The Uniforms of the French Army under Napoleon I (1800 - 1815) - The Infantry - The Light Infantry

The French infantry was divided into line regiments and light infantry regiments.

At the beginning of the Empire there were 26 light infantry regiments, however the numbering ran up to No. 31, so 5 numbers were therefore unassigned.

Further new formations followed.

By 1814 there were 35 corresponding units. The numbering, however, ran up to No. 37.

The composition of the light infantry regiments corresponded to that of the line infantry.

The regiments comprised, besides the staff, five battalions.

The first four battalions each counted six companies.

The fifth battalion was a depot battalion. This comprised only four companies.

According to Rogers (Napoleon's Army, p. 99) an infantry regiment numbered 108 officers and 3,862 non-commissioned officers and men. Each battalion had four sappers. They were selected from the grenadier (carabinier) company and continued to belong to that company. Their external insignia was the white (sometimes also black) leather apron and the axe carried with them.

The tactical employment of the light infantry did not fundamentally differ from that of the line infantry.

The uniform of the light infantry generally corresponded to that of the line infantry.

The distinctive uniform was introduced in 1793.

Initially the frock coat with long skirts was customary; from 1812 (07.02.) the cut was generally changed, and a closed coat (habit-veste) with straight falling facings and short skirts became common.

The armament and equipment of the light infantry did not differ from that of the line infantry.

The short sabre was abolished in 1807, which, however, apparently was not strictly observed in practice (according to Knötel the sabres with sabre hanger appear in the later period). Even among the elite companies there was later a shortage of sabres.

It was often worn with a green sabre tassel.

On the flap of the black cartridge pouch a hunting horn was attached.

In the field leather covers for the flap (with the metal hunting horn on them) were also customary.

The leather equipment was generally white

The uniform consisted of a blue coat (frock coat), the pointed facings were also dark blue. This color was also used for the sleeve cuffs and the skirt flaps.

The piping of these uniform parts was white.

The patches on the sleeve cuffs were red.

In the skirt flaps there were (false) pockets, likewise with a white piping.

Also the buttons were at first yellow and later white.

Underneath a blue waistcoat was worn.

Trousers were generally also blue, but due to equipment shortages, particularly in the 1815 campaign, all sorts of colors occurred.

The blue trousers were sometimes trimmed in white or yellow; for officers there were silver braids.

Short (black) gaiters were worn with them.

The latter were green-braided with a matching tassel. However, there are also illustrations showing gaiters with white trim.

The light infantry comprised three types: Chasseurs, Carabiniers and the Voltigeurs.

These differed by specific uniform features, above all by the color of the collar, the epaulettes, the front piece and the shako ornament.

Also the trim (e.g. fabric hunting horns) of the skirt flaps differed.

In general red was characteristic for the Carabiniers, yellow and green for the Voltigeurs and yellow, green and red for the Chasseurs.

The red collar had white piping.

The green epaulettes had red crescents.

Actually the Chasseurs were to wear blue shoulder straps with white piping.

In the skirt flaps there were white (hunting) horns.

The Carabiniers wore the uniform features of the grenadiers.

The red collar in 1812 received blue piping.

The epaulettes were red.

The skirt flaps were decorated with red grenades.

The shako of the Carabiniers had a red cord trim.

The rosettes of the throat straps or scale chains showed a grenade. The Carabiniers of some regiments also had fur caps without trim - partly already since the Consulate (according to Knötel even as late as 1813).

The Carabiniers of some regiments also had fur caps without trim - partly already since the Consulate (according to Knötel even as late as 1813).

The yellow collar had red or blue piping.

At times yellow patches on the sleeve cuffs are also shown.

The skirt flaps were adorned with white or yellow (hunting) horns.

The epaulettes also existed in variants in yellow, green or sometimes red.

The plume was green-yellow or red-yellow.

Voltigeurs are seldom shown with a fur cap (with yellow cap bag).

