Dear Readers,
Today we have a guest post from Le Chevalier de Valois. You may read Part one of the Chasseurs Brittaniques series here.
Several
years ago I became interested in the Chasseurs Brittaniques after
researching the
Armée
de
Condé for a 1790's impression. The Armée
de Condé was one of several royalist counter revolutionary forces
opposing the French Revoulution. By 1800 the Armée de Condé was
under Russian pay and in 1801 switched to British pay and was renamed
the Chasseurs Brittaniques.
The
Chasseurs were intended to be light infantry, but when they were
issued redcoats in 1803 they were equipped as a line regiment.
The
differences in line vs. light equipment include some uniform
differences and differences in how the companies are laid out.
As
part of my blackpowder shooting pursuits I want to have a proper
uniform to go with each of my military guns. I have a replica British
Baker rifle and wanted to do a uniform, but not the 60th
or 95th
Rifles. I came across a variety of pictures that showed Chasseurs
equipped with Bakers and with black straps/belts. That seemed odd
given that they were equipped as a line regiment. However, in 1812
two companies were added to the Chasseurs, both of these were
equipped as light infantry (somewhant oddly with black straps/belts)
and some of them were equipped with Baker Rifles.
So
I had started pursuing a Chasseurs uniform several years ago. I
already had the Baker Rifle kit and am still improving it. I
purchased a shako and fitted it for light infantry. Then I lost
momentum and the project was shelved.
Fast
forward to May of this year. A new Chasseurs Brittaniques reenactment
group appeared on Facebook. They are based out of France and were
doing straight Napoleonic British reenactment and decided that since
they were French they ought to do Chasseurs. There are five of them.
We started talking and I got motivated again. I want to do the Light
Infantry uniform with my Baker, so I will be 11th
Company. Now I have purchased hand made replica buttons from a
craftsman in Italy and am awaiting my uniform from another craftsman
in Australia. The French Chasseurs have already nicknamed me Private
AmNord ("AmNord" is a French contraction for "Amérique
du Nord" aka North America).
Resources:
Chasseurs
Brittaniques Facebook:
Chasseurs
Brittaniques Wiki:
Armée
de Condé Wiki:
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