Chevau-légers de la Garde
Origin and History
This company was raised by Henri IV in 1570 when he was king of Navarre. From 1589, the company was known as the Chevau-légers du Roi. On December 15 1593 at Tours, the company (100 men) was incorporated into the Garde.
The company had its quarters at Versailles.
During the reign of Louis XV, this company formed a squadron of 200 chevau-légers divided up into 4 brigades. Including its staff, the company consisted of:
- 1 captain (the king)
- 1 captain-lieutenant
- 2 sub-lieutenants
- 4 cornets
- 10 maréchaux des logis
- 8 brigadiers
- 8 sub-brigadiers
- 4 standard bearers
- 2 aides-majors
- 4 sous-aides majors
- 4 trumpeters
- 1 kettle-drummer
- 200 chevau-légers
During the War of the Austrian Succession, the company took part to the battle of Dettingen (June 27, 1743) where it was virtually annihilated.
During the Seven Years' War, the company was under the nominal command of king Louis XV however, the company was under the effective command of a lieutenant-captain:
- since February 25 1735 till 1769: duc de Chaulnes
In 1776, the company was reduced to 23 officers and NCOs and 40 men.
The company was disbanded on September 30 1787.
Service during the War
By August 1 1757, the company was stationed at Versailles. The unit did not take part to the early campaigns of the Seven Years' War.
In 1761, the company took the field with the army of Soubise. It was present at the battle of Vellinghausen on July 16 but was not engaged.
In 1762, the company formed part of Condé's Lower Rhine army. It was present at the action of Nauheim on August 30 but was not engaged.
To do: more details on the campaigns from 1758 to 1762
At war Louis XV wore the uniform of this company.
|Headgear||black tricorne laced gold, with a black cockade and a white plume|
|Coat||scarlet with all seams and edges laced gold with golden brandebourgs, silver and gold buttons and silver buttonholes
|Waistcoat||buff laced gold|
Troopers were armed with a sword, a pair of pistols and a rifle. For combat, they wore a blackened breastplate and an iron skullcap over their tricorne.
The troopers mounted bay horses.
Officers wore the same uniform as the troopers with the following differences:
- a wide golden braid covered with golden foliage pattern sewn over all seams of their coat, cuffs, pockets, housings and on their waistcoat
- probably a black waistcoat (like the officers of the Gendarmes de la Garde)
Like for all units belonging to the Maison du Roi, the horses of the officers had to be grey.
Trumpets and kettle-drummers wore a blue coat heavily laced with silver and golden braids.
The musicians were mounted on bay horses.
The silken standards had a white field. Both sides had silver and gold embroideries, bearing in their centre an octagonal frame containing a scene depicting thunderbolts falling from the sky with the motto “Sensere gigantes”. Standards were fringed in gold and silver.
Along with those of the Gendarmes de la Garde, the standards of the Chevau-légers de la Garde were deposited each night in the King's room.
This article incorporates texts from the following books which are now in the public domain:
- Pajol, Charles P. V., Les Guerres sous Louis XV, vol. VII, Paris, 1891, pp. 9-10
Funcken, L. and F., Les uniformes de la guerre en dentelle
Menguy, Patrice, Les Sujets du Bien Aimé
Mouillard, Lucien; Les Régiments sous Louis XV; Paris 1882
Service Historique de l'armée de terre; Sommaire des forces armées Françaises à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur de la France - 1er Août 1757
Vial J.-L., Nec Pluribus Impar