"Which French infantry had colpacks?" Topic

I remember that at least some of the French light infantry, perhaps carabinier, had colpacks. Does anyone remember which units?

Elite light voltigeur company. Carabinieri had the bearskin.

But few of them (the voltigeurs) had colpacks. I was wondering which regiments?

Whichever ones could get away with it

I will see if I can pin down specifics in my library at home tonight!

As far as I know, it varied by regiment and within reg't Bn's. Both legere and line bn's of certain regiments had Volt coys with them if period illustrations are accurate. They were not issued after a time, and I think they were not regulation after 1808- Some Individual officers issued them earlier in the period often kept them later when able, despite regulations to the contrary.

I think I have seen pictures of the 17th Legere wearing them for their volts in 1809. I could be wrong but I am pretty sure I have a picture on my computer. I will try and find it when I get home from work.

I always thought the light companies of the Legre could have them?
Regards
Russ Dunaway

Not sure whether we have access to that level of detail regarding the headwear of individual regiments. I certainly don't think anyone could put forward an informed argument one way or the other.

Go with what you think looks good.

Raglan

I pulled out the Infanterie volume of Les Uniformes du Preimier Empire which has Commandant Bucquoy's cards. He has a number of cards of specific legere regiments. The only colbacks shown are on officers, musicians and sappers if I remember correctly. I did not have the time to read the text to see if it said anything about colbacks. My college French is passable, but slow.

Interestingly, the colbaks on officers in the Bucquoy cards were carabiniers and chasseurs, not voltigeurs.

Plate No. 33 of the series by Lucien Rousselot shows an officer of voltiguers in a colback with a yellow bag and a plume that is red (or scarlet?) over yellow. His source is an illustration by de Berka. I am not familiar with this source, but in Europe a number of citizens would do illustrations of the units that passed thorugh their towns. I do not know if he was one of these or not.

In the text with Rousselot's plate No. 5, if I am reading the French properly, he says the colback was worn by several companies of carabiniers, but he does not identify the regiments.

Figure 24 on that plate is of a voltigeur enlisted man in a colback, a plume as for the officer described above, a yellow busby bag or "flamme" as the Frech call it, with a white tassel on the end of the busby bag, and white cording on the colback.

Rousselot does not identify the regiment, but the text says the colback for voltigeurs was very rare, "plus rarement".

Tom

I saw a picture of the Irish legion voltigeurs wearing Colpacks. The picture could be fanciful.

Perhaps this is worth painting up a skirmish screen anyway. Just for the hell of it.

I always thought the early carabiniers was known for the "bearskin"? Oh well -- shows you what I know?
Regards
Russ Dunaway

Osprey shows a sappeur in colpack (8th legere, 1809), and notes that the following regimental sappeurs wore them: 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 31st – though it doesn't specify WHEN. Probably 1807-12. Other notes include:

7th Legere, carabinier officer

It really is a matter of individual regiments and time periods, and all that info is in French, and maybe sitting unmolested in a cardboard box at Vincennes.

So unless you can find specific info on a regiment you are building, then it's open season as far as I'm concerned. Think about why you paint these little dudes. It's the uniforms, of course. So if no info is available, do what makes you happy.

Eltings volume 1 has a carabinier (private) of the 7th legere' in colpack (painted by Knoetel of course). True that early to mid-era carabiniers would sport bearskins, but apparently the 7th had them in colpacks. Voltiguers of several light regiments were issued colpacks and I recall the Osprey on French Light infantry pointing out that some light infantry were still wearing them at the battle of Leipzig.

Not sure if and in that case which regiment etranger clad their privates in them, but I can never recall seeing or reading anything about privates being issued colpacks, just the old bearskin:) but, they do look good and why not add some skirmishers in colpack, apparently one would wear what one had, or had scavenged, and I would give myself some "artistic freedom" in this, after all it is the Napoleonic era!

The voltigeur companies in some light infantry regiments wore colpacks. The voltigeur companies in line infantry regiments did not.

John Elting's Napoleonic Uniforms Volume I illustrates some of the light infantry regiments that had voltigeurs in colpacks.

I would highly recommend Guy Dempsey's two books on French uniforms, which are primary sources, for help in this area.

Sincerely,
Kevin

I am building 2 French Light regiments a total of 6 battalions. I have one battalion with Voltigeur in colpack for a variance, the rest are in shako.