The Armagnac Regiment (

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: ''Régiment d'Armagnac'') was a line infantry regiment of the

French Royal Army The French Royal Army () was the principal land force of the Kingdom of France. It served the Bourbon dynasty from the reign of Louis XIV in the mid-17th century to that of Charles X in the 19th, with an interlude from 1792 to 1814 and another du ...

raised in 1776, which served during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

and

War of the First Coalition The War of the First Coalition () was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797, initially against the Constitutional Cabinet of Louis XVI, constitutional Kingdom of France and then the French First Republic, Frenc ...

until it was disbanded in 1794. Just two years after formation, the regiment would serve during the Anglo-French War seeing action in both North America and the Caribbean. Following their return, a brief period of peace followed until the revolution and subsequent war, which saw the regiment's lineage discontinued.

Formation

When

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

reviewed the

after the end of the disastrous

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

, he insisted all regiments be equipped and organised the same way. This not only would help save money, but would help the army become a better force overall by completely reorganising the regimental system and standard doctrine. These reforms were pioneered by the late Maurice, Duc de Saxe (Duke of Saxony), who had served in the

with great distinction.Ordonnance du roi du 25 mars 1776 concernant l'infanterie Française As a result, all infantry regiments of more than two battalions, with some notable exceptions, were divided. The 1st and 3rd battalions disbanded and reformed the old regiment while the 2nd and 4th battalions formed a new provincial regiment and granted a number of precedence just after the former.Susane, Volume I, pp. 306–307, 338, 365, 398, 400, 403. Under the 1776 ordnance, the regimental structure and strengths were also altered. Each battalion would comprise (from right to left of the line): Company of

Grenadiers A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...

''(Compagnie des Grenadiers)'', 4 x

Fusilier ''Fusilier'' is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While ''fusilier'' is derived from the 17th-century French word – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has been used in cont ...

Companies ''(Compagnie des Fusiliers)'', Company of

Chasseur ''Chasseur'' ( , ), a French term for "hunter", is the designation given to certain regiments of French and Belgian light infantry () or light cavalry () to denote troops trained for rapid action. History This branch of the French Army o ...

s ''(Compagnie de Chasseurs)'' and a Company of Auxiliaries ''(Compagnie des Auxiliaires)''. Each company of Grenadiers would consist of: 1 x

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, 1 x Second Captain, 1 x

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

, 1 x Second Lieutenant, 6 x Sub-Lieutenants ''(Port Drapeau)'', 1 x Sergeant Majors, 1 x Caporal-Fourrier, 4 x Sergeants, 8 x Corporals, 1 x Cadet Genleman, 1 x Frater (padre), 84 x Grenadiers, 2 x Drummers or other instruments, totalling 180 men, including the officers. The Fusilier Companies and Chasseur Company would be comprise a Second Colonel, 1 x Lieutenant Colonel, 1 x Captain Commander, 1 x Second Captain, 1 x First Lieutenant, 1 x Second Lieutenant, 2 x Second Lieutenants, 1 x Sergeant-Major, 1 x Caporal Fourrier, 5 x Sergeants, 10 x Corporals, 1 x Cadet Gentleman, 1 x Frater (padre), 144 x Fusiliers, 2 x Drummers or other instruments (2 x Buglers for the Chasseurs), totalling 171 men, including the officers. One of the regiments selected to split was the Régiment de Navarre. The 2nd and 4th battalions of that regiment then separated to form the new Régiment d'Armagnac, named after the historic province, today part of the departments of

Gers Gers (; or , ) is a departments of France, department in the regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southwestern France. Gers is bordered by the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques to ...

, Landes, and

Lot-et-Garonne Lot-et-Garonne (, ) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the rivers Lot and Garonne, it had a population of 331,271 in 2019.Susane, Volume III, pp. 84–91. On formation, the regiment adopted the following uniforms published on 21 May 1776: White jacket, white small coat, black

tricorne The tricorne or tricorn is a style of hat in a triangular shape, which became popular in Europe during the 18th century, falling out of style by the early 1800s. The word "tricorne" was not widely used until the mid-19th century. During the 18th ...

with white trim and a bourbon white

bow tie The bow tie or dicky bow is a type of neckwear, distinguishable from a necktie because it does not drape down the shirt placket, but is tied just underneath a winged collar. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also ...

