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MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES

185

THE RUSSIAN ARMY OF THE NAPOLEONIC WARS (1): INFANTR'( 1799-1814

PHILIP HAYTHORNTHWAITE, PAUL HANNON

Publisllt:d in 198i by Osprey Publishing Ltd 59 Gros\'ClIor Street, London \\' I X gDA Cop~ right 1987 Ospre}' Publishing Ltd ReprilHl-d 1987. 1989, 1991 .\11 rigills rcscrvl.-d. Aparl from any fhirdealing for Ihe purpose ofpri\',uc sHldy, research, criticism or review, as permilll.-d under the CopYI'ight Dl.osigns and Patcnts Act, 1988. no part of this publicillion may bc rcprodm:ed, stored in a relriC\',,1 system, 01' II':lnsmilled ill allY 101'111 ot' by any mcans, dcctt'OlIic, clL'Ctrical, chemical, llll:chanical. optical, photOcopying, rccording or otherwise. without Ihe prior pCl'lnissioll of the copyrighl owner. Enquiries should be addrcs.«1 wnu hi~ carlridge be. 0.. the f.... nl of hi" wa..lSI bell., as carried by IhoH NCO" ,orn>", wilh n>u"keu.. (EagraviDg diU Vi.....ovatov)

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3

uft Grenadier. Lifeguard

Regt.

P~brajeR5ki.

c.Bo •. This

iU .."tra'es the "ery Pruss;a"_'''yl.. uMorm ord..rrd by Czar Paul t, the b... lI\s-f....... ,ed CIlp haviog an ....am..lled eagle device. Colouring as for Pla.e A,. (Engraving afte .. Viskova,ov) NiX}" Infantry, .:.1Iloo; a contemporary popular print. While nol 1I."cu.ra." in e..ery detail,;' shows such int"~Sling ru,ures as the c:alfskin knapsack used on campaign, aDd (!i~ond righ.) a

cartridge hoI on the fron. of ,he waisl ~h. The officer (,..:Ireme ler.) wl'.. r ...he large gorge. and gauntl...s, and carries a sponloon Or half-pike; at ex'rt:lIle righ. th.. gllunLl.. ted figure is an NCO who carries the pol.. ofa company fanion or mark.. r Rag. Note theil'll metal Canleen positioned at ,he 'I'n bol1om corner. (Engraving aft.... L Ebn.... )

7 rcgimcnLS or musketeers without grenadiers, and one 4-banalion musketeer regiment of 4,143 men. 12 muskctcer baualions of 1,019 men, and three of ',475. 58 garrison battalions, tOlalling 82,393 men. 9 Jager corps 3,992 strong, and three Jiiger corps of 2,994. 4 regiments of Polish infantry, each 1,447 strong.

Recruitnlentj and Character Atthe time ofAlexander I's accession he ruled some 43,785,000 people, and thus possessed unlimited manpower. Over half the male population were serfs tied to agricultural estates-virtual slaves to be bought and sold, in 1777 only three per cent ofRussians lived in towns. Treated as chauels, the serfs provided the army's recruits, serving on 25-year enlistmcnt (lifetime enlistment prior to 1793) and garnered by conscription; with no leave permilled, they rarely if ever saw their families again after enlistment. Conscription was by a levy on the 'souls' entered on tax rolls, a quota which might vary from two men per 500 souls in peacetime to one in 20 at time of crisis. I n some years no levy was made, whereas in 1812 there were three levies, each of up to five men per 100; the 1805 levy offom per 500 produced 110,000 recruits. As substitute conscripts could be bought, many landowners surrendered only their most inefficient scrfs, resulting in an army which was totally illiteratc. His civilian standard of

