The first phase of the Napoleonic Wars began in February 1793 and continued until the Peace of Amiens in March 1802. The second phase started in May 1803, and continued until after June 1815 when Napoleon abdicated following the Battle of Waterloo. At the beginning of the conflict the uniforms of the British Army were beginning a process of change. The shortcomings of the long coats had become self evident and the war provided the stimulation to provide a progressive replacement of the unsatisfactory items. The exact nature of the dress of a unit at any one time is difficult to pinpoint as there were no official dress regulations published before 1833, just a random series of orders and individual regulations published by Horse Guards, most of which are recorded in the papers of the National Archive. There are the contemporary illustrations of the period and those known extant examples have been consulted during the preparation of this study. It may be that other regulations and items exist in private collections, but those available in the public domain have been considered. In some of the regimental illustrations hat plates, breast plates and buttons have been included; these are selected examples to give a feel for the type and style and do not attempt to record the changes in pattern for any particular regiment throughout the period. In every case, the reader should remember that uniformity was an ideal rather than a fact, and it must also be remembered that it was the practice of officers to adopt whatever variations of dress they considered appropriate, both for themselves and their men. It is quite clear that whatever the regulations prescribed, the personnel were often dressed in a manner contrary to the current regulations. In many cases the resulting uniform was the result of a number of significant factors: regimental practice, the amount of money to hand, the desire to be dressed à la mode, and often simply what was available. Provision of the uniforms for the other ranks was the responsibility of the colonel of the regiment. They arranged for manufacture and supply according to the laid down pattern or their whim, on repayment from the treasury, and so regimental variations were common. Officers purchased their own uniforms, usually following the practice and tradition of the regiment rather than regulations. The history of dress for any regiment invariably relies upon many influences, not least the decisions of the colonel. In many cases, the apparent absence of any surviving clothing or records has meant many of the previous studies have been limited. This book draws together contemporary information to provide a new insight into the uniforms and regimental identification of the different regiments of the period; while some of the material has been considered before, much is placed into the public domain for the first time.
Dress Regulations
The dates at which regulations were issued should not be confused with the dates when uniform changes were adopted. While there are instances where the regulations were anticipated, often they were adopted much later. This was in part due to the vagaries of the supply system, particularly for those regiments serving abroad, but often the regimental attitude to new changes and the loss of old distinctions acted to delay the introduction even further. Wellington was notoriously indifferent to who wore what, and the drawings by contemporary artists make it clear that the outfits worn in the field often depicted uniforms and equipment outdated by the regulations. While the new regulations may have been received, the ability to meet them, or even maintain current uniforms, was often beyond local resources, the exceptions being new arrivals who may well have been dressed in the style prescribed by the current regulations. It should be noted that the new cavalry jackets, formally introduced in 1812 and passed to the military tailors in December of 1811, were not available until February 1812 at the earliest, and had still not been adopted by some regiments serving abroad until after 1816. The regimental titles used to identify the regiments are those of the Army List of 1815 and the index refers to regiments by both number and name. The numbers of the British cavalry and infantry regiments during the Napoleonic Wars varied considerably. It peaked about 1794 when there were 33 regiments of light dragoons and 135 regiments of foot, but many of these higher numbered regiments only existed for a very short time and most had been disbanded by the Peace of Amiens. Most of the infantry regiments were allocated a county or area title, ostensibly the area from which the regiment drew recruits, but this was often not the case. Ranks The senior officer of a regiment was the colonel; in rank often a lieutenant colonel, but sometimes both. A senior or field officer referred to majors and above and could include the adjutant, but more usually he was a junior officer. Junior officers included captains, also known as company officers. Subalterns referred to lieutenants, ensigns or cornets. Enlisted men included non-commissioned officers (NCOs) usually used to refer to ranks of lance-sergeant and above, including the corporal of horse who ranked as a sergeant. The rank and file included corporals, lance corporals or chosen men, later known as junior NCOs. Within the rank and file, private soldier referred to those men without any distinction of rank, although trooper was often used within the cavalry. The rank structure in use during the period is given at Appendix A. Regimental Distinctions During the Napoleonic period the regimental distinctions took many forms. The cavalry regiments were more readily recognised by the style of their uniform, some involving special badges or other regimental devices worn on the shabraque or sabretache. In the infantry, where there were many more regiments, each was prescribed a series of differences that enabled it to be recognised. These differences were published in regulations from the Horse Guards and are discussed in detail under the relevant headings. The regiments in the British Army were identified in three main ways. The first was the colour of the facings, the second the arrangement and colour of the lace or buttons worn on the coat or jacket, and at much closer quarters the design and number on the buttons and in the infantry the coloured threads woven into the white lace of the private soldiers and junior NCOs. All of these factors together with the style of hat or helmet and a multiplicity of other distinctions (including tartans) adopted by the regiments contributed to the overall identification of any particular regiment. Clothing This is a term usually applied to such items as caps and helmets, jackets and coats, breeches, trousers, boots, greatcoats, spurs and sashes, in fact any articles for which sealed patterns existed. It was supplied by contractors to the regiment, theoretically once a year on 25 December, and then fitted to the men by local or regimental tailors. Variation in the design, workmanship and quality, particularly in the uniforms of the other ranks, was common. The reader is reminded that what was actually worn on any given occasion depended on the fashion of the time, available materials and the wealth of the commanding officer, rather than on the regulations in force. Appointments or Accoutrements These items included all belts, pouches, sabretaches, sword knots, horse furniture, harness and saddles. They were provided in the same manner as the clothing but had to be replaced at the owner’s expense if lost before the due expiry date. Necessaries These were considered such items as stockings or socks, waistcoats, gloves, stocks, shirts, brushes, small tools and personal cleaning materials for both men and horse. These were ‘sold’ to the other ranks, supposedly at no added cost, and the money stopped from their pay.
Arms
These were the weapons of the officers and other ranks and included swords not privately purchased, all firearms, bayonets, scabbards, and included the drums and bugles or trumpets. Included among these items were the haversacks, knapsacks and water bottles and any tentage or other camp equipment. These were supplied free of charge from the Board of Ordnance but if lost before their time, the losses were charged to the regiment. Presentation Part One illustrates those items of uniform common to the cavalry, and are more properly presented in this part rather than constant repetition in each illustration. In Part Two the text and illustrations show the generic change in uniform, the colour of the facings and the shape and nature of the lace for the officers and enlisted men of the cavalry. This includes the Household Cavalry and the Royal Horse Guards (Blue), the heavy cavalry represented by the dragoon guards and dragoons, the light cavalry represented by the light dragoons and hussar regiments. Part Three addresses those items of uniform that were common to the infantry. It also addresses the tartans of the highland regiments and the dress of the infantry drummers. Part Four considers the details of the infantry; it includes the three regiments of foot guards and all the numbered regiments of foot. The text and illustrations show the generic change in uniform, the colour of the facings and the shape and nature of the lace for the officers and enlisted men.
C.E. Franklin was born in London in 1934. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1951, spending much of his later appointments as an engineer specialising in guided weapons. On leaving the service in 1984 he joined British Aerospace. He retired in 1990 and now spends most of his time in research and writing. He is the author of British Napoleonic Field Artillery, British Rockets of the Napoleonic and Colonial Wars 1805–1901 and British Napoleonic Uniforms: A Complete Illustrated Guide to Uniforms, Facings and Lace. He lives in Lea, Lincolnshire.