This page describes the uniforms
of the Danish cavalry during the Great Northern War. Just like the page
about Danish infantry uniforms, my information come from Karsten Skjold Petersen, Torstein Snorrason, Daniel Schorr and Lars-Eric Höglund (read
more about them on the infantry page).
The Danish cavalry had the same
cut and colours on their coats as the infantry. But apart from the regular coat
the cavalry man also had a buff coat made from elk skin and it was this
clothing they usually wore in combat. From 1707 they also wore a black
cuirass (although only with a front plate). Livgarden til Hest (Horse
Guards) and 1st Jyske had worn cuirasses even before 1707. Another
difference from the infantry was that cavalry officers until 1708 (when it
was forbidden) had reversed colours on their coats compared to the privates.
If for example the privates had red
coats with blue facings then the officers had blue coats with red facings.
The cavalry men's vests and
breeches were normally made of yellowish leather. The hats had silver lace and
an iron skull cap inside to protect the head. When the army shifted to red coats 1711
it was also decided that the saddle cloth should be red with edges in the same
colour as the coat's lining.
Officers had as distinctions a
sash and also silver and gold lace on their hat, saddle cloths and belts.
Unlike the privates they were not armed with carbines.
The dragoons were considered
to be mounted infantry and as such they did not have buff coats, cuirasses or
a skull caps in the hat.
On the other hand they ha grenadiers in their ranks which could have had
special grenadier caps.

 Livgarden
til Hest
(Horse Guards)
N. Krabbe
H. de Cheuses
B. J. Mörner
B. F. Oertzer |
1699
1708
1709
1712 |
1700-1756 Red coat (crimson 1702-1710) with white buttons and leg clothing
of yellowish leather. No vest until 1710
and thereafter a light blue/bleumerant vest.
1700-1708 Yellow facings and lining.
1708-1774 Light blue/bleumerant facings with silver edge, white
buttonholes and light blue/bleumerant lining.
1710-1774 As an alternative to the coat they also had a paille-yellow
buff coat with red buttonholes and unknown colour on the lining. Torstein
Snorrason states that the uniforms given to Livgarden in October 1699
(red coats with yellow facings) had silver buttons (i.e. "white" buttons
which were not made of pewter). Furthermore they wore a red cassock with yellow facings
which had the King's cypher embroidered both on the front and the back.
The uniform which in 1708 was worn by the quartermaster and corporals
(NCOs) included a hat with silver lace and black cockade of silk. The
neck cloth
was of black velvet. The cloak was crimson with blue lining and decorated with 7 ½
"ellen" silver lace. The saddle cloths
and pistol covers were also crimson as well as decorated with silver lace
(13 ½ "ellen") and pearl embroidery (probably the King's cypher).
The breeches were of deer buckskin. The belts were of leather, but for
parade they were covered with velvet in the regimental colour and silver
lace. The hair pouch also had a thin silver lace. Unlike the privates
the NCOs were not armed with carbines.
The privates had the same year blue and undyed (i.e. grey) stockings.
The uniform buttons were made of pewter. The hat and cloak were similar
to the NCOs but of lesser quality and the cloak did not have as much silver lace.
The saddle cloths and pistol covers were the same as the NCOs. Likewise
with the hair pouch. The carbine and the cartridge box belts were both
edged 5 ellen silver lace. The blue cartridge box cover was also covered with silver
embroidery (1 1/4
ellen). The postmaster in Malmö wrote in December 1709 that the Horse
Guards had red coats and cloaks with blue facings and silver lace.
Torstein Snorrason states however that they fought in the battle of Helsingborg
in their buff coats and cuirasses (the latter decorated with Frederick IV's
cypher). Despite of that the losses in this battle were so great that
the new uniforms ordered afterwards would no longer be in crimson but
instead of the cheaper madder red shade. Lars-Eric Höglund mentions
that the red saddle cloths should have a light blue lace in 1711. I have
made a guess that the facings to the buff coat (middle image) had the
same colour as the red coat. I have also guessed that the Horse Guards
later
uniforms had the same appearance as the Foot Guards and the Grenadier
Corps, thereof the white embroidery along the buttonholes and the shape
of the silver edge on the facings. |
  