living being wretched, the Russian soldier was content with the most miserable of rations and conditions, and thus a huge army could be maintained at minimum COSL Excluding his grain ration, in 1805 an infantryman's annual maintenance (g! rubles) cost:d rubles less than his clothing! The Russian soldier, ho\\,e\'cr, POSSCSSf..'d unique qualities. Though 'born to endure every kind of oppression and misery, they arc liule more than beasts-lumpish, rap....cious and insatiable beyond belief, according to one contemporary opinion, they possessed extraordinary steadiness, stubbornness and loyalty to their officers, their Czar and their religion. Sir Robert \Vilson, who campaigned with them, is often quoted: 'The infalllTy is generally composed of athletic men bet\\'ccn the ages of 18 and 40, endowed with great bodily strength, but generally ofshon stature, with marLial countenance and complexion; inured to extremes of weather and hardship; to the WOfSt and scamiest food; to marches for dap. and nights, of four hours" repose and six hours' progress; accustomed to laborious toils, and the carriage of hea\'y burthcl1s; ferocious, but disciplined; obstinately brave, and susceptible of cnthusiastic excitements; devoted to their sovereign, their chief, and their country. Religious without being weakened by superstition; patient, docile, and obedient; possessing all the characterisLics of a barbarian people, with the advantages engrafted by civilization' . A French view that 'lis S01l1 des biles, mau 0" peul fllfr 1111' bitt' ('They arc animals-but animals can be killed') gave way to grudging respect. As Marbot noted in amazement, ' ... the Russians had to be beaten down man by man. I sa\V individuals defending themselves as confidently as if they had been in the midst of their battalions. I noticed others, ready to collapse from multiplc wounds, loading their muskets as coolly as on the drill square'. Inspired by the icons paraded b}l thcir priests before battle, the Russian infantry were capable of astonishing feats and lotal, blind obedience to orders. Marhet recalled that at Golymin in 1807, '... our soldiers fired upon them at twenty·five paces, they continued their march without replying . . . every regimcm filed past, without saying a word or slackening its pace for a mOIllCIH. The stn=els were filled \\~th dying and

Lia.. iaf.... try, .".1100, from • «l.u..mporary ....,;raviog. Grno.adius (Iefl) ......d ....tUi..d by Ih.. ir miln alp'" .rod th.. g.......de bad,;" ia the "0'"-" of the eutrid,;.. bo::o: flap; .... of!i.,..r (right) ........" a ... igum.... l .. 0" his riShl shouldu and earri... a spo.Uooro. Th.. _au on b;,. imm..dlal.. oiShi carriK a fotIitHt or battalion marker Oas.

wounded, but not a groan was heard, for they were forbidden. YOLI might have said that we wcre firing at shadows. At last our soldiers dmrged the Russian soldiers with the bayonet, and only when the)' pierced them could they be convinced that the)' werc dealing with mcn'. When desperately wounded the Russian soldier \vould drag himself eastward simply to die a few yards nearer his homeland; well might J. S. Stanhope rcmark that 'They really seemed to be made of differem stuR' from other men: their frames and sinews were, apparently, as hard as their minds. . thcy only want a liule more activity to make them superior to all othcr troops ... a little more educatioll, tOO; for now they arc merely machines. Much of this loyalty arosc Ii'om the almost feudal organisation of regiments in the earlier years; as the Russian-born Pomeranian officer friedrich v. Schubert remarked, it was usual for a commanding officcr 10 remain wilh his regiment for many years, 'so that his name became idcl1tifif.."f. a e Ion I a lieu enant-col neI, 3

8

Th", 'Pol",-",kin' uni(or", .bolish~ by Culr P.ul I u..dud~ a ,hl and Ila., dilllu..eti"e ClIp willa PalilOh"lyl", Ir&as~'""''' ernl, • "., ioa o( which wa. retai.. ed (or so"'e linl., tim., hy th., Gu.rds. This eOluemporary prilu also sho_ Ihe cylu..drical valill'" or ........p ••ek, ..·0.... by the 6prn u.. Ilac bau.lroW>d.

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Reorganisation, 1811 Barclay de Tolly instituted major reorganisatiolls in t81O-11, by which the infill1tl)' was organiscd into Corps on thc French model, each Corps comprising t\\'o Divisions with a regimellt or brigade ofcavalry ami one or more artillery companies. I::ach Division was composed of two Line and one Jigcr brigade, cach brigade 01" two regiments of threc battalions each. Henceforth, 't:lite' slaws was no longer dependellt upon physiquc; inSlead orthe tallest men becoming grenadiers and thc smallCSI jagers, these appointments were made on mcrit: 'The slightest fault will deprive thejager and thc grenadier of his distinClion . , . not only carelessness in drill and similar mistakes, but any offence which is inconsistcnt with the good conduct and honour ofa crack soldier', In each baltalion, the firsl company was termed 'elile' (grenadiers in Infantry regiments-lhe term

