Leibgarde/Garde
du Corps
(Leib-Trabantengarde, Leib-Garde zu
Ross, Garde du Corps, Garde zu Pferd)
Leibgarde zu Ross, or Garde du Corps as it was also called,
went through several changes in its organisation during the course of
the war. It was created 1
August 1701 by merging four different units: Leib-Trabantengarde, "Grands Mousquetaires",
Carabiniers and
Horse Grenadiers. The first unit had already in the beginning of the
year received the name Garde du Corps. The new combined unit consisted
of four companies of 200 trabants/guardsmen each. But it was disbanded
already in November 1702 and used to create four new cuirassier
regiments. The Leibgarde was resurrected 30 July 1703 and consisted then
of four corps (trabants, carabiniers, horse grenadiers and dragoons)
with 150 men each. Yet another reorganisation in the autumn of 1707
transformed all four corps into trabants. |
Trabants

Horse Grenadiers
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According to Schorr the trabants had in 1693 a red coat that was richly
decorated with gold. In 1701 the coat was red with leather-coloured
(buff) cuffs and lining. From 1707 they had crimson coats with
leather-coloured cuffs and collar as well as camisoles/buff coats of
elk skin. The saddle cloths were blue with edge in aurora and white. Later
the cuffs and collar were paille (straw-coloured) and the leather
camisole was replaced with paille camisole of cloth. The saddle cloths
became crimson and the coat was decorated with black velvet combined
with silver and silver-plated buttons. The trumpeters
had yellow coats with bleumourant (light blue) cuffs and laced with bleumourant
mixed with silver. In 1715 the coat was still crimson but all silver had
been replaced with gold.
Höglund on the other hand writes that the trabants had paille yellow
coats with silver buttons and cuffs, lining, vest, breeches and
neckcloth in red. The bandolier was also red with silver lace. The hats
had white lace and a plume in blue and yellow. Could Höglund's uniform
be a buff coat which was worn instead of the cloth coat?
Schorr states that there is no information on the carabinier uniform but
guesses that it looked the same as the Trabant uniform. Höglund on the
other hand states that it is the dragoon uniform that is unknown while
his description of the carabinier uniform is similar to Schorr's
description of the dragoons. It would appear as if one of them has got
the units mixed up.
According to Schorr the dragoons had in 1703 a red coat with cuffs,
lining and collar
in bleumourant. The buttons were yellow (brass or gilded), the camisole
was red and the breeches were of leather. The headgear was a tricorne
hat with lace in white and silver, and decorated with a cockade. saddle cloths
and pistol covers were medium blue with edging in white and silver.
Höglund mentions that the carabiniers had hats with gold lace, crimson
coat with brass buttons, pale blue lining and cuffs, pale yellow vest
with pale blue lace and pale yellow breeches. The saddle cloths were pale
blue with both a broad and a narrow lace, and the royal cypher in gold.
The horse grenadiers had according to Schorr red coats with dark green
cuffs, lining and collar as well as red camisoles, leather breeches and
a white neckcloth.
The grenadier cap was stiff and red with dark green lace and had a brass
plate (which according to Höglund contained the coat of arms of Saxony
with the text: "GUARDE").
The saddle cloths were dark green with a white edge. According to Höglund
the white edge on the saddle cloths and pistol covers had a wavy line. He
also deviates from Schorr by noting that the breeches were red. |
Dragoons
(according to Daniel Schorr)

Carabiniers
(according to Lars-Eric Höglund)
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Cuirassiers
In
the beginning of the war a cuirassier regiment consisted of 12 companies
which together with a regimental staff of ten men had a combined
strength of 898 men. Each company had 64 privates and a company staff of 10 men.
At the end of 1702 and early 1703 the cuirassier regiments were reduced
to 8 companies. The size of the companies and the regimental staff
remained the same which resulted in a total strength of 602 men.
In battle the regiments were formed in squadrons which first consisted
of either two or three companies, but from 1703 only of two companies.
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Chevaliergarde
This unit which was created 30 July 1703 was inspired by the Swedish
Drabant Corps. It consisted of 180 men, all officers.
Schorr writes that the coat was red with gold buttons and that the
front and pockets were edged with gold lace. The cuffs were red over
blue and laced with gold. Blue lining, red camisole, leather breeches
and white neckcloth. A tricorne hat with gold lace and feathers and
cockade in white. The saddle cloth was red with an edge in gold-blue-gold
and the royal cypher in the corners. The pistol covers were like the
saddle cloth but also decorated with a white Maltese cross.
