Dragoon officer, possibly a captain

1804-12

Unknown

Oil on ivory

90mm

his miniature is of a dragoon officer, possibly a captain, in either the 1st, 3rd, 4th or 6th regiment as these regiments all worn green coats with scarlet collars and jacket facings, with white cavalry breeches and tall black boots. The distinctive headgear of the dragoons was their brass, neo-Grecian style, helmet with its black horsehair. Troopers had a brown fur turban around it, officers an imitation leopard skin. The dragoons wore insignia of elite troops, but only a flaming grenade on coat-tails and saddlecloth. The dragoons were armed with straight sabers and muskets. Their muskets were slightly longer and had a longer range of fire than that of the light cavalry's carbines. While a light cavalryman's equipment included a carbine sling as a means of keeping his weapon readily available for use, the greater length of musket issued to dragoons made a sling impractical. Thus the stock of the musket was seated in a boot attached to the saddle, and its barrel restrained by a strap attached to the pommel. When the dragoons expected to go into action they drew sabers and the musket was slung on their backs. In 1814 they gave up carrying their long muskets..