De Saxe, the POPP’s best penpal

(Last update: O4.16."14)

It seems that two characters could hardly be more different than Maurice de Saxe and Louys de Monte-Cristo. A nomad mercenary, stateless, living of commanding field armies; and the sedentary ruler of a peaceful country surviving by the practice of lucrative ‘warmly friend to all belligerents’ type of neutrality. Yet, while they never met in person, a deep friendship developed over years of written correspondence.






Louys noticed Maurice when the later was still a mere regimental officer in the Saxon army in 1715. De Saxe always liked the company of young women, and one of them happened to be Monte-Cristan (not surprising when one remembers how Monte-Cristan diplomacy –official and especially unofficial– checks for rising stars in the circles of power and influence accross whole Europe).


.
Maurice was curious (and somehow glad, on a personal level) to learn that Louys had even more brothers and sisters than himself: while he had to be content with some 300 siblings, for Louys every single day of the year (even a leap one) was the birthday of at least one brother or sister.



They soon started to exchange letters, and later gifts. Letters and parcels from Monte-Cristo had always been carried by a special deliverer – a fair young Monte-Cristan maid, who stayed with Maurice until he wrote a reply (which could take some time…). De Saxe wanting to be always surrounded with young actresses and ballerinas, a theatre and a ballet were permanently attached to his household, or to his HQ when campaigning. Within the troupe there was at any moment at least one young Monte-Cristan damsel, who would be the messanger carrying any letter or gift from Maurice to Louys. Monte-Cristans are convinced that there were several other, incognito, under ‘alias’, to use de Saxe’s company as a cover to enter the surroundings of the French Court and High Staff (one of them figured here? Unlikely: too old and not cute enough, the face specially. Hem.. scroll down).

Maurice regularly sent large samples of any local new strong spirit he discovered on his way; Louys sent every year racks of bottles of MC Green, the universal medicine (75% alcohol) to keep Maurice in good health, sparkling Rose and Anised Absinth by barrels, with crates of candied fruits, nougat, pralines and fruit drops to soften the potential feminine conquest of his friend.





In their letters they exchanged rumours, gossip and hard facts about the European diplomatic situation, the French court and government; Maurice soon ceased to be surprised that Louys, from remote Monte-Cristo, generally knew more than himself and gratefully appreciated the information.



Their topics were rather eclectic: they exchanged observations, comments and hypotheses about the reality and significance of the similarities (first pointed out by French Academician Du Mezyl) between the division of the french electorate in ‘nobility’, ‘clergy’ and ‘third state’, the division of the three ‘high’ Indian castes in ‘warriors’, ‘brahmins’ and ‘yeomen’, and the old scandinavian pantheon with Thor, Odin and the Vanes minor gods.
They also discussed the works of the French physician Jouvet de l’Hostel-Dieu, who recorded his dreams every morning over decades, then devised a very ingenious statistical method using perforated cards with colored edges, to search for correlations between the content and atmosphere of the dreams and mood, activities of the day, recent events, sexual activity, age and season…. Louys set the Monte-Cristan Academy of Sciences to design and built an automated computing and analytical engine using perforated cards.

They also discussed matters of warfare. While the Guardian of the Peace for his tiny country, Louys had read & thought much about stategy and tactics. The private Presipapal library contains an unique handwritten translation of the Chinese ‘Art of War’, with all the original illustrations carefully reproduced. It is said to have been brought from China by the very same Monte-Cristan lady -traveling in the disguise of a Holy Sister of St. Jezebel (while in mission, the Presipapal 'wives' can sometimes be depicted as 'Macho Women with Guns'), or even, with a false beard, as a Portuguese jesuit- copied the secrets of chinese naphta fire-throwers and gunpowder weapons: rockets, various hand grenades and bombs including among other the ‘excrement gas bomb’. Louys had this precious manuscript hand copied, with all illustrations duplicated by the best forgers, for Maurice.

.
.
Similarly, de Saxe deeply enjoyed the loan (or gift of excellent copies) of some special books, paintings and etchings from the Presipapal library.

