"7th Legere distinctions" Topic

Recently moved, with all my books in storage. Still, I have my paints with me and wanted to do 4th, 7th, or 15th legere in the pre-1812 period. Can any of you dig up Osprey and offer details for any of these units? Besides color distinctions, I'm looking for who had bearskins on their carabiniers, or colpacks on their voltiguers.

Thanks.

link

My source materials are all in storage as well, but I found this illustration of drums and drum major of the 15th Leger. It looks like a short-tailed light infantry regiment with dark blue cuffs edged white, and red flaps edged white – a regulation unit.

I am interested in the 4th Leger, for I did the 2nd
"after Rousselot," and they were brigaded together in the IInd Corps in Spain, along with the 15th line (white uniforms faced black!) and the 36th line.

GdeP

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I would like to know of any 4th Legere distinctions too GdP as I have just done the 2nd as per Rousselot too.

Rousselot has nothing for the 7th, but does have a Pioneer-Corporal as per the plate linked by GdP for the 15th. However he has a colback with red bag and a Red plume. Plus Grey trousers with a red stripe – very spiffing.

Strangely Elting's Knotel plates (1811) have a 7th Carabinier also in a colback with red bag and red plume. Sword knots, epalettes, boot tassles also in red.

He also has a Carabinier drummer the same but with red lapels to the jacket with broad white piping on coat and waistcoat.

Elting also has a 15th Legere cornet (1810) in effect as per Rousselot with red coast and sky blue facings. He also has the shako with a sky blue band. As a voltiguer he has silver epalettes with a green fringe and green boot tassles.

Hope this helps.

you might find something in the

de Ridder collection at Gallica

link

Here's what Osprey MAA #146 has to say on the three units.

On the 4e Léger there's pretty little I'm afraid, except for an 1810 (lozenge) shako plate with the numeral beneath the horn rather than inside it.

7e Léger:
"1806 shako plate bore embossed crowned eagle on a hunting horn, with '7' stamped out of the curl of the horn. Chasseurs c.1809 had white shako cords, eagle plate, with a red pompon recorded (perhaps in different 'company' colours); blue shoulder straps piped white, green gaiter lace with red tassel knot.
Carabinier officer depicted in busby, red plume, red bag laced silver. Voltigeurs, yellow epaulettes with red fringe, white crescent; yellow-over-red plume over yellow ball, yellow shako cords and upper and lower shako bands (upper band silver for NCOs), red sword knot with white strap and yellow fringe, yellow gaiter lace with yellow-fringed red tassel."

15e Léger:
"Voltigeurs c. 1809, yellow upper shako band and cords, yellow-over-red plume over red ball, red epaulettes with yellow fringe, yellow sword knot and gaiter lace with red tassels."

I'll transcribe the description of musicians and sappers in a separate post.

Continuing on the above, there is again no specific information in the book about the 'tête de colonne' of the 4e Léger.

7e Léger:
"C. 1809, chasseur drummer with ordinary shako, green pompon, red collar, cuffs, flaps and lapels with broad white lace, green epaulettes with red crescents, drum-belt bearing brass hunting horn badge over the stick holder. Voltigeur cornet similar, yellow shako bands, yellow-over-red plume over yellow ball, facings as before, yellow epaulettes with white crescent and red fringe, yellow collar laced white. … Sapeur, red plumed busby, red bag piped white."

Colour plate G1 shows a '2e Porte-Aigle' wearing a carabinier bearskin with red plume and white cords, regulation blue coatee with red collar and cuff flaps, red epaulettes fringed in a mix of red and silver. Rank distinctions are a triple silver chevron on the upper left arm, and double silver chevrons on both lower arms. Blue breeches, black gaiters with red trim and tassel. Armament consists of a brace of belt pistols and a halberd with a red fanion.

The text on the 15e Léger's musicians is pretty substantial, so again I'll break here.

Right, here goes – 15e Léger:

"1805-07, band wore red coat, pointed cuffs, green collar, lapels, turnbacks and waistcoat all laced silver, silver trefoils, green breeches, officers' boots, shako with silver lozenge plate, white diagonal cords, white plume over green ball; drum-major same, but double-width lace including Austrian knots (sic) on thighs, silver-laced bicorn, white plume over tricolour panache; drummers like musicians, but company shako ornaments and epaulettes, facings piped white (collar piped red), tricolour lace on collar and cuffs. (…)

Band uniform 1807-09, sky blue shako with white upper band, cords and side plume. Plume at front for drummers. Red coat, collar and cuff flaps; sky blue lapels,cuffs and turnbacks, laced white (including loops on lapels), white trefoils, dark blue breeches, officers' boots; drum-major same, but longer-tailed coat, silver lace, silver-laced bicorn with white plume over sky blue panache, blacj shoulder belt with gilt plate; drummers as musicians, but with white epaulettes, green-laced gaiters with red tassels. (…)

Sapeur: Busby, red bag and plume, white piping and cords; red coat faced sky-blue, white badges and epaulettes, scarlet crescents; Vanson shows sapeur minus apron, sky-blue waistcoat, grey trousers with red stripes, red cuff with sky-blue flaps."

Phew! The colour plates for the regiment show a black musician in the earlier (red and green) uniform, and a cantinière wearing a red dolman faced sky blue, echoing the second colour scheme. I'll be happy to elaborate on those should anybody need the details.

Disclaimer: All excerpts above circulated for research purposes only, no breach of copyright intended.

Yes, the 7eme Legere was a slightly unusually dressed unit.

According to FG Hourtoulle and Patrice Courcelle- the Carabiniers, Sappeurs and 2nd and 3rd portes-aigles wore colpaks (not bearskins) with red plumes and bags. Sappeurs with a basic blue Carabinier uniform with apron rather than anything more showy.

Voltiguers with shakos with yellow cords and top band and yellow over red plume. Collars yellow. Epaulettes green fringe with yellow straps and crescents.

Chasseurs blue piped white shoulder straps, and white shako cords

Blue waistcoats without piping for all companies.

Drummers and hornists red coat lapels.

Many thanks for the help, fellows.

If anyone out there has ever had a Historex legere infantry figure, the directions may provide uniform distinctions. I know that the line figures came with such.

Osprey (#146)
7th Leger 1809
Chassueur – Shako with eagle plate, white cords, red pompon (may vary per company). Blue shoulder strap edged white, green gaiter ornaments with red knot.
Carabinier – (Officer) Busby with red plume and bag laced silver.
Voltigeur – Shako, yellow cords, red plume over yellow ball, yellow shako bands. Yellow epaulettes with white crescent and red fringe, yellow gaiter trim with red knot, red sword knot with white strap and yellow fringe.

Same Osprey show a musician for the 15th, 1807 – African dressed in "Oriental costume" holding a jingling johnny.

This excellent site may help: (a bit of an understatement)

link

Paul :)

Paul
Certainly an understatement.
A most excellent site!!
Tom

I'd like to build this unit in 1/72 plastic. For that I need four to six of HaT's Lt. infantry voltiguers set, with busbies, plume and cording. I know the set has 48 figures, far more than anyone needs. So I'm wondering if anyone out there has a few of these figures they'd care to sell, offer, or trade.