Livregiment til Hest
K. D. Rewentlow
J. F. Bardenfleth |
1697
1714 |
1700-1713 Unknown uniform except the leg
clothing which was of yellowish leather until 1766.
1713-1715 Red coat with yellow facings.
1715-? Red coat with blue lining.
1722-? Red coat with orange facings and vest.
Before 1699 the Livregiment had grey coats
with red lining, but the uniform regulation from this year called for red coats with yellow lining.
In 1709 the cuirasses were decorated with the King's cypher and 1710
were the NCOs issued coats edged with silver lace.
Despite of Karsten Skjold
Peterson note of blue facings in 1715, the regulation of 1716 continued
to prescribe yellow facings. I have guessed that the buttonholes to the
buff coat were embroidered in red just like Livgarden til Hest
because yellow is difficult to distinguish from the elk skin the buff
coats were made of. |
 
Holstein Cuirassier Regiment
(Oldenborgske until 1702)
F. J. Dewitz
J. Gersdorf
J. Kneyl
K. Rantzau |
1701
1709
1714
1716 |
1700-1713 Unknown uniform except the leg
clothing which was of yellowish leather until 1768.
1713-1765 Red coat.
1722-? Light blue facings and lining (to 1756) and light blue
vest (to 1730). Snorrason wrote the the regulation of 1699
called for grey coats with red facings and that it otherwise was like
the Livregiment. The meaning of the latter is somewhat unclear but I
interpret it as if cuirasses with the King's cuirasses were issued 1709 and
that they had red coats when they returned from
Flanders. Because it was hired to the Maritime powers 1701-1713 the regiment
was not included in the regulation of 1711. The one from 1716 however
decreed a red coat with steel grey facings and lining. |
  
Württemberg Cuirassier Regiment
(The name was used 1705-1717)
K. Ahlefelt
Prince of Württemberg
H. Schubart |
1700
1705
1717 |
1700-1713 Unknown uniform except the leg
clothing which was of yellowish leather until 1765.
1713-1765 Red coat.
1722-1730 Light green facings and vest. This
regiment was raised 1700 and hired to the Maritime powers 1701-1713 so
it is not included in the regulations of 1699 and 1711. Lars-Eric
Höglund mentions however that the coat was light grey and that its
regimental colour possibly was mid blue. Although, considering the
regiment's later facing colour, it is worth noting that a faded green
colour can appear to be blue. The regulation from
1716 call for red coat with light green lining and facings.
Torstein
Snorrason wrote that an officer of this regiment with the rank of cornet
(officer cadet) wore a buff coat with gold and silver lace and a cuirass.
The saddle cloth too had gold lace. But unlike other officers he had no
sash. |
  "Hungarian"
Cuirassier Regiment
(Got its name after the return from Austrian service 1709. Was actually
named after its colonels)
N. H. Ditmersen
P. Trappaud
F. Winterfeldt
J. K. Prehn
U. O. Dewitz
K. Frijs |
1701
1706
1707
1707
1709
1717 |
1700-1713 Grey coat. Blue facings and lining 1709.
Leg clothing of yellowish leather until 1767.
1713-1767 Red coat.
1713-1716 Steel grey facings and lining.
1716-? Yellow facings with blue stripes. The lining was either blue
or yellow.
?-1722-? Paille-yellow facings with two light blue stripes, paille-yellow
vest and 1722-1738 paille-yellow lining.
According to Torstein Snorrason
the enlistment patent from 1701 stated that the regiment should have
grey-white coats and cloaks with blue lining and facings as well as
leather vests and breaches. But the original patent cannot be found
today and the information comes instead from 1709.
Lars-Eric Höglund wrote on the other hand that regiment in 1709 had a "red coat with steel green
collar". This information is most likely derived from Vaupel
and "steel green" instead of "steel grey" is in his work a
common typographical error caused by his publisher's difficulty to read
Vaupel's hand writings. The year also seems to be a confusion with the
above mentioned enlistment patent and the regulation from 1711 which
calls for red coats with steel grey lining and steel grey facings with
white lace along the buttons. Both Höglund and Schorr wrote that the regulation
from 1716 prescribe a red coat with blue lining and yellow facings with
a blue
stripe. Although Höglund also mention that there are other sources
describing a coat with yellow collar and lining. |
  Brockdorff's cuirassier regiment
This regiment is neither included in Karsten Skjold Petersen's
or in Lars-Eric Höglund's book. Torstein Snorrason notes that
the regiment in 1710 had a grey-white coat, as well as leather vest and breaches.
It also had cuirass and the normal cavalry equipment. The facing colour
is however not mentioned. According to the regulation from 1711 it
should have red coats with violet lining and violet facings with white
lace along the buttons. The regiment was disbanded because of bad
conduct during the battle of Gadebusch 1712. |

