Armagnac Regiment
| Régiment d'Armagnac 6éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (Armagnac) | |
|---|---|
Armagnac, Gascony | |
| Nickname(s) | fr:"Diabolicum" en:"Diabolical" |
| Engagements | |
The Régiment d'Armagnac (Regiment of Armagnac) was a line infantry regiment of the French Royal Army formed in 1776, which served during the American Revolution, and later the War of the First Coalition, until it was disbanded in 1794. Just two years after formation, the regiment would serve during the Anglo-French War seeing action in both North America and the Caribbean. Following their return, a brief period of peace followed until the revolution and subsequent war, which saw the regiment's lineage discontinued.
Formation
When
As a result, all infantry regiments of more than two battalions, with some notable exceptions, were divided. The 1st and 3rd battalions disbanded and reformed the old regiment while the 2nd and 4th battalions formed a new provincial regiment and granted a number of precedence just after the former.[1][4]
Under the 1776 ordnance, the regimental structure and strengths were also altered. Each battalion would comprise (from right to left of the line): Company of
Each company of Grenadiers would consist of: 1 x
The Fusilier Companies and Chasseur Company would be comprise a Second Colonel, 1 x Lieutenant Colonel, 1 x Captain Commander, 1 x Second Captain, 1 x First Lieutenant, 1 x Second Lieutenant, 2 x Second Lieutenants, 1 x Sergeant-Major, 1 x Caporal Fourrier, 5 x Sergeants, 10 x Corporals, 1 x Cadet Gentleman, 1 x Frater (padre), 144 x Fusiliers, 2 x Drummers or other instruments (2 x Buglers for the Chasseurs), totalling 171 men, including the officers.[1]
One of the regiments selected to split was the
On formation, the regiment adopted the following uniforms published on 21 May 1776: White jacket, white small coat, black
Anglo-French War
Following the formation of the regiment, the 2nd (former 4th Battalion, Navarre) was based in Guadeloupe, while the 1st Battalion had gone to Calais in June 1776, it then passed from there to Dinan and Saint-Servan in October, in September 1777 to Brest, and there on 9 October embarked for the West Indies. On 18 December 1778, the two battalions joined together for the first time and took part in the disastrous Capture of St. Lucia, where Captain de Villers was killed, while Lieutenant Colonel Feydeau de Saint-Christophe, Lieutenant de Servilange, and Second Lieutenant des Ecures were wounded.[5]
Siege of Savannah
Towards the end of 1779, Continental forces were eager to re-take
On 15 September the first trenches were dug, and on 24 September the Allies vigorously repulsed an attempted breakout by the British. On 9 October they were again attacked, but after a fierce battle, Lieutenants Molard and Nairne de Stanlay were killed, the French were repulsed and the siege called off entirely. The regiment then re-embark for the West Indies, leaving Captains Voulan, Grillières, and Bonnier seriously wounded.[5]
South Indies
After their terrible expedition to Georgia, in 1780, part of the regiment boarded ships of the squadron of Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales
In 1781, 150 grenadiers and chasseurs embarked on 8 May with the squadron of the
Battle of the Saintes
In 1782, a detachment embarked in the beginning of the year with Armand, Comte de Kersaint's squadron as part of his effort to recapture the Dutch colonies of Demerara (1 February) and Essequibo (5 December). A second detachment, detached to the Comte de Grasse's Fleet fought during the infamous Battle of the Saintes off Dominica. Lieutenant La Brosse and Colour-Bearer Dumarchais were wounded on the Languedoc, Second-Lieutenant Tenneguy on La Couronne, and Captain d'Aymard de Villé was very seriously wounded on the Diadème.[5]
Sainte-Christophe
During the campaign in the south, the main part of the regiment contributed to the French Invasion of Saint Christophe, where among those cited for gallantry, included Colonel de Livarot, Lieutenant Colonel Feydcau, Captains Tarragon and de Grillières, Lieutenants Dumont, des Ecures, Charpy, and Descressonnières.[5]
Hudson Bay Expedition
During the summer of 1782, the renowned French Admiral
After capturing the Prince of Wales Fort, the expedition re-embarked bound for York Factory, the capital of Hudson's Bay Company. On 21 August they disembarked yet again, and after suffering incredibly from fatigue it approached the fort and walked through the gates, which were left open and caused from 2 million pounds of damage (equivalent to almost $479 Million USD in 2021). On 1 September the expedition re-embarked and remained in the area under the Peace of Paris in 1783, when the forts were handed back to the British.[5][10]
