DRAGOON UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENTS Dragoon clothes were ruled by the ordonnance " concerning the dressing, the equipment and the armament of dragoon regiments of 1st May 1750" and that of 9 April 1757 that modified the regiment distinctives judged too unvarying. The 1762 ordonnance that was dressed just before the end of the war brought a radical change to the ground colour of the dragoon uniforms that became green as for hussars, this reform would be applied only after the war. DRAGOON UNIFORM: Hat and fatigue cap: The ordonnance of 1750 indicated" A tricorn hat of wool, weighing 12 or 14 onces which form will be 4 pouces height with wings of 1.1/2 pouces, edged with a silver braid weighing one once and measuring 16 lignes wide (4 inside and 12 outside)". The tricorn hat of the dragoon was smaller than that of cavalary.   As in the cavalry, dragoon carried during the combat a wrought iron crown as guard against swordthrusts, the officers also carried one of iron or leather . The black cokade was maintained by a black silk coop fixed on the left wing of the hat by a small button. Dragoon had a particular fatigue cap, it was made of linen, bordered with a wool braid of one pouce width. The Royal, Du Roi and Dauphin regiments bore a blue fatigue cap while all the other regiments bore a red one. The fatigue cap was bordered with the same braid that for housing. La Chesnaye in 1759 indicated that the turn-up of fatigue cap were dyed in the same colour that affected for cuffs in each regiments. Coat, waistcoat, breeches: The 1750 ordonnance indicated " The coat or juste-au-corps of corporals, lance corporals (ansepessades), carabineers and dragoons would be made with 3. 1/ 4 aunes length and one aune width of linen from Lodève or Berry, in the facing colours affected to each regiment: blue, red and madder red or vermilion. And lined with 5. 1/ 4 aunes of serge from Aumale or 7 aunes of serge from Cadix-Canourgue. The lining of the waistcoat had always to be white. Rounded cuffs of 6 pouces height and 18 round, with opened buttonholes . The front of the coat had withe buttons and white buttonholes down to the pocket on both sides. The bracket of pocket are without pocket, they drew false across pocket with three buttons. The real linen pockets were placed along the coat creases, both sides, between the lining and the linen. The ordonnance explained " There will be on the coat an epaulette instead of the aiguillette that stay removed, according to the regulation the epaulette will be wore on the left shoulder to contain the shoulder belt of the cartridge box", but La Chesnaye in his 1759 dictionary precised " in all dragoon regiments the epaulette replace the aiguillette, it is placed on the right shoulder and on the left shoulder there is a linen strap covered with a white wool braid of 10 lignes width, with a button and a buttonhole, to hold the shoulder belt".   Waistcoats had buttonholes on both sides and buttons only on the right side, down to the pocket. The pocket flaps of the waistcoat were without real pockets and without buttonholes or buttons. The sleeves had short and tight cuffs without buttons called "à la marinière" , whith three buttonholes on the cuff. Breeches were of buff leather. Cloaks were of linen from Lodève, measuring 1 aune in width of blue or red linen on both sides, with serge tape from Aumale or Cadix-Canourgue in affected colours to each regiment . Three tapes on both sides in the same colour of the epaulettes.   Gaiters and boots: Dragoon was shod with buckled leather shoes as infantryman, furthermore according to the service that they made they used gaiters for the on foot service or light supple boots to ride . La Chesnaye precised " mounted dragoons and dragoons on foot have oiled calf boots also white gaiters ". These typical boots were made of supple leather that allowed to protect the legs against rubbing when the dragoon was ridding and gave a certain suppleness when the dragoon had promptly to serve on foot. This boots was laced up on the exterior side of the leg by a system of leather loops, stopped under the knee by a button. It could be considered as leather gaiters. Armament and leather equipment: The dragoon was armed with a sword, at this subject the 1750 ordonnance gave only a brief information: " brass-hilted sabre with double-bar guard, a single-edged blade of 33 pouces lenght."   The dragoon had only one pistol, similar to the 1733-34 cavalry model. According to the ordonnance this pistol measured 48.6 cm, ( 31 cm for the gun), weighed 1.230 kg, but numerous colonels ordered to the armorer to reduce the gun to 27 cm (10 pouces). The other holster of the saddlery was occupied by a tool: a spade, a billbook, an axe or a pickax. The musicians ( oboe and drummer ) didn't carried tools so they had two pistols .   