Old Guard infantry Old Guard (France)

wearing distinctive bearskin caps, napoleon’s old guard celebrated , feared elite military formation of day.

there 4 regiments of old guard infantry: 1st , 2nd each of grenadiers , chasseurs. members of old guard benefitted number of different privileges, including considerably increased wages imperial guard.

requirements old guard candidates

under 35 years of age @ entry
at least 10 years of service
at least 3 campaigns (some had fought in many 12 campaigns)
had have faced enemy fire @ front
had on 6 ft. shorter candidates went chasseurs de la garde (this because napoleon wanted surrounded tall men.)

in 1814 1st chasseurs still had many old-timers: example sapper rothier 21 years of service , 2 wounds; private stoll 22 years of service , 20 campaigns. old, or crippled, sent company of veterans in paris. small unit full of soldiers, lacking arm, others striped saber cuts.

each member of old guard highly trained , experienced soldier , formed formidable sight on battlefield when mustered regiments; taught fight unlike other soldier in french army.

any cowardly tendencies or otherwise cautious habits thoroughly purged through intense training, included advanced bayonet , hand-to-hand combat techniques. old guard earned fearsome reputation through many military engagements of napoleonic wars, battle of austerlitz, battle of dresden, famous , final battle of waterloo (june 1815).