"Napoleon's Light Infantry and Artillery" Topic

5th volume of the Series to be published by 31st august

This groundbreaking book offers a detailed exploration of the dress of the regiments of Light Infantry and other support troops in Napoleon's Grande Armée, including foot and horse artillery, sapeurs, musicians, and carabiniers. For the first time in two centuries, it accurately examines how these troops were clothed and equipped.

Paul Dawson's research draws from over 1,000 archive boxes in the Service Historique de l'Armée de Terre and the Archives Nationales in Paris. These documents reveal how the 1806 uniform regulations and Bardin regulations were implemented in practice, offering insights previously unavailable to the public.

The archives focus on the annual inspections of regiments, where the condition of uniforms and equipment was assessed. Soldiers' uniforms were provided through stoppages in their pay, with a prescribed lifespan for each item. The regimental Council of Administration also drew funds for clothing renewals, repairs, and equipment.

Dawson's study demonstrates that the Bardin regulations, often seen as the standard, were largely a myth until the Waterloo Campaign. Through contemporary illustrations and photographs of existing uniforms, this book provides an authoritative understanding of the actual dress worn by Napoleon's troops, making previous descriptions of the Grande Armée's appearance obsolete.

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Released on 31 August is our book that assesses the dress and equipment of the various light infantry regiments that existed between 1802 and 1815. As well as delving into the légère, our book also looks at the Gardes Nationales, which transitioned into the 135e to 156e de Ligne. These units formed the nucleus of the reformed Grande Armée in 1813. We explore the dress of the artillery, train and support troops. Last but not least, we explore the badly understood units of Guides. The Guides of Berthier were more "special forces" than anything, with some very violent, almost psychopathic killers amongst its members, a goodly number being British radicals: the Chasseurs Britanniques were Frenchmen in British service, we forget the British who were in French service! Those men who worked openly to topple the crown of George III, as explored in our books Fighting Napoleon at Home, and French Invasions of Britain and Ireland. Finally, we mention the dress of the women who accompanied the Grande Armée. Archive documents tell us the gaudy hussar dolmans beloved by artists and re-enactors are myth; they wore sensible, practical clothes.

My work on the Infanterie Légère shows categorically, that of the 35 regiments, just 2 – the 7e and 10- had any Bardin regulation clothing in use in summer 1814, and that in 1815, perhaps only the 9e had 'Bardin' kit as adopted 8 February 1815. The 13e were still dressed in Green under the 1814 regulation. Just the 7e and 11e Légère unit had carabinier shakos in 1815. The 7e, 9e, 12e, 13e had black cross belts. Most members of the Légère still wore pre-1812 uniforms in 1815. The 2e still had its carabiniers in bonnet a poil at Waterloo. 'Bardin' is largely 'fake news'. Lovely drawings, but unless you are depicting specific regiments, then 'Bardin' is not applicable to the Légère. Plus, the capotes were brown, blanc piqué de bleu, white or grey, very few had beige.

Paul Lindsay Dawson

some samples pages can be seen on google-books
link

Thanks, Lilian,

I am excited about the book, but only 27 pages on Light infantry uniforms before Bardin reforms?

#MarbotsChasseurs – good point, I wish all book publicity would include the contents page as you can tell a lot from that as to how well it addresses the bits of a topic that interest you. The number of books I've bought that spend far too long discussing scales of pay or individuals personal histories instead of the military operations I wanted to read about is scary.

Not due out here until 30th October, but it looks great. Price £29.99 GBP is not bad at all either. I will want it for the three chapters on the artillery. Dawson's research is great at debunking some very common myths

I have almost all of Mr. Dawson's books, and he has been very gracious in helping me with my research. I wish we had more information on the light infantry uniforms from 1804 to 1809, as 1812 to 1815 isn't my period of interest. However, the artillery information will be invaluable! I will be buying this book and hopefully will get some information on uniform details for the 7e, 10e, and 26e Leger.

I agree Marbot. No interest post 09, but this book likely worthwhile for the artillery anyway.

I keep a strict backlog because I get nightly reading analysis paralysis. No new without finishing the old. But will add it to the list.

Amazon are now promising delivery in two to three days, while my preorder was £10.00 GBP more expensive and not due for delivery until mid November.

Guess my action, promptly! Bizarre frankly.

available since last 9th october with Line Infantry 1812-1815

18e léger had a half-battalion dressed in white uniforms c.1804 while 36e léger had some line infantry habits

Shop around and one can still get this book at a discounted rate (but check the postage costs). It can only be as good as the evidence found by a researcher of this author's experience, and he freely admits that is often lacking.

I could not resist starting with the three artillery chapters (foot, line and train) and was relieved to see it confirmed that the drivers reverted to gris-de-fer from bleu celeste for the late Empire. For the regimental details, as is so characteristic of the book series, we get a series of lists of kit from inspection returns, here all post 1814 (which suited me just fine) . You do need the command of contemporary French to be able to distinguish a gilet manche from a caleçon however!

The opening chapters on the Line Light Infantry (Guard units are not covered anywhere) are very comprehensive and unusual frankly. The opening, on uniform supply, maintenance and replacement was much more interesting than it sounds. Chapters on the Bardin reforms explained something that had puzzled me, teaching me to read a book in sequence. Some lines of text are struck out and replaced with new text in superscript. I am ashamed to say that I thought this some editorial printing error, but no, this is verbatim quotes from Bardin's original revisions. That impressed. Then a line that I must quote about his regulations and "four different collations and went through eight major changes or revisions", showing just how challenging is any attempt at interpretation and dogmatic conclusion. A Chapter on his Reforms in practice shows how they applied to individual regiments where that was possible.

There are some inclusions that will surprise. Naval units, Garde de Paris, National Guard (a whole chapter of nearly 30 pages), Guides, medical staff and even vivandieres merit detailed coverage and the lavish coloured illustration seen throughout. I just knew that uniform on the rear of the dust jacket was wrong though. The Imperial eagles on the coat tails surely marked the officer as Guard. I remained smug until I read within that they were silver not gold and typical of the Garde de Paris therefore. Well, of course, naturally…..

This does represent a remarkable piece of research work and is a bargain at this price. You can read much about the rig of the eagle escorts (and later a conclusion that the oft seen gents with helmets, halberds and pistols did not exist). There is remarkable detail of the construction of a giberne used by the gunners or the evidence for and against the fringed epaulettes in any of the units covered. It is encouraging to see that many a drummer and trumpeter could still turn out in Green for 1815.
Very thought provoking and recommended

It must be of interest. This posting has had over 8,000 views since August, or over one and one half million elsewhere on TMP. Mr Dawson could be a rich man if these translate into sales.