Organization
8 June 1808 – "batttalion de conscrits réfractaires de l'île de Corsica" organized for service in Corsica, composed of deserters and draft evaders from Italian possessions of the French Empire – 6 compagnies de chasseurs (i.e., sans compagnies d'élite)
27 January 1810 – expanded to a regiment of 5 battalions, the "5e bataillion du régiment de la Méditerranée" is stationed on Elba
20 September 1812 – the régiment de la Méditerranée becomes the "35e régiment d'infanterie légère", with the 5e bataillion on Elba becoming the 7e bataillon of the new regiment, remaining in garrison on Elba
12 May 1814 – with the impending repatriation of the 7e bataillon du 35e régiment d'infanterie légère, Napoleeon offers to recruit Corsicans and Elbans from the unit to stay on the island and join his personal guard – less than 300 men agree, despite rather large bounties for enlistment
21 May 1814 – the "bataillon de chasseurs corses de l'île d'Elbe" is officially formed with 4 compagnies and the following establishment:
…. compagnie de chasseurs – capitaine commandant, lieutenant, sous-lieutenant, sergent-major, 4 sergents, 8 caporaux, 84 chasseurs et 2 tambours
…. état-major – chef de bataillon, capitaine adjudant-major, quartier-maître trésorier, chirurgien-major, tambour-major et maître d'armes
…. toal – 414 all ranks per the establishment (actual strength was never more than 350 men)
16 February 1815 – in preparation for the landing in France, the batallion is renamed "bataillon de flanqueurs de l'île d'Elbe" with the same organization
22 April 1815 – now in Paris and re-forming his guard, Napoléon transitions the batallion to become the basis of the "1er bataillon du 1er régiment de voltiguers de jeune garde à pied", still with 4 compagnies, and the following wartime establishment:
…. compagnie de voltiguers – 1 capitaine commandant, 1 lieutenant, 2 sous-lieutenants, 1 sergent-major, 6 sergents, 1 caporal-fourrier, 12 caporaux, 2 sapeurs (rang de caporal), 172 chasseurs et 2 tambours
…. de la état-major du régiment – chef de bataillion, adjudant-major, 2 adjudants sous-officiers, officier de santé, caporal-tambour
…. total – 806 all ranks (actual strength on 10 June 1815 was 16 officers and 594 other ranks – total 610 all ranks
Commanding Officers
All of these officers were Corsicans, and two were related to Napoléon. All were award the Légion d'honneur during the Cent Jours, only to have the award annulled under the restauration and then re-awarded after 1830.
…. major d'infanterie chef de bataillon Joseph-Marie-Louis Guasco (Bastia 1769 – Sens en Bourgogne 1839) : ex- 35e légère, badly wounded at Waterloo
…. capitaine commandant la 1ere compagnie Pierre-Marie de Arrighi (Corti 1786 – Oletta 1844) – a relative of Napoléon, ex- 35e légère, shot in the right leg at Waterloo
…. lieutenant commandant la 2e compagnie Jean-André Gabrielli (Tralonca 1768 – Corsica 1832+) – a relative of Napoléon, ex- 35e légère
…. capitaine commandant la 3e compagnie Marc-Antoine de Frediani (La Penta 1784 – Corsica 1832+) – ex- 35e légère
…. capitaine commandant la 4e compagnie marquis Louis-Martin Multedo (Vico 1784 – Cosrica 1854) – ex- 3e bataillon de déserteurs étrangers (this unit was composed of enemy soldiers who had deserted, garrisoned Elba 1809-1813)
Uniforms
Originally dressed as per French light infantry, in early 1815 there was an effort to dress them uniformly in new green habit with yellow distinctives. Only the first three companies were so equipped by the time of the departure from Elba. An example of the green habit datemarked to 1815 is preserved at the Invalides – and has been used for the basis of several reconsturctions of the 1815 uniform.
However, in April 1815, the entire 1er régiment de voltiguers were re-equiped with new habits, so that the battalion wore new standard blue young guard uniform for the campaign. The list of items provided to the regiment at that time :
1206 habits de soldats, 24 de tambours et 62 de sous-officiers, et 7 d'officiers [assumedly for the adjudant sous-officers and medical staff]
1212 vestes de soldats, 61 de sous-officiers, 6 d'adjudants
1212 pantalons de troupe [white], 56 de sous-officiers, 6 bleus [the blue ones assumedly for the adjudant sous-officers and medical staff]
1221 capotes de troupe [gray or gray-beige], 68 de sous-officiers, 7 bleus
1253 bonnets de police
17 bonnets d'ourson [assumedly for the sapeurs]
1 chapeau [assumedly for the medical staff]
18 plumets
4 shakos d'adjudants, 1263 de troupe
1286 pompons
1264 coiffes de shako [assumedly this meant shako covers]
1185 gibernes et banderoles
870 baudriers
1062 fusils avec baïonnettes, 17 mousquetons
5 sabres d'adjudant, 870 sabres [sabre-briquets] de troupe.
Fanion(s)
A tricolor fanion, made by Bonpartist young ladies of Porto Ferraro was used on the island. The details of its design I do not know, but would imagine a a painted gold hunting horn and/or the name "bataillon de chasseurs corses de l'île d'Elbe".
For the departure from Elba, and with the unit re-named, a new fannion was made : 90 cm square, green silk field, silver fringe, large gold painted hunting horn in the center, the field covered with small imperial bees in gold piant.
We can assume that the latter fanion was retained for the campaign, but possibly also the first one as well.
- Sasha
gets started with Flintloque.
