| Compagnies Franches de Volontaires Royaux Légion Royale 1er Régiment des Chasseurs à Cheval (Royale) | |
|---|---|
 Uniform of the regiment after the 1789 ordnance. | |
| Active | 1745–1791 |
| Country |
 Kingdom of France |
| Allegiance | King of France |
| Branch |
Armée Royale |
| Type | Legion of Dragoons, Infantry, and supporting elements, later Mounted Hunters (Chasseurs) |
| Size | Regiment |
| Engagements |
|
The Légion Royale was a light cavalry regiment of the French Royal Army which participated in the Seven Years' War and was disbanded shortly thereafter, though its successor the 7éme Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval continued to serve in the Napoleonic Wars and modern French Army until being disbanded in 1993 after the end of the Cold War. (See: 7e Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval)
Formation[]
The Picardie Chasseurs trace its origins to the Compagnies Franches de Volontaires Royaux (French Company of Royal Volunteers), formed by ordnance on 15 August 1745. At the time of formation, these new companies were dispersed throughout France, but most concentrated in Flanders. It wasn't until 1747 these companies were grouped together under a single Mestre de camp (Master of Camp), and became the Volontaires Royaux. They served in the County of Nice as the War of the Austrian Succession heated up, and would remain for another year until the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.[1]
Seven Years' War[]
Dragoon uniform of the Legion in 1768, along with the infantry maintains the blue jacket of the royal regiments.
Regimental uniform in 1788.
In 1757, they formed the vanguard for the Army of Marshal Louis Charles, Duc d'Estrées, and took Rietberg by force and took some 1,200 prisoners. They then found themselves at the Battle of Hastenbeck where the French implemented a serious defeat upon the allied army, leading to the occupation of Hanover. They then were placed in Hoya for winter-quarters and were attacked there on 23 February 1758 by superior forces, but they made a vigorous defence, and fought until they were forced to retire from the castle. Eventually, they were relieved by the Régiment des Gardes–Lorraine, two pickets from Brittany and some 100 dragoons from the Régiment de Mastre de Camp Dragons, and obtained the honours of war there. As a direct result of this engagement, the volunteers were granted a patenet on 7 May to became the Légion Royale (Royal Legion), expanded its establishment, and roles.[1]
Infantryman of the Legion in 1768, in the distinctive royal blue jacket.
The legion was now organised into 12 companies, each of; 100 men; 60 of infantry and 40 of dragoons, a company of hussars, a company of workers (logistics), company of pioneers (engineers), and a company of pontonniers (bridging troops). In 1759 it was again expanded to 2 companies of grenadiers, 12 mixed companies of 75 infantry and 50 dragoons, 2 companies of hussars, and 1 company of supporting staff (logistics, engineers, and bridging troops). By this time, the regimental uniform consisted of; a blue coat, red collar, cuffs, jacket and linings, white breeches, white buttons on both sides of the garment and jacket, three-button cross pockets, bearskin for grenadiers, and black tricorne for the infantry, and the hussars, hat edged with silver for the dragoons. The colours of the legion during this time are unknown, but it is assumed it was the royal blue with silver/white trimming, as used by all royal troops.[1]
