Wishing to expand the range of figures, and having noticed the beauty of the ordonnance colour of the Natta Regiment of the Duchy of Montferrat, I decided to reproduce it. I prefer to refer to it as the Duchy of Montferrat rather than the Duchy of Mantua, since these troops were recruited within the territory of Montferrat, which was united with the Duchy of Mantua only through the Gonzaga crown.
 |
| Duchy of Monferrato. Regiment Natta. Standard Bearer |
For the first time, through the study of an old 1708 map, I was able to identify the names of the farmsteads located around the Hill of Turin, together with its fortifications and redoubts, which as a whole formed the defensive system to the east.
 |
| Farmstead around the Hill of Turin |
A search through all my sources, however, ruled out the existence of any regiment bearing that name. Further research proved equally fruitless, even in sources that preserve at least some trace of regiments raised from local militias. There was absolutely nothing.
This naturally raised the suspicion—and in cases such as this it is entirely legitimate—that the original handwritten sources had been misread and incorrectly transcribed. The non-existent “Besançon” might therefore have been another name beginning with the same letter, ending in a similar way, and with an illegible central portion.
 |
| Regiment Pesançon |
 |
| Regiment Pesançon - Officer |
 |
Drapeau d'Ordonnance Drapeau Colonel |
This was one of the lesser-known regiments raised in 1702 during the War of the Spanish Succession. It was formed on 14 May 1702 by N. de Tarnault, who became its first colonel.
On 16 February 1707, command of the regiment passed to Louis de Frétat, Comte de Boissieux, under whom it continued to serve until its disbandment on 10 December 1714.
The regiment was assigned to the Army of Italy in 1702. In 1706, it took part in the Siege of Turin with 1 battalion and was deployed in the sector between the Dora Riparia and the River Po. However, it does not appear to have participated in the Battle of Turin on 7 September. In 1707, the regiment took part in the defence of Toulon. The following year, it joined the Army of the Rhine, and from 1709 to 1713 it served with the Army of Dauphiné.
 |
| Regiment Tarnault - Drapeau d'Ordonnance |
 |
| Regiment Tarnault - Drapeau Colonel |
The reconstruction of the uniform has, of course, required a certain degree of historical flexibility. The starting point was a number of secure elements: the regiments raised in 1702 all wore the usual grey-white coat, while the facings were commonly red. The choice of red is further supported by the ordonnance flag, which has a red field, and by the cavalry regiment of the same name, which likewise had red facings. To complete the picture, the family coat of arms was also based on red, with distinctive devices in gold.
 |
| Regiment Tarnault - Officer |
 |
| Regiment Tarnault - Drummer |
 |
| Regiment Tarnault |
The regiment was created on 23 September 1684 and took the name of the Province of Beauce. Its formation was part of the extensive military expansion ordered by Louis XIV in anticipation of a new coalition against France. Between 1 and 30 September 1684, the king raised thirty new regiments for the defence of the principal strongholds and strategic positions of the realm. By creating one regiment on each successive day, he also avoided disputes over precedence among the newly formed units. The regiment was initially entrusted to N. de Pompadour, Marquis de Laurière.
During the Nine Years’ War, from 1689 to 1697, the regiment remained employed in coastal defence. At the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession, it continued under the command of the Marquis de Laurière. On 20 January 1708, the colonelcy passed to Joseph-Pierre Dejean de Manville.
In 1701, the regiment was assigned to the Army of Italy and participated in the blockade of Mantua, where it subsequently performed garrison duty. It later took part in the operations surrounding Turin in 1706, participating in the siege of the Piedmontese capital. During the battle of 7 September, the regiment was positioned in the sector between the Dora Riparia and the River Po, where French troops were deployed to protect the eastern part of the siege lines and the camps established in that area.
In 1707, the regiment was transferred to the Army of Flanders. On 11 July 1708, it fought at the Battle of Oudenarde. In the following year, it was sent to the Army of the Rhine, before returning to Flanders in 1710. In 1711, it took part in the combat of Arleux, and in 1712 it participated in the Siege of Douai and in the recapture of Le Quesnoy and Bouchain.
The regiment continued to exist after the conclusion of the War of the Spanish Succession. It was finally disbanded on 10 February 1749. Its grenadier companies were incorporated into the Grenadiers de France, while the remaining companies were transferred to Talaru Infanterie.
 |
| Regiment Beauce - Drumme in Royal Livery |
 |
| Regiment Beauce in a print dating 1706 |
 |
| Regiment Beauce (note buttons on the pocket as distictive sign of the Regiment) |
 |
| Regiment Beauce - Officer |
 |
| Drapeau Colonel |
 |
| Drapeau d'Ordinnance |
The regiment was raised on 25 July 1702 by Achille Poulet, Marquis de Marcilly, who remained its colonel throughout most of the War of the Spanish Succession. On 28 October 1710, command passed to François Perron de Belleisle, under whom the regiment continued to serve until 12 November 1714. On that date, it ceased to exist as an independent unit and was incorporated into Touraine Infanterie.
