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    Bill Detert
    Mar 02, 2020

    Capitalization of officer titles and military units in the Napoleonic wars.

    in General Discussions

    I am correcting a google translation from Italian. The capitalization is not consistent. If there is a published set of guidelines I would love to see them. These will illustrate my problem.

    - Is Empire and Emperor always capitalized?

    - In a unit title like: Chasseurs a cheval de la Garde Imperial is cheval or pied capitalized? I have seen them both ways. Is it because some were in a caption?

    - If an officer is general of division is anything capitalize?

    - What about colonel of the 6th hussars? C&H, general de brigade G&B

    Or is there just a general rule of thumb for this.

    I appreciate your suggestions. Thank you.


    5 answers6 replies
    11 Comments
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    Hans Wurst
    Mar 07, 2020

    Loïc, what des your tableau show ? A table of (parts of) units which retreat - from where and why ? And what do the abbreviations in the first column mean ?


    Sre ???

    1es ???

    4. Ve.

    4.

    5. Ae. and so on up to 36 Re. ?


    The rest seems clear: unit, number of men, and destination.

    1
    L
    Loïc Lilian
    Loïc Lilian
    Mar 08, 2020
    Replying to

    Actually it is the first page index from a departemental nominative register of Conscripts, the number of recruits gathered for each corps provided by this Department, the garrisons of the regimental Depots where the conscripts were sent, the first column is the numbering system by "folio" where are placed the nominatives lists of conscripts for each corps in the register. At the folio 4th there is the list of 15 names of conscripts assigned to the Depot of the 10e Bataillon Bis du Train d'Artillerie in Auch and a further 33 names for the Depot of the 4e Bataillon de Sapeurs in Metz

    Like
    Hans Wurst
    Mar 09, 2020
    Replying to

    Ah, <i>recrutent</i> not <i>reculent</i> ;-)


    So probably R° = recto and V° = verso.


    Many thanks!

    Like
    M
    Maggie Scott
    Maggie Scott
    Mar 04, 2020

    If you are intending to publish your translation in the US, absolutely follow the Chicago Manual of Style. Publishers require this, with no exceptions. If you intend to self-publish, I'd still recommend the CMS.

    1
    L
    Loïc Lilian
    Loïc Lilian
    Mar 04, 2020

    one thing are the "rules" and an other the reality of the practices and usages, the French of course tend also to capitalise the names of the military units in their printed or handwritten documents, despite you could find many people, often not at all interested in History or less in military History not having seen military papers or archives of their life and ignoring traditional military usages, to explain that is not really correct...


    1
    R
    Robert Burnham
    Robert Burnham
    Mar 04, 2020
    Replying to

    In general, in English you capitalize the following:


    A specific unit: the 6th Hussars

    The rank when you are talking about a specific individual: Lieutenant Colonel Smith, General of Division Brun, Sergeant Jones, Captains Smith and Jones




    Like
    David Hollins
    Mar 02, 2020

    -The Germans of course go the other way and capitalise every noun.

    English has gone for a compromise - or so I was taught - in that only proper nouns, including titles are capitalised.


    So, it is a colonel of 6th Hussars

    A charge by five hussar regiments

    Report to Colonel Smith of 6th Hussars.


    This does leave you writing about “a certain general”, so although it is technically wrong, I prefer to use “a certain General”.

    1
    tomholmberg
    Mar 02, 2020

    The French tend not to capitalize. Here are some rules:


    https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/redac-chap?lang=eng&lettr=chapsect3&info0=3


    https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2guides/guides/clefsfp/index-fra.html?lang=fra&lettr=indx_catlog_g&page=9gPqpCEZ5cFc.html


    https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/redac-chap?lang=fra&lettr=chapsect3&info0=3.3.13


    In English, perhaps the "Chicago Manual of Style" will provide some guidelines



    1
    D
    david Tomlinson
    david Tomlinson
    Mar 04, 2020
    Replying to

    For American English, maybe. As an old soldier, I tend to stick to the conventions of JSP101. https://www.da.mod.uk/events/jsp-101-defence-writing-guide

    Like
    tomholmberg
    Mar 05, 2020
    Replying to

    @david Tomlinsonhttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/778501/20180831-DCDC_Writers_Handbook_web.pdf