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<small>Hierarchical Path: [[Main Page|Seven Years War (Main Page)]] &gt;&gt; [[Armies]] &gt;&gt; [[French Army]] &gt;&gt; {{PAGENAME}}</small> ==Origin and History== [[File:Gendarmes de la Garde Mouillard.jpg|right|frame|Gendarme de la Garde ordinaire du Roi - Source: Lucien Mouillard, Les Régiments sous Louis XV]] This company was created by Henri IV in 1609 for his son Louis who was then ''Dauphin de France''. When Louis acceded to the throne, under the name of Louis XIII, he incorporated the unit into the ''Maison du Roi'' on April 29 1611. During the reign of Louis XV, this company formed a squadron of 210 gendarmes divided up into 4 brigades. One of these brigades always served to guard the king. The company consisted of: *1 captain (the king) *1 captain-lieutenant *3 sub-lieutenants *3 ensigns *3 guidons *1 ''commissaire à la conduite'' *10 ''maréchaux des logis'' *2 quartermasters *8 brigadiers *8 sub-brigadiers *4 standard bearers *4 aides-majors *4 trumpeters *1 kettle-drummer *178 men During the Seven Years' War, the company was under the command of: *since July 1734: Captain-Lieutenant Prince de Soubise de Rohan The company was disbanded on September 30 1787 <br clear="all"/> ==Service during the War== By August 1 1757, the company was stationed at Versailles. The unit did not take part to the early campaigns of the Seven Years' War. In 1761, the company took the field with the army of Soubise. It was present at the battle of Vellinghausen on July 16 but was not engaged. In 1762, the company formed part of Condé's Lower Rhine army. It was present at the action of Nauheim on August 30 but was not engaged. To do: more details on the campaigns from 1758 to 1762 ==Uniform== ===Privates=== [[File:Gendarmes de la Garde Uniform Plate.jpg|left|frame|Uniform in 1758 - Source: [http://www.europeanheraldry.org/ PMPdeL]]] {| class="tblunout" |+<big>'''Uniform Details as per<br/>the ''Etrennes Militaires'' of 1758 and ''Etat Militaire'' of 1761'''</big> |- |'''Headgear'''||black tricorne laced gold, with a black cockade and a white plume |- |'''Neckstock'''||''n/a'' |- |'''Coat'''||scarlet with all seams laced gold and with golden ''brandebourgs'' {| class="tblunin" |- |'''Collar'''||none'' |- |'''Shoulder straps'''||''none'' |- |'''Lapels'''||''none'' |- |'''Pockets'''||horizontal pockets laced gold with 6 golden buttonholes (according to Mouillard) |- |'''Cuffs'''||black velvet laced gold with 3 yellow buttons and 3 golden buttonholes (according to Mouillard) |- |'''Turnbacks'''||''none'' |} |- |'''Waistcoat'''||buff laced gold |- |'''Breeches'''||red |- |'''Leather&nbsp;Equipment'''|| {| class="tblunin" |- |'''Crossbelt'''||''none'' |- |'''Waistbelt'''||covered with golden laces |- |'''Cartridge Box'''||''n/a'' |- |'''Scabbard'''||''n/a'' |- |'''Footgear'''||black boots |} |- |'''Horse&nbsp;Furniture'''|| {| class="tblunin" |- |'''Saddlecloth'''||scarlet laced laced with two golden braids: a thin outer braid and a wider inner braid |- |'''Housings'''||red laced gold |- |'''Blanket roll'''||''n/a'' |} |} <br clear="all"> Troopers were armed with a sword, a pair of pistols and a rifle. For combat, they wore a blackened breastplate and an iron skullcap over their tricorne. The troopers mounted bay horses. <br clear="all"/> ===Officers=== [[File:Gendarmes de la Garde Officer Marbot.jpg|right|thumb|Gendarmes de la Garde officer in 1724. - Source: Alfred de Marbot ''Tableaux synoptiques de l'infanterie et de la cavalerie...'']] Officers wore the same uniform as the troopers with the following differences: *a wide golden braid covered with golden foliage pattern sewn over all seams of their coat, cuffs, pockets, housings and on their waistcoat *Black waistcoat Like for all units belonging to the ''Maison du Roi'', the horses of the officers had to be grey. <br clear="all"/> ===Musicians=== [[File:Gendarmes de la Garde Musician Uniform.jpg|left|frame|Uniform of the musicians in 1758 - Source: [http://www.europeanheraldry.org/ PMPdeL]]] [[File:Gendarmes de la Garde Musician Marbot.jpg|right|thumb|Gendarmes de la Garde kettle-drummer in 1724. - Source: Alfred de Marbot ''Tableaux synoptiques de l'infanterie et de la cavalerie...'']] Trumpets and kettle-drummers wore a scarlet coat heavily laced with golden braids. The saddle cloth, housings as well as the aprons of the kettle-drums and the pennants of the trumpets were blue decorated in gold. The musicians were mounted on grey horses. <br clear="all"/> ==Colours== The satin standards had a white field decorated with golden embroideries and bearing a central scene depicting thunderbolts bursting out of a cloud with the motto “Quo jubet iratus Jupiter”. Along with those of the Chevaux Légers de la Garde, the standards of the Gendarmes de la Garde were deposited in the King's room. [[File:Gendarmes de la Garde Standard.jpg|frame|center|Gendarmes de la Garde Standard – Source: [http://www.europeanheraldry.org/ PMPdeL]]] ==References== This article incorporates texts from the following books which are now in the public domain: *Pajol, Charles P. V.: ''Les Guerres sous Louis XV'', vol. VII, Paris, 1891, pp. 2-6 '''Other sources''' Funcken, L. and F.: ''Les uniformes de la guerre en dentelle'' Grosser Generalstab Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung II: ''Die Kriege Friedrichs des Grossen'', Part 3 ''Der siebenjährige Krieg 1756-1763'', Vol. 5 ''Hastenbeck und Roßbach'', Berlin, 1903, Appendix 10 Menguy, Patrice: ''Les Sujets du Bien Aimé'' (an interesting website which seems to have disappeared from the web) Mouillard, Lucien: ''Les Régiments sous Louis XV''; Paris 1882 Service Historique de l'armée de terre: ''Sommaire des forces armées Françaises à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur de la France - 1er Août 1757'' Vial, J.-L.: [http://vial.jean.free.fr/new_npi/ Nec Pluribus Impar] [[Category:French Land Unit]]

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