Peninsular War Painting Guide: Spanish Cavalry

This painting guide covers the Spanish Cavalry of the Peninsular War:

Line Cavalry / Heavy Cavalry

In 1806 the Spanish Line Cavalry exchanged their long skirted white coat for a dark blue coat with red turnbacks (Rafferty, 1992). Officially they wore the 1806 regulation uniform throughout the Peninsular War (1808-14). Rafferty (1992), Funcken (1973), Haythornthwaite (1995) and Sapherson (1991) largely agree about the uniform.

Item Description
Headgear Black Bicorn
Decoration Regimental hat lace
Red Cockade *
White loop
Fatigue Cap
Decoration
Jacket Dark blue Long tailed coat

Facings:
Lapels, Collar, Cuff

Regimental

Piping:
Lapels, Cuff

Regimental
Collar Piping Regimental
Collar decoration Regimental Rampant lion
Cuff Flap
Cuff decoration Regimental Three fleurs-de-lys
Turnbacks Red
Other Ranks Shoulders Dark blue straps
Officer Shoulders Silver epaulettes
Buttons Regimental
Waistcoat Buff
Trousers Buff
Boots (or shoes+gaiters) Black
Straps and belts White
Sword Sheath White metal
Cartridge Box
Musician ??
Shabraques Dark blue
Regimental edging
Horse harness Black

* The trooper from Rey illustrated in Funcken (1973) also has a red plume. In contrast, the trooper from Reina in Haythornthwaite (1995) doesn’t have a plume, and neither Sapherson (1991) nor Rafferty (1991) mention a plume.

Rafferty (1992), Funcken (1973), Haythornthwaite (1995). and Sapherson (1991) agree on the regimental differences, although:

  • Funcken occasionally uses the term “Jonquil” instead of “yellow”.
  • Haythornthwaite and Sapherson both call the forth regiment “Infante” but Rafferty and Funcken calls it “Infanta”.
  • Sapherson gives the Numancia regiment a Red collar but Funcken says Black.
  • Sapherson gives the Voluntarios de Espana a Dark brown dolman but Haythornthwaite says Light Green.
Regiment Lapel Cuff Collar Piping: Lapel, Collar, Cuff Decoration: Lapel, Collar Pocket Piping Buttons, Hat-lace,
Shabraques edging
Lace loops on Lapels
Rey red red red white white red yellow Yellow
Reina sky blue sky blue sky blue red white red white White
Principe red red red white white red white White
Infante/Infanta white white white yellow yellow white yellow Yellow
Borbon red red red white white red white
Farnesio red red red yellow / jonquil white yellow / jonquil white
Alcantara Green red red green white red white
España crimson crimson yellow / jonquil crimson white red white
Algarve yellow / jonquil yellow / jonquil yellow / jonquil yellow / jonquil white red white
Calatrava sky blue sky blue red sky blue white red white
Santiago crimson crimson crimson crimson white red white
Montesa crimson crimson crimson white white red white

Fig 237 in Kannik (1968) is a trooper from the “Prince’s” regiment. “Prince” could be either Principe or Infante. The figure has white lapels with red piping, and yellow buttons and hat lace, which corresponds closely to Infante in the description above. There are differences, however, as the figure in Kannik has red piping on the lapels (not yellow) and no lace button holes on the lapels. Haythornthwaite (1995) also mentions that in pictures by Suhr Infante is shown with red facings, and speculates that this may have been as a result of shortages in Denmark.

Dragoons

The Spanish Dragoons adopted a yellow uniform in 1805 and wore it throughout the Peninsular War (1808-14) (Funcken, 1973).

The Villaviciosa and Almanza Dragoons serving with La Romana in Denmark wore the Cazadore uniform in 1807-08 (Haythornthwaite, 1995), but as these units didn’t fight in the Peninsular in those uniforms I have not included details.

Rafferty (1992), Funcken (1973), Haythornthwaite (1995) and Sapherson (1991) largely agree about the uniform.

Item Description
Headgear Black Bicorn *
Decoration White hat lace
Red Cockade
White loop
Fatigue Cap
Decoration
Jacket Yellow Long tailed coat

Facings:
Lapels, Collar, Cuff

Regimental

Piping:
Lapels, Cuff

White
Collar Piping Regimental
Collar decoration White crossed sabre and palm frond
Cuff Flap Regimental
Cuff decoration
Turnbacks Red
Other Ranks Shoulders Yellow straps
Officer Shoulders Silver epaulettes
Buttons White
Waistcoat Yellow (possibly Buff)
Trousers Yellow (possibly Buff)
Boots (or shoes+gaiters) Black
Straps and belts White
Sword Sheath White metal
Cartridge Box Black
Musician Possibly reversed colours
Shabraques Yellow edged white
Horse harness Black

One of my sources – can’t remember which – says that Numancia and Lusitania wore a Dragoon uniform but a Hussar Shako (not the Mirliton Cap).