Revolution
After making a name for itself during the wars in the Colonies, the Armagnac regiment returned to France with an overwhelming sense of pride. On 21 July 1783, they landed in Lorient, and thereafter marched to Thionville to re-train, re-equip and recruit back to full establishment. When the 21 February 1779 ordnance was issued, the regiment had been deployed oversees, and therefore wasn't able to gain its new uniforms until the return to France in 1783.[5]
This new ordnance grouped most of the line regiments into 10 'classes' of six regiments each. The exceptions were the Royal regiments, Regiments of the Princes, and the Régiment de Picardie. Each class was divided further into two 'divisions', each of three regiments. In the case of the Armagnac regiment, it was part of the 1st series and 2nd division, and uniformed as follows; white jacket, sky blue facings, sky blue lapels, white cuffs, and white buttons.[5][6][7][11]
In October 1785 the regiment moved to Saarlouis, which it left after a few days to move to Saint-Lô and Valognes, where it would remain for two years. On 1 January 1788 they arrived in Lille and formed part of the Saint-Omer camp in September. In June 1789, as the Storming of the Bastille and beginning of the French Revolution occurred, the regiment moved as far of Soissons to help restore order in Paris before it was stopped, and didn't move again until May 1790, when it was sent to Condé. In October, it moved to Givet and spent the winter there before moving in 1791 to Longwy to assist in the new fortifications being built there. It was here, on 1 April 1791 the regiment was renamed as the 6éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (Armagnac), although unofficially the Armagnac title remained until its disbandment in 1794.[4][5][12]
Following the French Revolution, the provisional regulations of 1 April 1791 grouped all regiments minus the foreign legions into the same uniform category, and the uniform became: white jacket, black facings, black lapels, black cuffs, black trimmed epaulettes, and a black bicorne with the bourbon cockade and white plume.[6][11][12]
War of the First Coalition
On 1 May 1792, the regiment arrived back in Thionville, but only stayed for a short time, for as the War of the First Coalition broke out, the regiment moved to Metz and detached its grenadiers from the 1st Battalion to join the new Army of the Ardennes Armée des Ardennes.[5]
1st Battalion
The grenadiers of the 1st Battalion, now in the Armée des Ardennes, took part in on 23 May during the Battle of Hamptinne, Battle of Florenne, and Battle of Saint-Aubin. After the retreat of the Prussians, the whole of the 1st Battalion passed to the Army of the North Armée du Nord and contributed to the decisive Siege of Lille. It then served during the Flanders campaign and the Battle of Neerwinden. In April 1793, the regiment entered the garrison at Condé-sur-l'Escaut, where it was captured following the Siege of Condé on 13 July. The regiment was eventually exchanged in 1795, where it then joined the Home Army Armée du Home where the discussion of a new constitution began in Paris leading to insurrection. Under the new constitution, all royalist lineages and attachments were lost, though the 1st Battalion was able to escape being amalgamated as the regiment's supposed successor, 11éme Demi-Brigade, only existed on paper.[4][5][11]
The next year, in 1796, the 1st Battalion was finally amalgamated as part of the second round of amalgamations with the 183rd Demi-Brigade, 4th Lot-et-Garonne Volunteers, 6th and 9th Volunteers of the Reserves, 1st Battalion of Manche Volunteers and 4th Battalion of Meuse Volunteers to form the 28éme Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie. This demi-brigade would eventually reform the old 28th Infantry Regiment in 1803, previously the Régiment de Maine.[4][12]
2nd Battalion
When the 1st Battalion joined the Armée du Nord, the 2nd Battalion was left in
Palatinate Campaign
The 2nd Battalion also contributed to General
The battalion remained in the area until the end of the year when it was transferred to the Vendée as the Vendée Insurrection began to explode.[5]
War in the Vendée
The battalion arrived in
