This is to pick up and reduce the contamination in Chris Dodson's "Aspern Essling 21/22 May 1809" topic in TMP link
I have now looked at my copy of Rawkins (wish I had done this earlier…. my apologies for any earlier misdirections):
"BÖHMISCH-MÄHRISCHES LEGION ERZHERZOG KARL 1809
The Böhmisch-Mährisches Legion Erzherzog Karl was raised as a Freikorps for the third time in March 1809. The previous legion had been officially dissolved in 1801 but as with many of the Freikorps units continued a ‘shadow' existence as a rather exclusive Praguer ‘gentleman's association' with the members meeting annually for drill and weapons practice. The result was that when the corps was revived for the 1809 campaign there already existed a cadre of officers and non-commissioned officers, and stores of equipment, arms and uniforms. As before each of the volunteers were sourced from men in reserved occupations excluded from conscription and each were required to finance their own uniforms and equipment. The six battalions were raised in Bohemia and each consisted of four Ordinär-kompagnien, oddly designated as Leichte-Infanterie. The First Battalion, also known as the Watterich-Jäger-Bataillon was recruited from student volunteers of the Prague Ferdinandium University and was formed as a Jäger-Bataillon based on the regular Jäger-Bataillonen with about a third of the men armed with rifles.
Bataillon Kreis/Recruitment Commandant March 1809
1 Prague & Ferdinandium Studenten Major Philipp Watterich von Waderichsberg
2 Berauner & Rakonitz Major Fürst Ferdinand Kinsky
3 Chrudim & Königgräz Major Graf Karl Laugier
4 Bydzov, Bunzlau, Saaz & Leitmeritz Major Graf Ludwig Trogev
5 Klattau, Prachin & Pilsen Major Graf Joachim Woracsieski
6 Budweis, Tabor, Časlau & Kaurzim Major Graf Wolfgang Czernin
Much confusion has always arisen between the two distinct raisings of the corps in 1800 and 1809. Despite popular opinion the Böhmisch-Mährisches Legion Erzherzog Karl of 1809 did not simply resurrect the uniforms of the 1800 raising although there is some evidence to suggest that some of the older uniforms held in store were used and re-tailored for the new battalions. In reality the uniforms were something of a mixture as they needed to be swiftly manufactured locally between the authorisation for the legion in March and the first four battalions leaving to join the army in the field in May. Virtually no surviving items of uniform exist in their original unaltered condition and details are mostly sourced from contemporary and somewhat dubious written accounts. The confusion has been enhanced by the much quoted memoirs of Antonin Mudroch published in 1923 who recounts his romantic experiences of the Archduke Charles Légion in 1800 to modern day (1809) law students joining the new legion and his description of the uniforms have been constantly referenced as being for 1809.
The Nr.1 Bataillon recruited mostly from students, causes the most confusion. The Jäger-Karabinier, the carbine armed jägers appear to have worn a plain bicorn hat, the Schiffhut, at least for parade dress decorated with the provincial red within white cockade held with a white leather cockade-strap with pewter button and surmounted by a short red over white feather plume. The Schützen, the rifle armed jägers wore the same pattern corsehut as the regular jäger battalions, black felt with black leather edging and the red and white cockade on the upturned left brim held with a white leather cockade-strap. The upper front of the crown was decorated with the usual black within yellow semi-spherical pompom sometimes shown surmounted by a short green plume. In the field all companies probably wore the corsehut with or without the plumes. The Nr.2, 3 and Nr.4 Bataillonen, may have been issued with the 1801 pattern shako from the stores of black felt with black leather peak and rear visor and the front was decorated with a brass E K cipher badge. The upper edge of the shako was decorated with a double white band, indicative of the Freiwilligen status of the battalion and a semi-spherical wool pompon was worn at the front of black within yellow. Technically only those battalions or companies which were privately financed should have worn a white plume above the pompon, but in fact nearly all companies appear to have done so. In reality there were insufficient shakos for all battalions and many companies appear to have worn the black felt, ‘Korsehut', with the left side of the brim turned up and held with the button at the centre of the red within white rosette cockade. In most battalions only the Leib-kompagnie received the shako and by mid-1809 all battalions appear to have been wearing the corsehut in the field.
The coat was indeed modelled on the 1801 pattern and there is evidence that ‘restored' garments of the Verordnung 1789 Uniformrock were worn throughout 1809 by at least some battalions. Newer coats, were of the Verordnung 1806 Uniformrock style, and the Nr.5 and Nr.6 Bataillonen may mostly have been issued with an Überrock instead of the uniformrock. Commonly all coats were ‘Rehbraun', fawn brown, with the collar, cuffs, turnbacks and piping of ‘Krapprot', madder-red, although some descriptions also give facings of Meeres-Grün, for some companies which may in fact have been 1801 vintage coats worn virtually unchanged in early 1809. The breast of the coat was decorated with three rows of eight buttons with a Krapprot, double lace baton with pointed outer tips for the Karabiniers of the Nr.1 Bataillon and this battalion also had pointed cuffs of the Hungarian pattern with a white lace ‘Bärentatzen', or ‘Bears-paw' litzen. The other battalions had plain German pattern square-cut cuffs. Various accounts give deviations with other battalions wearing pointed cuffs and there is some evidence that at least some Schützen of the Nr.1 Bataillon may have worn the 1801 pattern Hecht-Grau uniforms with green facings and lace on the breast in early 1809. Breeches are generally described as being sky-blue and worn with black leather knee boots but may also have been grey and most battalions would probably have worn black gaiters with cloth covered buttons.
All belting and equipment was of black leather with brass buckles and fittings both the volunteers and jägers wearing twin shoulderbelts. The pouches of various older patterns usually with a brass badge on the lid of the depicting either the lion of Bohemia or the eagle of Moravia for the fusiliers; the other belt supporting a sabre and bayonet in a double frog with a white leather sabre-strap. The fusiliers were armed with muskets, mostly m1784 or new m1795 patterns with black leather slings and the jägers were issued with carbines, every third man receiving the rifle.
The non-commissioned-officers of the legion were distinguished in the usual manner by yellow bands around the top of the shako or the edge of the corsehut and carried the cane of office.
For the most part officers appear to have worn the Schiffhut, or bicorn hat with red and white rosette cockade, gold cockade-strap and gilt button. The officer's uniformrock was of the same cut as those of the regular infantry but of Rehbraun with facings as for the men. Officers were permitted to wear the black and gold sash of officer and have back and gold sabre-straps and cane-straps. Swords and sabres were purchased privately by the officers and were thus of many and varied patterns.
Nothing has been conformed for the uniform distinctions of the company drummers although these would probably have followed the same styles as worn by the regular infantry with swallows-nest epaulettes at the shoulders and black leather aprons and drum carriages. The drums do appear to have been brass with red and white diagonal striped hoops."
returns to Flintloque to paint an Ogre.