(text by Jeanne de Pompadour, Louis XV's "Lady of Beauty")

Louys had already a long lasting interest in military uniforms when he started to correspond with Maurice. So he made knowledgeable comments when de Saxe designed the uniform of his Uhlans. Louys was not really convinced by the dress itself, showing Maurice’s taste for both exoticism and theatre. While the baggy trousers and open sleeves were common features of eastern Europe light cavalry (from Lithuana to Ukraine) and the turban followed the current fashion for ‘turkeries’ (the Uhlans were musilm), the helmet and body jacket came straight from theatre costume. The helmet was of pseudo-ancient (hellenistico-roman) type with its raised metallic crest, while the multilobate lower edger of the jacket corresponded to the depiction of ancient armour with pteruges when playing ‘Julius Caesar’ or ‘Horacius’. At least Louys convinced Maurice to forget the mail shirt and mace the later initially intended to give to his Uhlans. On the other hand Louys warmly complimented de Saxe for the helmet itself, promising it to a large and long-lasting success –actually prophetizing it would be soon and widely copied, and would still be in use in centuries to come.


PROJECTS OF UNIFORMS
Louys also suggested –would someday Maurice become the ruler of his own Duchy or Principality– the uniforms for his Gardes du Corps and mixed Household Legion (by then de Saxe had not yet fully developed the reflections that were to lead him to the very unconventional proposals published in the two tomes of the « Reveries »).




The Gardes du Corps were to wear an uniform identical in cut and ornementation to that of their French models, but wholly in ‘true’ (buddhist monk) saffron with (reddish) ‘ancient’ purple facings (reversing the cloak presented by Alexander to his Companions). For contrast (and to respect the rules of heraldry) light blue silk would have been mixed with the silver threads in the lace and cover of the carbine bandolier (the later with ancient purple squares).


The Household Legion would have worn a coat identical in cut and ornementation to that of the Gardes Francaises, but of a slightly darker blue, and with additional lace on all sewings. Waistcoat (with buttonholes lace) and breeches of the same blue cloth. Facings silver grey silk, regimental metal: silver; the 'Blue & Silver' combination in rememberance of (part of) the Great arms of Courland, which young de Saxe had ruled for a short time. Guard Dragoons would have worn the ‘bottines’ of the French Grenadiers a Cheval, and would have been armed the same. Guard infantry with white gaiters, tricorn for the fusiliers, mirliton for the chasseurs (shortened musket, additional large cartridge bow above the belt buckle, long hunting dagger doubling as bayonet); old pattern cap (as early 18°C French dragoons, but with the front slightly higher) for the grenadiers, as for (in reversed colors and with different symbol embroidered) the battalion guns crews, pioneers, farriers and drivers.


As light Guard cavalry, de Saxe would probably recreate his very first ‘own’ unit, the Saxe-Volontaires Uhlans, with their original uniform and weaponry: 'A simare or long tunic Tartar-fashion, green lined red, with very short slit sleeves edged in red; a red waistcoat; a mailshirt; a green baggy trouser with a red scalloped stripe on the side and edged red in the lower extremity; a red belt-sach; hungarian boots; a pointed green over red cap; a small pouch in natural leather; oriental sword, pistols, mace and lance with red pennon.'
The well-known uniformologist-cum-painter L.F. Funcken attempted to visualize it in the illustration 4 p.39 in the 2nd volume of its compilation of uniforms of our times. Yet the basis of the cap should be red, its miserably hanging upper part is uncertain (Lithuano-Tatar headgear is not well known), and chiefly the mailshirt is missing! Then, when Maurice was active in Poland, Lithuanians fielded 'Petyhoria' equivalent to Polish 'Pancerni', i.e. mailed 'medium' cavalry: thus de Saxe's Uhlans would wear a recent type of Pancerni mail shirt (though, seemingly, without the coiff). From the side, its sleeves would appear between the very short sleeves of the overall 'Simare' and the long sleeves of the 'waist'; to be visible, the red sash has to be worn over the mail? For the officers the sleeves of the ‘samare’ would be long and ‘semi false’ and those of the ‘waistcoat’ large, wide and with serrated edges. Perhaps de Saxe, now fond of helmets, would give one to at least the officers and non-com? Maybe of Hyrkhanian type (pointed with a fur crown). Anyway green would be sustituted with white as a reminder of the Arms of Courland. Corporals would wear a wolf pelt on the shoulder, as a kind of pelisse; lynx for sergeants and panther or tiger for officers, with assorted schabraque.



