French 21st Infantry Regiment de Saint-Chamond, Seven Years’ War, 1756–1762

Brought to France in 1596 by George John I, Count Palatine of Palatinate-Veldenz (Phalsbourg), the regiment was called de Nettancourt from 26 October 1629, de Dampierre from 18 December 1652, de Chappes from 12 March 1689, d‘Humières in 1690, de Charost from 9 February 1702, de Béthune from 1 October 1709, d‘Estaing in 1732, de Noailles from 10 March 1734, de Custine from 19 June 1744 , and de Saint-Chamond from 1 February 1749 until 11 May 1762, when it received the Comte de Rosen as its new proprietor.

Proprietor

  • Charles Louis Auguste de La Vieuville, Marquis de Saint-Chamond, 1 February 1749 to 11 May 1762
  • Eugène Octave Augustin, Comte de Rosen, 11 May 1762 to 3 January 1770

Colonel Lieutenant

  • M. Carraud d‘Urbise

Uniform

The État militaire de France, pour l’Année 1758 describes the uniform of infantry regiment de Saint-Chamond as follows: Tout blanc, parements & collet rouges, boutons jaunes, pattes en écusson garnies de sept boutons, dont trois de chaque côté & et un en bas, trois sur la manche, chapeau bordé d‘or.

All white; red cuffs and collar; yellow buttons; shield-shaped pocket flaps trimmed with seven buttons, three on each side and one at the bottom, and three on the cuff; hat edged with gold.

Lucien Mouillard, on the other hand, depicts the uniform of the Saint-Chamond Infantry Regiment as follows:

  • white coat with yellow metal buttons
  • double coat pockets “doubles” with 6 buttons, arranged in pairs
  • red collar
  • red cuffs with 3 buttons
  • white turnbacks with white hearts
  • red waistcoat with yellow metal buttons
  • white breeches
  • white gaiters with yellow metal buttons
  • black tricorne hat with yellow edging
  • Grenadiers wore beards, and sabres

Campaign History

  • Defence of the Saale Bridge at Weißenfels, 31 October 1757
  • Battle of Roßbach, 5 November 1757
  • Withdrawal to Lille, 1758
  • Coastal Defence in the Area of Coutances, 1758
  • Replenishment at Alençon, 1758
  • Redeployment to Belle-Île-en-Mer, March 1759
  • Redeployment to Brest, Oktober 1760
  • Redeployment to Morlaix and Le Conquet, April 1761
  • Redeployment to Hennebont, Dezember 1761

Lineage

  • Régiment de Rosen, 11 May 1762
  • Régiment de Dauphiné, 10 December 1762
  • 38e régiment d’infanterie de ligne, 1 January 1791

Bibliography

  • Montendre-Longchamps: État militaire de France, pour l’Année 1758 (Paris 1758)
  • Mouillard, Lucien: Les régiments sous Louis XV (Paris 1882)

French Infantry of the Seven Years’ War