Military History | First Carlist War
First Carlist War Painting Guide: Cristino Infantry

Cristino
Infantry

Posted 21 Feb 2001

This is my painting guide for the Spanish government infantry of the First Carlist War. It covers:

Line and Provincial Infantry

Item

Grenadiers

Fusiliers

Cazadores

Jacket (Shell, Frock, Coatees)

Turquí

Jacket Collar

Red

Yellow

Green

Jacket Epaulettes

Red

-

Green
Jacket Cuff flaps & piping Red ? White

Jacket Sardinetas
(bars on the cuffs)

Yellow

-

Yellow

Jacket Buttons

White

Greatcoat with Epaulettes and Sardinetas as appropriate.

Grey

Trousers

White or Pale Grey

Shako

Black

Shako Cockade

Red

Shako Plume & Band

Red

Yellow

Green
Brass Shako Emblem Grenade Rampant Lion Hunting Horn

Shako Pompom (Marines only)

-

Forage cap

Turquí

Forage cap tassels & piping

Red

Yellow

Green

Alpargatus (rope soled sandals)

 Brown

Boots

Black

Equipment (eg Waist belt, cartridge box)

Black

Pack (Leather)

Brown

Pack (Linen) - sometimes replaced the leather pack in the field

White

Greatcoat bag above pack - often retained to hold a rolled blanket

Blue and white striped

Gun barrel

Shiny Metal
Drummers red and gold lace, and probably white chevrons on their sleeves

You'll notice considerable variation on trouser colours in the illustrations. Cairns (1994b) says they wore white or light grey in the field, although other colours (particularly civilian brown) would be used as need. However, the illustrations often show Turquí trousers, although this might be a peculiarity of dress uniform alone.

Cairns (1994b) Fig. 3 Fusilier in Campaign Dress.
Notice the civilian trousers, turnback on the greatcoat, and forage cap (Isabelino)

Cairns (1994b) Fig. 2 Grenadier in Campaign Dress.
Notice the Turquí frockcoat and red collar as company distinction for Grenadiers

Cairns (1994b) Fig. 1 Cazador in Dress Uniform.
Only really relevant as it shows the shako with company distinctions (Green)

Fusilier
Once again a forage cap. Looks like he is in the field

Cairns (1994b) Fig. 4 Grenadier Officer in Campaign Dress

Grenadier Officer.
Seems to be the figure Cairns (1994b) based his Fig. 4 on

A command stand from one of my Line Infantry battalions. This unit wear greatcoats

One of my Line Infantry regiments (3 battalions) in Turquí coatees. Roland hadn't finished the standard bearers at that time

Another regiment, but in greatcoats. You'll notice a mix of Shakos, Shakos with oilskin covers, and Isabelino forage caps all mixed in

1. Cazador, 2. Grenadier, 3. Fusilier

1. Sapper, 2. Standard Bearer, 3. Grenadier, 4. Cazador

Provincial Infantry: 1. Grenadier Corporal, 2. Captain, 3. Cazador

Grenadier

Grenadier

Grenadier. Full Dress

Fusilier

1: Drummer, 2. Drum Major, 3. Musician

Cazador

Officers

1. Line Grenadier, 2. Light Infantry Carabinero, 3. Line Cazador

Standard Bearer

Marines

The Marine uniform was essentially the same as the Grenadiers of the Line Infantry, i.e. yellow sardinettas, red epaulettes and in fact using red as a colour differentiator (Cairns 1994b). The significant differences between Marines and Grenadiers is that the Marines had a blue pompom on top of their shako. The Marines also would not have had the brass grenade on the shako, but I don't know what emblem they used, if any.

Light Infantry (except Reina Governadora)

The Light Infantry wore a green uniform (Cairns, 1994b).

Item

Carabineros

Cazadores

Tiradores

Jacket (Shell, Frock, Coatees)

Green

Jacket Collar

Red

Yellow

Green

Jacket Epaulettes

Red

Yellow

-
Jacket Cuff flaps & piping Yellow

Jacket Sardinetas
(bars on the cuffs)

Yellow

Jacket Buttons

White

Greatcoat with Epaulettes and Sardinetas as appropriate.

Grey

Trousers

Green

Shako

Black

Shako Cockade

Red

Shako Plume & Band

Red

Yellow

Green
Brass Shako Emblem Hunting Horn Hunting Horn Hunting Horn

Shako Pompom (Marines only)

-

Forage cap

Green

Forage cap tassels & piping

Red

Yellow

Green

Alpargatus (rope soled sandals)

 Brown

Boots

Black

Equipment (eg Waist belt, cartridge box)

Black

Pack (Leather)

Brown

Pack (Linen) - sometimes replaced the leather pack in the field

White

Greatcoat bag above pack - often retained to hold a rolled blanket

Blue and white striped

Gun barrel

Shiny Metal
Drummers red and gold lace, and probably white chevrons on their sleeves

Carabinero. Notice the green uniform and red epaulettes (denoting his company)

One of my Light Infantry battalions

7th Light Infantry Regiment: Cazadores de la Reina Gobernadora

Reina Gobernadora (Cairns, 1994b, figure 5) were like other Light Infantry except they had grey frock coats (instead of green coatees), white epaulettes in all companies, grey collars (like the coat) with collar patches showing company distinctions, grey trousers with a green welt down the seam, and black equipment.

