French Cavalry

A section devoted to questions and answers for this period.
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simon boulton
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French Cavalry

Post by simon boulton » Fri Aug 12, 2005 10:25 am

Hi everyone
I'm after some info on French cavalry uniforms and flags. A while ago, I purchased some painted Dixon's cavalry with grey coats and red cuffs, the saddle cloth is red with a yellow trim. On the base the previous owner has written french line cavalry. The only info I have on French cavalry at the mo is the table in 'from Pike to Shot' and this doesn't list many regiments. Is there an online source for info on French Cavalry?
I also have a sheet of flags but am unable to identify which regts they belong to. They've got the gold sun in splender and one has a white background, one red and the other a blue background.
Funny thing is that the colours on the painted figures are right for the Heyden/Ittersum/Aughrim Dutch cavalry regt!
Any help greatly appreciated!
Many thanks
Simon
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barr7430
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Post by barr7430 » Fri Aug 12, 2005 4:55 pm

Simon,

at the very least, 74 French cavalry regiments were known to wear grey coats faced red in the period 1688-1715. The French army had the largest number of cavalry of any army in Europe. Saddle cloth colours were often red faced in white or yellow/gold. The sun in slendour motif was very common as it was associated with the King.. Le Roi Soliel.

I think you could more or less take your pick... call them any name from the list and if you get an argument I'd be extremely surprised!

all the best

Barry
"If you think you can, or if you think you can't, you are probably right"

Henry Ford
simon boulton
Sergeant Major of the Army
Sergeant Major of the Army
Posts: 118
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 9:21 pm

Post by simon boulton » Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:25 am

Guys, many thanks, you've been a great help. The link with the scanned plates is very useful for the flags. Have invested in the C A Sapherson books and they are very useful. I'm rapidly realising that for the period 1989 to 1697 theres not tons of info to go by and often some of it is contradictory, so there's more room for personal interpretation! Interested to read that the info in the 'from pike to shot' book for 'French Cavalry Regulations 1690' could be unreliable, for example the regt Fitzjames wasn't formed until 1698.
Best wishes
Simon
Anonymous

Simon says

Post by Anonymous » Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:46 am

Simon I am glad that I could be of help in any way. Thats what wargaming is all about the cameraderie. If more people were to add what information they had to the forum here it would be well on the way to being a information source all on its own and not just for the period !680-1717. Nearly everyone who suscribes to the forum games in numerous periods my self included. It just so happens that my favouraite time period starts just prior to the English civil war and ends round about the seven years war. Various sets of rules I use cover nearly this whole time period so I am very lucky in that respect but as regards information I find that one can never have enough really good info. If I run across something of interest I try to pass it on if not I store it in case someone else needs it. If everyone includiing barry was agreeable I would break down all the site I know for various time periods and set them permanentley here on the forum In there rightful place or perhaps under the Help forum index. references from the time period that you are now dealing with can be oft times contadictary I know but I always try to go with what i believe to be th best info I can find. If I am not sure I ask.Thats also part of the fun part of wargaming as I have met lots of people online that I may never have met or known in person.Most have become regular correspondents and thats how the information that arrves daily in my e-mail colllects and then is sorted and then passed on to whoever needs the info. Best regards Lindsay Have fun play games and most of all enjoy yourself.
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