, sky blue

facings A facing colour, also known as facings, is a common tailoring technique for European military uniforms where the visible inside lining of a standard military jacket, coat or tunic is of a different colour to that of the garment itself.René Char ...

, sky blue

lapel A lapel ( ) is a folded flap of cloth on the front of a jacket or coat below the collar. It is most commonly found on formal clothing and suit jackets. Usually it is formed by folding over the front edge of the jacket or coat and sewing it to t ...

s, aurora collars, sky blue

cuff A cuff is a layer of fabric at the lower edge of the sleeve of a garment (shirt, coat, jacket, etc.) at the wrist, or at the ankle end of a trouser leg. The function of turned-back cuffs is to protect the cloth of the garment from fraying, and, ...

s, and white buttons.Lienhart & Humbert, pp. 37, 41, 43.Smith, Uniforms of the American War of Independence, pp. 174–181, 232.

Anglo-French War

Following the formation of the regiment, the 2nd (former 4th Battalion, Navarre) was based in

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

, while the 1st Battalion had gone to

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...

in June 1776, it then passed from there to

Dinan Dinan (; ) is a walled Brittany, Breton town and a commune in France, commune in the Côtes-d'Armor Departments of France, department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan. Geography Inst ...

and

Saint-Servan Saint-Servan (; often abbreviated as St. Servan; ) is a town of western France, in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, situated 2 miles from the ferry port of Saint-Malo. It is renowned for its shops and restaurants. History In June 1758, ...

in October, in September 1777 to Brest, and there on 9 October embarked for the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

. On 18 December 1778, the two battalions joined together for the first time and took part in the disastrous

Capture of St. Lucia The Capture of St Lucia was the result of a campaign from 18–28 December 1778 by British land and naval forces to take over the island, which was a French colony. Britain's actions followed the capture of the British-controlled island of Domini ...

, where Captain de Villers was killed, while Lieutenant Colonel Feydeau de Saint-Christophe, Lieutenant de Servilange, and Second Lieutenant des Ecures were wounded.

Siege of Savannah

Towards the end of 1779, Continental forces were eager to re-take

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, which had become a launching point for British raids in the area. In communication with the Continental Commander, Southern Department/Army

Benjamin Lincoln Benjamin Lincoln (January 24, 1733 ( O.S. January 13, 1733) – May 9, 1810) was an American army officer. He served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Lincoln was involved in three major surrender ...

, a large raid was to be conducted against the city. As Jean-Baptiste Charles, Comte d'Estaing arrived with his squadron near the Georgia coast, a small French ground force joined them. This force consisted of personnel from several infantry and colonial regiments, along with a detachment of artillery. As the squadron neared the city, it was required to stay away due to the naval batteries and possible heavy artillery, while the rest of the troops were ordered to some 5 miles away and marched to join their American allies. On 15 September the first trenches were dug, and on 24 September the Allies vigorously repulsed an attempted breakout by the British. On 9 October they were again attacked, but after a fierce battle, Lieutenants Molard and Nairne de Stanlay were killed, the French were repulsed and the siege called off entirely. The regiment then re-embark for the

, leaving Captains Voulan, Grillières, and Bonnier seriously wounded.

South Indies

After their terrible expedition to Georgia, in 1780, part of the regiment boarded ships of the squadron of ''Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales'' Luc du Bouëxic, Comte de Guichen, which had orders to immediately set sail for the

. On 17 April to the

leeward In geography and seamanship, windward () and leeward () are directions relative to the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e., towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point o ...

of Martinique, the fleet met a force under

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

George Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney Admiral George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB ( bap. 13 February 1718 – 24 May 1792), was a Royal Navy officer, politician and colonial administrator. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularl ...

, which led to the Battle of Martinique, and ended in a French victory. The squadron then saw two inconclusive actions on 15 May and 19 May 1780, with the battalion acting as

marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...

