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Infantry

In 1803, the contingent of the two principalities were reorganized in four infantry battalions :

	from	Garrison	Proprietary
I. (Leib-) Bat.	Usingen	Wiesbaden	v.Todenwarth
II. (Jäger-) Bat.	Weilburg	Weilburg	v.Kruse
III. (leichte Jäger-) Bat.	Weilburg	Castel	v.Schaeffer
IV. (Musketier-) Bat.	Usingen	Deutz/Linz	v.Holbach

Following the Austrian system, each battalion was composed of a company of grenadiers and three companies of musketeers , each of :

1	Hauptmann
1	Oberleutnant
2	Leutnants
1	Felwebel
4	Sergeants
8	Korporals
8	Gefreiten
2	Trommler
120	Soldaten

These battalions were organized in the Nassau infantry brigade that took part in 1806 to the Prussian campaign.
In June 1808, battalions were reorganized along the French system of one grenadier, one voltigeur and four fusilier companies and regrouped in two infantry regiments, the 1st Nassau Infantry Regiment receiving the two Usingen battalions and the 2nd one the Weilburg battalions.
The 2nd Nassau Infantry Regiment was posted at the end of 1808 in Leval German Division and fought in Spain until 1813 when he went over to the British in July. The 1st Nassau Infantry Regiment took part in the Austrian campaign and was sent to Catalonia at the beginning of 1810. He was disarmed and interned after 2nd regiment defected.

Infantry brigade 1806-1807

Fusiliers

I. (Leib-) Bataillon

• Single breasted long tailed coat in dark green cloth closed by a row of 7 buttons. Scarlet collar laced light orange bearing two light orange buttonhole laces. Scarlet shoulder straps trimmed light orange. Front of coat piped in light orange. Scarlet rounded cuffs laced light orange bearing two light orange buttonhole laces, one on cuff and one above. Scarlet turnbacks piped light orange, vertical pockets bearing four light orange buttonhole laces. Brass buttons.
• White vest. Light grey breeches bearing black Hungarian knots and dark grey knee length gaiters. In summer dress, white overalls and gaiters.
• Black leather Bavarian style helmet with black wool crest bearing a brass grenade badge. Brass front band and side struts. Black plume. Black leather peak with brass strengthening.
• Yellow leatherwork. Black leather cartridge pouch bearing a brass oval plate stamped with Nassau lion. Infantry sabre with brass hilt and black leather scabbard with brass fittings.

II. Bataillon

• Same coat as 1st battalion with brick red facings. No buttonhole laces on collar or cuffs.
• Grey vest. Grey breeches bearing red Hungarian knots and grey knee length gaiters. In summer dress, white overalls and gaiters.
• Black felt shako with black leather top and bottom bands. Black plume over yellow pompon over black cockade. Yellow cords and flounders. Black leather peak.
• Same equipment as 1st battalion.

III. (Jäger-) Bataillon

• Same coat as 2nd battalion with bright red facings. White metal buttons.
• Green vest. Grey breeches bearing red Hungarian knots and grey knee length gaiters. In summer dress, white overalls and gaiters.
• Black felt shako with black leather top and bottom bands. Black plume over black cockade. white cords and flounders. Black leather peak.
• Black leatherwork. Same equipment as 1st battalion.

IV. Bataillon

• Same coat as 2nd battalion with crimson facings.
• White vest. Grey breeches bearing black Hungarian knots and grey knee length gaiters. In summer dress, white overalls and gaiters.
• Shako as 2nd battalion covered with grass green, green plume and pompon.
• Same equipment as 1st battalion.

Grenadiers

I. (Leib-) Bataillon : Fusiliers' dress with scarlet plume and red laced gaiters.
III. (Jäger-) Bataillon : Black felt cocked hat. Yellow wool pompon over black cockade laced white. White wool tassels. Black leather cartridge box worn on stomach. Hunter sabre with brass hilt and black leather sheath with brass fittings.
IV. Bataillon : Fusiliers' dress. On shako, brass grenade badge and large bushy red plume, scarlet cords and flounders. Heart shaped gaiters with red lace and tassel.