G .... rdsme.. o( the Preohraje..slti, Semeno~'s'" aod bm.ilo"",ki Resimnus (lrft to "Kilt), C,I84t. The uaiquely-sbaped helm"l willa 1.r&DSVe-rse eresl .nd rear 'b." was • liller .-e....io.. o(lhe dassie 'Polemlt..., helmet abolisht!d by Paull; il was abandoaled by the Guard by 18o.j" Ilaou!;h wali Worn (or parade unlillhe (ollowiD! year. Note al_ I.he 'G..... rd' loops 001 Ilae collar and cuff ftap,,- (Eagravins a(ce... Vililtovaro")

'Mus~elccr' was replalcd b) 'ltllantry' in tSt l and carabiniers injagcr regiments). All companies had twO platoons; the plaloon of the elite company which stood on the right oftlte batlalioll was termed grcnadiers (carabiniers in lhcjagcrll), and the elite pilitoon which stood on lhe left was styled 'tiraillcurs'; the ra nk-and-filc of the remaining three companies continued to be termcd musketeers in Infalltry regiments, fusilicrs ill Grenadier regimellts, andjagers injagcr regiments, Thc prcvious mixed nature of regiments changed, Line regimellts no longcr possessing a grenadier battalion as they had before. Grcnadier regiments were taken from their original Divisions and formed illto elite Grenadier Divisions. The 1811 reorganisation left the internal structure of Infantry regiments largely unchanged and much as already described. Ihough captains

9

In each regiment th 2nd Bn. wa designated as a d pAt or I' s rv , th 1 t and 3rd Bn.. rving in th fild (the 3rd Bn. auld I b I' fi rr d to a the 2nd i.. th c nd field battalion). Th e d pOL battali n were kn wn as the upply 'm; in adcli ti n in 1808 training centres were establish d which could pro es 50--60 000 recruits at a time. The upply rmy wa not simply are 'erv ; hartly before th war of /8/2 it wa r organis d as an a tiv upport fore of thr ca all' and ight infantry clivi'ion' (106,000 infantry). In Mar h [8[2 the uppl rmy was mobilised (118 00 m n) and with 60 000 I' cruits, orne wont to form n w line regim nts in May and ]un . Th elite companies of depot battalions were detached and regiment d into on rg-d' I' ombin d gr nadi I' battalion a han. i till flhre ompani ofdifferent r giment but k ping th ompani of a Divi ion t gether; th combined grenadier wer alia at el to th fi lel army at two batta]j ns p I' Divi ion. Grenadiers, ... ,804' Both wear the ,8th century style of mitre cap, which was replaced by the shako for all except the Pavlov Regt. in 1805' ote the cylindrical knapsack with ntess tin strapped on; and the cartridge box bearing both the universal brass plaque embossed with a double eagle, and the eparate grenade in the corners, the distinction of grenadiers. Grenade badges were also always displayed upon the headband of the cap. (Engraving after Viskovatov)

2nd

las

were

no

long I' includd in th giment . In addition to a wagon-rna tel' and I train personnel th regim ntal transport ompany in luded an 001 er and fiv and a t rinary om er' the train compri d 12 amhulan 12 wagons 12 rationwagons, a I' gimental orR e-wagOIl and a toolwa on a h with fI ur horse; plus a regimental ch Sl, an apoth cary and a prj t s wagon with thr e horse each-part ofth hu baggag -train which were infam u for lowing th progres of the army. 1 hough th axon von hI' ken t in noted that the Russians 'haY !hi peculiarity that th y do not willingl relinquish a single wounded man ... ind d ifit i at all pos ibl the carry rh bodie of their ollicers away with them the mall number of medical staff and poor Ie el of treatment weI' -x mplifi d by Platov' r ply to the Czar s offer f m r urg on : ' d and our Majesty forbid' th fir f lh n myis not halfso fatal as one drug.

e tabli hm nt of lin

10

I'

