Line Infantry (Infanterie de ligne), Napoleon: Retreat from Moscow 1812

France 1812.
A distinction was made between troops of the guard and of the line, the overwhelming majority were of course regiments of the line troops. The battalion was divided into grenadiers, fusiliers and voltigeurs. The grenadier company had to solve the most difficult combat tasks and led the bayonet charge. As a rule, it was the longest-serving and most proven company and was located on the right wing. The fusilier companies formed the centre of the battalion and were also called centre companies, while the voltigeurs stood on the left wing and swarmed out in front of the battalion front as a disbanded swarm of riflemen in scattered combat. Voltigeurs and grenadiers were the "elite companies" because of their special tasks. Uniforms and armament differed only slightly, e.g. in collar colour or headgear. Usually the line infantry wore the chako, the military counterpart to the top hat. The chako offered protection against sabre cuts and "storage space" for the soldier's valuable small items, such as letters and money. There was also room for a flask. Occasionally, the elite companies of several battalions were combined into "mixed" units for special tasks.
Our series shows line infantrymen in harrowing scenes of retreat. They march, fight, charge, repel attacks with bayonets, eat, limp supported on crutches or rifles, fight over edibles, rest, get drunk, fall from exhaustion or plead for help. Officers try to keep order.
Overall series:
Drawn by Hans Fritsch, engraved by S. Maier.
Very suitable for depicting:
Crossing the Beresina,
The Battle of the Beresina is the name given to the fighting during the retreat of Napoleon's Grande Armée before the troops of Tsar Alexander I. This battle was the last in the Russian campaign of 1812 before the retreat of the French army across the Niemen on 14 December 1812.

Series list for 100/19/5
No. 100-196 (3x) Nap. Line Infantryman
No. 100-225 (2x) Dead man, naked, on back
No. 100-111 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, wounded, begging for help
Nos. 100-234 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman at campfire, dead/sleeping
Nos. 100-137 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman
No. 100-258 (2x) Nap. Line Inf. colonel dismounted, saluting, wounded
No. 100-149 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman w. camp cap, throwing wood into fire
No. 100-117 (2x) Nap. Line infantry officer, on rearing horse
Nos. 100-167 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, wounded, on belly
Nos. 100-197 (3x) Nap. Line infantryman
Nos. 100-226 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, naked, also dead, on belly
Nos. 100-115 (2x) Nap. Artillery horse, with two wounded
Nos. 100-242 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, leaning on his rifle
Nos. 100-138 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, pulling a rope
No. 100-265 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman in coat and cap, breaking branches
No. 100-150 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, firing with rifle
No. 100-661 a (1x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, pulling a goat after him
No. 100-168 (2x) Wolf
No. 100-198 (2x) Nap. Line infantry standard bearer
No. 100-227 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, dead, on back
No. 100-118 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman with whip, climbing on horse
Nos. 100-243 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, dead, on belly
Nos. 100-133 (2x) Drums (2)
Nos. 100-317 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, cutting flesh
Nos. 100-159 (2x) Nap. Line infantry officer, holding coat
No. 100-662 a (1x) Nap. Line infantryman with upside down rifle, dog. Rifle, dog
No. 100-190 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, ragged, pitchfork/axe shouldered
Nos. 100-199 (3x) Nap. Line infantry tambour major
No. 100-228 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, rubbing foot
No. 100-120 (2x) Nap. Line Infantryman
No. 100-249 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman with cape
No. 100-142 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, pushing or striking
No. 100-318 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, eating meat
Nos. 100-160 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, carrying/unbuckling knapsack
No. 100-663 a (1x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, drunk, with bottle and duck
No. 100-191 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, ragged, upside down. Rifle
Nos. 100-200 (3x) Nap. Line Infantry Captain
No. 100-229 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, striking with rifle butt
No. 100-121 (2x) Nap. Line Infantryman
No. 100-250 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, with rifle/pouch
No. 100-143 (2x) Nap. Line Infantryman, Reserve
No. 100-320 (2x) Nap. Line infantry lieutenant, also with fanion
No. 100-162 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, breathing into his hands, freezing
No. 100-664 a (1x) Campfire
Nos. 100-192 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line in fur coat, wounded
No. 100-201 (3x) Nap. Line infantry drummer, not playing
Nos. 100-105 (1x) Nap. Line infantryman removing the skirt of a dead man
Nos. 100-230 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, beating with rifle/stick
Nos. 100-122 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, begging for help, wounded
Nos. 100-252 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, waving
Nos. 100-145 (1x) Nap. Line infantrymen (2) carrying war chest
Nos. 100-321 (1x) Nap. Line infantrymen (2) cutting meat from dead horse
Nos. 100-163 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, warming hands on fire, freezing
No. 100-667 aa (1x) Nap. Infantryman, drunk, with wine barrel and hare
No. 100-193 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman in hussar uniform, dismounted, wounded
Nos. 100-202 (3x) Nap. Line infantry lieutenant
No. 100-106 (3x) Nap. Line infantryman, footsore, leaning on a stick
Nos. 100-231 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, shooting
Nos. 100-123 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, pulling dog after him
Nos. 100-253 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, charging, stick in barrel
Nos. 100-146 (1x) Nap. Line infantrymen (2) fighting over bottle
Nos. 100-323 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, limping on crutch, wounded
Nos. 100-164 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, clinging to ice floe
Nos. 100-194 (3x) Nap. Infantryman of the line
Nos. 100-203 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, drinking from a bottle
Nos. 100-107 (3x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, wounded, with stick and lantern
Nos. 100-232 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman in coat, shooting with rifle
Nos. 100-125 (2x) Nap. Line Inf. standard bearer with baggage, torn flag
Nos. 100-254 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, ready to fire
No. 100-147 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, regimental dog following him
No. 100-324 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, without weapons
Nos. 100-165 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, leaning on stick
No. 100-195 (3x) Nap. Line Infantryman
No. 100-224 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman attacked by wolf
Nos. 100-110 (2x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, bandaging foot, footsore
No. 100-233 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, fallen asleep
No. 100-127 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, supporting a falling man
No. 100-255 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman, shooting
Nos. 100-148 (2x) Nap. Line infantryman with blankets
No. 100-344 (2x) Nap. Wounded on a one-horse sleigh
Nos. 100-166 (1x) Nap. Infantryman of the line, clinging or climbing