Eventually, on 2 January 1794 the battalion took part in the decisive Battle of Machecoul where the Army of Charette Armée de Charette was almost completely destroyed and the Vendéens put into a complete route by the Republicans. The battalion would continue the pursuit and hunt for the remnants of the Charette army until on 22 April 1792, when it amalgamated with the 9th and 12th Manche Volunteer Battalions to form the 12éme Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie.[4][5][11][12]
Eventually in 1796, the 12th Demi-Brigade amalgamated, as part of the second round of amalgamations, with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 32nd Infantry (Bassigny), depots of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 37th Infantry (Maréccal de Turenne), 1st Battalion of the 82nd Infantry (Saintonge), and 1st Battalion of the
Garrison battalion
On formation of the Armagnac regiment, there was a Bataillon de
Further lineage
As part of the second round of amalgamations in 1796, the 6éme Demi-Brigade de Deuxième Formation was formed through the amalgamation of the following (in English titles); 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 6th Demi-Brigade, 196th Demi-Brigade, part of the 3rd Paris Battalion of Second Formation, 7th and 10th (Battalion of the Museum) Paris Battalions of Second Formation, 4th Battalion of Volunteers of the Sarthe, and 3rd Battalion of Volunteers of the Eure-et-Loir. In 1803, this demi-brigade was transformed into the 6éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne, and took over the lineage of the old Armagnac regiment.[4]
In 1814, after the first Bourbon Restoration, the regiment was transformed into the 78éme Légion de Tarn, and in 1820 transformed into the 57th Infantry Regiment. On that same date, the 6th Infantry reformed from the old 12éme Légion de Bouches-du-Rhône, and the lineage continued.[4]
Uniforms
Regimental uniforms throughout the regiment's history included:
-
Fusiliers' uniform following the 1776 regulations, issued just after formation of the regiment. -
Regimental uniform following the 1779 regulations, which for the regiment weren't implemented until 1783 due to its dislocation in the Americas. The green plume and epaulette indicates this is a chassuer. -
Regimental uniform following the Provisional Regulations of 1 April 1791, thebearskin cap, red plume, and red epaulettes indicate this is a Sergeant of the grenadier company.
Colours
Prior to 1791, regiments of all nationalities of the French Royal Army carried some form of regimental colours or standards, and these varied according to regulation, the taste of a commanding officer, or event the availability of cloth. The French had no national colour during the period. The Bourbon colour was white, and eventually a white flag with gold fleur-de-lis would be adopted as the national colour. French regiments had a Colonel's colours (Drapeau de Colonel) of a white flag with a spear point finial and a white cravat hanging from the staff directly under the finial.[16]
As the Regiment d'Armagnac was from a historic province with strong ties to the monarchy it was able to maintain its own distinctive colonel's colours. Their colours were the normal bourbon white cross, but with golden Fleur-de-lis (golden lilies) throughout the cross.[16]
The other colours for the infantry regiments were ordnance flags (Drapeau d'Ordnnance) for each company. The designs for all of these flags were based on a large white cross centred on the colour, dividing the flag into four quarters, these then bearing a particular design for each regiment.[16]
-
Colonel's colours showing its distinctive golden lilies throughout the light grey outlined cross. These colours were maintained until 1792 when the colonel's colours of all regiments were banished, and made-way for battalion colours. -
Regimental colours issued between formation in 1776 till 1791, when they were 'republicanised'. -
1st battalion's colours, adopted after the republicanisation of the army in 1791, the golden lilies of the monarchy still present. -
2nd battalion's colours, adopted after the republicanisation of the army in 1791, the golden lilies of the monarchy still present. -
1st battalion's colours, adopted after the declaration of the republic in 1793, the golden lilies of the monarchy removed and top replaced with a spear point. -
1st battalion's colours, adopted after the declaration of the republic in 1793, the golden lilies of the monarchy removed and top replaced with a spear point.