NCOs

Troopers' dress with gold (brass buttons) or silver (white metal buttons) lace on front and bottom sides of collar and on cuffs.

Drummers

Troopers' dress with facings coloured swallow nests laced yellow and six yellow chevrons on both arms. Seven yellow buttonholes laces on front of coat. Copper drums stamped with Nassau lion and hoops painted with alternate yellow and blue triangles.

Infantry regiments, transition dress 1808-1809

Fusiliers

• Single breasted coat in dark green cloth closed by a row of 7 buttons. Black collar laced light orange. Black shoulder straps trimmed light orange. Front of coat piped in light orange. Black rounded cuffs laced light orange. Black turnbacks piped light orange. Brass buttons.
• White vest. Grey breeches bearing black Hungarian knots and black knee length gaiters.
• Black felt shako with black leather top and bottom bands, bearing a brass trophy of arm plate with dice cut
  regimental number. Company coloured (1st yellow, 2nd white, 3rd sky blue, 4th black) tufted pompon over black cockade. White cords and flounders. Black leather peak and brass chinscales.
• Yellow leatherwork and black leather cartridge pouch.

Grenadiers

1st battalion of both regiments : Fusiliers' dress with same buttonhole laces and helmet as former Leib-Bataillon. Scarlet fringed epaulets. Brass grenade badge on pouch and infantry sabre with scarlet sabre strap.

2nd battalion of both regiments : Fusiliers' dress with brass grenade badge on shako. Scarlet plume, cords, flounders and fringed epaulets Brass grenade badge on pouch and infantry sabre with scarlet sabre strap.

Voltigeurs

Fusiliers' dress with brass horn badge on shako. Green plume, cords, flounders and fringed epaulets Brass horn badge on pouch and infantry sabre with green sabre strap.

NCOs

Troopers' dress with yellow or gold rank laces on both arms.

Officers

Other ranks' dress with gold laces and epaulets. Gilded gorget bearing a silver lion. Green cloth breeches, black leather Hungarian boots with gold trim and tassel. Black felt cocked hat with gold tassels.

Drummers

Troopers' dress with black swallow nests laced yellow and six yellow lace chevrons on each sleeve. Five yellow buttonhole laces on front of coat. Copper drum stamped with rampant lion and hoops painted with alternate blue and yellow stripes or triangles.

Sappers

Grenadiers' dress with whitened leather apron.

Infantry regiments 1809-1813

Fusiliers

• Single breasted short tailed coat in dark green cloth closed by a row of 9 buttons. Black collar piped yellow. Black shoulder straps piped yellow. Front of coat piped in yellow. Black rounded cuffs piped yellow. Black turnbacks piped yellow and vertical pockets simulated by a yellow piping. Brass buttons.
• Green vest piped yellow. Green cloth overalls with yellow Hungarian knots side bands over black or white gaiters.
• Shako as before.
• Equipment as before.

Grenadiers

Fusiliers' dress with scarlet fringed epaulets and turnbacks bearing scarlet grenade patch. Black fur colback with scarlet cloth bag. Scarlet plume, cords and flounders. Pouch bearing a brass grenade badge and infantry sabre with scarlet strap.

Voltigeurs

Fusiliers' dress with epaulets with yellow crescent and green fringes, turnbacks bearing yellow horn patch. Shako bearing a brass horn badge. Green plume with yellow top, yellow cords and flounders. Pouch bearing a brass horn badge and infantry sabre with green strap.

NCOs

As before.

Officers

Troopers dress with long tails and all yellow or brass ornaments becoming gold or gilded. Gold rank epaulets on shoulder and gilded gorget bearing a silver rampant lion. Sword or sabre with yellow belt worn over right shoulder and bearing a gold plate stamped with Nassau lion.

Drummers

As before.