. In mid 1780, the squadron was ordered back to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, but the battalion disembarked in

Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...

and remained there on garrison duties. In 1781, 150 grenadiers and chasseurs embarked on 8 May with the squadron of the

Comte de Grasse ''Comte'' is the French, Catalan and Occitan form of the word "count" (Latin: ''comes''); ''comté'' is the Gallo-Romance form of the word "county" (Latin: ''comitatus''). Comte or Comté may refer to: * ''Comte'', French for a count (i.e. the nob ...

, and took part in the successful

Invasion of Tobago The Invasion of Tobago was a French invasion of the British-held island of Tobago during the Anglo-French War. On 24 May 1781, the fleet of Comte de Grasse landed troops on the island under the command of General Marquis de Bouillé. By 2 Jun ...

. Captains Tarragon and Ristainy stood out during the invasion especially.

Battle of the Saintes

In 1782, a detachment embarked in the beginning of the year with Armand, Comte de Kersaint's squadron as part of his effort to recapture the Dutch colonies of

Demerara Demerara (; , ) is a historical region in the Guianas, on the north coast of South America, now part of the country of Guyana. It was a colony of the Dutch West India Company between 1745 and 1792 and a colony of the Dutch state from 1792 unti ...

(1 February) and Essequibo (5 December). A second detachment, detached to the Comte de Grasse's Fleet fought during the infamous

Battle of the Saintes The Battle of the Saintes (known to the French as the Bataille de la Dominique), also known as the Battle of Dominica, was an important naval battle in the Caribbean between the British and the French that took place 9–12 April 1782. The Brit ...

off

Dominica Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. It is part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of t ...

. Lieutenant La Brosse and Colour-Bearer Dumarchais were wounded on the ''

Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (, , ; ) is a former province of France. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately . History ...

,'' Second-Lieutenant Tenneguy on ''

La Couronne Fourteen ships of the French Navy or the Galley Corps (which was separate from the Navy) of the Ancien Régime or Empire have borne the name ''Couronne'' ("crown"): * , the first major warship to be built in France – actually launched in 1632/33 ...

'', and Captain d'Aymard de Villé was very seriously wounded on the '' Diadème''.

Sainte-Christophe

During the campaign in the south, the main part of the regiment contributed to the French Invasion of Saint Christophe, where among those cited for gallantry, included Colonel de Livarot, Lieutenant Colonel Feydcau, Captains Tarragon and de Grillières, Lieutenants Dumont, des Ecures, Charpy, and Descressonnières.

Hudson Bay Expedition

During the summer of 1782, the renowned French Admiral

Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse Commodore (rank), Commodore Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse (; 23 August 1741 – ) was a French Navy officer and explorer. Having enlisted in the Navy at the age of 15, he had a successful career and in 1785 was appointed to lea ...

was preparing a secret, and daring expedition into the heart of

British Canada British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...

. This small expedition consisted of a

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactics in the Age of Sail, naval tactic known as the line of battl ...

(74 gun ''

Sceptre A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a Staff of office, staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of regalia, royal or imperial insignia, signifying Sovereignty, sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and M ...

''), 2 frigates (36 gun ships ''

l'Astrée ''L'Astrée'' is a pastoral novel by Honoré d'Urfé, published between 1607 and 1627. Possibly the single most influential work of 17th-century French literature, ''L'Astrée'' has been called the "novel of novels", partly for its immense le ...

'' and the ''

Engageante Engageantes are false sleeves worn with women's clothing. They were worn during the 18th and 19th centuries, with a brief revival in the 20th century. In the 18th century, engageantes took the form of ruffles or flounces of linen, cotton, or la ...

''), along with 250 grenadiers and chasseurs of the Régiment d'Armagnac and Auxerrois regiments, with 40 gunners of the

Régiment de Metz A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

. Fortunately, the expedition arrived in the Hudson bay on 17 July, but scarcely had it entered the bay when it was entombed with ice. The expedition eventually arrived inland on 8 August in-front of the

Prince of Wales Fort The Prince of Wales Fort is a historic bastion fort on Hudson Bay across the Churchill River from Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. It is the oldest building in the country west of Ontario, and the northernmost fort in North America. It is a Nat ...

. In 1782, the fort was manned by only 39 (non-military) men at the time, and the fort's Governor,

Samuel Hearne Samuel Hearne (February 1745 – November 1792) was an English explorer, fur-trader, author and naturalist. He was the first European to make an overland excursion across northern Canada to the Arctic Ocean, specifically to Coronation Gulf, vi ...

