Chasseurs Royaux de Dauphiné
The Chasseurs Royaux de Dauphiné (Royal Chasseurs of Dauphiné) was a light infantry battalion of the French Royal Army which participated in the early stages of the French Revolutionary Wars until being absorbed into another light infantry demi-brigade. The regiment's successor, the 77th Infantry Regiment would continue to serve the French Army until 1940 when it was disbanded in 1940 following the Battle of France.
| Chasseurs Royaux de Dauphiné 2éme Bataillon de Chassers (Dauphiné) | |
|---|---|
 Regimental uniform after formation in 1788. | |
| Active | 1788–1795 |
| Country |   .svg.png){kind=small} |
| Allegiance | King of France French Nation |
| Branch | |
| Type | Chasseurs à Pied |
| Size | Battalion |
| Part of | Army of the Alps |
| Headquarters | Briançon |
Formation
The Chasseurs Royaux de Daupiné were formed from an cadre provided by the Chasseurs Royaux de Provence and based in the Dauphiné region of Southern France. The battalion was granted 2nd in precedence because its predecessor, the Régiment Royal–Italien had itself been a royal regiment and split to form the 1st Chasseurs Royaux de Provence and provided a small cadre for the 2nd Chasseurs de Dauphiné. The battalion was formed on 1 May 1788 and organised in the town of Briançon, on the edge of the French Alps.[1][2]
The regiment's first uniform consisted of; black tricone (officers in bicorne), dark green turnbacks, dark green jacket, dark green breeches, dark green gaiters, black boots, dark green pockets, red trimmed dark green pockets, red cuffs, and white buttons.[1][3][4]
The battalion was organised in Briançon, this battalion which was to be recruit in Dauphiné and in 1789 was sent to Périgueux. In 1790 it moved to Romans-sur-Isère and contributed to the occupation and pacification of Vence.[2]
Revolution
On 1 April 1791, provisional regulations were announced following the initial stages of the French Revolution, and the regiment renamed as the 2éme Bataillon de Chasseurs (Dauphiné), but they continued to be known as their former title until 1792. In addition to the new title, the regiment adopted a new uniform; peak casque, with stiff black horsehair crest and mock leopard skin turban helmet, red turnbacks, dark green jacket, dark green breeches, dark green gaiters, black boots, dark green pockets, red trimmed dark green pockets, red cuffs, red cuff flaps, and white buttons.[1][2][3][4]
War of the First Coalition
In the beginning of 1792, the battalion was in Orange when the war started, and moved to Tournoux in the Alps for training, and shortly thereafter joined the Army of the Alps for the upcoming Savoy Campaign. After the end of the campaign, the battalion was stationed in La Celle until mid 1793 when it rejoined the Army of the Alps.[2]
The years following the Revolution saw great changes for the French Army: the old royalist infantry regiments were to serve as the stiffening for the tens of thousands of new volunteers who answered the patriotic Levée en masse. In the First Amalgamation of 1794, each old royalist battalion was put together with two new volunteers battalions to become new Demi-Brigade de Bataille or Demi-Brigade of Battle. Therefore, in 1795, the battalion amalgamated with the 8th Gironde Battalion and the 1st Battalion of the Venguers "Avengers of the People" to form the 2éme Demi-Brigade Légère, thus ending the royalist lineage and traditions.[1][2][5]
Commanding Officers
Commanding officers of the battalion included:[2]
- 1788–1792 Jean Thévet de Lessert
- 1792–1792 Jacques-Louis-François de Tilly de Prémont
- 1792–1792 Louis François Auguste Mazel du Goulot, dit Dugoulot
- 1792–1794 Jean-Joseph-Félix Martimprey de Romécourt
Footnotes
- Susane, Volume I, pp. 311, 313–314, 364, 369, 399, 404.
- Susane, Volume VI, pp. 298–299.
- Lienhart & Humbet, pp. 57–58.
- Smith, Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars, p. 42–47.
- Napoleon's Regiments, pp. 191–192.
References
- Louis Susane, Historie de l'Ancienne Infanterie Français, Volume I, 1849 Naval and Polytechnical Military Library of Paris, Paris, France.
- Louis Susane, Historie de l'Ancienne Infanterie Français, Volume VI, 1852 Naval and Polytechnical Military Library of Paris, Paris, France.
- Dr. Constance Lienhart & Réne Humbert, The Uniforms of French Armies 1690–1894; Volume 3: The Infantry, Originally published in 1906, re-printed in 2020, Zanica, Italy. ISBN 978-8893275255.
- Digby Smith, Napoleon's Regiments Battle Histories of the Regiments of the French Army, 1792–1815, 2000 London, United Kingdom. ISBN 1-85367-413-3.
- Digby Smith & Jeremy Black, An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars, 2015 Lorenz Books, London, United Kingdom. ISBN 978-0-7548-1571-6.