Campaign Dress Tenue de Campagne
Parade Dress, grande tenue
Some thoughts here on
getting the right look
and feel for the period.

It is important to put to
one side the flash and
dash for campaign dress,
(see opposite) for actual
battle and route
marches.

Dress around camp and
caserne was also slighty
different than that
pictured in the movies.

1806-1810 was a  period
 of transition of
headgear from chapeau  
to shako, hairstyles were
also changing.  

Read the opposite list of
kit for a standard we
aim for to recreate the
atmosphere at different
engagements.
Uniforms: a second
look...
Getting the uniform right...
This is where we see the plumet, predominantly green with a dash
of yellow a the top for the 69th. Green shako chords (although
white are also seen) and all brass and leather work polished for
display , chinscales down.
Black gaitors or white gaitors depending on winter or summer,
breeches, greatcoat rolled up over havresac, one regimental source
says this was was put in a blue and white striped canvas bag.
Habit veste with chamois collar, epaulettes as before.
Note white waistcoats (with sleeves) and white breeches  breeches
and waistcoats we will have to decide upon.  Green sword knot for
sabre briquet.
Underneath : linen shirt, draw-string long pants, wool socks.
The 69eme had a very light grey overcoat called white it was so pale-
capote blanche, green epaulettes +  yellow rings.  Later towards 1815
switched to biege.
One source has them wearing a white greatcoat with a single row of
buttons. Overalls, blue in winter, white in the summer overtrousers,
the overalls would often be bound at the ankle with string to keep
hems off the mud.  Gaitors, buckled or laced shoes, no shoes, or clogs.
White/grey gaitors wool or canvas.  Sources point to white knee
length gaitors up to white breeches under blue overalls for the 69eme.
They wore red trousers for an undetermined period of time after
their return from Egypt.
Headgear en route was a shako, no cords, shako covers protecting the
plate and chinscales down. Some shakos had leather covers that pulled
down covering the back and sides of the neck. The shako covers were
black / brown in colour due to the quality of the wax used to
waterproof them. Some shako covers had the regimental number
painted on the front, the colour of the number denoted the company,
gold/ yellow meant first company.  No plumet worn but a pom-pom
or roundel with regimental number in the centre.  The plumet was
carried in a canvas wrap tied to the sabre briquet.  Cowskin havresac,
giberne, and sabre briquet straps  over the greatcoat. Gibernes are
often pictured with white cloth covers with a wide variety of insignia
to denote regiment, bataillon, company and soldier roll number.
Again this was to protect brass and leather from the elements.
Giberne was attached to greatcoat back strap button. When tenue de
route was worn, one can see more evidence of shako lace, chinscales
up, pompom still few plumets.  The period we recreate is a lozenge,
brass / white metal plate, hunting horn bosses to attach chinscales to
the shako, and the hunting horn brass plate often found on giberne.  
The shako had chamois coloured trim around the top and some
images have the chevrons also in these colours. Voltigeurs were
known to be issued with slightly lighter & shorter Charleville
muskets, Officers and NCOs were issued with rifled barrel carbines,
not clear whether they were kept by them, and example of which you
can see at The Rifles museum in Winchester.
Questions, corrections or comments  ?
Use the forum click here
69eme Infanterie de ligne, Voltigeurs, napoleonic re-enactment unit