The grenadier mitre cap, retained throughout the '9th century by the Pavlov Regt. This illustration shows the uniform of ".,806, before the addition of chinscales at a later date. (Engraving after Viskovatov)

Table

I

33rd Jagers: previously Lithuania Regt. (re·raiscd frOIll 31'd Gan'iSOIl Reg!.) 34th Jilgers: previollsly Vilna Regt. 35th jagers: previously Sofia Regt. 361h jagers: previously J)odolsk Regt. (re-raised from 4th Gan;son Regto) 3ith jagers: previously Voronezh Regt. (re-raised from lSI Garrison Regt.) 38th Jagers: previousl)' Galitz Regt. (re·raised from Imh Garrison Regt.) 39th Jagers: previousl)' Briansk Reg!. (re·raised from 2nd Garrison Regl.) 40th Jagers: previously Odessa Regt. 41St Jiigcrs: previollsly OrlO\' Rl·gt. 42nd Jagers: previously £Slonia Regt. re·raiscd from 6th Garrison Reg!./ 43rd Jagers: prcviously :\'ovgorod Regt. 44th Jagers: pre\'iously Veliki-Lutsk Regt. (re-raised from I Ilh Garrison Regt., 45th Jagers: previousl)' Penza Regt. (rc-raised from 12th Garrison Regt.) 4.6th Jagers: previousl), Saralov Regt. (rc-raised from 131h Garrison Regt.) (The 20thJagcrs was formed in 1803, 21S1 and 22nd in 1805, and 23rd-:J2nd in 1806). The 47th-49thJagers were formed inJanuary 1811 from the 5th, 7th and 8th Garrison Regts. respecti ....e1y; the 49th was cOll\'erted to a new Sofia Infantry in March 181 I. but re·raiscd wilh a new 50th Jagers in October 1811.

Supply Anny units were gcneraJly much weaker than fina·line unils, the depOt battalions having Iirsl sem drafts to their regimelll's field battalions as well as losing their elite companies to Ihe combined grenadiers. In 1812, for example, the 32nd Division was formed from the depOts of the 1st (Grenadier), II th and 23rd Divisions, numbcringonly about 300 per battalion (i.e. kss than halfstrength); thc 32nd's ninc ballalions were organised into thc 1st and 2nd Combincd Infant!'y and a Combincd Jager Regimcnt (depOts of the 1 nh, 18th and 36th JagcI'S). Being so much weaker in strength, a Division's combined grenadier regiment (one company from each of six battalions), forming two battalions of three companies each, was used as a reservc brigade in the Corps 10 which they were allocated (thc 32nd's grenadiers served with J Co,·ps).

Some changl"S of !'egimental designation occurred during this period. in OClober 1810 the regimel1ls lisled in Table I were converted to Jagers. with most of the Jnfantry being rc·raised in January 1811 from the previous Garrison Regiments. Also in October new Vilna, Odessa, Simbirsk and Tamopoll nfalllry were formed. Jn November

1811 many regiments rt.'Ccivt.'(\ a 4th Bn., known as a 'reservc' baualion, which in ~Iarch IBI2joined the 2nd Bns. in the 30th-471h Di\'isions of the Supply Army. In January 1811 the RoslOv Reg!. was converted 10 the Arakchccv Grenadiers (the only unit to bear a personal name); and in 1813 lhe Kc.xholm and Pernau regiments were cOIl\'crted to grenadiers, replacing the Pavlov Grenadiers which had joined the Guard. In April 1814 the 1st, 3rd, 8th, 14th, 26th and 29th Jiigcrs were designated Grenadier-Jagers, but relained their numbers. On active service strengths fell far below tbe eSlablishmellt of 738 eflcctives per battalion: al the beginning of the 1812 Ciunpaign, for example, infant!)' battalions averaged around 600 each, whieh dwindled as the war progressed. As Lord Londonderry reported in 1813, "rlle baualiOllS were so weak Ihal tlu'ee or four scarcely formed a regiment, and seldom exceeded 250 or 300 men'. Drill and Tactics Initially, training dcpcnd(.'(\ upon the command.ing officer, so that a regiment with a bad CO might be useless. Manoeuvres conformed to Ihe t\tili/ary Codt Concerning lhe Fitld StnJice of Infanl':.' (I ;96) and Tactical Rula for .\lilitary E~'(Jll/lio"s (1797) which.

