Peninsular War: Spanish Infantry Painting Guide

The Spanish Infantry uniforms basically went through four styles, with a constant ragged Campaign option.  It is possible that all uniform styles were worn in the same army at the same time.  

1802 Regulation Uniform

1802 Light Infantry

In 1802 the Light Infantry adopted a Hussar style uniform (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  It continued in use long after its official replacement in 1806.  

The uniform included a dolman with shoulder-straps (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  Other ranks wore a 'round hat' resembling a British Tarleton dragoon helmet.  It was black with a fur crest, black leather brim/peak edged brass, brass band around the bottom, small oval brass plate on the front of the fur crest, red cockade and a green plume.  Officers wore the bicorn.  

1806 Regulation Uniform 

Basically the 1806 Regulations gave the Guards, Line, Foreign, Swiss and Provincial Militia regiments the same uniform (Funcken, 1973; Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).  The key differences were:

* Breeches were often replaced by long brown or checked trousers.  

** The light infantry often wore their brown greatcoat in the field (Sapherson, 1991).  Similarly they often only buttoned up the front of the bicorn and left the back to drop down over their neck.   

*** Preux had dark blue waistcoat and breeches ( Haythornthwaite, 1995).  

Some items were consistent across the types of regiments, but differed depending on the company. 

Musicians could wear anything at all is possible; their uniforms did not bear any relationship with that of the regiment.    

Guards 

Line Infantry 

Facing colours were dependent on the regiment (Funcken, 1973; Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991): 

1806 Foreign Regiments

All of the Foreign regiments had yellow piping, and the Swiss and Provincial regiment white piping, but otherwise the regimental differences were (Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991): 

1806 Swiss 

The Swiss variation on the infantry uniform had a red coat, white waistcoat, breeches, buttons and piping, and black gaiters (Funcken, 1973; Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).  Preux had dark blue waistcoat and breeches.  Reding Senior was known as 'Suizos Azulos' so Sapherson speculates that the facings for this unit were blue, however, this is unconfirmed.  

1806 Provincial Militia 

The Provincial Militia wore a standard line infantry uniform with red facings (Sapherson, 1991). 

1806 Light Infantry

(Funcken, 1973; Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).  The key differences were:

* Breeches were often replaced by long brown or checked trousers.  

The Light Infantry regiments also had regimental colours for Turnbacks and Piping (Funcken, 1973; Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).  The light infantry often wore their brown greatcoat in the field.  Similarly they often only buttoned up the front of the bicorn and left the back to drop down over their neck.   Note: Sapherson uses the term "Carmine" where Haythornthwaite and Fucken use "Crimson" instead.   

1808 Ad hoc Uniforms 

The volunteer units raised in 1808 and later during the  war wore an assortment of uniforms (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  Most common would have been jacket and breeches in a local brown combined with sandals.   The regular units also varied from the regulations as needed to keep the men clothed and as fashioned changed.  By 1812 most of those units that did not adopt the 1810 British Style uniform had adopted bell topped shakos similar to French shakos, including white weather proof covers.  

Buenos Aires Regiment ("Los Colorados" = 'Russites') 1808

These chaps were issued with standard British uniforms when released from captivity in the UK (they were captured during the British expedition to South America).   

Muerte ("Death") Regiment 1808

In 1808 the Muerte regiment featured a green jacket, mid blue trousers and facings (collar, cuff, turnbacks), black shako with a skull and crossbones badge, red cockade and green plume (reminiscent of a stovepipe shako in shape), and black equipment ( Haythornthwaite, 1995).  

2nd Majorca Regiment 1812

I'm not sure if this is the regular line infantry unit or a volunteer unit.  If the regular unit the "2nd" bit might refer to the battalion within the regiment rather than the regiment itself.  Haythornthwaite (1995) mention that the 2nd Majorca Regt were with Whittingham's Spanish Division when it joined the Eastern Army in 1812, whereas Gates (1986) only mentions the Mallorca Regt in Murray's Tarragona Campaign, June 1813.  They wore blue jackets face red, blue pantaloons and leather equipment; bell topped shako with a large cockade

Majorca Grenadiers 1812

Presumably part of the 2nd Majorca Regiment mentioned above. Haythornthwaite (1995) mention these guys were with Whittingham's Spanish Division when it joined the Eastern Army in 1812.  They wore blue jackets faced sky-blue; buff 'cape' (collar), cap, and leather equipment; red plume;  blue pantaloons; bell topped shako with a large cockade

Majorca Cazadores 1812

Presumably part of the 2nd Majorca Regiment mentioned above. Haythornthwaite (1995) mention these guys were with Whittingham's Spanish Division when it joined the Eastern Army in 1812.  Uniformed like the British 95th.  

