Whilst we are heavily focused on our impression of the French army during the #RevWar, this is not to suggest that we are only a military group! We have a growing range of civilian impressions - the "Voices of Williamburg" - reflecting the interactions between soldats of le Gatinois and the Virginian population they lived … Continue reading Introducing the Voices of Williamsburg
Drill…again!
Every army had to teach its men to load and fire its muskets: the British had their 1764 Manual Exercise, and the French had the 1776 Ordonnance de Roi. In this image, we can see the soldats at the first step - "chargez vos armes". They are about to be ordered to "ouvrez le bassinet" … Continue reading Drill…again!
Portez vos armes!
As illustrated here in this wonderful photo captured by Daz's Photography, French soldats only ever carried their muskets on their left shoulder, whether at the "portez" or "au bras" positions. By contrast, a French Officer or "bas Officier", a supernumerary NCO such as a sergent or a caporal acting as a sergent, always carried their … Continue reading Portez vos armes!
On this day…a Royal wedding!
On this day, in 1770, Louis XVI marries Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria in a proxy ceremony. They would not meet in person until 14th May. Pictured is a contemporary illustration of the wedding ceremony which took place on 16th May - with them both in attendance. And *absolutely nothing else* of importance happened on … Continue reading On this day…a Royal wedding!
Learning on the job?
One aspect of the #RevWar which often receives less than its fair share of attention is training - specifically, officer training. European nations throughout the #18thcentury were beginning to warm to the idea of preparing their general for the job before actually sending them into the field, and one way of helping them to learn … Continue reading Learning on the job?
Marching on with more equipment
Now whilst it may be fair to say an army marches on its stomach, crucially it actually marches on its feet! Information about French army footwear in this period is "helpfully" vague and, as with many other issues, the first time any official standard was set was during the reforms of the late-1780s. We therefore … Continue reading Marching on with more equipment
Chapeaux Update
Another example of us continuing to learn and improve. After we posted about our 1779 chapeaux, historian Dr Robert Selig was able to provide us with some new information from the journal of Jean-Baptiste Dupleix de Cadignan. As Lt.-Col. of le Régiment de Agenois, Dupleix noted that, in August 1779, the regiments stationed in Saint-Domingue … Continue reading Chapeaux Update
Making a Habit out of this!
With the first of our regimental coats (or "habit", pronounced a-bi) completed, we wanted to take the opportunity to talk a little about a few of the finer details. The garment itself is built to last (many of the edges are piped, rather than left raw) and for good reason. The French army only issued … Continue reading Making a Habit out of this!
Versailles: Science and Splendour at The Science Museum
In a slight detour from our usual programming, we just wanted to give a totally unsponsored shout-out to this new exhibition from the Science Museum in London, which runs until April 2025. "Versailles: Science and Splendour" looks at how the Royal Courts of Louis XIV, XV, and XVI all used scientific discoveries to demonstrate and … Continue reading Versailles: Science and Splendour at The Science Museum
Winter Training Weekend 2024
Although in winter quarters, our soldats' work is never done. This weekend we met for a day of drill practice, socialising, and inducting our newest member! He's already begun mastering the foundational elements of foot drill, alignement (dressing), and marching in time. And if you want to join the ranks of the army of le … Continue reading Winter Training Weekend 2024
Le Régiment Gatinois 