The dragoon was equally endowed with the 1754 model rifle with a specific flintlock. It measured 154.3 cm (115 cm for the gun) and weighed 4.180 kg. Usually the dragoon carried his rifle on the right-hand side of the saddle and down butt or slung accross his chest that was called in French "à la grenadière". As in the cavalry companies, dragoon companies had carabineers, there was 64 in each regiment and they were equipped with a rifled carbine. The half-gibern contained thirty cartridges following the infantry model, it was made of varnished red cow leather, lined with good linen, and hung down the right -hand side of the man from a white buff strap of 22 lignes width, across the left shoulder . The sword belt of white buff leather measuring 2 pouces 2 lignes width. On the right-hand side of the saddle the tools hung from a blackened leather straps. These tools were the same as for infantry, their dimensions were given by the instruction for the infantry of 1753:   - the spade measured 7 pouces 4 lignes (19.8 cm) high, 6 pouces 9 lignes (18.2 cm) width at the top and 5 pouces 6 lines (14.8 cm) at the cutting, the socket 3 pouces 6 lignes (9.4 cm), the shaft 1 foot 12 pouces long (65 cm). - the pickax measured 9 pouces 6 lignes (25.7 cm) long, 2 pouces 6 lignes (6.7 cm) width along the cutting and the shaft 2 feet 3 pouces 4 lines (74 cm). - the billbook measured 8 pouces 7 lignes (23.2 cm) long, 3 pouces (8.1cm) width at the top and 2 pouces 2 lignes (5.8cm) on the side of the shaft which measured 4 pouces 9 lines (12.8 cm). - the head of the axe measured 2 pouces (5.4 cm) circumference, from the carving side to the salient 7 pouces 2 lignes (19.4 cm), and the width of the cutting side measured 3 pouces 10 lignes (10.4 cm), the shaft (excluding the ferrule) measured 1 foot 10 pouces (59.6 cm). On foot, tools were carried in turn by soldier with a unblacked cow skin cases, closed with two buckles and hung from a 2 pouces strap. NCO's distinctives: The ordonnance of 1750 prescribed that: " sleeves of brigadiers and corporals will be adorned with 3 loops of plaited silk of 10 lignes wide and 4 pouces high, half part of silver thread and half part of withe silk, the whole weighing one once. The carabineers and the lance corporals (ansepessade) bore only a trimming of 10 lignes wide weighing five 'gros' made with silver thread and withe silk . The marechal-des-logis and sergeant will be dressed with linen from Romorantin or other equal quality of five ' quart ' width. Dyed wool (blue wool) for blue regiments and half-scarlet for red regiments; observing nevertheless that neither of them will have silver thread buttonholes on the coat or on the waistcoat." The marechal-des-logis and sergeant of dragoons carried a sabre with double-bar guard, single-edged blade larger than that of officers and similar to that of cavalry maréchaux des logis. " Horse, saddlery and harnessing: The height of horses was ruled by the ordonnance on 24 November 1691 that stipulated that dragoon horses will be no higher than 4 pieds 2 pouces and no lower than 4 pieds. The dragoon saddle was the even model that for the cavalry but smaller and called the Royal pattern. As for the cavalry, the detail of the dragoon saddlery is pulled out the works of Dugué Mac Carthy on the French cavalry and its harnessing and the manuscript of La Porterie on Military Institutions.   All leathers or harnessing were black. In front of the pommel was fixed a iron semicircle called " dragonne " retaining two rings, one for the strap of the gun rifle andthe other for the tent stake and the horse fastener stake. On the right-hand side was attached the leather rifle-butt holster with a ring to put in the stakes. The two replacement horseshoes, one on each side was fixed by a buckled strap to and a leather cramp. The equipped saddle comprised three burden straps of 162 cm lenght. The holster-cap that covered the left-hand holster was a two-tier holster-cap; the cap closed the entry of the holster, it had a button and a buttonhole which allowed to turn up the flap to clear the pistol grip On right-hand, side a buckled leather straps allowed to insure the different tools with their cow skin cases. Spade, axe and pickax were carried in their cases the shaft down, while the smaller billbook had its shaft up. The rifle and tools were fixed along the saddle by two iron cramps placed in front of the pommel and two straps sewn on the oblique string of the brest. The bridle was without nose-bande, the head-stall may be reinforced with a small chain protecting the horse head against swordthrusts. The harness had its strings, its nose-band and its front-stall of black leather while the head-stall making under-throat and the leading-rein were of Hungary leather (red brown). Back the saddle it could be fixed with straps a small stuffed cushion, protecting horse loins against the rubbing of the crupper buckle when the valise and the great coat were carried. In front , the breastlunge with oblique string of the brest buckling to the D of the saddle, the breastlunge committed in one of the straps by its loops. The linen housing drill lined and bordered with the livery