Sappers

Grenadiers' dress with whitened leather apron. Scarlet armband on left arm bearing a white crossed axes cloth
patch. Yellow sleeved gloves.

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As the Nassau duchy joined the allies in 1813, the duke had to raise a new infantry regiment to fulfil his military obligations. As the 1st Infantry Regiment was imprisoned in French camps, the vacant number 1 was taken over by the new third regiment.
Moreover the duke - as others Germans rulers - called upon volunteers to raise a Landwehr infantry regiment and a voluntary Jaegers and Landsturm corps.
As for him, the prince of Orange raised in his German territory an infantry regiment and two voluntary Jaegers companies. As king of Netherlands, he transferred these units in the Dutch army and signed with the duke of Nassau a convention to take the 2nd Nassau Infantry Regiment just coming back from Spain in Dutch service.
The Nassau Infantry regiments were reorganized before the Belgium campaign and established at two line and one Landwehr battalions. Considered as light infantry battalions, each is composed of one grenadier, one flankers and four jaegers companies.

Nassau infantry regiment

Fusiliers

As before. In Dutch service the black cockade is replaced by the orange one.

Grenadiers

As before. Grenadiers of the 1st Infantry Regiment wear scarlet wings instead of epaulets.

Flankers

As before. Flankers of the 1st Infantry Regiment wear yellow wings instead of epaulets.

Officers

As before. In Dutch service the gorget is replaced by an orange silk scarf..

Drummers

As before. The six chevrons on sleeves are replaced by three chevrons on forearms trimmed with yellow embroideries.

Landwehr

As line soldiers but red piping instead of yellow ones and white metal buttons instead of brass ones. Black leatherwork.

Regiment Oranje-Nassau Nr.28

Fusiliers

• Single breasted short tailed coat in dark blue cloth closed by a row of 9 buttons. Dark red collar. Blue shoulder straps trimmed red. Front of coat piped in red. Red cuffs with blue piped red flaps. Red turnbacks. White metal buttons.
• Grey overalls over dark grey gaiters.
• Black felt shako with black leather top and bottom bands, bearing a white metal hexagonal plate stamped with the royal W cipher. White pompon over orange cockade. White cords and flounders. Black leather peak and white metal chinscales.
• White leatherwork.

Officers

Other ranks' dress with long tails, all white or white metal ornaments become silver or silvered. Silver rank epaulets on shoulder. Orange silk scarf. Grey breeches and black light boots.

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Mounted jaegers

The prince of Nassau-Weilburg gathered in 1804 all pre-existing mounted elements to raise a company of mounted jaegers. This company was divided in 1807 to organize two squadrons of jaegers.
The 2nd squadron was sent to Spain in November 1808 where he fulfilled counter-guerrilla duties. It was joined there by the 1st squadron only in November 1813.
Both squadrons were disarmed and interned in December as all other German troops and were not raised again.

Jaegers

• Hussars style dress. Dark green dolman with white braid and laces. Green collar trimmed white. Green
  pointed cuffs trimmed white. White metal buttons.
• Green Hungarian breeches with white knots and side bands. Black Hungarian boots with white trim and tassels.
  Breeches are often replaced in Spain with green, grey or brown overalls.
• Black leather Bavarian style helmet with black wool crest bearing a white metal plate stamped with ducal FA cipher. Black horsehair caterpillar with green plume included in above the plate. White metal front band and side struts. Green plume on right side of helmet. Black leather peak with white metal strengthening and black leather chinstrap.
  From 1810, black fur colback with scarlet bag piped white. White metal chinscales.
• Black leatherwork. Black leather cartridge pouch bearing the ducal cipher in white metal. Black leather hussar belt with black leather sabretache bearing the ducal cipher in white metal. Light cavalry sabre with three bars iron hilt and scabbard and black sabre strap.
• Black leather light cavalry harness. German saddle with black fur saddle and holster cover. Green cloth cylindrical portmanteau laced white.
  From 1810, Hungarian saddle with black fur saddle dress and portmanteau as before.