Murcia Grenadiers 1812

I assume this is the regular regiment.  Haythornthwaite (1995) mention these guys were with Whittingham's Spanish Division when it joined the Eastern Army in 1812.  They wore blue jackets faced yellow; sky-blue breeches; black leather equipment; bell topped shako with a large cockade

(Grenadiers) Guadalajara Regiment 1812

I assume this is the regular regiment.  Haythornthwaite (1995) mention the Grenadier companies were with Whittingham's Spanish Division when it joined the Eastern Army in 1812. The Grenadiers wore blue jackets faced buff, buff leather equipment and pantaloons; bell topped shako with a large cockade.  

Cordoba Regiment 1812

This might be the regular regiment or the Provincial Militia unit.  Haythornthwaite (1995) mention two companies were with Whittingham's Spanish Division when it joined the Eastern Army in 1812. They wore blue jackets with crimson facings (i.e lapels), buff collar, cuffs and pantaloons; bell topped shako with a large cockade.   

Medina Sidonia Regiment 1813

In 1813 the Medina Sidonia Regiment features a brown jacked with sky blue facings (collar, cuffs, lapels), sky blue should straps with white frills, black bell top shako with white bands, a sky blue pompom, and a badge labelled FVII, white trousers, white webbing, and black shoes and gaiters.  

Toledo Regiment 1813 

In 1813 the regular line regiment Toledo wore a brown infantry uniform with yellow collar, cuffs, lapels and tufted shoulder straps, white metal buttons, long white pantaloons, black angle gaiters and leather equipment ( Haythornthwaite, 1995).   

Walloon Guards 1813 

In 1813 the Walloon Guards had pretty much the same uniform as at the start of the war but had substituted a bell top shako with a green pompom for the bicorn (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  

Loyal Distinguished Cadiz Volunteers 1813 

In 1813 an officer from this unit wore a 'round hat' with white metal plate and white plum on the left, a brown uniform with russet facings, silver lace and an epaulettte on the right shoulder, white waistcoat, yellow breeches, silver laced black 'Hessian' boots, and an oval silver badge on the right forearm (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  

1810 British Style Uniform 

In 1810 the British began supplying the Spanish armies with a new uniform (Funcken, 1973; Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).  By 1812 this was the dominant, but not the only, uniform style.  For example, the Morillo Division in the the Vittoria and Pyrenees campaigns wore this uniform.  

The line infantry wore a black stove pipe shako, dark blue single-breasted coat, light blue or more commonly grey overalls (or brown)  (Funcken, 1973; Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).  The black gaiters were worn underneath the overalls. Equipment was often British, for example, white webbing.  Officers wore black sword belts.  Some officers retained the bicorn.  The light infantry wore the similar uniform but with a light blue coat.  

Examples of Units over Time 

Particular units adopted different uniforms over time.  

Walloon Guards 

In 1808 the Walloon Guards wore guards variation of the standard infantry uniform, i.e. with black bicorn, a dark blue coat, turnbacks, waistcoat, breeches, white gaiters, and a black shoes (Haythornthwaite, 1995). 

 In 1813 the style of the uniform was fairly unchanged, although they had substituted a bell top shako with a green pompom for the bicorn, and the long gaiters had changed from white to black.  

Provincial Grenadiers of Andalucia 

At Bailen (18-22 Jul 1808) half of the men were in full dress including bearskin caps, but the rest were in fatigue jackets with forage caps (Chartrand, 1998). 

1st Volunteers of Aragon 

Peter Bunde's (2005) article in Wargames: Soldiers and Strategy describes the 1st Volunteers of Aragon. 

The specifics are: 

Artillery 

Same as line infantry but with a dark blue coat, red collar, cuffs and lapels, dark blue piping; yellow buttons.  

Palette 

The Palette I used to colour the regimental facings.  

Sources 

Bunde, P. (2005). 1st Volunteers of Aragon. Wargames: Soldiers & Strategy, 9, 24-26.  Revistas Professionales: Madrid, Spain.  

Chartrand, R. (1998). Spanish Army of the Napoleonic Wars (1) 1793-1808.  Men-at-Arms 321.  Osprey. 

Funcken, L. and F. (1973).  The Napoleonic Wars (Part II).  London: Ward Lock.

Haythornthwaite, P. (1995).  Uniforms of the Peninsular Wars 1807 - 1814.  London: Arms and Armour Press.  

Kannik, P. (1968).  Military Uniforms in Colour.  London: Blandford.  

Rafferty, J. (1992).  Painting Guide to Napoleonics: Spain.  Active Service Press. 

Sapherson, C. A. (1991).  Peninsular Armies 1808 - 1814.  Leeds, UK: Raider Books. 

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