The regiment first saw active service in 1703, when it was employed against the Camisards in the Cévennes. In the following year, it was assigned to the Army of the Alps and took part in the siege of Annecy. In 1705, it was transferred to the Italian theatre. During June and July, it participated in the siege of Chivasso in Piedmont, and on 16 August it was present at the Battle of Cassano.
From May to September 1706, the regiment took part in the Siege of Turin, serving with the Franco-Spanish army engaged in the operations against the Piedmontese capital with 1 battalion. After the failure of the siege and the French withdrawal from Piedmont, it participated in the defence of Toulon in 1707.
In 1709, the regiment served with the Army of Dauphiné, before being transferred to Flanders in 1710. On 24 July 1712, it was present at the Battle of Denain, although it does not appear to have been directly engaged in the fighting. Later that same year, it took part in the siege and capture of Le Quesnoy.
 |
| Regiment de Marsilly - Drummer (reconstruction) |
This is one of those regiments for which comparatively little information has survived. Fortunately, its ordonnance colour has been identified, and its colours correspond exactly to those appearing in the arms of the de Marcilly family. This provides a valuable basis for reconstructing the regiment’s appearance.
Drapeau d'Ordonnance
The predominance of black seems beyond doubt and supports the use of black facings on the soldiers’ uniforms, together with gilt buttons matching the gilded hilts of their swords. The close correspondence between the colours of the ordonnance flag and those of the family coat of arms also helps to remove any uncertainty concerning the livery worn by the regimental drummers.
Regiment Marsilly
In several surviving representations, when a black livery had to be depicted for drummers, artists tended to use a very dark grey rather than absolute black. The same approach has therefore been adopted in this reconstruction, with the main coat rendered in dark grey while the facings remain black.
Drapeau Colonel
Regiment Marsilly - Officer
The regiment was created on 14 September 1684 from a battalion of Normandie Infanterie and took the name of the Province of Bresse. Its formation formed part of the extensive military expansion ordered by Louis XIV in anticipation of a new coalition against France. Between 1 and 30 September 1684, the king raised thirty new regiments, one on each successive day. This unusual arrangement was intended to prevent disputes over precedence among the newly created units. The regiment was entrusted to René-Alexis Le Sénéchal, Comte de Carcado-Molac.
During the Nine Years’ War, the regiment initially served with the Army of Germany in 1691 before being transferred to the Army of the Alps in 1692. In the following year, it participated in the defence of Pinerolo and fought at the Battle of Marsaglia. In 1694, it served in Provence and then embarked for Catalonia, where it took part in the relief of Palamós. The regiment returned to Italy in 1696 and participated in the siege of Valenza, before being transferred to the Army of Flanders in 1697.
At the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession, the regiment remained under the command of René-Alexis Le Sénéchal, Comte de Carcado-Molac, who had held the colonelcy since its creation. On 10 October 1706, command passed to François, Marquis de Montmorency-la-Neuville.
In 1700, the regiment was assigned to the Army of Italy. On 1 September 1701, it fought at the Battle of Chiari, where it was deployed in Carcado’s Brigade on the extreme left of the second line of infantry. On 26 July 1702, the Comte de Carcado-Molac commanded a brigade of grenadiers at the Combat of Santa Vittoria, and in August the regiment participated in the capture of Luzzara.
 |
| Drapeau d'Ordonnance |
The regiment remained active in northern Italy throughout 1703, taking part in the capture of Nago and Arco and, in November, in the occupation of Asti. On 4 January 1704, it participated in the assault on the entrenchments of Stradella, which were defended by the rearguard of Starhemberg’s army. A week later, on 11 January, it fought at Castelnuovo de Bormia. During the remainder of the campaign, it took part in the sieges of Vercelli, Ivrea and Verrua.
Regiment Bresse - Officer
NB: the Officer as distinctive sign had usually the breeches of the same colour of the socks, like here
At the beginning of 1705, the regiment participated in the final capture of Verrua. On 16 August of the same year, it fought at the Battle of Cassano. On 19 April 1706, it was engaged at the Battle of Calcinato and, from May onwards, took part in the Siege of Turin with 1 battalion.
 |
| Regiment Bresse - Private NB: the waiscoat was light blue edged yellow with laced buffonholes with copper buttons. Not visible here, because usually the coat was kept closed |
Following the withdrawal of the French army from Piedmont, the regiment served with the Army of Dauphiné from 1707 to 1709. In 1709, it was transferred to the Army of Flanders. On 24 July 1712, it fought at the Battle of Denain and subsequently participated in the Siege of Douai during August and September. After the fortress was captured, the regiment was placed there in garrison.
 |
| Drapeau Colonel |