The Light Infantry were the first branch to receive the felt-and-leather shako. This was introduced from 1804 and had a Hungarian origin.

The visor was movable and removable.

The shako ornament in the early period consisted of a metal hunting horn.

However, from the early period there are also depictions of the shako without ornament and cockade.

Later a lozenge-shaped metal plate was introduced, which under the imperial crowned eagle showed a hunting horn. The plate was made of plain metal.

The cockade was initially worn on the left.

Furthermore the shako was adorned with a green cord, which ended in two braided loops and tassels.

For the Chasseurs the plume on the shako was green.

The Carabiniers wore a red plume on the shako.

The Voltigeurs had green and/or yellow plumes.

The plume tufts could have different shapes.

Also the shako ornament differed: white for the Chasseurs, red, yellow or green for the Voltigeurs.

From 1806 the shako was fitted with a chin strap (also with metal scales).

In practice, however, headgear was worn in various variations, e.g. Rousselot or Knötel also show a red shako (1809).

In the field a wax-cloth cover was customary. The shako was then also worn without ornament.

The Carabiniers had a red shako ornament.

The latter also often wore fur caps (with white or red ornament and red plume). Some sources also attest that Voltigeurs wore fur caps (partly with yellow cap bag).

According to Funcken, the officers always wore a long (blue) coat.

However, the buttons were silver.

In the field a simple single-breasted (blue) coat (surtout = marching frock coat) was often worn.

The standing collar was gold with a silver facing. The applied ornament varied, e.g. a hunting horn, the regiment number, or an eagle. For the carabiniers it was possibly a grenade.

The shako likewise corresponded to the men's model, but had silver ornamentation. Furthermore, an upper silver embroidered braid (garland with laurel leaves on a velvet band) was also common.

The cockade was placed at the front, as was the plume.

In the field the hat (bicorne) was also frequently worn.

Knötel reports that on occasion fur caps were also worn by the officers of the chasseur companies.

The trousers were at times silver-trimmed.

For footwear, on foot service short boots were used (front heart-shaped cut, silver-trimmed), while riding boots were worn on horseback.

The armament was an épée or sabre with a silver or golden hilt together with a leather scabbard. According to Rousselot the belt (leather) was usually green.

An infantry regiment's staff included a drum major, a drum non-commissioned officer and 8 musicians (including 1 platoon leader).

The musicians — especially the column vanguard — regularly wore splendid uniforms.

Uniforms in alternating colors were also often worn.

Thus, for example, the musicians of the 15th Regiment of Light Infantry (1805–07) wore coats of red base color with green collar and facings and matching skirt flaps; the waistcoat and trousers were also green. All had white trim (see also the illustration of the 16. ème Léger around 1810). For the period 1807–09 the coats remained red, but the facings, sleeve cuffs and skirt flaps were blue. All edged in white.

The musicians of the 17th of the Light Infantry wore yellow coats with red collar, facings, sleeve and skirt flaps. All edged in white. The waistcoat and trousers were light blue with white trim. The headdress was a tschapka (yellow, edged in red). The waistcoat had dense lacing. The plumes were green below and white above.

The light infantry initially had no drummers, only horn players.

The coats of the drummers were regularly decorated with colorful braids.

Cdt. Bucquoy, Les Uniformes du Premier Empire, L`Infanterie, Paris1979.

Liliane and Fred Funcken, Historical Uniforms. Napoleonic era, vol. 1, Munich 1978.

Philipp Haythornthwaite/ Michael Chapell, Uniforms of the Napoleonic Russian Campaign, Munich 1977.

Philipp Haythornthwaite, The Uniforms of the Battle of Waterloo, Munich 1976.

Knötel/ Sieg, Handbook of Uniform Studies, Hamburg 1937.

Paul Martin, The French Army 1789 - 1807, Stuttgart.

Lucien Rousselot, Napoleon's Army 1800 - 1815, Berlin 2010.