The French 1st Hussars

By D.H. Hagger

The appearance of the French hussars did not in fact alter very much in basic details throughout the period in question but there were many variations in minor items of equipment partly brought about by changing fashions and partly because there were no specific regulations concerning items such as the ornamentation of the sabretache, which thus permitted a wide variety of designs. In fact, uniform was liable to be influenced by fashion, by the whims of different commanding officers (particularly where trumpeters and musicians were concerned) or by the countries occupied at different times, by virtue of climatic variations between, say, North Holland, Hanover, or Poland on the one hand and the Mediterranean, Italy or Spain on the other. Regiments were often obliged to make do with locally manufactured items when they were far from their home clothing depots. This was particularly so in Spain where the activities of the many guerilla bands against French convoys caused great disruption of supplies. Many regiments made use in the Peninsula of brown cloth, which was in fair supply, especially for such items as overalls. Sometimes, too, use was made of captured articles of clothing such as greatcoats or boots. Certainly some of the hussar regiments received black and yellow Austrian plumes after the 1805 campaign.
    Our first illustration depicts the 1st just after the turn of the century. Already the uniform had stabilised itself to the familiar form but the peaked mirleton still had the wing attached to it and this was perpetuated in the new shako introduced in 1801 which was 180 cm high and 217 cm across the top. By 1806 they had adopted a new pattern shako with a white metal lozenge plate on the front. Some artists such as Martinet depict red shakos being worn at this time, others portray black headgear.
    Our second illustration is of the uniform which the 1st wore for the 1806 campaign although it seems that they took the field without their pelisses for contemporary illustrations show them without this garment and this is confirmed by documents and a letter written by the father of George Sands, the noted French authoress, who was an officer in the 1st and wrote home in 1806 asking that his pelisse may be sent to him as it was becoming horribly cold “and the regiment is in dolman".
    About the beginning of 1808 the 1st adopted red breeches and these are featured in our third illustration of an adjutant (warrant officer) about 1809-10. The shako is also scarlet and bears the eagle plate adopted around 1810.
    It was a far cry from the ice, snow, and bitter winds of the Polish campaign to the sun-drenched plains of Spain but inevitably the 1st Hussars, like so many of Napoleon's cavalry regiments, found themselves embroiled in the vicious campaign in the Peninsula. The lot of the 1st, like the other light cavalry, was to guard convoys, carry out scouting or escort duties, and to act as couriers. The vicissitudes of the campaign compelled the 1st to make concessions in dress and our fourth illustration shows them on campaign in Spain about 1811 with the shako protected against the fierce rays of the sun by a linen cover. Likewise the overalls are of linen and a vital piece of equipment, viz. a water bottle, is slung across the chest for easy access.
    In 1812 a commission, presided over by a Colonel Bardin, sat to draw up new dress regulations with a view to introducing a greater degree of uniformity bearing in mind the many unauthorised and fanciful items of dress which had been introduced over a period of years. As a result of the commission's deliberations it was decided, amongst other things, to introduce green breeches and riding overalls for all the hussar regiments and the busbies, worn by the elite companies since their formation in 1803, were supposed to be replaced by a grenadier pattern shako. The sabretache was to be of plain black leather bearing a crowned Imperial eagle in metal with the regimental number below. The regulations took effect from the beginning of 1813. As far as the 1st are concerned, at the commencement of 1812 they had three squadrons in Spain and one just starting for Germany. Later the Spanish squadrons were transferred to Italy and it is almost certain that these four squadrons retained their old uniform. Fifth and sixth squadrons were assembled at Lyons in the Spring of 1813, however, and it is quite probable that these may have been clothed according to the 1812 regulations, including the trumpeter: who were to be universally attired in green, decorated with Imperial livery lace. The uniform according to the regulations is shown in illustration number ﬁve.
    At the end of 1813, in accordance with the prevailing fashion, the 1st adopted a black cylindrical shako and, despite the 1812 regulations, they seem to have taken into use sky-blue riding overalls, strapped as usual black leather, and with a scarlet seam stripe, although they seem to have warn scarlet overalls also concurrently with the blue ones. They retained this ﬁnal form of attire, shown in our sixth illustration, until the end at the First Empire.

Source: pp. 87 & 92, Military Modelling, February 1976.

Other 19th Century Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers