Spanish uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars

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The Napoleonic Wars was a series of wars lasting from 1803 to 1815. Spain was just one of the many countries which resisted the expansion of the French Empire under Napoleon I. The general population fought as guerrillas, preventing the occupying French forces from obtaining supplies or safe passage.

Line Infantry

The Spanish Line Infantry uniform changed several times during the Napoleonic wars. Both officially with the introduction of new model uniforms, the supply of British made uniforms, locally produced clothing and those captured as the spoils of war.

The M1797 uniform was officially listed as being white with collars, cuffs and facings according in the regimental facing colours and distinguished by their pattern combination. Three regiments were recorded as still wearing this uniform as late as May 1808.

The M1802 uniform was dark blue, with black facings piped red and red turn backs on the jacket. It was recorded as being issued with white trousers, and bicorns with red feathers or plumes. The main difference to separate regiments using this uniform was the buttons stamped with regimental symbols or numbers. Twelve regiments are recorded as still wearing this uniform in May 1808.

The issue of the M1805 uniform restored the official uniform's jacket colour to white and brought back the coloured facing colours. These were used to distinguish between regiments, by a combination of cuffs, collars and facings in either facing colour piped white or white piped with the facing colour. Buttons were also used, either silver or brass. Turnbacks on the jackets were always the facing colour.

Uniforms Issued

Regiment	Collar	Cuffs	Lapel	Buttons	Notes
1st, Rey	Purple	Purple	Purple piped white	Brass	M1802 uniforms were still in use in May 1808 and may have continued beyond this date.
2nd, Reina	Purple	Purple	Purple piped white	White metal
3rd, Principe	White piped purple	Purple piped white	Purple piped white	Brass	Use continued to at least May 1808
4th, Saboya	Black piped white	Black piped white	Black piped white	Brass
5th, La Corona	Black piped white			White metal	M1802 uniforms were still in use in May 1808 and may have continued beyond this date
6th, Africa	White piped black			Brass
7th, Zamora	White piped black			White metal
8th, Soria	White piped purple	Purple	Purple
9th, Cordoba	Red piped white	Red piped white	Red piped white	Brass
10th, Guadalajara	Red piped white	Red piped white	Red piped white	White metal
11th, Sevilla	Black piped white	Black piped white	White piped black	White metal
12th, Granada	Light blue piped white	Light blue piped white	Light blue piped white	Brass	M1802 uniforms were still in use in May 1808 and may have continued beyond this date.
13th, Valencia	Sky blue piped white	Sky blue piped white	Sky blue piped white	White metal
14th, Zaragoza	Green piped white	Green piped white	Green piped white	Brass	M1802 uniforms were still in use in May 1808 and may have continued beyond this date.
15th, España	Green piped white	Green piped white	Green piped white	White metal
16th, Toledo	White piped sky blue	Sky blue with white piping	Sky blue with white piping	Brass
17th, Mallorca	White with red piping	Red piped white	Red piped white
18th, Burgos	White piped green	Green piped white	Green piped white
19th, Murcia	White piped sky blue	Sky blue piped white	Sky blue piped white	White metal
20th, Leon	White piped red	Red piped white	Red piped white		M1802 uniforms were still in use in May 1808 and may have continued beyond this date.
21st, Cantabria	Sky blue piped white	Sky blue piped white	White piped sky blue
22nd, Asturias	White piped green	Green piped white	Green piped white
23th, Fijo de Ceuta	Green piped white	Green piped white	White piped green		M1797 uniforms were still in use in May 1808: green lapels, turnbacks, and cuffs; cream collar; and brass buttons.
24th, Navarra	Dark blue piped white	Dark blue piped white	Dark blue piped white	Brass
25th, Aragón	Red piped white	Red piped white	White piped red	White metal	M1802 uniforms were still in use in May 1808 and may have continued beyond this date.
26th, America	Dark blue piped white	Dark blue piped white	Dark blue piped white
27th, Princesa	Purple piped white	Purple piped white	White piped purple
28th, Estremadur	Crimson piped white	Crimson piped white	Crimson piped white	Brass	M1802 uniforms were still in use in May 1808 and may have continued beyond this date.
29th, Málaga	White piped dark blue	Dark blue piped white	Dark blue piped white	White metal	M1797 uniforms were still in use in May 1808: red lapels, turnbacks and cuffs; black collar; and white metal buttons.
30th, Jaen	Dark blue piped white		White piped dark blue		Not issued with M1802 uniforms.
31st, Ordenes Militares	Dark blue piped white		White piped dark blue
32nd, Voluntarios de Castilla	Crimson piped white	Crimson piped white	Crimson piped white		M1802 uniforms were still in use in May 1808 and may have continued beyond this date.
33rd, Voluntarios de Estado	White piped crimson			Brass
34th, Voluntarios de Corona	White piped crimson			White metal
35th, Borbón	Crimson piped white		White piped crimson	White metal

Foreign Regiments in Spanish Service

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2023)

Regiment	Jacket	Collar	Cuffs/turnbacks	Lapels	Trousers	Buttons	Notes
36th, Irlanda	Sky blue	Yellow piped white	Yellow	Yellow piped white	White	Brass
37th, Hibernia		Sky blue piped yellow				White metal
38th, Ultonia		Yellow piped white
39th, Napoles		Yellow piped white		Sky blue piped white
1º Suizo de Wimpffen							M1796 or M1805 uniforms
2º Suizo de Reding Snr
3º Suizo de Reding Jnr
4º Suizo de Betschartd
5º Suizo de Tazler
6º Suizo de Courten/Preux

Light Infantry Regiments

The original Cazadores uniform of a black bicorn, green jacket with red lapels and cuffs was replaced with the M1800 issue of a dark blue jacket with red facings and maintaining the other equipment.

The M1802 uniform was styled after the hussar uniform of the time. A green jacket with yellow lace, red collars and cuffs with the Suhr (a type of leather & brass hat) replacing the bicorn for ordinary ranks.

The M1805 uniform returned to the bicorn, styled after the infantry uniform the colour of the jacket was changed to dark blue, with facing colours, combinations and button colour depending on regiment.

In 1808 some regiments were issued with French style shakos, including La Romana's division de norte. It is unclear which regiments, if any, in Spain were issued with shakos.

Uniforms Issued

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2023)

Regiment	Collar	Cuffs	Lapel	Turnback	Pockets	Buttons
1º de Aragón	Red piped white	Red piped white	Red piped white	Red	Red piping	White metal
1º de Cataluña	Yellow piped white	Yellow piped white	Yellow piped white	Red	Red piping	White metal
2º de Cataluña	Dark blue piped white	Yellow piped white with yellow cuff flaps	Yellow	Yellow	Yellow piping	Brass
Tarrogona	Yellow	Yellow	Dark blue piped yellow			Brass
Gerona	Yellow	Yellow	Yellow piped white			White metal
2º de Aragón	Dark blue piped white	Red piped white	Red piped white	Red piped white	Red piping
1º de Barcelona	Yellow	Yellow	Dark blue piped white	Yellow	Yellow piping
2º de Barcelona
Barbastro
Voluntarios de Valencia
Campo Maior
Voluntarios de Navarra

Militia Infantry Regiments

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (October 2023)

Guard Infantry Regiments

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Heavy Cavalry Regiments

M1802 Uniforms

All regiments received the same uniform which was considered unpopular with the units themselves. Bicorns edged yellow with red plumes. Dark blue coats with white lapels piped red, crimson facings (collars, cuffs and turn-backs) with blue cuff flaps piped red and yellow lions on their collars. Waist coats and trousers were batched dyed a lemon colour, however this quickly bleached in the sun. The jacket used brass buttons, much like the infantry uniform of the time. The cavalry were issued long boots and blue breeches re-enforced with leather.

