"The Brave" 18th Line Infantry

The soldiers pictured below are from Napoleon’s 18^th Line Infantry, known as
"the Brave."

The Line infantry were the basic foot soldiers in the Napoleonic Wars. As their
name suggests, they formed the iconic lines, fired volleys of musket fire, and
advanced with bayonets fixed in one spirited final charge. A French line infantry
regiment was not much different than a British one, although a French battalion
consisted of four companies of regular infantry, while a British battalion consisted
of eight companies of regulars. French brigades were normally organized by
regiment, while British brigades were normally organized by battalion.

First is the Regimental colonel. Like the British senior infantry officers, he rides
into battle mounted. He wears a shako, like the regular infantry, because by the
latter years of the Napoleonic Wars, officers came to prefer the regulars’ shako
over the officers’ bicorn. Like their British adversaries, the French senior officers
wear a pair of fringed epaulettes to denote their ranks.

Next is a porte-aigle, or junior officer selected to carry the regiment’s colors.

I did make one mistake in drawing: the regiment is dated from 1813, when it took
part in the Battle of the Nations, but the porte-aigle is carrying the colors from
1804 to 1812. In 1813, the colors would have been the tricolor French flag we
know today, with the name of the Emperor and the regiment name embroidered
in gold lace on one side and their battle honor for Wagram on the other.

Next to him is one of the two sergeant majors that flanked him in battle. They
were armed with halberds, one with a red banner and the other, white. Like the
regimental colors, these were also embroidered with the emperor’s and regiment’s
names in gold lace on either side. The chevrons on his lower sleeve indicate his
rank, while the chevrons on his upper sleeve indicate seven years’ service each.
Many English-speakers may find this confusing, as the latter is usually used to
denote NCO rank.

Finally, is one of six Caporal-fourriers, six experienced corporals chosen to serve
in the Quatermaster Corps. Like the sergeant major, he carriers a sabre-briquet or
short sabre. This was too short to be used in battle and soldiers stated that it was
only good for chopping firewood. It nonetheless served as a rank symbol for the
NCOs.

Moving from the staff to rank and file, first is one of their officers: a captain in a
grenadier company. To indicate he is a company officer, he wears one gold
fringed epaulette over his left shoulder and one without fringes over his right.

To indicate he is in the Grenadier company, he wears a red pompom and plume
on his shako, however, by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, most grenadiers found
it more practical to cut their plume short. Next is a corporal from the fusiliers, or
regulars. He wears epaulettes without fringes and a pompom on his shako. Each
company had their own different color pompom. This corporal is from the 4^th
Company, as indicated by his violet pompom.

Next is a soldat, or private in the grenadiers. Like the British, the grenadiers were
the tallest and strongest men in the regiment. He wears a pair of red epaulettes to
indicate he is a grenadier. and as a grenadier, he also has the privilege of
carrying a sabre-briquet, even though he is only a private.

Next is a sergeant in the voltigeurs, or light infantry. Like their British opponents,
the light infantry were trained with greater emphasis on marksmanship and
skirmish tactics, though they could also fight as regular line infantry, too. He wears
a pair of green epaulettes and a yellow pompom to indicate he is a voltigeur. He
also carriers a sabre-briquet, as an NCO and as a voltigeur.

Finally, is the youngest member of the regiment: a tambour, or drummer boy. This
boy is from the 3^rd company of fusiliers, as indicated by his orange pompom.
Unlike the British regiments, the voltigeurs, or light companies of the line infantry
employed drummers, instead of buglers, although bugles were emblazoned on the
shako plates and cartridge pouches of the voltigeurs.

Finally, as many of you were aware, this Easter weekend marked the millennium
anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf, where Irish King Brian Boru after successfully
uniting western Ireland, defeated the invading Vikings and their Leinster puppets.
To commemorate this anniversary, I drew Brian Boru's March and
Odin’s Raven Falls.

Brian Boru's March is named in honor of the Irish Folk song composed to
commemorate him and depicts him marching into Connaught in 997 to unite
the regions under his rule. Brian Boru was a King of Munster, in the South
of Ireland, who united Connaught in the West and waged war against Leinster,
in the East around Dublin, which was under Norse rule.

Odin's Raven Falls depicts the turning point in the battle. As King Brian Boru
leads his men forward, one of his warriors strikes down the Viking Jarl Sigurd
of Orkney. The Earl was carrying into battle the Viking battle standard, with
Odin’s raven emblazoned on it. The Vikings believed that if this banner fell,
the battle would be lost. So it was at Clontarf on Good Friday of 1014.

Although King Brian was assassinated shortly after the battle’s conclusion, he
successfully broke Norse power in Ireland and saved Christian Ireland from
the grasps of Pagan invaders.

Happy Brian Boru Easter!