Commanding Officers
Commanding officers of the regiment included:[5]
- 1776–1779: François Xavier, Comte de Lowendhal
- 1779–1788: Louis Nicole, Marquis de Livarot
- 1788–1791: Jean-Baptiste Antoine Marie Hilarious Pacôme, Chevalier de Grimaldi
- 1791–1791: Jean Baptiste Marie Joseph Florimond de Cappy
- 1791–1792: Jacques Thomas Lhuillier de Rouvenac
- 1792–1794: Pierre Clédat
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e Ordonnance du roi du 25 mars 1776 concernant l'infanterie Française
- ^ a b Rev War French Musket Drill! - Ordonnance Du Roi 1776 ft. Le Régiment Bourbonnais, retrieved 13 July 2021
- ^ a b Identifying Rank in the French Army (1779 Warrant), retrieved 13 July 2021
- ^ a b c d e f g h Susane, Volume I, pp. 306–307, 338, 365, 398, 400, 403.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Susane, Volume III, pp. 84–91.
- ^ a b c Lienhart & Humbert, pp. 37, 41, 43.
- ^ a b c Smith, Uniforms of the American War of Independence, pp. 174–181, 232.
- ^ Savas & Dameron, p. 14.
- ^ Hannay, p. 686.
- ^ a b Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (28 March 2017). "index - Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site". www.pc.gc.ca. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars, pp. 42–46.
- ^ a b c d "1789-1815 Regiment d'Armagnac". www.1789-1815.com. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ Smith 1999, p. 25
- ^ Phipps, pp. 20–22.
- ^ Susane, Volume VII, pp. 280, 292, 302–306.
- ^ a b c Smith 2006, p. 176
References
- Susane, Capitaine d'Artillerie, Louis (1849). Historie de L'Anciennce Infanterie Français. Vol. I. Paris, Second French Republic: Librairie Militaire, Maritime et Polyechnique.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Susane, Chef d'Escadron d'Artillerie, Louis (1851). Historie de L'Anciennce Infanterie Français. Vol. III. Paris, Second French Republic: Librairie Militaire, Maritime et Polyechnique.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Susane, Chef d'Escadron d'Artillerie, Louis (1853). Historie de L'Anciennce Infanterie Français. Vol. VII. Paris, Second French Empire: Librairie Militaire, Maritime et Polyechnique.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Lienhart, Dr. Leo; Humbert, René (1899). Les Uniformes de l'Armée Français: Recuil d'ordonnances de 1690 à 1894. Vol. III: Infantry. Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire: M. Ruhl Library.
- Smith, Digby; Kinley, Kevin F. (2017). An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of the American War of Independence 1775–1783: An expert guide to the uniforms of the American milias and Continental Army, the armies and navies of Great Britain and France, German, and Spanish units, and American Indian allies. Lantham, London, United Kingdom: Anness Publishing Limited. OCLC 908580090.
- Smith, Digby (2006). An illustrated encyclopedia of uniforms of the Napoleonic wars : an expert, in-depth reference to the officers and soldiers of the revolutionary and Napoleonic period, 1792-1815. London Lanham, Md: Lorenz North American agent/distributor, National Book Network. OCLC 60320422.
- Smith, Digby (2000). Napoleon's Regiments: Battle Histories of the Regiments of the French Army, 1792–1815. London, United Kingdom: Greenhill Books. OCLC 43787649.
- Smith, Digby (1998). The Greenhill Napoleonic wars data book. London Mechanicsburg, PA: Greenhill Books Stackpole Books. OCLC 37616149.
- Chartrand, René (2011). Men-at-Arms Series: Louis XV's Army (Part II: French Infantry). Solihull, West Midlands, United Kingdom: Osprey Military Publishing. OCLC 313090794.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Hannay, David (1911). "Guichen, Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, Comte de". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 686, 687.
- Theodore P. Savas & J. David Dameron, The New American Revolution Handbook, 2010/2011 Savas Beatie LLC, New York City, New York, United States. ISBN 978-1932714937.
- Ramsay Weston Phipps, The Armies of the First French Republic: Volume III: The Armies in the West 1793 to 1797 and, the Armies in the South 1793 to March 1796, Pickle Partners Publishing, United States of America. ISBN 978-1-908692-26-9.
