"French Guard Artilery Train drivers in 1812" Topic

I have been seeing different versions of the uniform for the drivers of the artillery train of the guard for 1812 – some blue some gray, some with red plumes, some with red pompoms, some with no adornments at all,
and were guard still sticking to black horses in 1812 or was that just too unrealistic to maintain?

Black horses were for Grenadiers a Cheval and Gendarmes d'Elite but other Guard Units rode bays or chestnuts (eg Dragoons, Lancers and Chasseurs a Cheval). I imagine that the poor horses pulling artillery were less "selected".

The surviving coat in la Musee de l'Armee is a much darker blue/grey than I had imagined (much like Bavarian Cornflower Blue!)

Train des equipages de l'Artillerie de la Garde (by Lucien Rousselot)

Russian rendition of above (though colours are rather off) with the key to the numbers in the above:


From memory Boulart in earlier years was required to use black horses (or extremely dark brown) for the Guard foot artillery (to pull the pieces). I don't recollect seeing anything about the colour of horses for the train des equipage.

Plumes or pompoms – I believe plumes for full dress, pompoms for service dress.

thanks that is fantastic help guys

just one question – the trousers/breeches – were they blue or white/cream on campaign?

The Guard Artillerie a Cheval was also a black horse outfit.

Artillery train horses, Guard or line, were carefully selected because of their job and the horse pairs had to be carefully matched. In 1813 the artillery had first priority for horses for the gun teams over remounts for the cavalry.

Horses and drivers had to be carefully trained…'The train d'artillerie had all the cavalry's problems with horses, and then some. Draft horses had to be carefully matched, gradually toughened, and trained to heavy hauling. Harness had to be exactly fitted and maintained to avoid chafing and sore shoulders, and readjusted as the campaign went on and the horses grew gaunt.'-John Elting, Swords Around a Throne, 255.

The artillery train units were under the supervision of a general of brigade. His title was 'Inspector of the Artillery train.

The supply train was also under the same regimen.

The Guard Foot Artillery was not authorized or organized until 1808. Prior to that, the Guard artillery arm was only composed of horse artillery.

The color of the uniform coat of the train units was 'gris de fer' which could be of various shades of blue gray and was not a specific color, but a term covering the range of the coat colors.

For the color of the breeches, see the Rousselot plates above.

Searched high and low and finally found my very dark photo from La M de L'Armee (the rooms are very dimly lit of course). Below, for what it is worth is a modern reconstruction for re-enactors.

Kevin,
I've seen mention of them using greys in 1815 at Waterloo. I'm guessing if that was the case it would have been more do for the ammunition train and not for the gun limbers.

the modern reconstruction uniform looks quite different to that in the musee de l'armee are they supposed to be for the same role?
the lucien rousselot plates are great- what particular book can these be found in? I have Rousselots Elite Cavalry book it is so splended

do you have any plates for the Foot artillery of the guard pertaining to 1812-183? I am not clear on whether they wore bearskins or Shakos in that period – and if bearskin, was there oil cloth pulled over it?

As above original Rousselot & then Russian versions with captions:
Foot Artillery of the Guard

You will find all of the illustrations in "Napoleon's Army 1790 – 1815"

But best are the individual plates – for example see
link at 12 Euros each.

You will find most of the Russian planches at link

You could also try looking for Lucien Rousselot planches on the web & you will find most if not all posted, though most will lack the accompanying text link

But best are the individual plates…

Agree completely. I have the book and it's very good and well-worth having. I have collected the individual plates and it took awhile to get all of the Napoleonic ones, but that is better than the book.

I've seen mention of them using greys in 1815 at Waterloo.

Where did you see that? I have no doubt that it was done because of the hasty mustering and reorganizations that had to be done in 1815.

Grey and white horses were still used for trumpeters…