Additional research material.
Contributing to my research, were two separate documents, and probably where I grabbed snippets and factoids, without actually recording them accurately.
First the oldest, available on Gallica:-
Bulletin de la Société des sciences historiques et naturelles de la Corse. 1935_ TIRAILLEURS CORSE 1803-1812
A very detailed document citing original documents and anecdotal ‘conversations’ with much, obviously, related to N. own orders and requirements.
The most important fact to keep in mind, is that N. wanted to ‘improve’ both society and safety on Corsica, an island of two Departments. That meant tidying up the civil warring factions between his old mentor Paoli and the French civil society a adopted. Thus he almost, if not actually, hand-picked the troops!
Secondly, a more recent dissertation (2016) from the Sorbonne:
Jean-François Giffon-Scapula
Les troupes corses de la Révolution au 1er Empire (1789-1815)
Des processus et des mutations, la Corse militaire une identité complexe.
A very detailed and specific in depth tome taking a slow paced approach to all the actions and changes of the era, including the preamble of the Buonaparte families early years on the island.
There are a number of illustrations, without validation of authencity, of uniforms and errata throughout the period.
I don’t have a specific download url, but it was taken from the Sorbonne records.
Further comments from me.
- Clearly it is sensible to differentiate the regimental uniforms of the Chasseur/ Tirailleur Corse, between origin- legere blue with green facings, Camp du Bologne 1803 and the 1808 reorganisation undertaken in Westphalia garrison prior to the 1809 Austrian campaign.
- Nevertheless, nine companies including Carabiniers existed prior to 1808.
As per the specific evidence of Etienne Hulot , Chef de battailon of the Tirailleur du Po**:These two corps [referencing Tir.Corse as well] had the exact same uniform as all the other light infantry of the period and the same organization – nine companies (including one of carabiniers) and no voltigeurs [!?]. My battalion differed from the other only in the dress of the drummers.
Both a drummer and a fifer were attached to each company; they carried a small carbine suspended from a sling and were commanded by a drum major.
Their uniform was different from that of all other drummers and fifers in the army because the lapels were red and were cut to a point in light infantry style.
**(cf Guy Dempsey Jr.) - Thus, in a sense of irony, the Cenni illustration used as the origin source for all subsequent copyist illustrators can only represent the later period, because HIS illustration was a voltigeur, which, as a troop type, did not in fact exist until the 1808 reorganisation had been applied.
- Therefore, any depiction of voltigeurs in French legere uniform, are suspect. I suppose, we shall have to await confirmation, if any, from PLD when his Light Infantry book gets published.
- That the Carabiniers of the Tir. du Po were issued bearskins is undeniable (of the ‘Chasseur style’, sans plaques), as N. himself ordered it in 1804. Nothing however, similar, exists about the Tir. Corse. Therefore, I doubt such existence insisted by some others over the years.
My own rendition of the Tirailleur Corse (corrected 2023 edition to remove erroneous voltigeur base and other factors):-
IMG_6568_sm ©2023_dww Tir Corse Repaint by DaveW[/url], on Flickr.
Regards,
davew