 
1st Sjællandske
K. See
H. Lövenhjelm
J. F. Bcoathuus |
1698
1710
1716 |
This regiment is together with the other Sjællandske cavalry regiments
oddly enough not included in Karsten Skjold Petersen's book.
According to Snorrason the coat was light grey with crimson lining. The Swedish force
at Humlebæk in 1700 reported that the regiment wore grey coats with red facings.
This is also confirmed 1709 by the
postmaster in Malmö who also mention a cloak with the same colours.
The regulations from 1711 and 1716 determined the coat to be red with black lining and facings. |
 2nd
Sjællandske
(disbanded 1714)
M. Numsen
J. Rantzau
K. Juel
K. Rantzau |
1685
1703
1708
1710-14 |
This regiment was hired to the Maritime powers 1701-1713 and was
thereafter disbanded. It is thus not included in the regulations from 1711 and
1716. According to the regulation from 1699 however it should have had a light grey coats
with purple lining. |

 3rd
Sjællandske
(2nd Sjællandske from 1714)
B. F. Raben
H. F. Legel
S. H. Donop |
1679
1707
1710 |
According to Snorrason 3rd Sjællandske had light grey
coats with sky blue
lining. These colours are confirmed by Swedish reports from the landing
at Humlebæk 1700.
The regulations from 1711 and 1716 calls for red coats with yellow lining
and yellow
facings with a black stripe. |

 
1st
Jyske
F. Legaard
H. Eyffler
R. G. Grabow
D. Revenfeldt |
1696
1709
1714
1716 |
1700-1714 Unknown uniform except the leg
clothing which was of yellowish leather until 1767.
1714-1765 Red coat. White buttons from 1716.
1722-1730 Orange facings with a white stripe.
According to Snorrason the coat was light grey with grass green facings
in the early part of the war.
Although when the English envoy Vrigny saw the regiment at a
muster 21 June 1702 he described it as dressed in buff coats with
cuirasses. The buff coat is reported as having cuffs of leather (uncoloured
cuffs?) with golden embroider (which also the gauntlets had). The
helmets were not worn because of the cold weather and they had instead hats with silver lace and
a black cockade.
In the spy report from the Malmö postmaster in December 1709 the
regiment is reported to have had white coats (i.e. light grey).
Curiously enough was 1st Jyske the only cavalry regiment he described as
a
"cuirassier regiment". This could suggest that the regiment
had more armour than the others. In 1699 they had received permission to
retain their full cuirass, i.e. cuirasses which also covered the back
and helmets and possibly protection on arms and legs.
According to the regulation from 1711 they should have had red coats and feuille-morte
facings with a white stripe and feuille-morte lining. But the 1716
regulation changed that to yellow facings with
a white stripe (according to Schorr along the middle of the cuffs) and yellow lining. |
 
2nd
Jyske
A. M. Utterwich
B. Bcoatdorff
H. H. Lüttichau |
1696
1706
1711 |
1700-1713 Unknown uniform except the leg clothing which was of yellowish leather until 1768.
1713-1764 Red coat.
1722-? Orange facings and orange vest. According to Snorrason
the 2nd Jyske's regimental colour was dark blue. Lars-Eric
Höglund wrote on the other hand that they had light grey coat with light blue.
Höglund is however in agreement with Schorr that the regulation of 1716 decreed a red coat with facings in feuille morte. |
 
3rd
Jyske
D. Bcoatdorff
H. de Cheuses
E. K. Deden |
1691
1709
1713 |
1700-1713 Unknown uniform except the leg clothing which was of yellowish leather until 1766.
1713-1766 Red coat.
1722-1730 Light blue facings with two orange stripes and light blue
vest. According to Snorrason the regiment had a light grey coat with facings and
lining in feuille morte when the Great Northern War began. The regulation from
1716 calls for a red coat, blue facings with a stripe in aurora, and blue lining.
Schorr's description of the appearance of the facings (small picture) is
different from the
1716 plate (large picture), but it corresponds with
the uniform carried 1722-1730 according to Karsten Skjold
Petersen. |

