French 51st Infantry Regiment de Reding, Seven Years’ War, 1756–1761
The Salis foreign regiment, raised in 1672, and later known as Porlier, Reynold, Castella, Bettens, and Monnin from 1739, received Baron von Reding as its new proprietor in 1756. During the Seven Years‘ War, the 51st Reding Regiment fought at Hastenbeck, Roßbach, and Warburg.
Proprietor
- Baron de Reding, 1756–1761
- M. Pfeiffer, 1761–1763
Uniform
The État militaire de France, pour l’Année 1758 describes the uniform of infantry regiment Reding as follows: Habit rouge, garance, collet, veste & parements bleus, boutons blancs, pattes ordinaires garnies de cinq boutons & boutonnières, trois sur la manche, l‘habit & la veste ont des boutonnières bleues des deux côtés, chapeau bordé d‘argent.
Rose madder coat with blue collar, waistcoat and cuffs; white buttons; horizontal pocket flaps “ordinaires” trimmed with five buttons and buttonholes; three buttons on the cuff; coat and waistcoat have blue buttonholes on both sides; hat edged with silver.
Lucien Mouillard, on the other hand, depicts the uniform of the Reding Infantry Regiment as follows:
- rose madder coat with white metal buttons
- horizontal coat pockets “ordinaires” with 5 buttons
- 6 buttons and button holes right and left
- blue cuffs with 3 buttons
- blue shoulder strap left
- blue turnbacks with white hearts
- blue waistcoat with white metal buttons
- blue breeches
- white gaiters with white metal buttons
- black tricorne hat with white edging
- Grenadiers wore beards, and sabres
Campaign History
- Battle of Hastenbeck, 26 July 1757
- Battle of Roßbach, 5 November 1757
- Battle of Warburg, 31 July 1760
Lineage
- Régiment de Pfiffer, 1763
- Régiment de Sonnenberg, 1768
- 65ème régiment d’infanterie, 1791
Bibliography
- Montendre-Longchamps: État militaire de France, pour l’Année 1758 (Paris 1758)
- Mouillard, Lucien: Les régiments sous Louis XV (Paris 1882)