"French Hussars - Italy 1796" Topic

I am starting a project to build French and Austrian armies for Bonaparte's 1796 Italian campaign.

One area I am encountering difficulties is regarding the standards carried by French Hussar regiments in this period; as far as I have discovered so far, only the 1st Hussars and 7th Hussars served in this campaign.

By searching the web, I have discovered that the dragoons carried white guidons with a tricoloured border and a central device of the regimental number surrounded by a gold wreath with a scroll wrapped around it. The Horse regiments seem to have carried square white standards with a tricoloured border with a central device of the regimental number surrounded by a gold wreath with a scroll wrapped around it and fleurs-de-lis in the corners of the central square. Despite carrying guidons in the Imperial period, the Chasseur regiments also seem to have carried square white standards with a tricoloured border with a central device of the regimental number surrounded by a gold hunting horn with green foliage wrapped around it with scrolls above and below the horn and the ‘liberty cap, fasces and wreath' motif seen on the infantry flags in the corners of the central square, although these motifs may have been sewn over earlier fleurs-de-lis when the fleur-de-lis was purged from the army flags.

I have been unable to locate any illustrations of Hussar standards. Failing clear examples I am leaning towards a variation of the Horse standards and perhaps omitting the scroll.

As I shall, at best, have only two Hussar regiments, I am not really looking to purchase reference books; I have already purchased Letrun's "French Infantry Flags" for my Demi-Brigades (albeit not at as good a price as a friend bought his copy). If anyone has any information out there I should be grateful to hear their comments?

There is a Rigo plate of the 11th Hussars for 1794-1803 showing their guidon:

That's nice…

"as far as I have discovered so far, only the 1st Hussars and 7th Hussars served in this campaign."

That is correct. The other hussar regiments were busy in Germany fighting the Archduke Charles.

actually, not really…

-the 1st Hussars yes

-but that is the 7th "BIS" Hussars and not at all the 7th Hussars who served with the Army of Rhin and Moselle in Germany
be careful because there is also a 9th "bis" Hussars in 1812 as many others "bis" regiments or half-brigades in the French Army between 1792 and 1814 and even "ter" battalions sometimes

-also the 13th Hussars disbanded in Lodi the 18th may 1796, the 32 officers 364 men (only 148 mounted), less 25 chosen for the Guides, renforced both 1st and 7th bis Hussars

for 13th Hussars, only the 148 mounted more 20 on foot following the regiment in Italy, the rest remained in France

Many thanks for your comments and suggestions.

The Rigo plate is really nice; the dragon device on the obverse is unusual, I've not seen it as a revolutionary symbol before or was it unique to the 11th Hussars? The ‘liberty cap, fasces and wreath' motif shown as (c) looks likely to be the device for the reverse. As the flag is cast on the figure (not my favourite), I'll look at the possibility of carving it away. If I do, it looks as if a few small changes to the Dragoon guidon may suffice.

I had not appreciated the 7bis point before and a quick Google shows a uniform (in Egypt) of dark blue dolman with red collar and cuffs, red pelisse and breeches with gold lace, which should look quite nice.