Höglund specifies that the blue colour was dark blue and that the
royal cypher consisted of the letters AR underneath a crown. He deviates
from Schorr
by noting that the vest/camisole was of leather and decorated with lace
in gold and violet.
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Leibregiment zu Pferde
Both Höglund and Schorr states that they had white facings. But the
former mentions pewter buttons while Schorr (referring to the year
1707 for his information) writes that they were to have brass buttons.
Schorr also mentions that this regiment traditionally had buff coats
with red cuffs. The saddle cloth was red with a white edge and inside
that edge there were a blue stripe. |
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Kurprinz
Schorr states that they had yellow facings, pewter buttons and black
neckcloths in
1707. Höglund also mentions that they had black lace on their hats. |
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Königin
(Queen's Regiment)
Straw yellow facings and pewter buttons. Schorr mentions that the
neckcloth was red in 1707 and Höglund mentions that the hats had red
lace.
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Banér's Regiment
Jordan's Regiment |
1699
1701 |
(Disbanded 1704) |
Uniform unknown. The colours and their standards do not give any
clues to what their uniforms might have looked like since they in 1704
were issued three older standards with different colours (yellow, red
and green)
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Steinau's Regiment
Damitz'
Regiment
Johnston's Regiment
Zühlen's Regiment
Criegern's Regiment |
1699
1706
1713
1715
1717 |
Bleumerount (pale blue) facings and pewter buttons. Schorr mentions
that the neckcloth was black in 1707 and Höglund mentions that the hats
had black lace.
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Reichenau's Regiment
Eichstädt's Regiment
Wolffersdorf's Regiment |
1700
1702
1716 |
Höglund writes that the facings were coffee brown, the buttons were of
pewter and the hats hade white lace. Schorr also mentions that they had
coffee brown facings in 1707 and that the neckcloth was white.
Höglund states that the standards were cinnamon brown and that they
received eight new grey standards in 1709. The latter could be a sign of
a change of the uniform colour.
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Beust's Regiment
von Reitzenstein's Regiment
Moritz von Sachsen's Reg. |
1702
1706
1712 |
(Disbanded 1707) |
Black facings. Höglund mentions that they had pewter buttons and white
lace on the hats. Schorr mentions that they had white neckcloths in 1707.
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Tiesenhausen's
Regiment
Gersdorff's Regiment
Winckel's Regiment
Althahn's Regiment
Kyau's Regiment
Arnstädt's Regiment |
1702
1704
1706
1713
1714
1715 |
Höglund states that they had cinnamon brown facings. Schorr notes
that they in
1707 grey facings but with cinnamon in parenthesis. Schorr also mentions
that they had pewter buttons. |
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Flemming's Regiment
Prinz Alexander's Regiment |
1703
1706 |
Green facings. Höglund says that they had pewter buttons and white lace
on the hats. Schorr says they had brass buttons and white neckcloths in 1707.
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Sachsen-Meiningen
(In Saxon service 1711- 1717)
Schorr has no information about this regiment but Höglund
have them with red coats and probably green lining and cuffs. |
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Wiedemann's Regiment
(1704)
This regiments was issued four old standards in 1704 but is not
mentioned by
Schorr. Its uniform is unknown and Höglund thinks it was a temporary
unit consisting of recruits. Three of the standards were blue and the
fourth was green.
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Dragoons
The organisation of the dragoon regiments is unknown but it seems to
have been the same as for the cuirassiers. That is twelve companies in
the beginning of the war and from 1703 eight companies. Furthermore it
is uncertain whether the horse grenadiers of each regiment were
concentrated in a single company and if this in that case was counted as
one of the regular 8/12 companies or was an additional company.
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Leibregiment Dragoner
White facings. Schorr mentions that they had brass buttons and depicts
them with red saddle cloths and pistol covers edged with white.
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Kurprinz
(Disbanded 1702)
Lemon yellow facings. The regiment was disbanded in 1702 and its men were
transferred to Garde
du Corps. |
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Wolffenbüttel's Regiment
Milchau's Regiment |
1700
1701 |
Höglund notes that the facings were black and that they had pewter
buttons and hats with white lace. Schorr also mentions that they had
pewter buttons and that the facing colour was black in 1700. But
according to him the facing colour was changed to yellow in 1701.
