French Corps de Chasseurs attached to Turpin Hussars, 1760
This Corps, created by order of 4 January 1760, is attached to the regiment of Turpin, and commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel, subordinate to the Mestre de camp of this Regiment.
It consists of five companies, of which one of grenadiers of 60 men, and 4 of fusiliers of 100 men each.
Company of Grenadiers
One Capitaine, one Lieutenant, one Sous-Lieutenant, 3 Sergents, 4 Caporaux, 4 Anspessades, 48 Grenadiers, and one Drummer.
Company of Fusiliers
One Capitaine, one Lieutenant, one Sous-Lieutenant, 4 Sergents, 6 Caporaux, 6 Anspessades, 82 Fusiliers, and 2 Drummers.
État-Major
One lieutenant-colonel without company, commandant under the authority of the Mestre de camp of the hussar regiment, and one Aide-Major.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant, M. le Chevalier d’Origny,
- Aide-Major, M. Rambert
Uniform
Light blue coat, small black cuff and lapels, lining, waistcoat and breeches of madder red tricot, white buttonhole lace in the shape of cloverleaves, flat white buttons, hat bordered in white.
Musicians
Chasseur drummers probably wore the same uniform as the musicians of the Turpin Hussars, namely the livery of their chef, Lancelot Turpin, comte de Crissé et de Sanzay, whose coat of arms is described as „losangé d‘argent et de gueule“ (lozengy argent and gules). Accordingly, the livery may have been brown or buff with white or red facings and white drummer‘s lace with red lozenges.
Commanding Officer
- Colonel-Lieutenant, M. le Baron du Blaisel
- Lieutenant-Colonel, M. de Rome
- Lieutenant-Col. en second, M. le Chevalier du Blaisel
- Major, M. de Romans
Bibliography
- Chartrand, René: Louis XV’s Army (4) – Light Troops and Specialists (Botley 1997)
- Großer Generalstab: Der Siebenjährige Krieg 1756–1763, Band 12, Landeshut und Liegnitz (Berlin 1914)
- Marbot, A. de: Costumes militaries français depuis 1439 jusqu’en 1789
- Montendre-Longchamps: État militaire de France, pour l’Année 1761 (Paris 1761)
- Pengel & Hurt: France Troupes Légères of the Seven Years’ War 1740–1763 (Birmingham 1980)
- Raspe, Gabriel Nicolas: Recueil de toutes les troupes qui forment les armées françoises. Dessiné et illuminé d’après nature. (Nürnberg 1761), planche 198.b