"French Shako" Topic

Anybody know when French Light Infantry started wearing that odd cylindrical shako with the -plume on the side?
Also to what extent (if any) did they wear a mirlitron ?

I have a copy of the Osprey Men-at-Arms title "Napoleon's Light Infantry" by Philip Haythornthwaite (1983). He states that the shako was first officially adopted for the French light infantry regiments in 1801. However, the French light infantry regiments adopted many unofficial regimental uniform distinctions, and both shakos and mirlitons are known to have been worn in some regiments before 1801. He speculates that the 1801 shako, which had a detachable peak or visor, may have evolved from the mirliton. Voltigeur companies were not officially established in the light infantry until 1804, but some regiments had previously established informally scout or sharpshooter companies, so I think that the early shakos and mirlitons may have served them as company distinctions in the same way that bearskins marked the carabinier companies. Note that quite a few voltigeur companies, and a few carabinier companies, wore busbys (or colpacks) copied from the hussars (as was the mirliton).

I have some very nice (Job?) illustrations in a book that has them in this shako captioned as 1799 – I have doubts about its accuracy.