Dawson, Paul L. Napoleon's Light Infantry and Artillery

Uniforms and Equipment

This book offers a detailed examination of the uniforms of the thirty-seven regiments of light infantry and other support troops in Napoleon's Grande Armée, including foot and horse artillery, engineers, musicians and carabiniers. For the first time in two centuries, a detailed examination is made of how these troops were dressed and equipped. Paul Dawson's research is based on over 1,000 archive boxes in the Service Historique de l'Armée de Terre and the Archives Nationales in Paris. These documents show how the 1806 uniform regulations and the Bardin regulations were implemented in practice and offer insights that were previously unavailable to the public. The archives focus on the annual inspections of the regiments, during which the condition of the uniforms and equipment was assessed. The soldiers' uniforms were financed by deductions from their pay, with a prescribed lifespan for each item. The regiment's administrative board also provided funds for the renewal and repair of clothing and equipment. Dawson's study shows that the Bardin regulations, often considered the standard, were largely a myth until the Battle of Waterloo. Using contemporary illustrations and photographs of existing uniforms, this book provides a thorough understanding of the actual clothing worn by Napoleon's troops, rendering previous descriptions of the appearance of the Grande Armée obsolete.