Officers

Other ranks' dress, all white or white metal ornaments becoming silver or silvered. Silver rank laces and embroideries above cuffs and on breeches.
Same helmet with higher crown then colback with green bag piped silver.
Leatherwork and sabretache trimmed with silver lace piped red.
Holster cover bearing white metal ducal cipher then Hungarian saddle with green cloth saddle cover laced silver.

Trumpeters

Troopers' dress with green swallow nests laced white and six white lace chevrons on both sleeves. Copper trumpet with green cord.

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The four infantry battalions owned in 1806 the same flags and seemed to have kept them until the end of the Napoleonic era.
Yellow silk flag embroidered bearing a blue silk oval patch embroidered with the crowned Nassau lion in gold embraced within green laurels wreath. Black wood staff with gilded hexagonal finial stamped with ducal cipher.

Landwehr and Landsturm battalions seems to have received flags of the same design bearing on the obverse the same kind of blue shield painted with gold lion and embraced with green laurels wreath an painted on reverse with the home city of the battalion.

Cavalry squadrons did not receive any standard.

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Sources

Contemporary plates and drawings (XIXe siècle)

• CARL COLLECTION FILE, plate R (Berg)
• ELBERSFELD MANUSCRIPT, Copied by J.M.BUENO (Berg)
• MANUSCRIPT OF GUNNER HAHLO, Copied by R.FORTHOFFER
• TRADITION MAGAZINE
  • " Le manuscrit de WEILAND ", Hors série n°4, 1998
  • " Le bourgeois de HAMBURG ", Hors série n°5, 1998 (Berg)
  • " Le manuscrit de ZIMMERMANN ", Hors série n°6, 1999 (Nassau)

• BRIGADE UNIFORMTAFELN, n°112 "Herzogtum Nassau reitende Jäger 1804-1813", P.BUNDE, privately published
• DEUTSCHE UNIFORMEN, H.KNÖTEL und M.LETZIUS, sur le site http://www.grosser-generalstab.de
• GROSSE UNIFORMENKUNDE, R.KNÖTEL
  • Band II Blatt 12 (Nassau)
  • Band IV Blatt 36 (Nassau)
  • Band V Blatt 14 (Nassau)
  • Band VI Blatt 38 (Nassau)
• HEERE DER VERGANGENHEIT, n°I/7 "Nassau reitende Jäger 1805-1813", P.THEIßEN UND P.WACKER, J.Olmes
• LES UNIFORMES DE L'ARMEE FRANÇAISE, Tome V" Garde nationale, troupes alliées ", LIENHART ET R.HUMBERT, 1990
• NAPOLEONIC UNIFORMS, Vol. III, J.R. ELTING, Emperor's Press 2000
• SERIE DOCUMENTAIRE, R.FORTHOFFER
  • Planches n°167 à 171 Berg 1806-1813, les 4 régiments d'Infanterie
  • Planches n°187 à 191 Berg 1807-1813, la cavalerie
  • Planche n°255 la division Leval en Espagne, 2e R.I. de Nassau
• SOLDATS DE LA GRANDE ARMEE, n°37 "Chevau-légers de Berg 1808", F.BERJAUD, privately published

