Greatcoats of the Minor German States: 1809 - 1812

By Robert Burnham

In general, overcoats were of a gray - shaded wool and either double or single breasted, with two rows of buttons for the double breasted coats and one row for the single breasted coats. Most coats had large cuffs that were turned backed on the sleeve, while some had high collars. Few had any facing colors on the collars, while many of the elite companies wore their epaulettes on the coat.

Nationality & Unit	Color of Coat	Type of Coat	Collar	Buttons	Elite Epaulettes
Baden Line Infantry	Mid Gray	Single Breasted	High	Cloth Covered	No
Baden Light Infantry	Mid Gray	Single Breasted	High	Cloth Covered	No
Baden Garde Grenadiers	Dark Blue	Single Breasted	High	White	No
Bavarian Line Infantry	Note [1]	Single Breasted	Note [2]	Brass	No
Bavarian Light Infantry	Note [1]	Single Breasted	High	Brass	No
Hesse-Darmstadt Line Infantry	Dark Gray	Double Breasted	High	White	Yes
Kleve-Berg Line Infantry	Mid Gray	Single Breasted	High	Brass	Yes
Mecklenberg-Strelitz Infantry	Mid Gray	Single Breasted	High	White	Yes
Mecklenberg-Schwerin Infantry	Mid Gray	Single Breasted	High	White	Yes
Nassau Infantry	Pepper Gray	Single Breasted	High	Brass	Yes
Saxon Line Infantry	Pepper Gray	Single Breasted	Note [3]	Brass	No
Saxon Leib Grenadiers	Pepper Gray	Single Breasted	Note [3]	Brass	No
Saxon Light Infantry	Mid Gray	Single Breasted	Note [4]	Brass	No
Saxon Jagers	Pepper Gray	Single Breasted	Note [4]	Brass	No
Westphalian Line Infantry	Pepper Gray	Single Breasted	High	Brass	Yes
Westphalian Light Infantry	Pepper Gray	Single Breasted	High	Brass	Yes
Westphalian Grenadier Garde	Dark Gray	Double Breasted	High	Brass	Yes
Westphalian Jager Garde	Dark Green	Double Breasted	High	White	Yes
Westphalian Jager Karabinier	Dark Green	Double Breasted	Note [5]	White	Yes
Westphalian Fusilier Garde	Dark Blue	Double Breasted	High	White	Yes
Wurttemberg Line Infantry	Mid Gray	Single Breasted	High	White	No
Wurttemberg Light Infantry	Mid Gray	Single Breasted	High	Brass	No
Wurttemberg Jager zu Fuss	Dark Green	Single Breasted	Note [6]	Note [6]	No
Wurttemberg Leib Garde	Dark Blue	Single Breasted	High	White	Yes
Wurzburg Infantry	Grey	Single Breasted	High	Brass	No

Notes

1. Bavarian infantry wore a light gray coat until 1811, when the coats were changed to pepper-gray.
2. Bavarian infantry greatcoats had a collar of the coat color except for the 1st Regiment, which had scarlet collars.
3. Saxon line infantry greatcoats had a pepper-gray high collar. Line infantry grenadiers and Leib Grenadiers had scarlet patches on their collars. See illustration for example of this patch.
4. Saxon light infantry and jagers wore black collar patches piped scarlet.
5. Westphalian Jager Karabinier greatcoats had two scarlet lace battons on the collar; epaulettes were green with scarlet piping.
6. Wurttemberg jager overcoats had black collars; the 1st Battalion had brass buttons; the 2nd Battalion had white buttons.

Saxon Jager collar patch

Bibliography

Giles, Howard. The Saxon Army: 1810 - 1813

Haythornthwaite, Philip. Uniforms of the Retreat from Moscow: 1812

Nafziger, George. Poles and Saxons of the Napoleonic Wars

Rawkins, W. The Armies of Baden and Wurttemberg: 1806 - 14

Rawkins, W. The Armies of Naples and Kleve - Berg: 1806 - 1814

Rawkins, W. The Armies of Westphalia & Wurzburg: 1806 - 14

Rawkins, W. The Army of Saxony: 1805 - 14

Rawkins, W. The Bavarian Army: 1805 - 14

Rawkins, W. The Confederation of the Rhine: Hesse - Darmstadt, Mecklenburg & Nassau

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