Private, Light Company 1796

This picture was printed in The New Manual and Platoon Exercises, published by Antonio Suntach on 15th July 1796, It shows a Private in the uniform of the Guards Light Company which had been formed in 1793. The head-dress was a top hat (called a Round Hat) with a black fur crest although the crest here looks pale. In addition there was a green plume on the left side. The coat had shorter tails than the other companies. The shoulder straps look plain here but in a print by Edmund Scott the Coldstream Light Company private has fringed epaulettes. The belts carried similar equipment. The other main difference was the leg wear. These were gaiter trousers that were white all-in-one garments. The Light and Grenadier companies formed on the flanks of the battalion companies and were thus referred to as flank companies.

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