These Guard troops were not to wear de Saxe’s helmet, intended for the main part of the army, the ‘Legions’ as described in the ‘Reveries’, which were to replace both line and light infantry (update: illustration; see comment below). They would have been entirely clothed in light blue-grey (very similar to WW1 French ‘bleu horizon’), facings of the same darker blue as the Household's coat, metal: silver. The upper part of the uniform would conform to de Saxe's description: instead of a 'justaucorps' (coat) "a waistcoat, slightly larger than usual, over a 'doublet' (vest)". Thus they would look not too dissimilar from early British light infantry in Canada, with the sleeves of the coat sewed to the waistcoat (without the very parochial 'shoulder wings', but with diminutive versions of the British grenadiers'); but the waistcoat would be larger, perhaps with turnbacks to the front, revealing the vest (thus maybe looking like the uppergarnments of some ‘fictitious’ Marines). The gaiters to be even higher than the British ones. Note that officers, except for the helmet, were expected to be dressed as fashionable gentlemen! Three variants of helmet were stipulated: one (with seacow skin turban –panther for officers) for ordinary companies (of ‘line’ infantry and legionnary cavalry), one slightly heavier with bearskin for the ‘veteran’ companies, one lighter and without turban (but with a toric pad like that of the Uhlans, but smaller; black criss-crossed yellow, reversed for officers) for the light infantry ‘velites’. The saddlecloth of the cavalrymen would have been extended and padded, with an extra pair of (very simple) stirrups, so that the velites could ride double comfortably. The legionnary cavalry itself would have been trained to fight dismounted in close or skirmish order.



The uniforms of the independant cavalry regiments, artillery corps, engineers, army pioneers and drivers were not considered. Presumably they would have kept their previous uniforms, had de Saxe received their country in sovereignty? Unless de Saxe would change them to remind him of the Red and Yellow uniforms of Saxe-Poland of his youth, or / and give them the Black and Yellow of his own Arms, complemented where required by the colors of the Great Arms of Courland: white, silver grey, medium blue, and at last the medium green of his coat-of-arms. Thus, use prefrentially for facings the colors of this list not used in the main uniform.

For such a Saxe-Chambord (¿ ?) Army a possibility could be: Curassiers in full blackened cuirass over yellow coat, ‘straw’ deerskin smallclothes, lace edging the waistcoat, and saddlecloth, of facing color: black, red, silver grey, medium blue; black horses. Dragoons (cut as de Saxe’s, but tricorn) black coat faced yellow, waistcoat and saddlecloth of facing color (white, red, medium blue, green), natural buckskin breeches. Line Infantry in red faced yellow (Saxe-Poland fashion), the combination of red, yellow, black and white on waistcoat x breeches allowing to distinguish 16 regiments (Grenadier with Saxon-Polish mitre, not detached). For the Light Infantry, as ‘Charging Irregulars’, earlier Poles but with true Berdish Axe in addition to musket, (sergeants with ‘Scythe’ and a pistol), a czapka {except for the officiers, in colpak} (chapka) in its ealiest low, soft form (Cracow, 17th C. ) yellow with black fur (red with white fur for drummers, red lined white ‘kaftan’ with front turnbacks (colors reversed for drummers; bass drummer with black-braided and lined jacket with ample open sleeves (see Light troops, the tight ones of the red undercoat are thus visible, officer’s-like colpak with white fur and very long bag; a lynx skin on the left shoulder, a pair of classical Polish ‘wings’ in the back), yellow undercoat, black trousers, red boots boots of Saffian (yellow for officers). As ‘Skirmishers’ 1st Corps and Redoubt Colonial French in fatigue cap, black cap edged yellow (black fur officers) green blag, medium green lined black waistcoat and breeches (medium green coat lined black for officers), light buff deerkskin ‘mitasse’ (troop) or gaiters (sergeants) or buckled ‘bottines’ (officers); blackened buttons. Artillery could be very similar to the French onebut: black smallclothes, yellow cuff flaps, metal generally = silver [gold for the elite H+ and veteran Horse crews], bombardiers as ‘Trained’, all Grenadiers distinguishing features, bearskin as Kerjean's Grenadiers (black fur, scarlet laced silver bag); Horse crews: black-braided yellow Hungarian waistcoat, buckskin breeches, same fur cap (black fur, scarlet bag) and ‘bottines’ as de Bussy’s dragoons (Osprey MAA 313 p. 14). Militia / Pioneers: as Ny Tradgarland militia, white-laced tricorn, white gaiters, uniform color intermediate between the brown shown and the (light) grey of early 18th C. French infantry, mustard facings; front turnbacks only for troops; an infantry sword in addition to the bayonet. Drivers (Artillery Train, Army Train and ‘Trained Line’ battalion gun teams): as militia, dark chocolate facings, dark buckskin breeches, clear natural deerkin gaiters for muleteers, French dragoon ‘botttines’ for the riding ones, French fatigue cap (black turban, yellow cap) except for those affected to the H+ and S Howitzers batteries: tricorn; for weapons &c. see those of Zennice: except drivers affected to the Horse Artillery: deerskin waistcoat, late 17th C. French dragoon cap (very dark brown fur, mahogany bag).