Bresse Infanterie
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Contents
Origin and History
The regiment was created on September 14, 1684 from a battalion of Normandie Infanterie ] and named after the Province of Bresse.. Indeed, expecting a Coalition to form soon against France, Louis XIV raised 30 new regiments from September 1 to 30 for the defence of the various places of the realm. By raising one regiment a day, he avoided any problem of precedence among these new regiments. The regiment was given to René-Alexis Le Sénéchal, Comte de Carcado-Molac.
In 1691, during the Nine Years' War (1688-97), the regiment joined the Army of the Germany. In 1692, it was transferred to the Army of the Alps. In 1693, it took part in the defence of Pinerolo and in the Battle of Marsaglia. In 1694, it served in Provence and embarked for Catalonia where it participated in the relief of Palamos. In 1696, the regiment was back in Italy where it took part in the siege of Valenza. In 1697, it was transferred to the Army of Flanders.
In 1700, on the eve of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-13), the regiment was allocated to the Army of Italy. In 1701, it took part in the Battle of Chiari; in 1702, in the capture of Luzzara; in 1703, in the capture of Nago, Arco and Asti; in 1704, in the storming of the entrenchments of Stradella, in the combat of Castelnuovo de Bormia and in the sieges of Vercelli, Ivrea and Verrua; in 1705, in the capture of Verrua and in the Battle of Cassano; and in 1706, in the Battle of Calcinato and in the siege of Turin. From 1707 to 1709, the regiment served with the Army of Dauphiné. In 1709, it was transferred to the Army of Flanders. In 1712, it took part in the Battle of Denain and in the sieges and recapture of Douai.
During the War of the Polish Succession (1733-35), the regiment remained in France.
In 1742, during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48), the regiment served in Bavaria, taking part in the Combat of Sahay, in the relief of Frawemberg and in the defence of Prague. In 1744, the regiment joined the Army of Flanders. In 1745, it was transferred to the Army of the Lower-Rhine. In 1746, it returned to Flanders and took part in the sieges of Mons, Charleroi and Namur and in the Battle of Rocoux. In 1747, it took part in the defence of Provence; and in 1748, in the defence of Genoa.
On the eve of the Seven Years' War, the regiment counted only one battalion.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment ranked 83rd and was under the command of:
- from December 1, 1745: Louis-Gabriel Le Sénéchal, Comte de Carcado-Molac
- from February 20, 1761 to November 25, 1762: Louis-François de Rozières, Marquis de Sorans
When the French army was reorganised at the end of 1762, the regiment was disbanded on November 25.
Service during the War
In 1756, the regiment was stationed on the coasts of Normandie.
By August 1, 1757, the regiment was stationed at Granville in Lower Normandy. Later the same year, it was transferred to Bretagne to defend the coast against British incursions.
On September 11, 1758, the regiment took part to the combat of Saint-Cast.
From 1759 to 1762, the regiment was stationed on the coast of Aunis.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear |
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| Neck stock | black | ||||||||||||
| Coat | grey-white
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| Waistcoat | blue | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | grey-white (blue according to Susane) | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | white | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
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Armaments consisted of a musket and a bayonet. Fusiliers carried a sword (brass hilt) while the grenadiers had a sabre.
Officers
Officers had gold button loops on the collar, cuffs, and waistcoat.
Musicians
n/a
Colours
The colonel flag was white with a white cross. Ordonnance flags had a white cross and each canton was subdivided into three horizontal bands alternating in green and yellow and disposed in opposition. Ordonnance flags remained unchanged from 1684 to 1762.
 Colonel Colour - Source: Kronoskaf |
 Ordonnance Colour - Source: Kronoskaf |
References
This article incorporates texts from the following books which are now in the public domain:
- Susane, Louis: Histoire de l'ancienne infanterie française, J. Corréard, Paris, 1849-1856, Tome 8, pp. 228-229
Other sources
Funcken, Liliane and Fred: Les uniformes de la guerre en dentelle
Menguy, Patrice: Les Sujets du Bien Aimé (a very interesting website which has unfortunately disappeared from the web
Mouillard, Lucien: Les Régiments sous Louis XV, Paris: 1882
Pajol, Charles P. V.: Les Guerres sous Louis XV, vol. VII, Paris, 1891
Rogge, Christian: The French & Allied Armies in Germany during the Seven Years War, Frankfurt, 2006
Sommaire des forces armées Françaises à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur de la France - 1er Août 1757, Service Historique de l'armée de terre
