weather in this summer 1813" The leggings were supposed to be sewn onto the pants, but apparently some were separate articles, and could be worn with the summer trousers: link |
| Musketier | 21 Sep 2009 6:27 a.m. PST |
No idea what colour their pants were, nor should any straight male be interested. Their trousers were supposed to be white in summer, green with a red stripe in winter. Leggings only came up as ladies' sportswear during the 1980s – in the early 19th century infantrymen around Europe wore gaiters, mostly black. |
| Cantonese | 23 Sep 2009 2:21 p.m. PST |
Pants, trousers,… all the same for a "sans-culottes". Anyway, thanks for the answer. |
takes the plunge.