. Noticing the bleak reality of the situation, he surrendered without a single shot being fired. The French partially destroyed the fort, but its mostly-intact ruins survive to this day. After capturing the Prince of Wales Fort, the expedition re-embarked bound for

York Factory York Factory was a settlement and Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) factory (trading post) on the southwestern shore of Hudson Bay in northeastern Manitoba, Canada, at the mouth of the Hayes River, approximately south-southeast of Churchill. York ...

, the capital of

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

. On 21 August they disembarked yet again, and after suffering incredibly from fatigue it approached the fort and walked through the gates, which were left open and caused from 2 million pounds of damage (equivalent to almost $479 Million USD in 2021). On 1 September the expedition re-embarked and remained in the area under the Peace of Paris in 1783, when the forts were handed back to the British.

Revolution

Navarre_Grenadier_and_Armagnac_Fusilier_in_1789

After making a name for itself during the wars in the Colonies, the Armagnac regiment returned to France with an overwhelming sense of pride. On 21 July 1783, they landed in

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...

, and thereafter marched to

Thionville Thionville (; ; ) is a city in the northeastern French Departments of France, department of Moselle (department), Moselle. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle (river), Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz. History Thionvi ...

to re-train, re-equip and recruit back to full establishment. When the 21 February 1779 ordnance was issued, the regiment had been deployed oversees, and therefore wasn't able to gain its new uniforms until the return to France in 1783. This new ordnance grouped most of the line regiments into 10 'classes' of six regiments each. The exceptions were the Royal regiments, Regiments of the Princes, and the

Régiment de Picardie A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service, or specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted in one ...

. Each class was divided further into two 'divisions', each of three regiments. In the case of the Armagnac regiment, it was part of the 1st series and 2nd division, and uniformed as follows; white jacket, sky blue facings, sky blue lapels, white cuffs, and white buttons.Smith, Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars, pp. 42–46. In October 1785 the regiment moved to

Saarlouis Saarlouis (; , ; formerly Sarre-Libre and Saarlautern) is a town in Saarland, Germany, capital of the district of Saarlouis (district), Saarlouis. In 2020, the town had a population of 34,409. Saarlouis is located on the river Saar (river), Saar. ...

, which it left after a few days to move to

Saint-Lô Saint-Lô (, ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy.Valognes Valognes () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. Geography Valognes is situated in the Cotentin Peninsula, southeast of Cherbourg. Valognes station has rail connections to Caen, Paris and Cherbourg. His ...

, where it would remain for two years. On 1 January 1788 they arrived in Lille and formed part of the Saint-Omer camp in September. In June 1789, as the

Storming of the Bastille The Storming of the Bastille ( ), which occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, was an act of political violence by revolutionary insurgents who attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison k ...

and beginning of the French Revolution occurred, the regiment moved as far of

Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...

to help restore order in Paris before it was stopped, and didn't move again until May 1790, when it was sent to Condé. In October, it moved to

Givet Givet () (; ) is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France surrounded on three sides by the Belgian border. It lies on the river Meuse where Emperor Charles V built the fortress of Charlemont. It borders the French municipali ...

and spent the winter there before moving in 1791 to

Longwy Longwy (; older , ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, administrative region of Grand Est, northeastern France. The inhabitants are known as ''Longoviciens''. In ...

to assist in the new fortifications being built there. It was here, on 1 April 1791 the regiment was renamed as the 6éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (Armagnac), although unofficially the Armagnac title remained until its disbandment in 1794. Following the French Revolution, the provisional regulations of 1 April 1791 grouped all regiments minus the foreign legions into the same uniform category, and the uniform became: white jacket, black facings, black lapels, black cuffs, black trimmed epaulettes, and a black

bicorne The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, whic ...

with the bourbon cockade and white plume.

War of the First Coalition

On 1 May 1792, the regiment arrived back in

, but only stayed for a short time, for as the

broke out, the regiment moved to

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

and detached its grenadiers from the 1st Battalion to join the new Army of the Ardennes ''Armée des Ardennes''.

