Grand-duchy of Würzburg

History Sources  Infantry Infantry regiment Cavalry Light horses Artillery Foot artillery Artilery train Land forces Garrison troops Voluntary Jägers Flags Infantry Cavalry

Fusiliers

• Single breasted Austrian cut coat in white cloth closed down to the waist by a row of ten buttons. Scarlet collar. White shoulder straps piped scarlet. Scarlet rounded cuffs. Scarlet single fold turnbacks with vertical pockets simulated by a scarlet piping. Brass buttons.
  From 1811, French cut coat in white cloth. Scarlet collar piped white. White shoulder straps piped scarlet. Scarlet pointed lapels piped white. Scarlet cuffs piped white with white flap (trident shape with 3 buttons) piped scarlet. White turnbacks piped scarlet, vertical pockets simulated by a scarlet piping. Brass buttons.
• White vest with scarlet collar and cuffs. White kersey breeches and white cloth trousers in campaign dress. Short black gaiters. Grey hooded coat.
• Helmet with black leather comb and crest bearing a brass plate stamped with the ducal cipher. Black leather peak and neck-guard with brass strengthening.
  From 1808 or 1809, it seems that at least a fraction of the regiment used Austrian black felt shako.
  From 1811, French type black felt shako with black leather fittings. Brass rhomboid plate topped by a ducal crown and stamped with the ducal cipher. White wool pompon bearing the company number over tricolour cockade (red-blue-yellow from centre). Brass scaled chinstraps.
• White leatherwork and black leather cartridge pouch.

Grenadiers

Troopers’ dress with scarlet shoulder flaps. Black caterpillar and scarlet plume on helmet.
From 1811, scarlet plume and cords on shako, scarlet fringed epaulets and scarlet grenade patch on turnbacks.
French infantry sabre, white sabre strap with scarlet knot. From 1811, all scarlet sabre strap.

Voltigeurs

When companies are raised in 1808, troopers’ dress with green shoulder flaps. Green plume.
From 1811, yellow plume with green top and green cords on shako, green fringed epaulets with yellow moon. Green horn patch on turnbacks.
From 1811, French infantry sabre, white green sabre strap.

NCOs

Troopers’ dress with French type rank insignias in yellow wool or gold lace on scarlet patch..
Yellow wool lace around shako top.

Officers

Troopers’ dress in finer cloth and gold rank epaulets. Scarlet cloth belt with blue and gold stripes. Higher crest in gilded brass. Black leather boots.
From 1811, cloth belt is replaced by a gilded gorget bearing silver ducal arms.

Drummers

The first uniform is unknown but can follow the Austrian regulation of troopers’ dress with scarlet swallow nets laced white.
From 1811, troopers’ dress in sky blue cloth laced yellow on collar, lapels, cuffs and turnbacks. Scarlet swallow nests laced yellow.

Sappers

The first uniform is unknown but can follow the Austrian regulation of troopers’ dress with whitened leather apron and sapper’s badge (two red crosses axes) on left arm.
From 1811, troopers’ dress in sky blue cloth, grenadiers epaulets and black fur colpack with scarlet bag. Scarlet plume and cord. Sapper apron and insignias (scarlet axes on both sleeves).

Musicians

From 1811, troopers’ dress in sky blue cloth laced silver on collar,. Sky blue plume and cords. White buttons.

Regimental artillery

Grenadiers’ dress in dark blue cloth.

Between 1808 and 1812 the light horses are posted to law enforcement duties.
In February 1812 they are reorganised following the French system and the “division” of two squadrons becomes a squadron of two companies with the following strength :

A third company is raised in February 1813.
During the Russian campaign the squadron is posted in north Germany and it is assigned to the XIth Corps of Marshal Augereau at the beginning of the campaign in Saxony and distinguish themselves on numerous occasions during the battles of 1813.
In 1814 a light horses regiment is raised by the Allies and takes part in the campaign of France.