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Stammer's Regiment
(Disbanded 1701)
Uniform unknown. When the regiment was disbanded the privates were
transferred to Garde du Corps.
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Goltz' Regiment
Flemming's Regiment
Bielke's Regiment |
1699
1712
1715 |
According to Höglund the regiment had parrot green facings, white
neckcloths and white hat lace. According to Schorr they had in 1707
black facings, brass buttons and white neckcloths.
It is curious that Höglund and Schorr have such conflicting
information about this regiment. But if the regimental colour was
changed at some point then both could be correct. The question is then
which point in time Höglund's
undated information refer to. Was it before or after 1707? |
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According to Höglund the regiment had yellow facings and vest, pewter
buttons, white neckcloth and white hat lace. Schorr specifies the colour
to lemon yellow and he too mention that the neckcloth was white.
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Schulenburg's Regiment
Saint-Paul's Regiment |
1702
1710 |
Schorr writes that the facings were straw yellow in 1707 and that the
neckcloth was black. Höglund tells that the facings and vest were pale
yellow, the buttons were of pewter and that both neckcloth and hat lace
were black. |
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Oertzen's Regiment
Dünewald's Regiment
Weissenfels' Regiment |
1703
1705
1712 |
Höglund states that the regiment had blue facings in 1703
but Schorr writes that it was first in 1704 that they received red coats
with blue facings. The year before the coat was blue with an unknown
colour on the facings. They agree on that the regiment had pewter
buttons, white neckcloths and that the facings colour was changed to
green in 1707.
Höglund specifies the colour to light green and notes that the vest was
also of that colour and that the hat lace was black.
Schorr has depicted the saddle cloth and pistol covers
as green with a white edge in 1707. This could then have been changed in 1712 so
that an inner red stripe was added to the white edge. |
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Brandenburg-Bayreuth
(Disbanded 1717)
Schorr mentions that the facings were bleumerount in 1707 and that they
had pewter buttons and white or black neckcloths. Höglund describes the
facing colour as light blue and notes that the vest was also of that
colour.
A part from pewter buttons he also mentions that the hat had black and
white lace.
Schorr has depicted the regiment's saddle cloth and pistol covers in
blue with a white edge containing an inner red stripe.
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Wrangel's Regiment
Baudissin's Regiment |
1704
1710 |
Schorr mentions that the
facings were coffee brown in 1707 and that the neckcloth was black. Höglund
adds that the uniform in 1707 had pewter buttons, coffee brown vest and
black hat lace. |
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Flemming's Regiment
(Disbanded 1707)
Fürstenberg's Regiment
(Disbanded 1707)
Jordan's Regiment
(Disbanded 1707)
Both uniforms and colours are unknown for these three units which
existed in
1704-1707.
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Winckel's Regiment
(Disbanded 1706)
This was a temporary unit created in 1705 by recruits intended for the
main army's regiments. It participated in the battle of
Fraustadt 1706 and was disbanded afterwards.
According to Höglund it had probably not been issued regular uniforms and was
instead likely dressed in grey fatigues.
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This was a regiment hired from Ansbach in 1709.
According to Höglund it had blue coats with red facings and pewter
buttons.
Schorr also mentions pewter buttons but he describes a red coat with
blue facings for Flemming's Regiment (maybe a later uniform?) Schorr has
also depicted this uniform with red saddle cloth and pistol covers. |
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Ansbach-Schmettau
(Regiment from Ansbach in
Saxon service 1713- 1717)
According to Höglund its uniform was a blue coat with pewter buttons and
crimson cuffs, lining and vest as well as leather breeches and a crimson
saddle cloth with white edge. This uniform appears to be identical
uniform with the one Höglund described for the preceding Ansbach
regiment.
Schorr deviates by writing that the coat was light grey and that the
saddle cloth was crimson or possibly blue. He also adds that the
neckcloth was black and the hat lace was white.
The NCOs were to have silver lace on their cuffs and the drummers
crimson coats with light grey cuffs and lining with crimson breeches.
The officers also had grey coats with crimson cuffs and lining. But
buttons, buttonholes and seams were decorated with gold. Furthermore
they had a black sash mixed with silver threads. The neckcloth was white. |