Uniforms of the Swedish Guard Infantry 1813-1814
By Robert
Burnham
General: In 1813, Swedish Guard Infantry consisted of two
regiments, each with two battalions of six companies each of
100 men, and one attached jager company. The two regiments
were the 1st Svea Lif Garde and the 2nd Andra Lif Garde.
1st Svea Lif Garde
Coats: Dark blue coat, with lemon yellow collar, cuffs,
lapels, and turnbacks. The coat was closed to the waist and
thus no waistcoat was shown. The lapels were piped in white
with three pairs of white lace, each with three buttons. In
the upper corners of the lapel were a single button and a
line of diagonal white lace. The cuffs were squared with two
buttons with vertical white lace on the cuff and two buttons
with lace parallel above the cuff. The collars had two
strips of horizontal white lace on each. The lace and button
patterns were identical to the 1807 uniform.
Breeches: Black for campaign and white in garrison. White
linen overalls may have been worn in the 1813 campaign.
Overcoats: Dark blue, single-breasted with brass buttons
and yellow collar. After 1813, the coat may have had a
scarlet collar and lining.
Headgear: There is some confusion whether the regiment
wore the traditional Kusket or a shako while on campaign.
The Kusket was a black leather, round topped hat with
elongated crown and rolled brim with the left side turned
up. It was crowned with a black bearskin raupe from the back
to the front. The base had a brass rim with a semi-circle
plate with the national arms on it. If it wore a shako, it
may have been of the French style or a Russian Kiwer.
Jaeger Company: The coat was identical as for the
Guardsmen of the regiment, except its color was dark green.
The jager company may also have worn a French style shako,
instead of the Kusket, with brass chin straps, a green
plume, and possibly an oval brass shako plate with the royal
cypher or coat of arms.
2nd Andra Lif Garde
Guardsmen: Uniform was identical in cut as for the 1st
Regiment except the color was lighter blue with scarlet
facings and brass buttons. It appears that this regiment
also wore the Kusket, but with a black plume, and a yellow
and dark blue cockade.
Jager Company: The uniform was identical to the 1st
Regiment's jagers, except with red facings and orange
piping. They also appeared to have worn the Kusket.
Sources
Haythornthwaite, Philip J.: The Napoleonic Source
Book; Facts-on-File, New York; 1990.
Pivka, Otto Von: Armies of the Napoleonic Era;
David & Charles, London; 1979.
Rawkins, W.J.: Swedish Infantry & Artillery of the
Napoleonic Wars; HMR Group, Norwich; 1978.
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