We promised, and so we shall deliver! This is the culmination of the last 4-5 years of work, and means we’re now approaching our current best guess as to what the Gatinois may have looked like on campaign in Virginia in 1781.
In their debut, the Sergent is wearing his black summer service gaiters. These were the previous year’s white linen parade gaiters dyed black, and the culottes/breeches were protected from the dye by the application of a linen “cuff” (which is still to be completed).
He is also wearing his usual complement of equipment, with the chief addition of a sectione Gamelle strapped to his havresac. This was one of two items of cookware the French army used from this period until well into the 19th century, in compliment with the Marmite (the tin pot used by most armies of this period for boiling soups, etc). Later Napoleonic sources suggest that the Gamelle was more of a serving dish, although this is less clear for our period.
As mentioned previously, whilst on the route march our Sergent carried his rations in his “sac de toile”. This would later be referred to as the “sac de distribution” – betraying its chief purpose of being a bag for a soldat’s mess to carry food distributions in, although it was also expected that a soldat “wrap himself to sleep” in it (1778 Campagne Reglemente, p.7).
It is unclear how it was meant to be carried on the march, and our Sergent found that for him it was most comfortable slung on top of the havresac, with the tail passed between his belts to keep it secure. When not in use, it was stored in the havresac.
The notable change from his usual dress is that he is wearing his ceinturon (sabre and bayonet waist belt) “a baudrier/over the shoulder”. This appears to have been a practice in the French army from the 1750s, although was only done for marching and never for service, and its practicality likely explains why Reglementes from 1776 onwards shifted to shoulder belts for sabre carriage.
Of course, we are not infallible, and there is plenty more to do yet. We are always working to improve our understanding of the French Army, and the Gatinois, in this period; but we thought it important to acknowledge this milestone of how far we have come with this impression since we “pressed go” in 2024!
Photos by kind permission of James Graves/The Pattern. HM 33rd Regiment of Foot 1770 -1785 and The Napoleonic Wars Podcast
Le Régiment Gatinois 