6th Rheinbund Regiment, Spain 1812Drum Major and Musician
Musician Black hat, red pom pon, white loop and button. Medium blue coat with collar, cuffs and turnbacks. White piping and braid. White metal buttons. Dark blue trousers. Black gaiters and shoes. Brown overcoat roll carried on top of calfskin knapsack. Brown gourd. White belts and slings. Brass hilted sabre carried in brown leather scabbard. Drum Major Black colback with red plume and pom-pon. Rose/red bag with braid and tassel of gold. Gold cords. Brass chin scales. Medium blue coat with white collar, cuffs, lapels and turnbacks all braided with gold lace. Gold epaulettes. Yellow metal buttons. Rose, red pantaloons with gold stripes and knots on the thighs. Black hussar boots trimmed with gold. White sword baldrick, brass hilted sword carried in a black leather scabbard fitted brass. Rose, red sash trimmed with gold braid and two ornamental black drumsticks with brass embellishments. Gold sword strap and knot. Red/brown wooden staff, fitted with yellow metal and bound with gold cord. Tassels gold.
Source Frankfurt Collection
Russian military history takes special notice of the fast that the gousari where originally mercenaries recruited in Hungary during the reign of Empress Elisabeth. Twelve regiments were recruited between 1741 and 1759 as a bolster to the light cavalry arm, which consisted mainly of ill disciplined Cossacks. Although the gousari underwent considerable Russification during the half century prior to the Napoleonic Wars, their organisation and appearance remained essentially Hungarian. Even the word gousari was eventually pre empted in favour of the Hungarian translation, hussar, meaning twentieth, denoting the one man in twenty selected by ballot for military service. The number of hussar regiments rarely exceeded the original twelve. This owed, in part, to the companies within these regiments might total as many as twenty or as few as eight. Therefore, in 1812 , with the whole of western Europe aligned against her, Russia filled to capacity her existing hussar regiments rather than creating new ones. At the recommencement of hostilities in that year, there were still only twelve regiments: eleven of the line; one of the Guard. Individually, these were the Soum, Pavlograd, Elisavetograd, Marioupol, Alexandria, Olviopol, Isioum, Akhtyrsk, Biélo-Rossisk White Russian, Grodno, Loubny, and the elite Hussar Life Guards. Space denies individual coverage of each regiment’s organisation, dress and appointments, so we shall speak in terms of generalities. By 1812, most regular cavalry regiments were organised according to squadrons. The hussars, however, entertained a loose company, or half squadron, organisation each half squadron approximating one hundred and forty horse. The function of the hussars was traditionally reconnaissance and pursuit. The nature of the 1812 campaign changed all of this. Quite a few regiments were attached to Platov`s corps whose task it was to harry and cripple the French as they floundered across the Russian wastes. The hussars were, therefore, the ushers of a new, more sinister form of combat guerillas warfare. Although not guerrillas in the literal sense, the hussars conducted their business with such deliberation and savagery that one western observer, Sir Robert Wilson, mistook them for Cossacks. The uniform of the hussars was modelled after the Hungarian national costume and each regiment had its own colour scheme. The principal head-dress was the distinctive Russian kiwer. Adopted in 1811, the kiwer was an exaggerated form of bell-topped shako, approximately 200 mm. in height, with a concave crown. The uniform jacket, or dolman, was waist length and closefitting. This was sometimes worn under or in conjunction with the with the pelisse, a wait length, fur lined over garment. The lining of the pelisse was white or grey for officers, fawn for trumpeters, and black for all enlisted ranks. The Hussar Life Guards, however, wore white fur exclusively. Both the pelisse and dolman boasted 13 or 15 rows of braid and buttons positioned horizontally across the front of both garments. A barrel sash was worn about the waist with the barrels co ordinated to the colour scheme of the uniform. The trousers were close fitting and decorated at the thigh with ornate embroidery known, appropriately enough, as Hungarian knots. Boots were of two types the first were fancy Hungarian Boot with a V slit and tassel to the front the second were black knee boots, rounded at the top, worn only for undress orders. The equipment of hussar regiments was fairly standard: one pistol; carbine lyadunka cartridge pouch and a sword, sword belt, and sabretache. The pistol, a ponderous, single shot model, was carried beneath the saddlecloth. The carbine, or mousqueton, was suspended from a white shoulder belt by means of a crochet, or swivel hook. The sabre, Russian Model 1801, was rather short and massive by western standards. It was housed in a brass scabbard which bore three hexagonal inserts of black leather. The sabretache, hung from the left hip, usually complemented the principal colour of the uniform. The centre of the sabretache bore a crown above the Emperor´s monogram. Horse furniture followed western European patterns. A saddle was concealed beneath an elongated saddle cloth with a dogs tooth edging. The cloth and edging were coloured to match the uniform and uniform facings respectively, and bore a crown and monogram in the lower corner. The bridle, surcingle, and crupper, etc., were all of black leather. The iron stirrups were oblong in shape and painted flat black. Guard’s officers had several black silk appurtenances added to this inventory. These consisted of ornamental tassels, tulips, and nets all of an oriental pattern which added a touch of medieval glamour to their mounts. The hussar costume lent itself
naturally to colourful interpretation and no two regiments
had the same scheme. For sake of space and convenience, the
colour combinations of all regiments are listed at right in
chart form.
Tradition of London |