"

being inspircd by Paul I, stressed appearance, the soldier marching with motionlcss right arm and the left cxtended, holding the musket upright, with no bending of the knee in a goose-step. Rate of march was 75 paces per minute, Arakcheev introducing a 'quick' step of 110, and later a quicker one of 120-160. Paul's 1796 Code sought to impose Prussian-sryle linear tactics, with emphasis upon the firepower of the three-rank platoon and rolling voUey, wilh platoon column the basis of manoeuvre. Dismissing the Code as 'a rat-eaten parchment round in the corner of an old castle', Suvarov rejeCled linear tactics in ravour or a mass attack with the bayonet, and in practice the 1796-97 Codes seem to have been less significant than the ideas orthe individual commander, Suvarov's theories having influenced his subordinates. Kutuzov staled in October 1805 The brass.fronled m;tre cap relained by the Pavlov Rrgl. was a unique headdress, the I;lyle having been abandoned by all olber annieS;;1 was therefore a favourite subjert wilb foreign arlists. This engraving purports to show Ibe Pavlov Regt. a, Friedland; the uniform ill generally weeurale bUI it demonsln""" the ;n'pn!ss;on erealed hy the uSe of Ihis anliqualed headgear. (Engraving by P;geol after J. F. Swebaeh)

that 'We shall orten have to exploit the particular prowess orthe Russians in bayonet allacks'. and in 1812 Bagration procJaim(.-d the maxim that 'The cannon-ball is a roolish virgin and the bayonet a wise virgin'. The great rerormer Barela)' stressed the importance or target-practice in 1810, and in IBII issued Instructions for Target Practice and Code of Infantry Service, tbe latter again advising moderation in discipline: 'reserve chastisement only ror occasions or earcJessl1('''-~, though even bere you must proceed with moderation and prudence'. Upon the expansion of the anny in 1812, training was reduced to a minimum; as Kutuzov wrote, 'Teach them to turn and to march as a rronl in platoons and in sections. Do not look ror any kind of beauty', or burden the men with anything which might detract rrom 'the essentials of the business'. The three-deep line was the accepted rorlllation ror maximising firepower, but manoeuvre was conducted in column, either a double column or platoons or ·sl."Cuons', or a single column or 'divisions', each company being termed a 'division' for the purpose or manocuvre. Ideal ror charges, columns were

1..r"..II')' officer, ('.I80s ..,. The bico.... hal wilh bl"ck plume ...d sold loop conti..uftl in use even .rler the introdacpon or the shako, roO' WUr in und",u and even on canJpa1gn (....officially). NOle the la«-edged .houlder strap.., _hich _ere repLacftl by epaulel1" io '1107. (Eagravi..g .f'u Visko..... tov)

'80s..,. Most obv;o..s is Ihe enormou", plun:lt:, .....owa hy il" Germ.... term iHtJc"A; hut nOte also the g ..e...de badge, the ...t;o...1 eockade (with a loop behind it, or lhe IWIme maleria!, almOin hidden by Lbe pompo flold collar loops .nd subahcrn!l' rpauJell~ WOrD wilh • hicor...nd flr..y ov......lls wilh red !ltri~. Black knapsack and cavatry"lyte waist belt with lIilt fininll'" The G rdsm .... in thehackllrou.. d~arth... S." Ihako with cords r o ...ed. and beill" lI aleolllll wilh lcart..1 collar, culT.. aod shoulder st.... ps. (CO mpo.... ry prinl)

were now cxtended 10 the knee. Uniform changes instigated in 1814 again suffered long delays before their implementation; most notably, a single-breasted jacket with nine buttons 011 the breast was authorised, but was nOt actually adopted berol'c thc cnd of the Napoleonic. Wars. Grenadier regiments were ot'dered to adopt yellow shoulder straps instead of rcd (grenadier regimcnts having a red initial all thcir straps), those infantry regimcnts with yellow straps adopting blue instead. Weapons Russian muskcts included a varict)' of patterns; cven in .812 there existed 28 dillcrcnt calibres of musket, plus I I varicties of shoTt rifle and carbine (issued to t6 men Ixcr squadron of cuirassiers and dragoons, and 12 10 the NCOs and best shots of