Horses were rare in Spain during the war, but those which could be located were issued with blue saddleclothes laced with yellow.

M1805 Uniforms Issued

Regiment	Collar	Cuffs	Lapel	Pockets	Buttonholes	Buttons
1º Rey	Red piped yellow	Red piped yellow	Red piped yellow	Red piping	Yellow	Brass
2º Reina	Sky blue piped red	Sky blue piped red	Sky blue piped red		White	White metal
3º Príncipe	Red piped white	Red piped white	Red piped white		White	White metal
4º Infante	White piped yellow	White piped yellow	White piped yellow	White piping	Yellow	Brass
5º Borbón	Red piped white	Red piped white	Red piped white	Red piping		White metal
6º Farnesio	Red piped yellow	Red piped yellow	Red piped yellow	Yellow piping
7º Alcántara	Red piped green	Red piped green	Green piped white	Green piping
8º España	Yellow piped red	Red piped yellow	Red piped yellow	Red piping
9º Algarve	Yellow piped red	Yellow piped red	Yellow piped red
10º Calatravia	Red	Sky blue piped red	Sky blue piped red
11º Santiago	Crimson piped red	Crimson piped red	Crimson piped red
12º Montesa	Red	Red	White piped red

Dragoon Regiments

Changes of 1803

In 1803 all eight of the dragoon regiments raised in Spain were converted to light cavalry, with the first six converted to Cazadores a Caballo while Numancia and Lusitania were converted to Hussars (See these sections for Uniform during this time period). These were converted back to Dragoons in 1805.

M1805 Uniforms

Regiment	Collar	Cuffs	Lapel	Pockets	Tricorn edge	Plume	Buttons
1º Rey	Crimson piped white	Crimson piped white	Crimson piped white	Crimson piping	White	Red	White metal
2º Reina	Scarlet piped white	Scarlet piped white	Scarlet piped white	Scarlet piping
3º Almansa	Sky blue piped white	Sky blue piped white	Sky blue piped white	Sky blue piping
4º Pavia	Yellow piped white	Yellow piped white	Scarlet piped white	Scarlet piping
5º Villaviciosa	Green piped white	Green piped white	Green piped white	Green piping
6º Sagunto	Yellow piped white	Green piped white	Green piped white	Green piping
7º Numancia	Black piped white	Black piped white	Black piped white	Black piping
8º Lusitania	Yellow piped white	Black piped white	Black piped white	Black piping

M1811 Uniforms

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2023)

Regiment	Collar	Cuffs	Lapel	Pockets	Tricorn edge	Plume	Buttons	Ref
1º Rey
2º Reina
3º Almansa
4º Pavia
5º Villaviciosa
6º Sagunto
7º Numancia
8º Lusitania
9º Granada
10º Madrid

Hussar Regiments

In 1803, the 7º Numancia and 8º Lusitania dragoons were converted to hussars. In 1805, 1º Numancia and 2º Lusitania hussars were converted to dragoon; the 3º Olivenza and 4º España regiments were converted back to Cazadores a Caballo; 5º Húsares de Maria Luisa became 1º Húsares de Maria Luisa; and 6º Húsares Españoles became 2º Húsares Españoles in 1805.

Guard Cavalry Regiments

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (October 2023)

References

^ Bueno, José María (1982). El Ejercito y la armada en 1808. Spain: J.M. Bueno. pp. 78–79. ISBN 84-300-6421-4.
^ Summerfield, Stephen (2014). Spanish Infantry of the Early Peninsular War. Huntingdon, England: Ken Trotman Publishing. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-907417-42-9.
Bueno, José María (1982). El Ejercito y La Armada en 1808. Spain: J.M. Bueno. pp. 72–73. ISBN 84-300-6421-4.
Summerfield, Stephen (2016). Spanish Cavalry of the Early Peninsular War. Huntingdon, England: Ken Trotman Publishing Ltd. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-1-907417-74-0.

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