French Chasseurs de Fischer, 1743–1761

French Chasseurs de Fischer, 1743–1761.

This corps, created by Ordinance of 1 November 1743, had 400 men initially; it was raised to 600 in 1747, and reduced in 1749 to one company of infantry with 40 men and one of cavalry with 20 men; by Ordinance of 25 October 1756, it was in increased to 500 men. And, finally, by that of 8 July 1757, to 1200 men in 16 companies, eight of infantry with 75 men each and eight of cavalry with the same number of men, officers not included.

Pictured above are two of the six grenadiers attached to every infantry company of the Chasseurs de Fischer. These 40 mm Holger Eriksson miniatures were cast in Prince August musketeer moulds PA25 and PA24, then converted to grenadiers by swapping heads with the grenadier from mould PA18.

Composition of an Infantry Company

  • Capitaine en second
  • Premier Lieutenant
  • Second Lieutenant
  • Four Sergents
  • Six Anspessades
  • Six Grenadiers
  • 53 Chasseurs

Composition of a Cavalry Company

  • Capitaine en premier
  • Capitaine en second
  • Premier Lieutenant
  • Second Lieutenant
  • Two Maréchaux des Logis
  • Six Brigadiers
  • 69 Chasseurs

Staff

  • Commandant Capitaine en premier of all companies on foot or mounted
  • Lieutenant-Colonel
  • Major
  • Two Aides-Major
  • Aumônier
  • Chirurgien
  • Prévôt
  • Commandant and Capitaine en premier of all Companies, M. J.C. Fischer
  • Lieut.Colonel, M. le Baron de Stein
  • Major, M. de Clery, rank of Lieutenant-Colonel

By special Ordinance of 15 August 1757, the Sieur Fischer is authorized to admit into the named Corps supernumeraries equal to the number of 800 above the 1200 men of which it is composed, and these supernumeraries will receive pay of ten sols per day.

Uniform of the Infantry

Green coat, waistcoat, breeches, and cuffs, red collar, yellow-orange epaulettes on both shoulders, vertical pockets, yellow metal buttons on the right side of the coat only down to the waist, three on each pocket, mirliton of green cloth for chasseurs, and bearskin cap with brass shield and red bag for grenadiers.

Mouillard shows a grenadier dated 1752 without collar, with red lapels, and red epaulettes; and a chasseur dated 1762 without lapels, with green collar, pointed green cuffs, and yellow epaulettes.

Uniform of the Hussars

Green dolman and pelisse, red breeches (haut-de-chausses), dolman garnished with five rows of yellow buttons, namely, four rows of little buttons and one row of big ones in the center, red cuffs with bastion-shaped flap, trimmed with narrow yellow-orange lace, the sabretache of red cloth bordered with the same lace, black cloth mirliton.

Mouillard shows a green shabraque with yellow-orange border and Fischer’s heraldic devices in the corners.

Campaign History

  • Employed in the Petite Guerre of the French Army of the Rhine
  • Capture of Hannover, 08 Aug 1757
  • Combat at Sandershausen, 23 Jul 1758
  • Battle of Lutterberg, 10 Oct 1758
  • Battle of Minden, 01 Aug 1759
  • Battle of Warburg, 31 Jul 1760
  • Battle of Kloster Kamp, 16 Oct 1760

Lineage

  • Dragons-chasseurs de Conflans, 1761
  • Légion de Conflans, 1763
  • Régiment de Conflans Hussards, 1776
  • Régiment de Saxe Hussards, 1789
  • 4e Régiment de Hussards, 1791

Bibliography

French Light Troops