"Old Guard Color Escorts" Topic
5 Posts
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Widowson  | 18 Jul 2012 12:12 p.m. PST |
By 1812, French Guard infantry carried only two eagles – Grenadiers and Chasseurs. Yet I have never seen a description of their color parties. Line units had lieutenants carrying the eagle. Did the Guard do the same, or did they have captains carrying the eagle? And did they have halberdier color guards like the line, or a different arrangement? |
La Fleche  | 18 Jul 2012 10:55 p.m. PST |
The Decree of 18 Feb 1808 set out the regulations pertaining to Eagles and Porte & Garde-Aigles and was further reinforced by the Decree of 28 June 1809: 1 Eagle per regiment; 1er Porte-Aigle to be a Lieutenant or Sous-Lieutenant of at least 10 years service or have participated in the campaigns of Ulm, Austerlitz, Jena and Friedland. 2eme & 3eme Porte-Aigles were selected from amongst the most senior and stolid sergeant majors. These decrees were universal. Particular to the Guard, from 18 May 1811 both the Grenadiers and Chasseurs had but one eagle each (residing with the 1st regiments) and one Porte-Aigle/ Porte-Drapeau per regiment, but the 3rd Grenadiers seem to have kept two 1er Porte-Aigles on their books for some time after.
After 1814 there was only one Porte-Aigle per corps of grenadiers and chasseurs. Charrie, Drapeaux et Etendards de la Revolution et de l'Empire pp194-196 So in short the colour parties were the same as the line but differed only in timing of the implementation of the regulations (particularly the 3eme Grenadiers). |
| La Fleche | 19 Jul 2012 12:02 a.m. PST |
Correction: Should read: "From 18 May 1811 each regiment of both the Grenadiers and Chasseurs had but one Porte-Aigle each." ie 1811-14 – One Porte-Aigle per regiment (2 for the 3eme Grenadiers)
1814-15 – One Porte-Aigle per corps, residing with the 1er Regiment. |
| Widowson | 19 Jul 2012 11:46 a.m. PST |
Did the 2nd and 3rd portes carry halberds and pistols like the line? If the regs were universal, I would expect the answer is "yes," but I have never seen an illustration of a guard 2nd or 3rd porte aigle. |
| Widowson | 19 Jul 2012 5:19 p.m. PST |
Can anybody point to an illustration of these color guards? |
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