"Spanish Militia Uniforms - status in 1808" Topic

Hi all, I've posted on our club site a table of the Provincial Militia and Grenadier battalion uniform colours in May 1808. The list is a translation of a primary document I found online. Most of the battalions are wearing provisional brown cloth, a couple have no uniforms, and quite a few were unable to provide the data to the clerk compiling the list.

Take a look at link

The page has a link to the Ciudad Real tourist board site with the original scan, please drop me a comment when you find glaring mistakes in my shaky translation.

Cheers,
Aksu

That is really interesting, thanks very much for posting that. I clearly need more brown-uniformed Spanish militiamen!!

Regards

Lol and what does "useless" next to the battalion mean?

No uniforms at all?

F

The original says "inutil" which I translated as "useless". So probably you could use a truly ragged mix of figures for these units. Of course, inutil also means "vain" and "frivolous"' so you do have an excuse to paint a pink unit I suppose?

I knew I'd have a use for that luminous orange….

F

Ovideo Asturias Gifon 600 57 Useless

Awesome. I painted these guys and they are mostly in civilian clothes.

Dear Aksu
Thank you for the reference. The information has now gone into the Spanish Army of the Early Peninsular War (co-authored with Gerard Cronin). The Translation of "useless" should be disbanded.

The brown uniform with red facings was introduced in 1802 as far as I can understand.

Interesting that some of the Grenadiers Regiments were in M1790 blue uniforms

Thanks
Stephen

The translation for inutil is useless, that is, the uniform are so worn that are, well, useless. The word for disbanded is disuelto, or dado de baja.

Emilio.

Thank you but does that mean this in the context. Is the meaning useless uniforms?

Hi Stephen and Emilio,
I might be jumping to a conclusion, but I would be a bit hesitant to assume that the "inutil" refers to the unit being disbanded in this case – purely because the column where "inutil" is used is titled "Estado de su Vestuario" i.e. "State of their Uniform". However, if there is other information stating that these units were indeed disbanded this would be a nice corroboration. The units in question are: 1st Grenadier battalion of the 4th Division, Oviedo militia and Murcia militia.
By the way, Ciudad Real militia is specifically said "not to have uniforms".
Anyway, I am in no way an expert on the topic of 1808 Spanish, I know dangerously little :)
Cheers,
Aksu

According to Sanudo "Base de Datos sobre las Unidades Militares en la Guerra de la Independencia Espanola". the 1st battalion of Provincial Grenadiers in the Galician 4th Division was formed from companies from the Regiments of Oviedo, Lugo, Orense, Monterrey & Mondenedo.

2nd battalion of Provincial Grenadiers in the Galician 4th Division was formed from companies from the Regiments of Santiago, Tuy, Compostela, Betanzos & Pontevedra.

Also according to Sanudo's database, on 16 May 1808 the Oviedo Provincial Regiment was at Gijon with 34 Jefes & 534 tropas uniforme inutil; on 20 May it had 590 hombres; the regiment was still in existence at the end of the war.

I would agree with Emilio that inutil probably means worn out or unserviceable…

What and where is this Sanudo database. I have not heard of this. I would like to get what I have written correct for the book that I am in the final proof stage.
Stephen

Sanudo, J. Base de Datos sobre las Unidades Militares en la Guerra de la Independencia (Ministerio de Defensa CD, 2007)

Thank you. I am now attempting to purchase it. Note that it was updated in 2013 according to the website.
Thanks
Stephen

Apart from the Sanudo database you will find "Soldados del Rey" website of use, though it is not complete link

It contains a listing of the uniforms worn by the line infantry in April 1808 – see Table 2 link

The site mentioned above is a good source indeed. Please note they mention Mr Sanudo's theory that only the provincial militia grenadiers were to receive the white uniform, the rest having to do with old blue or home-spun durable brown cloth: "La teoría de Juan José Sañudo (seguida de cerca por otros) es que el uniforme blanco sólo lo llegaron a vestir los granaderos de los regimientos provinciales, y el resto del personal debió conformarse con el antiguo uniforme azul, o, en algunos casos, con uniformes de paño pardo de confección casera, más sufridos y baratos, aunque menos lucidos."
Which seems to be supported b the original document.
Cheers,
Aksu

One of the Militia Regiments were wearing the M1805 White uniforms. So Sanudo's theary should read only very few of the Militia regiment received the new uniform. There are 20 regiments that he has no returns for.
Stephen

When troops of Division La Romana came in France in 1807 a text describes that the inhabitants saw them in all BROWN uniform, it is curious because the famous contemporary plates concerning this Division sent to Germany and Denmark illustrate them in white, blue, and green clohes of the Line and Light Infantry, the only spaniards with La Romana in brown at this date seem to be few mule-drivers…

There were also a few from the Provincial Militia attached to the artillery. The Spanish wore brown ponchos and short capes. The stable/undress uniform was also made of brown bloth often.

Sorry I can bore most of you about Romana's Division. All 51 plates are in our new book out beginning of April. Still so much more that is appearing to put in the book. I should stop.
Stephen

very interesting, I have to add that the text isn't very clear about if it concerns some mule drivers of artillery train or a whole battalion seen in Orléans the 19th june 1807 (according to the history of Division I have read the only unit reaching Orléans ~19th june could be the light infantry 1st Battalion of Volunteers of Barcelona)

ex abrupto the sentence written in french gives :
"ils étaient vêtus de petits habits-vestes BRUNS, culottes courtes de même couleur, guêtres en forme de bas sans pieds, chaussés de sandales découvertes avec des cothurnes rouges ornés de rubans verts"

The witness also paid attention how they marched, always walking hastily even during parades, something who seems similar to today famous Italian Bersaglieri I think

About militia companies attached to other units – the original document's first footnote (if I read it correctly) states that the 1st fusilier company of eleven battalions (listed in the doc) are attached to the artillery. And four battalions have men attached to various cavalry regiments. I wonder what their tasks were in the cavalry units?
Cheers,
Aksu