Introducing the Regiment de Bouillon-Cantinat

The cavalry of L’armée Française de l’Oise.

Brigade Colonel-General

• Regt. Colonel-General
• Regt. de la Reine
• Regt. Dauphin

Brigade Bouillon-Cantinat

• Regt. Bouillon-Cantinat
• Regt. Conti
• Regt. Clermont

Brigade Bauffremont (Dragoons)

• Regt. Beauffremont
• Regt. Harcourt
• Regt. d'Aubigne

Troupes légère

• les Hussards de Sarkozy (the Sarkozy Legion)
  

It is now high time to let the Marquis take over the narrative. From his memoirs;

"The creation of L’armée de l’Oise was decreed after the disaster of Dettingen, and was to be formed from the debris and remnants of the French armies of Messieurs les Ducs de Grammont and de Noailles.

After Dettingen these worthy gentlemen found themselves recalled to Vesailles to give account of their failure to punish the Allies with the alacrity and completeness with which they had assured His Majesty was to have been the expected outcome.

It was myself, M. Le Marquis de Sangfroid, who on the departure of M. Grammont was given command of this new army.

I was duly tasked by the Ministry of War with the protection of the French side of the Rhine from any incursion by the Army of the Pragmatic Sanction, and when necessary to support the actions of the esteemed M. le marechal de Saxe in his laudable campaigns in the Low Countries.

Those of the cavalry and infantry who managed to cross the Rhine in safety were reorganized in a new encampment that was set up at Thionville. The demoralized survivors of the cavalry were joined by the Regt. Dauphin, and by the dragoon regiments Harcourt and Aubigne.

In time- and with care to drill, bellies, and purses- morale steadily improved.

The infantry regiments were brought back up to strength by drafts with which to replace their grievous losses, and were joined by the valiant men of the Regt. Royal Baviere.

Furthermore, and in recognition of my services to His Serene Majesty at Seligenstadt in which the valorous and noble conduct of the men of the Regt. de St. Vignobles was commented upon by all, I was commissioned to raise a new cavalry regiment from my estates in Artois and St. Vignobles, the Regt. de Bouillon-Cantinat.

Over the next few years, the army was trained by myself to a high standard of efficiency, as was noted with gracious pleasure by the esteemed Marechal de Saxe himself. In my trustworthy hands, L’armée de l’Oise was to bring considerable honour to France, to our beloved monarch, and to the prestige of the noble house of Bouillon-Cantinat."

*************

Renowned for it's imposing bearskins (a gift from Mme. la Duchesse de Richmonte in exchange for some -let us say, discrete- services on my part) as well as for its wine-red facings, the intrepid Regiment de Bouillon-Cantinat was to earn itself a reputation second to none for fearlessness in combat.

And, it must be admitted, a reputation to no small degree for licentiousness as well. This being as a result of frequent and oft-publicized forays to the local taverns and other houses of ill repute. In these nefarious activities, they were more often than not discovered to have been aided by their rather brigand-like comrades-in-arms, the Hussars of Sarkozy.

As a consequence of such mischief, on many an occasion I was forced to make use of my influence & considerable charm- and, in some cases, of timely reminders upon debts payable from old games of chance- so as to prevent retribution being levied upon the men of the regiment by the heavy hands of local council authorities.

The Fanfare March of the Regt. de Bouillon-Cantinat

********

Click on the image to enlarge. Thanks, as always, to David of "Not by Appointment " for providing the uniform and flag templates.