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UniformInfo - Malburian French Dragoons, Military Modelling magazine
Q. Sirs,
Can you please provide me with any information about the uniforms of French Dragoons during the Marlburian Wars? I find that this period is not well covered in British magazines.
Stapleford, Nottingham. P. C. Woodman.
A.
Louis XIII raised six regiments of heavy cavalry in 1635 and at the same time formed a regiment of ʺmounted musketeersʺ and two regiments called ʺFusiliers a Chevalʺ which were also called ʺDragons Royalʺ. Cardinal Richelieu, not to be outdone, raised a similar regiment which were called ʺLes Carabins du Cardinalʺ. In 1645 a further regiment was raised by the Marquis de la Ferté which were also known as ʺDragonsʺ. Subsequently two further similarly equipped regiments were formed and titled ʺDragons-Royaleʺ and ʺDragons Colonel-Généralʺ. The first reference to the specific arms carried by these troops is an ordonnance of 1676 which gives them ʺgood swords with blades 2ft. 9inches longʺ, ʺmousqetonsʺ with bayonets and pistols carried before the saddles, all of which points to the fact that, in the French forces, these dragoons were treated precisely as in the British Army of the period, that is to say as mounted infantrymen.
The earliest regiments did not have uniform clothing but were dressed and equipped much as their proprietor commanding officers dictated. However, to raise a dragoon regiment was considered very much in the fashion, and several young noblemen sought Louis’ favours by declaring they would raise troops. Seventy two companies of dragoons were raised for the War of the Spanish Succession forming six new regiments. Nevertheless, as late as 1733 they were still not considered to equate militarily with the heavy ʺgendarmesʺ and ʺcuirassiersʺ who formed the flower of the French cavalry and were deployed strictly as mounted infantry.
Each regiment was commanded by a ʺMestre-de-Campʺ with a Major as his second in command. Each regiment had its chaplain. The four squadrons were commanded by Captains and had a Lieutenant, a Cornet, a Maréchal des Logis, 2 Brigadiers, and 38 troopers called ʺDragonsʺ. Each squadron had its drummer to reflect the infantry connotation. The cornet of each squadron carried a guidon, usually white, embroidered with gold. In the Colonel-Générals Regiment there were two extra officers and the Colonel's troop were entirely mounted on greys.
The uniform was simple, functional and reflected the normal civilian costume of the period and very much resembled the British Dragoon uniform of the same period. Most of the following information has been précied from a splendid article by leading French military historians and reproduced in the Bulletin of the French Model Soldier Society to whom we extend our thanks. The said article was beautifully illustrated by Lucien Rousselot the master of this particular period of French uniform history.
The dragoons wore long stocking-caps made of cloth with tasselled ends. The caps were made with a turn-up, usually plain and of the facing colour but in some cases rising to a point in front (the precursor of the turn-up of the grenadier cap); in others it was fastened up with small gold or silver lace loops with buttons and in some regiments replaced by bearskin.
The coats were the universal civilian pattern of the late seventeenth century made without collars, with very full skirts and single-breasted fronts buttoned to the hem and with very deep turned-back cuffs and pockets set very low in the sides of the skirts. The coats were provided with many small buttons. Officers wore coats of very superior quality, often velvet, much decorated with gold or silver loops with tasselled ends. The long waistcoat was normally the same colour as the coat but in some cases of the facing colour. The breeches were usually covered by the long coat skirts and were worn in long, buckled gaiters, worn over the buckled shoes of the period. These gaiters had bell-topped cuffs which covered the knees and a strap or garter under the knees. Between the knee and ankle were something like six or seven small straps and buckles on the outside of the legs. The large spur straps were cut like wings over the instep.
Equipment consisted of a powder flask worn on a cord over the left shoulder, a leather waistbelt supporting a bag for musket balls, the sword and the bayonet and the long mousqeton which was carried butt-down in a bucket suspended under the right holster. The dragoons had shoulder length un-powdered hair, officers wore the peruke.
* The four premier regiments were known as the ʺRoyalʺ Regiments.
* Regiment le Royal.
Red faced blue with blue and red cloth covered buttons and gold lace on the buttonholes.
* La Reyne.
Red faced blue.
* Le Dauphin.
Blue faced with blue.
Listerois.
ʺIsabellaʺ faced with blue. The bonnets the same with blue plush and silver lace.
Barbezieres.
Red faced with ʺIsabellaʺ. Bonnets red fashioned with silver like Turkish bonnets.
Tesse.
Yellow faced red. Yellow bonnets trimmed with bearskin. A ʺSunʺ embroidered in moiré on the front and the cap had a white aigrette feather in the Polish fashion.
Poinconnel
Red faced with green. Bonnets red with bearskin trim kept up by silver lace loops and buttons.
La Lande.
Yellow faced with red. Yellow bonnets with red plush turnups.
La Bretche.
Red faced yellow. Bonnets all yellow.
Hussard.
Red faced green. Bonnets red. Coats laced gold.
Asfeld.
Green faced with red. Bonnets green with red turnups.
Fimarcon.
Green faced with ʺIsabellaʺ with bonnets the same.
* Colonel-Général.
Scarlet lined with blue and with silver lace. Red bonnets with blue plush turnups retained with silver loops and buttons.
Note that the Dragoon Regiments of this period took the names of their proprietors. As the Mestre-de-Camp changed so the regiment changed its name.
Source: Drawings by Lucien Rousselot in the 38th. Volume, No. 5 of the Bulletin of the Societe des Collectionneurs de Figurines Historiques.