'3

boots. The sword \'Ias worn in undress, but the gorget and sash were usually omitted. The wear and tcar of active service usually rcsulted in a ragged appearance, and lattcrly little attempt was made by the more enlightcncd commanders to maintain regulation uniform. KUtllZOV once stopped a unil from polishing its buttons and pipec1aying its belts during the 1812 campaign, saying: 'I don't wal1l anyorthat , .. A soldier has no time forsmannesson campaign. He must rcst after his tiring cfforts and prepare for victory'; and to Denis Davidov, who apologised for wearing peasant dress in KUluzov's presence: 'Act ... with your head and your heart. It doesn't matter to me that one is covered with a cap and not a shako, and the other bealS under a)'QlIwj; lsmockJ and not under a uniform'.

INFANTRY REGIMENTS, 1807-14 There was considerable re-allocation of regimenLS to different Divisions during this period; regiments are listed here alphabctically with twO sets or symbols, the first for 1807-11 and the second 1812-14, Shoulder strap colours were red for lhe 1st RUS$ian c:ourtesy, .8'4' Tbi$c:onl~mporaryprint ~ndlled Ad""u regiment or each division, 2nd white, 3rd yellow, d'lm Hu,n'olll'lj\'nski. hlack lor Scnlt:llo\,ski and while lor Il.lllailovski. The changes ill Guard ll11ililrlll Il.'>ll:lll) lollowed those of lhl' Line, In IRc.J7 quem'S and officers' spontoons \\crc aholishnl; from I&~ KC:Os receivcd cartridge boxes and lllu~kcts. hal herds being retained onl) b) S('r~('al\t lIujUl"'\. In 1BoH thl' shako plume Ixcanll' thilllwr nlTin'l'-'( rl'l:.lillill\\" tI\l'

35

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~D I.efr Grenadier abre, lal" .8th "nfUry: 8.1cm 0 eraJJ. ouJd"d brass hilt with grooved bra grip' slightly curved bl de with black I alh I' cabb I'd with b ....d throa., belt-hook and chape, most of the Ian I' covered with black leather.

(""/If""

Infantry officer word a used throughoul the reign of Alexander I. Gill hilt Wilh single knuckle bow, shell guards and urn pOlTU1Jel' rip bound witb silver wi,·e. L ather scabbard with gilt chape and locket filted with a hook for suspension from the b -It-frog. 1l~r:/1/

'Gua.rd loop : the di linctiv in ignia of Guard regiDlenls lwo loop' being worn on each id of the eoUar. From top to bollom: (A) design of ordinary pc/lid' (8) embroidered loop \ orn by offic I' of IbePreobraj n ki R gt.; ( ) rnbroidered loop worn b)' officer of the c.menovski RegJ..; (D) embroidered loop worn by officer of the lzmailo ski Regiment. Cuff-flap loops w re of t.h same design but muc.h sborter.

larg I' version until 180g), and a br~ s double agle hako pial Wel.'; ad pled b I uard r· gjm nl . In 1 0. officl'1 . abandoned lh aiguilclt nd I' civcd paul He. for both hould I all thre regim Ilts ad ptin.~ red houlder lraps. In 181 the. hako rc iv d 01 p~r hin cal" 1 Q. shako cords Ie 'ame whit \ iLh Ila k rang and whi la" J • and mrs'· I'd I "am sil I' in pia f th ir previolls . ilv I' bla k and orange, The uniform in 1812 slill I' mbled that of th Linc, the t 812 kil er ha\ ing a large brass doul leagle pIal(" p I11p ns and \ I'd Knots w r like th Lil c; and < II \ re gn-nadier plum (I' d for '2 ) .1

mu. i ian. wh w I' rclinar' uniform Wilh y 'lIow v.riLh in! rw \'en I' d .trip ). Th 11l'!li/~i w r' I' y II w \"rilh a I' d Lrip I .iLi n d as b forc (n collar I op fc I' whos rank-lace upi d th pa' f Ih 'ncl 10 pl. nIcel' 'habraque W redark lac (gold 1'01' oln rs) and ontinued Lo car th i.. bras' mit.. al '. Th ir m rs ,habraqucs had a whit strip b tw I lh ir t\ 0 Ja bands. h Guard Jagcrs originally I' th light gr II rth Lin Jager' ilh ran ollar and ull:' nd