braid, it was fixed to the saddle by a strap and two buckles. The housing and holster-caps were composed of 1/ 2 and 1/ 12 aune length and 1 aune wide of linen from Lodève or Berry linen lined and bordered with a wool braid of 18 lignes in width. The panels of the saddle had a light padding, the saddle placed on a cover folded in four. The stirrups made of blackened iron with Hungary leather strap, as well as the saddle girths. Back the saddle on both side, two small leather straps with buttons that served to maintain up the stirrups when horse was not mounted. Housings of marechal-des-logis were in distinctive colours bordered with a silver braid of 1 pouce in width. UNIFORM OF OFFICIER: "Uniform officer have to be in all similar to these of dragons to the exception that it will be in sheet of ++Elbeuf or other manufacture of quality equal. It will not be employed lining to outfits of no other material that wool, neither no braid on the just to the body nor on the jackets; but only of the buttonholes of money thread and the buds of money on woods." In countryside officiate them dragons have to have boots. "They will have all uniform swords whose ward will be browned copper, the blade to back of 31 thumbs of length conform to the model and equal to that of officers of cavalry. Will be all @@lesdits armed officers a gun with its bayonet and will have a furnished knapsack of 6 cartridges following models that will be sent them." In 1750 officers of dragons are as in the endowed infantry with an a gun of a particular model, shorter measuring only 1.447 m whose 1.069 m for the canon and especially more light, approximately 2.5 kg. It is close idea to the model of infantry officer. L crew of officers is the even that that the troop "cases of officers will be affected colors to each regiment and broadsides only of a braid of money, sçavoir: two thumbs of width for that of captains and a thumb and half for that of lieutenants". UNIFORM OF DRUMMER AND OBOE According to the prescription of 1750 "royal regiment drummers continued to wear the King's livery of the and these of the major state and the @@gentilshommes the colonel's livery of. " The housing ???colors of the livery of the colonel. Remind that n having neither tool nor gun, they are armed of two pistols. The ++Chesnaye (p 648) precise that drums of dragons have a case smaller than these of the infantry, and that they have a manner different all to beat some. I n have found document on l ornamentation of dragon drums, were-they as these l infantry?. Héricourt @@qu there no longer can be d an oboe in regiments of dragons. Their presence in the course of countryside of the seven war years is confirmed us by the correspondence of Pupil brothers whose l a d between-them serves to the Royal regiment dragons. Dragons n have kettledrums nevertheless the P. ++Daniel writes this (p538): j in @@connois a that to this privilege. It is indebted to M of the ++Bretèche are colonel that in an opportunity having surprised an enemy quarter, removed there two kettledrum pairs. The King found good @@qu it in @@fit to walk a pair to the head of the regiment. Mr. of ++Chevilli, ++Caylus and ++Lautrec that have succeeded to Mr. of the ++Bretèche have always preserved this mark d honor in the regiment. D'après l'ordonnance de 1750 " Les tambours des régiments royaux continueront d'êtres à la livrée du Roi et ceux de l'état major et des gentilshommes à la livrée des colonels. " Ils ont également un équipage de cheval aux couleurs de la livrée du colonel. Rappelons que n'ayant ni outil ni fusil, ils sont armés de deux pistolets. La Chesnaye dans son dictionnaire précise que les tambours des dragons ont une caisse plus petite que ceux de l'infanterie, et qu'ils ont une manière toute différente d'en battre. Je n'ais pas retrouvé de document sur l'ornementation des tambours de dragons, étaient-ils comme ceux de l'infanterie ?. Héricourt précise qu'il ne peut y avoir plus d'un hautbois dans les régiments de dragons. Leur présence au cours des campagnes de la guerre de sept ans nous est confirmé par la correspondance des frères Prunelles dont l'un d'entre-eux sert au régiment Royal dragons. Les dragons n'ont pas de timbales toutefois le P. Daniel dans son traité des Milices Françaises écrit ceci (p538): " j'en connois un qui à ce privilège. Il est redevable à M de la Bretèche sont colonel qui dans une occasion ayant surpris un quartier ennemi, y enleva deux paires de timbales. Le Roi trouva bon qu'il en fit marcher une paire à la tête du régiment. M. de Chevilli, de Caylus et de Lautrec qui ont succédés à M. de la Bretèche ont toujours conserver cette marque d'honneur dans le régiment." GUIDONS: Dragoons carried one guidon by squadron. The guidon were made " gros de Tour" linen embroidered on both faces. According to copies preserved in different collections their dimensions during this period varied: 80 to 100 cm along the staff, 95 to 125 cm until points, and 55 to 75 cm of staff to the split..        Royal dragoons guidon.