French 12th Infantry Regiment du Roi of the Seven Years’ War, 1756–1763
The Regiment du Roi was raised in 1663, and it became the 105th Infantry Regiment in 1791. Colonel propriétaire of the regiment was the King of France. During the Seven Years’ War, the 12th Regiment du Roi fought at Hastenbeck, Hannover, Zell, Roßbach, Krefeld, Minden, Corbach, Göttingen, Warburg, Vellinghausen, Neuhaus, and Melsungen.
Proprietor
- le Roi
Commander
- Lieutenant Général Claude Louis François de Régnier, Comte de Guerchy, 1745–1763
Uniform
The État militaire de France, pour l’Année 1758 describes the uniform of infantry regiment du Roi as follows: Habit gris-blanc, garni de neuf aggréments aurores & autant de boutons jaunes, parements bleus avec trois aggréments & boutons, veste bleue, garnie de vingt-deux aggréments aurores & autant de boutons, poches en travers garnies de trois aggréments & boutons, celles de la veste sont garnies de cinq aggréments & autant de boutons, doublure de l‘habit bleue, celle de la veste en toile rousse, chapeau bordé d‘or.
Grey-white coat, trimmed with nine dawn-coloured ornaments and an equal number of yellow buttons; blue cuffs with three ornaments and buttons; blue waistcoat, trimmed with twenty-two dawn-coloured ornaments and an equal number of buttons; horizontal pockets trimmed with three ornaments and buttons, those on the waistcoat trimmed with five ornaments and an equal number of buttons; blue coat lining, waistcoat lining of unbleached linen; hat edged with gold.
Lucien Mouillard, on the other hand, depicts the uniform of the du Roi Infantry Regiment as follows:
- white coat with 3 × 3 yellow metal buttons with orange lace right,
and 3 × 3 buttonholes with orange lace on left - coat pockets “en travers” with 3 buttons and orange lace
- blue collar
- blue cuffs with 3 buttons and orange lace
- blue turnbacks with yellow hearts
- blue waistcoat with 22 yellow metal buttons and orange lace
- white breeches (blue breeches for officers)
- white gaiters with yellow metal buttons
- black tricorne hat with yellow edging
- Grenadiers wore beards, and sabres
Campaign History
- Camp at Saint-Valery, 1756
- Battle of Hastenbeck, 1757
- Capture of Hannover, 1757
- Expedition to Zell, 1757
- Battle of Roßbach, 1757
- Battle of Krefeld, 1758
- Battle of Minden, 1759
- Engagement at Corbach (Korbach-Sachsenhausen), 1760
- Siege of Göttingen, 1760
- Battle of Warburg, 31 July 1760
- Battle of Vellinghausen / Kirch-Denkern, 1761
- Engagement at Neuhaus, 1761
- Engagement at Melsungen, 1762
- Garrison at Besançon
Lineage
- French 105th Infantry Regiment, 1791
Bibliography
- Chartrand, René: Louis XV‘s Army (2) – French Infantry (Botley 1997), plate B2
- Mollo, John: Uniforms of the Seven Years’ War, 1756–1763, plate 89
- Montendre-Longchamps: État militaire de France, pour l’Année 1758 (Paris 1758)
- Mouillard, Lucien: Les régiments sous Louis XV (Paris 1882)