Books and articles

• ARMIES OF GERMANY AND THE CONFEDERATION OF THE RHINE, VOL I, G.F.NAFZIGER 1993 (Nassau)
• ARMIES OF WESTPHALIA AND CLEVES-BERG 1806-1815, G.F.NAFZIGER 1991 (Berg)
• BULLETIN DE LA SOCIETE BELGE,
  • " Les chevau-légers lanciers du grand-duché de Berg (1807-14) ", W.Aerts 1945
• DEPESCHE,
  • nr. 10, " Hzgl. Nassauische Truppen im Feldzug gegen Preußen 1806/07", P.Wacker
  • nr. 24, " Herzoglich Nassauische Reitende Jäger 1804-1813", P.Wacker
  • nr. 24, " Das Chevauleger-Regiment von Berg 1807-1808", G.Dempsey und E.Wagner
• FLAGS OF THE NAPOLEONIC WARS, Vol. III, T.WISE et G.ROSIGNOLI, Osprey 1997
• HANDBUCH DER UNIFORMKUNDE, H.KNÖTEL et H.SIEG, MEISENHEIM 1960
• LE BRIQUET,
  • " Louis Brégère, lancier de Berg", J.-J.Pattyn 2001
• LES ARMEES DE WATERLOO 1815, B.COPPENS, Bruxelles 1999 (Nassau)
• NAPOLEON'S GERMAN ALLIES 1 : WESTPHALIA & KLEVE-BERG, O.v.PIVKA et R.SCOLLINS, Osprey 1996
• NAPOLEON'S GERMAN ALLIES 2 : NASSAU & OLDENBURG, O.v.PIVKA et G.EMBLETON, Osprey 1995
• THE ARMIES OF NAPLES AND KLEVE-BURG, W.J. RAWKINS
• THE CONFEDERATION OF THE RHINE, HESSE-DARMSTADT, MECKLENBURG & NASSAU, W.J. RAWKINS, 1980
• UN REGIMENT RHENAN SOUS NAPOLEON PREMIER, J.THOMAS, Paris 1928, à la bibliothèque de la Sabretache
• ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR HEERESKUNDE,
  • " Die Infanterie des Groherzogtum Berg (1807-1813)", H.KNÖTEL 1953
  • " Uniformierung des II., III. und IV. Bataillons der Nassauischen Infanterie-Brigade 1806-1808", H.KNÖTEL 1961
  • " Bergische Reiter 1807-1815", F.HERMANN 1980

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Plates Text

Rb16 - Duchies of Nassau : infantry 1806-1809

1. I. battalion 1806-1807 : grenadier (a) and musketeer (b).
2. II. battalion 1806-1807 : musketeer and NCO's coat.
3. III. battalion 1806-1807 : carabineer (a), musketeer (b) and NCO's coat.
4. IV. battalion 1806-1807 : grenadier (a) and musketeer (b).
5. 1st and 2nd regiments 1808-1809 : grenadier of the 1st battalion (a), fusilier (b) and voltigeur (c).

Rb17 - Duchies of Nassau : infantry 1810-1815

1. Voltigeur officer 1809.
2. Grenadier companies : grenadier of the 2nd regiment 18010-1813 (a), of the 1st regiment 1814-1815 (b). Corporal coat, sabre and cartridge pouch (c).
3. Centre companies : fusilier of the 2nd regiment 1810-1813 (a) and officer of the 1st in 1815 (b). Sergeant coat and cartridge pouch (c).
4. Voltigeur companies : voltigeur of the 2nd regiment in full (a) end campaign (b) dresses 1810-1813 and of the 1st regiment 1814-1815 (c). Master sergeant coat, sabre and cartridge pouch (d).
5. Landwehr battalions 1814-1815 (a). Orange infantry regiment 1815 (b).

Rb18 - Duchies of Nassau : infantry heads of column, staff and flags

1. Fusilier drummers in 1806 (R.Knötel)(a), in Spain 1810 (L.Scharf)(b) and in 1815 (B.Coppens)(c).
2. Sappers in 1809(a) and 1812 (b).
3. Drum-major in 1812 (H.Boisselier).
4. Aide to brigadier in Spain 1810 (R.Forthoffer)(a) and general in 1809 (v.Kruse portrait)(b).
5. Flag of Nassau infantry battalions.

Rb19 - Duchies of Nassau : artillery and cavalry

1. Regimental artillery 1809-1810 : gunner (L.Scharf)(a) and officer (H.Knötel)(b).
2. Mounted jaegers : jaeger in 1806 (ms. Of Zimmermann)(a) and 1810(b). Campaign dress 1810 (P.Theissen)(c). Trumpeter in quarter dress (C.J.Frankenback)(d). Officers in 1806 (ms. of Weiland)(e) and 1810 (f).