Hunter with horse

A hunter with Cheval is a riding type of light, generally in charge of the lighting of the army.

Origin and creation

The hunters could be used to continue the enemy units diverts some, it was as the scraping-knife in the hand of the army which completed the casualties.

Hunters of Fischer

The hunters (with horse and foot) are created by a German mercenary with the service of France during the War of succession of Austria. It then arrived frequently that Austrian hussard S seize the French horses. To take them again, a body of partisans is created by Johann Christian Fischer (or Jean Chrétien Fischer): it “will drive out” mountings. This body of volunteers, formed of bold servants, is recognized by an ordinance of 1743: it is the frank Compagnie of the hunters , made up of 45 hunters to foot and fifteen riders. Fischer is made captain. This company becomes the mixed body of the riders, infantrymen and hunters of Fischer, with manpower of 600 men (two thirds of infantrymen, a third of riders). They are distinguished with the seat from Berg-COp-Zoom. Fischer holds the rank of lieutenant-colonel of infantry and cavalry in 1747. A body of hunters is raised for the Company of the Indies.

At the time of the War Seven Year old, the hunters of Fischer take Marbourg and Ziegenheim, beats the hunters hanovriens. They make, as for the preceding war, of the supply for the army. It beats the Prussian Arrière-garde, with the passage of the Arlof river, after the battle of Bergen (13 avr. 1759). This body counts then more than 1200 men, including 50% infantrymen and 50% of riders, plus 800 supernumerary. After several other exploits, he becomes sergeant (1759), but in 1761, the body of the hunters is given to the marquis de Conflans. Fischer remains lieutenant-colonel.

Creation of other bodies of hunters

On the model of the hunters of Fischer, mixed units are created:

in 1744, arquebusiers of Grassin;
in 1745, fusiliers of Morlière;
in 1746, volunteers of Gantès, volunteers Breton and volunteers of the Dauphine one;
in 1747, volunteers of Hainaut, then royal volunteers.

These bodies are dissolved since 1749. Other units are made up:

royal volunteers;
volunteers of Flandres;
the legion of Hainaut (created in 1763), re-elected in 1768 Lorraine legion;
foreign volunteers of Clermont-Prince (created in 1758), who duplicates himself in 1761 with the creation of the volunteers of Saint-Victor; these bodies constitute in 1761 the legion of Clermont-Prince, famous legion of Cop in 1766;
the foreign volunteers of Wurmser is created in the 1762, famous year following volunteers of Soubise, then famous 6th legion of Soubise;
the Corsican legion is created in 1769, re-elected legion of Dauphine in 1775.

All these bodies function in the same way: mix foot soldier and riders, daring actions, and none bears the name of hunters. In 1776, the Count of Saint-Germain dissolved these legions and creates officially twenty-four squadrons of hunters with horse which are distributed between the twenty-four regiments of dragon. In 1779, an ordinance separates these squadrons from hunters (sometimes named Chevau-léger S) and gathers them to give rise to six regiments of hunters with horse, numbered from one to six. In 1784, these bodies become again mixed by the addition of a battalion of infantry. They thus include/understand 612 riders and 348 infantrymen, and are named:

1st hunters of the Alps;
2nd hunters of the Pyrenees;
3rd hunters of the Vosges;
4th hunters of the Cevennes;
5th hunters of Gévaudan;
6th hunters of the Ardennes.

End of the mixed units

Since 1788, these units are divided. Each unit of hunters becomes hunters to foot; the riders are transferred in new regiments, numbered from 7 to 12. Numbers 1 to 6 are allotted to regiments of dragons converted into hunters. What gives:

1 {{er}} regiment of Alsace formed with Humières-Cavalry
2 {{E}} regiment of Évêchés formed with Fimarcon-Dragons
3 {{E}} regiment of Flandres formed with Fay-Dragons
4 {{E}} regiment of Franche-Comté formed with Nancré-Dragons
5 {{E}} regiment of Hainaut formed with Audigeau-Dragons
6 {{E}} regiment of Languedoc formed with Languedoc-Dragons
7 {{E}} regiment of Picardy formed with the squadrons of the hunters of the Alps
8 {{E}} regiment of Guyenne formed with the squadrons of the hunters of the Pyrenees
9 {{E}} regiment of Lorraine formed with the squadrons of the hunters of the Vosges
10 {{E}} regiment of Brittany formed with the squadrons of the hunters of the Cevennes
11 {{E}} regiment of Normandy formed with the squadrons of the hunters of Gévaudan
12 {{E}} regiment of Champagne formed with the squadrons of the hunters of the Ardennes

In 1791, all these regiments lose their name of province, and are simply named regiment of hunters with horse.

See too

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