yello\\' la : lhcir I 'alh n\ ark was black, the 1'1' maJ cartrid J'e: b x bcin . repla 'd b . lhe . houlder-bell ·tyle in 18n, nlike lbe LineJacrcr" th y \ 1" th infanlry . hako 01' lh oth r uard, ",iLh a \ hil pompon inslead or tJJe grenadi r plum . and n badg '. I n I 07 lh 'Y adopl d lark green ullir I'm \ lth eI, rk r 11 011 1', uffs and 'h uldcr :trap' piped orangC', white summer br eche wiLh gait rs and . rk grc n" il1l T br h 5, piped orange, wiLh lcaLh I' ral e boots, \\' apon er lik Lho e or lh Lin Ja 1'.. In 1807 lhe hak recei cd lealher I' in r 'ing and th lull -'a I bad e a 'I' lher uards reQ"imenl.: ",hen the carabinier' w're ronnd in 1811 lhe)' had bla k plume. Red plum. were worn by musicians, and in 181'1 lh n av topped kiwf'r wa. adopled. The Finland regim I1l \ or' th . am' un if" I'm hUl with r·d pipin o ', The Guard Militia battalion wore d rk green \ ilh red piping on lhe brea'l and hould r ,lrap.' lh·ir sir ko b r a opp I' gr nad , with a I' d pompon lor crrenadi l' ellm ror Lirailleur and 0'1' ., ('n r I' .Jag'r.

.

Opelc/Ie/zie (Militia) O('SpiLc e labli hmcm fear' l'armin lh p 'anlr (caus lb· m mori . or Puga hey's err Revoll) Ihe IJ/Joldll'1/ie or militia was I' al d in Novemb l' 180 lo lrain . I'D I I ngin t privat landowners: Ihe rew unit rc I'm d were di 'banded in IU07.Th organi.ali n w p n d I all III I' in 1812, nd 223,361 III n w re enr lied in lhal year thl'1' I' (' leming one f lh principaJ xpr sin nf"nationaJ cmhusia m. Training" a rudim ntar. lhnugh KUl IZOV (ommandin Lbe l. P lersbur mililia in 1812) mad it a: ' mpr h nsive a im allow d, empha i b 'ing pi 'd up n Lh abilit 'to hop and 10 hOOl' rather than to mana U\T , I' ani, ali n \\'a in' h 11'1. " probabl imilar 1 a pI' p 'cd 'NationaJ u rei' or 1811 in \ hjch l\ 0 pik ballaJi ns weI' to b mbined wilh a Ji er ballali n I'm d with mu. k t, plu. one grenadier company per cohort; pike companics W rc Lo be '1 tr ng, Jager 1'20 and grenadicrs 100. The follO\ ing inli:Ultr 'ohor were rc I'm 'd by lhe provjnc~: M em T\" I' and Jarosla five c ell' Kalliga and ladimir. ix ach' imbir'k,

Guard shako plate, ,807 '7' At Lhis period the shako plates of Guard infantry were generall ofLhis p It rn, witb on • 1head lower than the oth r. larger "a 1 \Va' authorised i,n .8'7, though reta'niDg the ame ba ic con.figuration.