Light horses

• Single breasted Austrian cut coat in green cloth closed down to the waist by a row of seven buttons. Scarlet collar. Green shoulder strap behind left shoulder. Scarlet rounded cuffs. Scarlet turnbacks. Brass buttons.
  From 1808, white metal scaled shoulder straps.
  From 1811, scarlet fringed epaulets.
• White breeches and black leather boots. In campaign dress, grey or green overalls with scarlet side bands.
• Helmet with black leather comb and crest bearing a brass plate stamped with the ducal cipher. Two brass struts on both sides. Black plume with scarlet top. Black leather peak and neck-guard with brass strengthening. Black leather chinstrap.
  From 1811, black felt shako with black leather fittings. Brass rhomboid plate topped by a ducal crown and stamped with the ducal cipher. Black plume with scarlet top over tricolour cockade. Brass scaled chinstraps.
• White leatherwork and black leather cartridge pouch. Bavarian (Weiland) or Austrian (Ebner) light cavalry sabre replaced by the French one with three bars brass hilt and iron scabbard. White sabre strap.
• Light cavalry harness with Austrian type saddle cover in scarlet cloth laced yellow-white-yellow, with black sheepskin with scarlet cloth trim. Red cloth cylindrical portmanteau.
  From 1811, black sheepskin with scarlet wolf teeth trim.

NCOs

Troopers’ dress with French type rank insignias in yellow wool or gold lace on scarlet patch.
Yellow wool lace around shako top..

Officers

Troopers’ dress in finer cloth and gold rank epaulets. Scarlet cloth belt with blue and gold stripes. Higher crest in gilded brass. Black leather boots.
From 1811, cloth belt is suppressed and pouch shoulder belt now wears the gold, scarlet and blue stripes. Gold lace and cords on shako.

Trumpeters

The first uniform is unknown but can follow the Austrian regulation of troopers’ dress with scarlet swallow nets laced yellow and scarlet plume.
The second uniform is also unknown but can be troopers’ dress in reversed colours.

The infantry regiment received four flags on August 8th 1806. Yellow silk of 160x120cm trimmed on three sides by alternate red, blue and white triangles.
On the obverse a scarlet crowned F surrounded by green foliage branches with red fruits tied with a red ribbon and on the reverse the crowned full arms of the duchy surrounded by the chains of the Golden Fleece and the Order of San Stefano, couched on a red mantle lined ermine himself surrounded by the same branches as the obverse.
The staff is painted in red and white spirals and surmounted by a gold finial bearing a shield stamped on one side by the F cipher and on the other by the Austrian arms.

The fist two squadrons may have received their standart upon forming. White silk of 65x70cm with thick gold lace border.
On the obverse a red oval trimmed gold bearing a crowned gold cipher an surrounded by gold branches with gold fruits and ribbon and on reverse the crowned arms of the duchy surrounded by the chains of the Golden Fleece and the Order of San Stefano, couched on a red mantle lined ermine with gold fringes.
The staff is painted in red and white spirals and surmounted by a gold hollow finial.

• TRADITION MAGAZINE
  • "Le manuscrit de WEILAND", Hors série n°4, 1998
• BRIGADE UNIFORMTAFELN, P.BUNDE, privately published
  • n°24 "Grossherzogtum Wurzburg Infanterieregiment 1806-1813"
  • n°25 "Grossherzgotum Wurzburg Dragoner-Regiment 1806-1812 chevau-leger-Regiment 1812-1813"
• DEUTSCHE UNIFORMEN, H.KNOTEL und M.LETZIUS, on site http://www.grosser-generalstab.de
• HEER UND TRADITION, Fahnentafel LVI "Feldzeichen der Grossherzogl.-Wurzburgischen Truppen 1806-1814", H.KUHLMANN UND P.WACKER
• LE BRIQUET, N°4/1985 «1er Régiment de la Confédération du Rhin : Wurzbourg», G.GODON
• LES UNIFORMES DE L'ARMEE FRANCAISE, Tome V "Garde nationale, troupes alliées", LIENHART ET R.HUMBERT, 1990
• LE PLUMET, RIGO
  • D16 "Grand-duché de Wurzbourg, drapeaux 1805-1814"
  • D18 "Grand-duché de Wurzbourg, etendards 1805-1814"
• NAPOLEONIC UNIFORMS, Vol. III, J.R. ELTING, Emperor's Press 2000
• SOLDATS DE LA GRANDE ARMEE, F.BERJAUD, privately published
  • n°34 "Wurzbourg, régiment d'infanterie 1810-1812"
  • n°67 "Wurzbourg, régiment de chevau-légers 1806-1813"
• THE ARMIES OF THE KINGDOM OF BAVARIA AND THE GRAND DUCHY OF WURZBURG, G.F.NAFZIGER, 1993
• FLAGS OF THE NAPOLEONIC WARS, Vol. III, T.WISE et G.ROSIGNOLI, Osprey 1997
• HANDBUCH DER UNIFORMKUNDE, H.KNOTEL et H.SIEG, MEISENHEIM 1960
• THE ARMIES OF WESTPHALIA AND WURZBURG 1806-1814, W.J. RAWKINS