I have recently purchased a 19th century drawing of the battle which shows a French infantryman/gunner with the number 103 on his napsack and a field gun with 47 on it. Can anyone give any information about these regiments/battalions and their role in the battle
Thanks
I wouldn't put too much store by the accuracy here. The uniforms and equipment are clearly influenced by other nations and later styles. The French(?) shakos seem a little too bell-topped. They also seem to have acquired what appear to be shoulder rolls on their habit-vestes, Painting a regimental number on your knapsack was mostly a British and allies practice, and as @Hans - Karl Weiß points out, impractical on french goatskin ones.
The proportion of the cannon barrel seems more like a later naval breach loader than a period muzzle loader. The carriage is drawn crudely, but has more of the British mono-trail design about it.
All in all, nothing to suggest it was particularly well researched or observed. If I were you, I'd just enjoy it and try not to read too much into it!
I wouldn't make 103, this is just by chance a number appearing due to the shading of the back pack, a number like this on a calfskin, how should that work out?
As for the gun, a simple gun number? Or painted in 1847, the gun is far from a French one.
Now the whole drawing
I attach a photo of the drawing
I agree, an image would be easier to interpret.
Best would be to show the painting, a knapsack with regimental number - calfskin - very unusual for the French, I never saw this.
It could be the 4th Coy of the 7th Artillery? I think it was attached to the Young Guard?
There was of course a 105eme de Ligne on the field. How clear is the 3?