Cairns (1994b) Fig. 5 Cazador from Reina Governadora

Notice the pompom and collar patches are green. This probably means the figure is from the Tiradores company. Following the normal scheme red would be for for right flank carabineros and yellow for centre company Cazadores, Green for left flank Tiradores.

The illustrations from NYPL are problematic as they are for the period 1824-29 and are certainly not wearing the uniform described by Cairns (1994b).

1824-29

1824-29

1824-29

Chapelgorris

The Chapelgorris were a volunteer unit associated with the British Auxiliary Legion (Cairns, 1994b) . According to Cairns they were dressed in the Carlist manner with a red beret, black frock coats, and red or white trousers (I assume red in winter). They were increasing equipped by the Legion, so a sprinkling would be wearing British kit, like scarlet shell jackets instead of the Black Frock coat.

As you can see from the pictures, it would seem some wore a red shako or a forage cap. One of the figures is wearing a regulation greatcoat.

Cairns (1994b) Fig. 14 Chapelgorris. This is the uniform 1833-35 including a black frock coat and red trousers

Red from head to foot. The shell coat is probably ex-British and the dates post 1835

For my own Chapelgorris I followed the scheme given in Cairns (1994b)

Notice the variety of head gear: 1. Beret, 2: Shako, 3. Forage Cap

Notice the red shako and grey greatcoat

This is my Chapelorris command stand. I like the motto: Muy Noble y Muy Leal (Very Noble and Very Loyal). There is a picture of the virgin on the other side

Other Volunteers

Other volunteer units wore black or rifle green uniforms (Cairns, 1994b). I guess a unit would be either black or rifle green. I also guess that the uniforms would otherwise follow those of the regulars, but probably with black equipment instead of white.

Guard Infantry

Fig 7 in Cairns (1994b) is a Guardsman in campaign dress; Fig 6 is the same guy in dress uniform. Apparently they left their bearskins at home when on campaign and wore shakos and forage caps like the line infantry.

Item Grenadiers

Cazadores

Jacket (Shell, Frock, Coatees)

Turqui

Jacket Collar

Red / Turqui

Yellow

Jacket Epaulettes

Red

Yellow
Jacket Cuff flaps & piping Red

Jacket Sardinetas (bars on the cuffs)

White

Jacket Buttons

White

Greatcoat with Epaulettes and Sardinetas as appropriate.

Dark Grey

Trousers

Red

Shako

Black

Shako Cockade

Red

Shako Plume & Band

Red

Yellow
Brass Shako Emblem Grenade Grenade

Shako Pompom

-

Forage cap

Turqui

Forage cap tassels & piping

Red

Yellow

Alpargatus (rope soled sandals)

Brown

Boots

Black

Equipment (eg Waist belt, cartridge box)

White

Pack (Leather)

Brown

Pack (Linen) - sometimes replaced the leather pack in the field

White

Greatcoat bag (above pack - often retained to hold a rolled blanket)

Blue and white striped

Gun barrel

Shiny Metal

Note: Provincial regiments were distinguished by having yellow lace.

All of the illustrations from NYPL are presumably some kind of formal uniform. In particular they lack the red trousers that Cairns (1994b) shows:

Grenadier in Campaign Dress.
Cairns (1994b) Fig. 7. Notice the red trousers which Cairns says they wore in the field, compared to the white trousers of the full dress uniform

Line Infantry, in the field
Although supposedly a line infantryman, this guy could be a guardsman in the field. The red trousers, red epaulettes and dark coloured greatcoat all suggest a guardsman. Having said that, the guards greatcoat was dark grey, rather than the blue tint shown here

Officers: 1. Provincial Grenadier, 2. Grenadier
Certainly Full Dress uniform. Notice both white and Turquí trousers

Provincial Grenadier
This guy is very similar to Fig 6 in Cairns (1994b), so is presumably in Full Dress. This only difference is Turquí trousers when the Cairns figure has white. In the field they wore red trousers and shako or forage cap

Provincial Cazadores
Yellow lace distinguished the Provincial regiments

Provincial Cazadores
Notice the yellow epaulettes which distinguished the Guard Cazadores from the Guard Grenadiers (with red)

References

Cairns, C. (1994b, November). A Savage and Romantic War: Spain 1833-1840. Part II: The Cristino forces. Wargames Illustrated, 86, 36-46.

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