#light dragoon

[tricornonthecob]

"For these we strive"

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James joins the Philadelphia Light Horse AU. Inaccuracies abound I'm sure.

[awallofswords]

Dutch m.1800 light Dragoons NCO / officer's sabre

Initially described as Early 19th Century French, this sword is actually not as straight forward to place. The overall appearance follows the French ‘Sabre la Hongroise’ or Hungarian style with some noticeable differences. Originally popularised by the Hungarian Hussars serving with the French Army from the late 17th Century, this style was widely emulated by many countries towards the end of the 18th Century.

Generally speaking, the French Hussar sabres follow a slightly different profile to the hilt than this sword. The later swords have tear shaped langets a straight quillion and a smoother dove’s head pommel. But Jean L’Hoste’s book ‘Les Sabres’ features enough swords with the same langets, beaked pommel and curved quillion to indicate that the style was popular with French light cavalry officers. The presence of the leather ‘forage cord’ on the scabbard also points to it being used with French troops.

Finally one authority on Napoleonic swords identified it as a Dutch m.1800 Light Dragoons NCO or Officers’ sabre. Pointing out that while the blade decoration is typical of Solingen produced blades the RYS on the spine is written in typical Dutch fashion with the umlaut over the y to making the name Rijs. Rather than a maker, it is possible this was the cutler that finished the blade into a complete sword. With the Kingdom of the Netherlands getting absorbed into the French Empire in 1810 they did contribute their own troops to the Grande Armee so it is entirely possible that it saw French service.

Unfortunately this is all speculation and after two hundred years we’re likely to never know. But that it might have been of Dutch origin appeals to me so it’s the story I stick to.

Overall Length - 960 mm Blade Length - 830 mm Blade Curve - 53.3 mm Point of Balance - 165 mm Grip Length - 120 mm Inside Grip Length - 105 mm Weight - 660 grams Total Weight - 1230 grams

[bantarleton]

The 17th Light Dragoons.

[cuirassier]

The British 13th Light Dragoons during the first half of the 19th c., plate by R. Wymer

[cuirassier]

Troopers and officers of the British 4th Hussars throughout the years of its transformations, plate by R. Wymer

1742 - Rich’s Regiment of Dragoons

1784 - 4th Dragoons

1822 - 4th (Queen’s Own) Light Dragoons

1854 & 1878  - 4th (Queen’s Own) Hussars

[cuirassier]

Officer of the 12th Light dragoons (1794) and trooper of what later was converted to the 12th Lancers (1817), Great Britain, plate by R. Wymer

[cuirassier]

The British 17th Light dragoons which in 1822 were converted to Lancers, plate by R. Wymer

Clockwise from the top: 1768, 1824, 1798, 1829

[cuirassier]

Officers of the 12th Light dragoons (1814), later 12th Lancers (1840), Great Britain, plate by R. Wymer