1 iazan and lila, fI ur each: Sl. Petersburg 1-: N "gar cI 1_; K Slr m' f( ur and a hall'. Jag I' I' gimenls v ere formed in a lclition b: ~,loscow (lbJ'ee regl .). Tula (1\ ) al d Kaluga l ne) plus t a addiLional pike I' gim n: I y Riazan, The opolcheni \\'a used a a resen' (or lhc regular ome appal' ntly bing Ii lril lit 'd mung the r gular I' 'g-imclll', bOlh to perft m m nialla ki; uch evacuaLin ea ualtie or w rking 'l~ pioneer, and in anion La ex u l Lhc h rp.; irtually Ihe only lactj in \ hi h Lhey w r lrain d. \ 'ilson nOled thaI The very mililia who hnd.iu L join d (and wh , I in arm d 0111 Wilh pikes. lormed a third rank to Ih' ballaUon ) not onl L od a Lead und I' lh cann nad as Ih ir \' t ran comrade, blll harg d Lh salJ ing 'n 'm . \ iLh ardent 1'0 'ity'. \\'illgCll t in rCj )rt'd Ihal the. l. P t I' bur rp w~ Ii Lril uled am( ng lhe regular in October 181_, whclI 'La Lh dclighl of" v I' b dy Ih·s ward I' have f" uO'hl \ ilh . u h good will and courag' thai Ihey ould nIb exceeded by lheir comrades the old soldier:, t n I lh hay distingui.h dth m.c1ve· in I articular manner in columns wiLh the ba OIlCt'. B· Ol1Lra:1. n' habb -I oking miL' " ho wore 'I' ugh gr y c alS wiLhout a collar and c1in loth p, at Leipzig fired a v lIey in the air nel iml11 'dialcJy lu.rn·d on lheir h el., de.pil C'ul'.e)ii and kn L11blow Ii'om Lh i r fli 'CI .. Equipmenl was ruclimentary: il iLiall' only Jag rs and gr nadi rs I ad fir 'arms lh remaindcr pik sorcrlaiv -lik w'apon .. th ·P'LT:burg orp'al I a thad a;o,. nel.h v I., i:u'd at Kutuzov's re'lu l. Mo I \- or a p a, am kC!j(fl/l and eiLh r a rc II

:n

hal or peakcd doth cap. with a haversack or knapsack: later, grey or beige greatcoats wcre used. 5uhr l>hows militiamen wearing peaked caps C{lv(:n:d \\ilh blad oilskin, and the Elbl'rli:'ld \IS, a round fur bal. Their universal insignia was a cross worn on tIl(" cap, inscribed 'Fur Faith and the Czar', latel' copit'd by the Prussia It LO/ldwl'hr. Officers wore illl;ll1t 1') LIlli IOrm. Exam plcs of" regimcntal 51 yles arc shown in Plate 1-1: others included the 'l\'cr corps. \\ hich wt)rt' Illedi um-grc) kajiol/s likc \ loscow, \\ i t h Jiigers, frnm a contemporary print of 1'•• Son, Onl" wl"ars Ihe lighl gr""n coal with I"p"h,. lInolh"r ....ith Ih., 1"p"ls do.. "d, NOle •.h., ""rtridg" box on Ih" fronl of •.h.. w"isl !>cit, •. h .. shorl gail"rs (wnrn also h)' ab.. offic.,r "lief•• iden.ified by his gorg.. I), and .h.. "hor! nn.. or carbin...

red. blue. brown or olT-whi Ie bellS and grey caps like St. Petershurg, bearing a cross badge over the Imperial cypher, and black t'C]uipmeIlL N"ovgorod corps wore a grey Ii'ock coal with grey belt, grey trousers with red stripe, and a grey pcakless C?..flpka Wilh black fur headband and the cross-and-cypher badge. Partisan bands werc formcd during the r812 campaign, often mobs of disord(Tcd pC:lsants who were reponsiblc for the \\'OI'St atrocities against lhe invaders. Some were armed Wilh captured weapons, bUIl1'1any h:ld only agl'iulllUral implclllellls; n stan' 'oat' with ariel ra ings ,nd loliate mbr id I' paul II ., and the usu,t1 . ash nd 1 oar. nell"s uniform compri d a clark green 1'0 k oat ( I' gr at at) \ ith s rl>t ollar, 'ulli nd linin . wilh silver paul tt f appropriat rank baring a gilt Imp ri'\! yphrr, and a 'ilver ruguiJlette on th ri ht 'hould r. With th doubl ,breast cI fro k oat was worll a I th r rag' ap (aft I' 18rl), dark gr n wim,. al'l t land whil piping and ·Iaz d lath r peak. Th· shabra III ancl h 1st r caps arc of the 'ame pall rn as thos> of infant!· of 1 ers but with ,'ih- ria c (in 'tee lorth d ubk lace with 'oloured . ntr linc). and I 'aling lhe Emperor's c}'Pher \' hich wa no usuaU pre nLuponul'hou ing'of'inlantryolTt cr.. pari li'om the ai