1st Battalion

The grenadiers of the 1st Battalion, now in the ''Armée des Ardennes'', took part in on 23 May during the

Battle of Hamptinne A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

Battle of Florenne A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

, and Battle of Saint-Aubin. After the retreat of the Prussians, the whole of the 1st Battalion passed to the Army of the North ''Armée du Nord'' and contributed to the decisive Siege of Lille. It then served during the Flanders campaign and the Battle of Neerwinden. In April 1793, the regiment entered the garrison at

Condé-sur-l'Escaut Condé-sur-l'Escaut (, literally ''Condé on the Escaut''; ) is a commune of the Nord department in northern France. It lies on the border with Belgium. The population as of 1999 was 10,527. Residents of the area are known as Condéens or Con ...

, where it was captured following the

Siege of Condé A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characte ...

on 13 July. The regiment was eventually exchanged in 1795, where it then joined the Home Army ''Armée du Home'' where the discussion of a new constitution began in Paris leading to insurrection. Under the new constitution, all royalist lineages and attachments were lost, though the 1st Battalion was able to escape being amalgamated as the regiment's supposed successor, 11éme Demi-Brigade, only existed on paper. The next year, in 1796, the 1st Battalion was finally amalgamated as part of the second round of amalgamations with the 183rd Demi-Brigade, 4th

Lot-et-Garonne Lot-et-Garonne (, ) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the rivers Lot and Garonne, it had a population of 331,271 in 2019.Manche Manche (, ; Norman language, Norman: ) is a coastal Departments of France, French ''département'' in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy on the English Channel, which is known as , literally "the sleeve", in French. Manche is bordered by ...

Volunteers and 4th Battalion of

Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...

Volunteers to form the 28éme Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie. This demi-brigade would eventually reform the old 28th Infantry Regiment in 1803, previously the

Régiment de Maine A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service, or specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted in one ...

2nd Battalion

When the 1st Battalion joined the ''Armée du Nord'', the 2nd Battalion was left in

in 1792, but joined in the Defence of Thionville, where Lieutenant Colonel Berthaut was seriously wounded by a bomb on 6 September. During the short siege, a small force of 3,000-4,000 French troops held off some 20,000 Austrian and Emigre forces. Because the Allied forces thought the small fortress would give up easily, no

siege artillery Siege artillery (also siege guns or siege cannons) are heavy guns designed to bombard fortifications, cities, and other fixed targets. They are distinct from field artillery and are a class of siege weapon capable of firing heavy cannonballs or ...

had been brought forward. Just two days after the blockade began, the Allied forces left.

Palatinate Campaign

The 2nd Battalion also contributed to General Adam Philippe, Comte de Custine's Army of the Rhine ''Armée du Rhin'' and its conquest of the Palatinate and was garrisoned in

Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...

after this successful campaign. After the Defence of the City later that year, the battalion remained in the city until the capitulation of the garrison the next year. The Prussians carelessly paroled the garrison on the promise not to fight against the Coalition armies for one year. It was noted that the terms did not prevent the troops from being used to fight the Vendeans, so the parolees were hurried west. These 14,000 well-disciplined soldiers became the unofficially named

Army of Mayence The Army of Mainz or Army of Mayence (''Armée de Mayence'') was a French Revolutionary Army set up on 9 December 1797 by splitting the Army of Germany into the Army of Mayence and the Army of the Rhine. Part of it split off on 4 February 1799 to ...

under Jean-Baptiste du Bayet. They were soon fighting with the

Army of the Coasts of Brest The Army of the Coasts of Brest () was a French Revolutionary Army formed on 30 April 1793 by splitting the '' Army of the Coasts'' into this army and the '' Army of the Coasts of Cherbourg''. The formation was first put under the command of Jea ...

under Jean Baptiste Canclaux near

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

.Phipps, pp. 20–22. The battalion remained in the area until the end of the year when it was transferred to the

Vendée Vendée () is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.Vendée Insurrection began to explode. Incendie_Granville_1793

War in the Vendée

The battalion arrived in Nancy on 4 August after being transferred from the Rhine, and joined the Army of the West ''(Armée du l'Oest)'' under

François Séverin Marceau François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers (; 1 March 1769 – 21 September 1796) was a French general of the Revolutionary Wars. Early life Desgraviers was born on 1 March 1769 in Chartres, in the province of Orléanais, the son of a prosecutor. ...

