Wurttemburg Infantry 1798 - 1815
The information presented here is based mainly on the article
'Wurttemberg Infantry Colors 1798-1815' by John Cook,
published in Napoleonic Notes and Queries No. 10 by Age of Napoleon magazine.
In 1798, the Wurttemberg army was reorganised and the new infantry arm consisted of five Musketeer battalions and one Grenadier battalion. All of these battalions were presented with two of the Pattern 1798 Ducal Colours. These measured 140cm x 140cm with a 6cm yellow fringe on all four sides. The finial was a gilt spear point with the FII cypher on the obverse, and the middle shield from the Ducal Arms on the reverse. These colours were retained by the first battalions of the new regiments raised in 1806 and were carried until 1813 when they were replaced by Royal Colours.
The Erbprinz Musketeer Battalion was raised on 28th February 1803, 4 days after the Duchy had been raised to the status of an Electorate. This unit uniquely received a pair of the Pattern 1803 Electoral Colours.
Wurttemberg became a Kingdom on 1st January 1806 and on the 25th of that month, six infantry regiments were created by adding second battalions to the existing Musketeer units. The first battalions of these new regiments retained the old Ducal or Electoral pattern colours whilst the newly raised second battalions were presented with the first of a series of patterns of Royal Colours. These were slightly smaller than the Pattern 1798 Ducal Colours being only 125cm x 125cm but retaining the 6cm fringe.
On 10 October 1806, the Fusilier Battalion was raised, soon increased to a Regiment by the addition of a second Battalion in January 1807. On 17th September 1809 the Von Scharfenstein Infantry Regiment was created from the Depot Battalion raised in June that year. These units were presented with Pattern 1807 Royal Colours (Pattern 2) on a scale of 2 per battalion.
The distribution of the Pattern 1811 Royal Colours (Pattern 3) did not start to take place until early 1813. This new issue replaced all previous patterns with the regiments. The new colours measured 125cm x 125 cm with a 7mm gold fringe on all four sides. The colours were attached to a 308cm long staff coloured black over dark brown in equal proportions. The finial was an open gilt lozenge containing the crowned FR cypher.
Two Pattern 1811 Royal Colours (Pattern 4) were presented to the Garde zu Fuss on 30th December 1811, a single battalion unit at that time, to replace their Ducal colours. When the battalion was expanded to become the Garde-Regiment zu Fuss in 1814, a further two of these colours were presented to the second battalion. The colour staff of the Foot Guards was entirely black, 300cm long with a lozenge shaped finial, as for the line, but in silver.
The situation for the line regiments was unchanged until 14th July 1814 when a re-distribution of colours took place throughout the army. This included the use of older pattern Royal colours which were taken back into use and which continued to be carried through 1815 to the end of our period.
The Infantry Regimental Heirarchy 1798 - 1815
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