Corporal and Privates 1813

Denis Dighton’s painting of men of the 10th Hussars on campaign in the Peninsula shows the uniform with the red facings introduced in 1811. The white cording across the chest has three vertical rows of buttons and is not framed with white lace as in the de Berenger illustration. The standing figure is a corporal, having two white stripes and a badge on his sleeve. The Stubbs painting of 1893 shows rank chevrons, but at that time two stripes denoted sergeant. In 1803 sergeants were ordered to have three stripes and corporals two. The badge above the stripes is indistinct but is probably the Prince of Wales feathers, the earliest form of NCO arm badge. This corporal wears the peakless black shako that had a very short life, being replaced c1815 by a peaked red shako. The plume is white over red and the plain lace around the top is white.
The barrel sash round his waist is blue and white, different from the one worn by de Berenger’s figure. He has a pelisse on his shoulder that has white fur. His white pouchbelt has a black ammunition pouch and white gloves attached to the carbine spring clip. His sword and plain black leather sabretache are slung from a white waistbelt. The overalls are light blue with tan leather up the inside leg and around the ankles. A white stripe runs up the outside leg. The 10th Hussars had a reputation for drunkenness in Spain at this time, a fact that came out in the court martial of Colonel Quentin in 1814. The seated man in the foreground is so drunk that he fails to notice the woman tipping his beer mug to spill his drink.

Regimental Details | Uniforms