. On 23 August the battalion arrived in

Saumur Saumur () is a Communes of France, commune in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgu ...

and immediately sent in pursuit of the Vendeans who had just crossed over the right bank of the Loire. The battalion then found itself involved in the Battle of Granville,

Battle of Pontorson A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

, Battle of Entrames, and

Battle of Dol A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

, where it distinguished itself during these actions over its volunteer counterparts. On 12 December the regiment was involved in the

Battle of Le Mans The Battle of Le Mans was a German victory during the Franco-Prussian War that ended French resistance in western France. Background After capturing the armies of the Second French Empire, French Empire at Battle of Sedan, Sedan and Siege of M ...

where the German Legion (''Légion Germanique)'', was unable to hold the town, but after the arrival of the Armagnac and

Aunis Aunis () is a historical Provinces of France, province of France, situated in the north-west of the department of Charente-Maritime. Its historic capital is La Rochelle, which took over from Châtelaillon-Plage, Castrum Allionis (Châtelaillon) t ...

regiments, the battle became a Republic victory. Eventually, on 2 January 1794 the battalion took part in the decisive

Battle of Machecoul A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

where the Army of Charette ''Armée de Charette'' was almost completely destroyed and the Vendéens put into a complete route by the Republicans. The battalion would continue the pursuit and hunt for the remnants of the Charette army until on 22 April 1792, when it amalgamated with the 9th and 12th

Manche Manche (, ; Norman language, Norman: ) is a coastal Departments of France, French ''département'' in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy on the English Channel, which is known as , literally "the sleeve", in French. Manche is bordered by ...

Volunteer Battalions to form the 12éme Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie. Eventually in 1796, the 12th Demi-Brigade amalgamated, as part of the second round of amalgamations, with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 32nd Infantry (Bassigny), depots of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 37th Infantry (Maréccal de Turenne), 1st Battalion of the 82nd Infantry (Saintonge), and 1st Battalion of the Seine Inferieure Volunteers to form the 81st Demi-Brigade de Deuxième Formation. This demi-brigade would eventually, in 1803, reform the old 81st Infantry Regiment, formerly the Régiment de Conti.

Garrison battalion

On formation of the Armagnac regiment, there was a ''Bataillon de

Marmande Marmande (; in Occitan language, Occitan, ''Marmanda'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Lot-et-Garonne ''Departments of France, département'' in south-western France. Geography Marmande is located 35 km north-west of Agen, on the ...

'', which formed the garrison of Armagnac Province. This garrison battalion was composed of

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

, and organised into five fusilier companies, and a grenadier company, which was separated in 1778 to join the Régiment des Grenadiers Royaux de la Guyenne.Susane, Volume VII, pp. 280, 292, 302–306.

Further lineage

As part of the second round of amalgamations in 1796, the 6éme Demi-Brigade de Deuxième Formation was formed through the amalgamation of the following (in English titles); 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 6th Demi-Brigade, 196th Demi-Brigade, part of the 3rd Paris Battalion of Second Formation, 7th and 10th (Battalion of the Museum) Paris Battalions of Second Formation, 4th Battalion of Volunteers of the

Sarthe Sarthe () is a department of the French region of Pays de la Loire, and the province of Maine, situated in the '' Grand-Ouest'' of the country. It is named after the river Sarthe, which flows from east of Le Mans to just north of Angers. It ha ...

, and 3rd Battalion of Volunteers of the

Eure-et-Loir Eure-et-Loir (, locally: ) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575. In 1814, after the first Bourbon Restoration, the regiment was transformed into the 78éme Légion de Tarn, and in 1820 transformed into the 57th Infantry Regiment. On that same date, the 6th Infantry reformed from the old 12éme Légion de Bouches-du-Rhône, and the lineage continued.

