Hussars

[major bill]

Prior to the Civil War many mounted militia companies in both the North and South fancied themselves as Hussars. Although expensive the colorful stylish Hussar uniforms were considered stylish. The realities of war ended any hope of retaining these outlandish uniforms and only a few units during the Civil War wore Hussar uniforms and even these were not elaborate. A couple of examples were the Union men in the 3rd Mew Jersey Cavalry and the Benton Hussars. For the Confederate see the Georgia Hussars. One very plan example of a semi Hussar style uniform was the 1st Virginia Cavalry but there were other early war Confederate hussar units..

During the Napoleonic Wars most European armies had regiments of Hussars. This style of light cavalry were styled after early Serbian warriors and by 1485 Hungary had formed hussar units. The trend was spread throughout Europe and by the Napoleonic Wars Hussar uniforms had reach it peak.

Hussar uniforms consisted of a pelisse, worn like a cape over the shoulder, which is fur lined or fur collared and fur cuffed jacket extensively adorned with braid. A dolman (tunic) with extensive braiding across the chest, tight breeches, and a cord waist sash. Many pre Civil War American Hussar units dispensed with the pelissie but retained the heavy braided dolman, tight breeches.

The tradition of sabrage is tied to Hussars. Sabrage involves drinking a bottle of champagne which one has opened by cutting/breaking the bottle neck off with one's sabre.

 

[MRB1863]

Gotta give them points for style!

 

[AndyHall]

 

[AndyHall]

A reenactor of the British 7th Hussars keeps in practice:

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[AUG]

Alway's liked the Hussar uniform.

Here's Keith Rocco's depiction of a Troop Sergeant Major in the British 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars during the Crimean War.

The 11th Hussars took part in the ever-famous Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War.

 

[Klaudly]

Confederate Hussar:

 

[Rio Bravo]

Like other British Cavalry Regiments, the 7th Hussars put a brave face on the transition from horses to armour.
Between 1939 and 1945 they were the only British Cavalry Regiment to fight all three of the King's enemies:
In their tanks they 'volleyed & thundered' against Italians in North Africa, Japanese in Burma and Germans in Italy.

 

[major bill]

Said to be an unknown American Hussar. He wears a German style hussar uniform and is perhaps from a unit of German American. I wish we could find out what company.

 

[major bill]

Lieutenant of the New York 3rd Regiment (Hussars) NYSM in his 1850 uniform. These Hussars were formed in 1847 from poorer German immigrants. The unit did not see active service during the Civil War with the exception of one troop who served a short time. Enlisted men wore a simpler uniform.

 

[DixieRifles]

Alway's liked the Hussar uniform.

Yes. Reminds me of my high school band uniform.

You mentioned the tradition of sabrage --- which I didn't know was a tradition of the Hussars. But you didn't menion the Sabretache or the queue & plaites.

Speaking American Hussar units/uniforms, I recall that on the Freedom Trail in Boston, there was one of the small museum stops that had an example of a uniform of a Massachusetts Hussar or Light Dragoon from a local militia. I forget the date of the uniform but I was sure it was post 1815 and maybe as late as 1880.
Does anyone have a link to a photo of that uniform? Or the identity of this American regiment?

I have heard the argument that the Hussara wore the Pelisse (outer jacket) attached loosely around the neck to use as defense from sabre cuts. I don't see the logic in that as one good tug on it and the rider would be toppled.

If you want to really get into the Hussar from the Napoleonic era, check out the movie "The Duelists". It followed two Hussars who begin a feud and fight duels throughout the campaigns in Europe. As I recall, they even began a duel during the retreat from Moscow in the freezing cold only be be interrupted by attacking Cossacks.

Here is an excerpt of the Fourth Duel----a mounted duel. The colors are subdued but the all-grey uniform is the 4th Hussars of the Line and I think the other chap is the either the 7th or 8th Hussars.

 

[AndyHall]

Waterloo veteran Quartermaster Fabry, French First Hussars, in a photo taken c. 1860:

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[major bill]

No I can't believe would use Wikipeada but it was the fastest good description.

Sabrage /səˈbrɑːʒ/ is a technique for opening a Champagne bottle with a saber,[1] used for ceremonial occasions. The wielder slides the saber along the body of the bottle to break the top of the neck away, leaving neck of the bottle, open and ready to pour. The force of the blunt side of the blade hitting the lip breaks the glass to separate the collar from the neck of the bottle. Note that one does not use the sharp side of the blade. The cork and collar remain together after separating from the neck.

 

[major bill]

For those not hep on the Hussar lingo, a sabretache (German meaning little pocket) is a flat bag kind of like a haversack that is associated with Hussars. It is worn very low and is seen hanging behind the left knee. The sabretache comes from the very accent Hungarian horseman's flat leather bag called a tarsoly. By the Napoleonic Wars the sabretache was very detective and a was distinctive Hussar cavalry item. This is a French Sagetache from the Napoleonic Wars.

 

[major bill]

European Hussars wore their long hair in queue & plaites, Their hair is braided into two braids on the side side of the head and worn past the shoulder, Traditionally a pistol ball is intertwined in the braids and makes the queue hang vertically. Hussars wore mustaches with the long ends falling down almost to the chin.

 

[DixieRifles]

Hussars wore mustaches with the long ends falling down almost to the chin.

When I was in the Air Force, I think I freaked my comrades out a little with my desk items and cubical posters.

I made a poster illustrating the Proper Grooming for length of hair and facial hair. I called it Napoleon's Regulation 35-10; a take on Air Force Regulation 35-10. I included illustrations for queue and pigtails for the Hussars, the mustache for grenadiers and the beards for Sappers. I hand drew the illustrations (actually traced them) for each type of soldier.

It is a wonder I wasn't reprimanded.

 

[D.H. Hill]

On the matter of the outer jacket- experiments have shown that it is relatively difficult to cut through cloth, particularly the thicker cloth of jackets and overcoats. The looseness would have also helped deflect the blade. Cavalry does not perform well when it stops moving- horses tend to be exceptional targets at close range- and one would have to be exceptionally quick and daring to snatch a galloping rider off his horse.

D.H.

 

[major bill]

The braiding and thick fur lining would have given some linted protection to sword cuts. The braid on the dolman would have also given a bit of protection. The original pelisses were wolf pelts. Early Hussars could not afford armor and their horses were too small to carry the extra weight. The early hussars fur hats and fur lined pelisses woudl have afforded limited protection with out adding too much weight. The pelisses when worn as a coat would also have extra benefit of giving the hussar some protection form the cold.

 

[rpkennedy]

Waterloo veteran Quartermaster Fabry, French First Hussars, in a photo taken c. 1860:

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Despite being 70-odd years old, that old bugger looks like he could hop on a horse and make another charge.

R

 

[CW Watch & Sword Guy]

Waterloo veteran Quartermaster Fabry, French First Hussars, in a photo taken c. 1860:

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I'm sorry, but that has got to win the "ridiculous hat" contest.

 

[major bill]

Most of the photos on this thread show British Hussars in similar hats. I call this hat the Confederate banana hat.