The 1758 campaign finished with the regiment in Créfeld and served in the Battle of Lüzelberg, which it has especially distinguished itself. The regiment distinguished itself hey again on 6 June 1759 at the Battle of Eberfeld, where it saved a battalion of the Régiment de Provence, and again served at the Battle of Minden. It was in 1760 at the Battle of Corbach and Battle of Bülow, and later in the Battle of Ramem, where it contributed brilliantly to the defence of General Bülow, who lots his guns and ammunition. In 1760, it was at the Battle of Kloster Kampen and continued to serve in Germany until the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Towards the end of the war, the establishment of the legion had slightly changed to become; 1 company of grenadiers, 8 companies of fusiliers (foot), 8 companies of dragoons (mounted), and the uniform slightly modified. The new uniform became, for dragoons; uniform was blue edged with a white braid edged with a red stripe on each side. In 1766, the lining, the jacket, and the breeches were all white, the collar, the facings, and the lapels all red.[1]
Peacetime[]
In 1766, the regiment joined the garrison in Huningue, in 1764 to Annonay, in 1766 to Givet, in 1767 to Saint-Hippolyte, in 1768 to Tournon, in 1769 to Corsica and served during the French Conquest of Corsica, then in 1770 to Bar-le-Duc, in 1771 to Lesneven in Brittany, in 1772 in Mouzon, in 1775 to Sarreguemines.[1]
Under the 1776 reformations, the legion's 8 infantry companies were separated to the infantry regiments to form their new Companie des Chasseurs,[Note 1] and the 8 dragoon companies transformed into 4 squadrons of chasseurs à cheval,[Note 2] and attached to the four senior dragoon regiments.[1]
In 1778, a new ordnance was published and the chasseurs à cheval companies removed from the dragoons to form a new designated chasseurs regiment. Shortly after, on 20 January 1779, the 1er Régiment des Chasseurs à Cheval was formed in Besançon from these companies, and continued the lineage of the Royal Legion. In 1780, the regiment moved to Jussey, and in 1781 to Besançon again, in 1782 to Sarreguemines, in 1784 to Ancenis, in 1787 to Landrecies and in 1788 to Lorient and Port-Louis with a detachment in Douai.[1][2]
The ordnance of 8 May 1784 formed six battalions of Chasseurs à Pied,[Note 3] each of four companies and attached each battalion to a regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval, to form a light tactical brigade used for reconnaissance and rear-guards. The battalion of the Chasseurs des Alpes was formed that year, and thus attached to the 1er Chasseurs à Cheval, and after grouping the mounted element became the Chasseurs à Cheval des Alpes. This grouping only lasted a couple years, as on 17 March 1788 both were separated to form the Chasseurs Bretons (infantry) and Chasseurs à Cheval de Picardie (cavalry) and became affiliated with the Picardie region, and based in Haguenau.[1]
Revolution[]
After the revolution, on 1 January 1791 all provincial and royal titles were ended, and the regiment became the 7éme Régiment de Chasseurs. After the regiment's renaming, the royalist lineage was ended.[1][3]
Commanding Officers[]
Commanding officers of the regiment included:[1]
- 1747–1759 Charles-Louis, Comte de Chabo-La Serre
- 1795–1760 Antoine, Chevalier de Chabo-La Serre
- 1760–1761 Louis de Drummond, Comte de Melfort
- 1761–1763 Louis-Florent, Chevalier de Vallière
- 1763–1765 Aymard-Charles-François, Marquis de Nicolaï
- 1765–1774 Gabriel-Augustin de Franquetot, Comte de Coigny
- 1774–1779 Armand-Louis de Gontaut-Brion, Duc de Lauzun
- 1779–1780 Pierre-Philippe-Henri de Cellier
- 1780–1784 Jean-Jacques-Joseph, Baron de Klinglin
- 1784–1788 Paul Le Ferron, Baron de La Ferronais
- 1788–1789 François-Étienne La Duchat de Rederquin, Comte de Rurange
- 1789–1791 Érasme-Gaspard, Marquis de Contades
See also[]
- Equivalent French page
Notes[]
Footnotes[]
References[]
- Louis Susane, Historie de la Cavalerie Français, Volume II, Part II, 1874 Rue Jacob, Paris, France.
- Digby Smith & Jeremy Black, An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars, 2015 Lorenz Books, London, United Kingdom. ISBN 978-0-7548-1571-6.
- Ramsay Weston Phipps, The Armies of the First French Republic: Volume III: The Armies in the West 1793 to 1797 and, the Armies in the South 1793 to March 1796, Pickle Partners Publushing, United States of America. ISBN 978-1-908692-26-9.
The original article can be found at Légion Royale and the edit history here.