Uniforms

Regimental uniforms throughout the regiment's history included: File:Armagnac 6RI 1776.png, Fusiliers' uniform following the 1776 regulations, issued just after formation of the regiment. File:Armagnac 6RI 1779.png, Regimental uniform following the 1779 regulations, which for the regiment weren't implemented until 1783 due to its dislocation in the Americas. The green plume and epaulette indicates this is a chassuer. File:6RI Armagnac1791.png, Regimental uniform following the Provisional Regulations of 1 April 1791, the

bearskin cap A bearskin is a tall fur cap derived from mitre#Military uniform, mitre caps worn by grenadier units in the 17th and 18th centuries. Initially worn by only grenadiers, bearskins were later used by several other military units in the 19th centur ...

, red plume, and red epaulettes indicate this is a Sergeant of the grenadier company.

Colours

Prior to 1791, regiments of all nationalities of the

carried some form of

regimental colours In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 year ...

standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object t ...

, and these varied according to regulation, the taste of a commanding officer, or event the availability of cloth. The French had no national colour during the period. The Bourbon colour was white, and eventually a white flag with gold

fleur-de-lis The ''fleur-de-lis'', also spelled ''fleur-de-lys'' (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a common heraldic charge in the (stylized) shape of a lily (in French, and mean and respectively). Most notably, the ''fleur-de-lis'' ...

would be adopted as the national colour. French regiments had a Colonel's colours ''(Drapeau de Colonel)'' of a white flag with a spear point finial and a white

cravat Cravat, cravate or cravats may refer to: * Cravat (early), forerunner neckband of the modern necktie * Cravat, British name for what in American English is called an ascot tie * Cravat bandage, a triangular bandage * Cravat (horse) (1935–1954) ...

hanging from the staff directly under the

finial A finial () or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a dome, spire, tower, roo ...

.Smith 2006, p. 176 As the Regiment d'Armagnac was from a historic province with strong ties to the monarchy it was able to maintain its own distinctive colonel's colours. Their colours were the normal bourbon white cross, but with golden Fleur-de-lis (golden lilies) throughout the cross. The other colours for the infantry regiments were ordnance flags ''(Drapeau d'Ordnnance)'' for each company. The designs for all of these flags were based on a large white cross centred on the colour, dividing the flag into four quarters, these then bearing a particular design for each regiment. File:Rég d Armagnac Col.png, Colonel's colours showing its distinctive golden lilies throughout the light grey outlined cross. These colours were maintained until 1792 when the colonel's colours of all regiments were banished, and made-way for battalion colours. File:Rég d Armagnac 1776.png, Regimental colours issued between formation in 1776 till 1791, when they were 'republicanised'. File:1er bataillon 6e rég inf 1791.png, 1st battalion's colours, adopted after the republicanisation of the army in 1791, the golden lilies of the monarchy still present. File:2e bataillon 6e rég inf 1791.png, 2nd battalion's colours, adopted after the republicanisation of the army in 1791, the golden lilies of the monarchy still present. File:1er bataillon 6e rég inf 1793.png, 1st battalion's colours, adopted after the declaration of the republic in 1793, the golden lilies of the monarchy removed and top replaced with a spear point. File:2e bataillon 6e rég inf 1793.png, 1st battalion's colours, adopted after the declaration of the republic in 1793, the golden lilies of the monarchy removed and top replaced with a spear point.

Commanding Officers

Commanding officers of the regiment included: * 1776–1779: François Xavier, Comte de Lowendhal * 1779–1788: Louis Nicole, Marquis de Livarot * 1788–1791: Jean-Baptiste Antoine Marie Hilarious Pacôme, Chevalier de Grimaldi * 1791–1791: Jean Baptiste Marie Joseph Florimond de Cappy * 1791–1792: Jacques Thomas Lhuillier de Rouvenac * 1792–1794: Pierre Clédat

Footnotes

References

* * * * * * * * * * * Theodore P. Savas & J. David Dameron, ''The New American Revolution Handbook'', 2010/2011 Savas Beatie LLC, New York City, New York, United States. . * Ramsay Weston Phipps, ''The Armies of the First French Republic: Volume III: The Armies in the West 1793 to 1797 and, the Armies in the South 1793 to March 1796'', Pickle Partners Publishing, United States of America. {{ISBN, 978-1-908692-26-9. Military units and formations established in 1776 Military units and formations disestablished in 1794 Line infantry regiments of the Ancien Régime