Rafferty (1992), Funcken (1973), Haythornthwaite (1995). and Sapherson (1991) agree on the regimental differences, although:

  • Sapherson gives the Numancia regiment a Red collar but Funcken says Black.
Regiment Lapel Cuff Collar Collar Piping Pocket Piping
Rey Crimson Crimson Crimson White Crimson
Reina Light Red Light Red Light Red White Light Red
Almanza Sky Blue Sky Blue Sky Blue White Sky Blue
Pavia Red Red Yellow Red Red
Villaviciosa Light Green Light Green Light Green White Light Green
Sagunto Light Green Light Green Yellow Light Green Light Green
Numancia Black Black Black or Red White Black
Lusitania Black Black Yellow White Black

Light Cavalry: Hussar and Cazadore

The Light Cavalry regiments were either Hussars (Husar) or Cazadore, although some authors use the French equivalent of Cazadore, i.e. Chasseurs á Cheval. Although similar in style these uniforms had little in common in terms of colour. Key differences were that the Hussars wore a Pelisse and a Mirliton Cap, whereas the Cazadores lacked the Pelisse and wore either a helmet or a shako.

The Villaviciosa and Almanza Dragoons serving with La Romana in Denmark wore the Cazadore uniform in 1807-08 (Haythornthwaite, 1995). The Numancia and Lusitania Dragoon regiments also wore elements of the Cazadore uniform.

Rafferty (1992), Funcken (1973), Haythornthwaite (1995) and Sapherson (1991) largely agree about the uniforms.

Item Description
Headgear Regimental
Dolman and Pelisse Regimental

Facings:
Lapels, Collar, Cuff

Regimental
Piping White
(Officers had silver braid)
Collar decoration White crossed sabre and palm frond
Buttons White
Waistcoat Regimental
Trousers Regimental
Boots (or shoes+gaiters) Black
Straps and belts White
Sword Sheath
Cartridge Box Black
Musician
Shabraques Regimental
Horse harness Black

Rafferty (1992), Funcken (1973), Haythornthwaite (1995). and Sapherson (1991) agree on the regimental differences, although:

  • Haythornthwaite gives the Maria Luisa Hussars a red plume but Funcken shows it as white over red.
  • Sapherson gives the Voluntarios de España a Dark brown doman but Haythornthwaite says Light Green. Sapherson compounds this confusion by saying the Olivenza regiment worth the same uniform (i.e. Dark Brown) as the Voluntarios de España but with red facings. In contrast Funcken has this unit in Green faced red. Rafferty has the explanation … the colour was changed from dark brown to mid green for both regiments in 1808. Although Rafferty doesn’t do it himself, the colour of the shabraque would have changed to match.
Regiment Pelisse Dolman Waistcoat Breeches Barrel Sash Headgear Shabraques
Maria Luisa Hussars Sky Blue with red collar and cuff, and black fur trim Scarlet with sky blue collar and cuff ?? Sky Blue trimmed white Red with red and white knots Black Mirliton cap with red wing trimmed white, red (or white over red) plume, red cockade, white loop Sky blue edged white
Españoles (or España) Hussars Sky Blue with emerald green collar and cuff, and black fur trim Emerald Green with sky blue collar and cuff ?? Sky Blue trimmed white Emerald green with red and white knots Black Mirliton cap with sky blue wing trimmed white, red plume, red cockade, white loop White sheepskin edged red
Voluntarios de España Cazadores Light or mid Green with sky blue facings and black fur trim Sky blue Light Green Horizontally striped white and sky blue Black Fur crested helmet with brass fittings *, red cockade and plume Green edged white
Olivenza Cazadores Green with Red facings Red Green Horizontally striped white and sky blue Black Fur crested helmet with brass fittings *, red cockade and plume Green edged white
Estremadura

* The Cazadore helmet was changed to a shako at some point (Rafferty, 1992). Not sure when ??.

New Units

Sapherson (1991) mentions that some of the new light cavalry units wore French style uniforms, some units carried lances with red pennons, and some pennons were swallow-tailed.

Almansa Hussars

Haythornthwaite (1995) mention these guys were with Whittingham’s Spanish Divsion when it joined the Eastern army. Dressed like the British 10th Hussars.

I assume they are different to the Almanza Dragoons.

Olivenza Dragoons

Haythornthwaite (1995) mention these guys were with Whittingham’s Spanish Divsion when it joined the Eastern army. They wore yellow jackets faced red, ‘Tarleton’ style helmet with a red plume.

I assume they are different to the Olivenza Cazadores who were on the establishment in 1808.

References

Bunde, P. (2005). 1st Volunteers of Aragon. Wargames: Soldiers & Strategy, 9, 24-26. Revistas Professionales: Madrid, Spain.

Funcken, L. and F. (1973). The Napoleonic Wars (Part II). London: Ward Lock.

Haythornthwaite, P. (1995). Uniforms of the Peninsular Wars 1807 – 1814. London: Arms and Armour Press.

Kannik, P. (1968). Military Uniforms in Colour. London: Blandford.

New York Public Library (NYPL): The Vinkhuijzen collection of military uniforms

Rafferty, J. (1992). Painting Guide to Napoleonics: Spain. Active Service Press.

Sapherson, C. A. (1991). Peninsular Armies 1808 – 1814. Leeds, UK: Raider Books.

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