4th
Jyske
(disbanded 1714)
J. Rantzau
R. G. Grabow |
1699
1708-14 |
This regiment has not been described in Karsten Skjold Petersen's book.
According to Snorrason the 4th Jyske had light grey coats with isabel facings and lining.
Because it was hired to the Maritime powers 1700-1713 and thereafter disbanded
it is not included in the uniform regulations of 1711 and 1716. |
 
5th
Jyske
(4th Jyske from 1714)
A. E. Prehn
F. W. Schmettow
F. W. Schmelingh |
1685
1702
1716 |
1700-1713 Unknown uniform except the leg clothing which was of yellowish leather until 1768.
1713-1768 Red coat. According to Snorrason
the regiment had a light grey coat with yellow lining and facings.
Because it was hired to the Maritime powers 1701-1713 it was not
included by the regulation 1711. The one from 1716 states however that
the regiment were to have red coats, violet facings
with white lace along the buttons and violet lining. |


1st
Fynske
S. Bcoatdorff
F. Holck
K. Juel
J. Körbitz |
1691
1705
1710
1717 |
1700-1706 Light grey coat with light green facings
and lining. Leg clothing was of yellowish leather until 1757.
1706-1711 Unknown uniform.
1711-1730 Dark green facings with a white stripe, and until 1765
dark green lining.
1714-1765 Red coat. White buttons from 1716. Possibly blue facings 1709,
read more about this in the description of 2nd Fynske. |

2nd
Fynske
F. Ahlefeldt
H. H. Lüttichau
K-O Camps
F. A. Danneskjold-Laurvig
M. Rosenörn
K. Rosencrantz-Schack |
1696
1706
1707
1709
1712
1715 |
1700-1713 Light grey coat (red facings 1702) and
leg clothing of yellowish leather.
1713-1765 Red coat and leg clothing of yellowish leather.
1722-? Green and orange facings as well as a green vest.
Snorrason states that the coat was light grey coats with orange lining and
facings. Because orange at this time referred to a more reddish shade of
this colour (which was also called aurora) it is very possible that it
could have been interpreted as red. Karsten Skjold Peterson's note of
red facings 1702 is therefore not necessarily a contradiction to the
Snorrason. It says in the 1709 spy report from the Malmö postmaster
that "Fynske regiment" had "white
coats and cloaks, blue cuffs and collars"
Both Fynske cavalry regiments participated in the Scanian campaign 1709-10, but Torstein Snorrason have
identified this
regiment as the 2nd Fynske Regiment. Blue facings is however not
mentioned in any other source for the Fynske regiments. Green
is on the other hand a very common colour among both cavalry and
infantry regiments from Fyn. Perhaps the facing colour was green
originally but had become blue as a result of the yellow dye used to
create green had faded more than the blue dye. This was a fairly common
phenomena
in older times.
Both
Daniel Schorr and Lars-Eric Höglund writes that the regulations from 1711 and 1716
stated that 2nd Fynske should have red coats, aurora facings with
green edge and green lining (small picture).
The plate from 1716 show however a reversed colour scheme and that
is the one depicted in the larger picture to the right. |

Livregiment
Dragoons
C. de la Batt
K. Rodsten
K. A. Holst
R. H. Bülow
H. H. Bibow |
1700
1706
1709
1710
1712 |
1700-1701 Unknown uniform except the leg clothing which was of yellowish leather until 1797.
1702 Red coat with white facings and lining.
1702-1713 Unknown uniform.
1713-1766 Red coat with white facings.
1720-1763 White vest.
1735-1774 White lining and white buttons.
The image to the left depicts the Holstein Dragoon Regiment which was
disbanded 1701
by a merger with Livregiment Dragoons. According to Lars-Eric Höglund
this
regiment had red coats with green facings and lining.
Höglund wrote about Livregiment Dragoons (without giving a date) that
they had hats
with silver lace and a black cockade. Their coat was crimson
with white facings and lining. The grenadiers had fur caps with silver
embroidery in the front.
The postmaster in Malmö reported
1709 that Rodsten's dragoon regiments had red coats and cloaks with white
cuffs and collars. The regulations from 1711 and 1716 also confirm that Livregiment
Dragoons had red coats with white facings. |


"Hungarian" Dragoon Regiment
(Got its name after the return from Austrian service 1709. Was actually
named after its colonels)
K. Rodsten
P. D. Trampe
F. Gersdorff
R. H. Bülow
G. E. Bülow
D. E. Holsten |
1700
1704
1706
1708
1710
1711-14 |
1700-? Blue facings and lining.
1709-1714 Grey coat with orange facings and lining.
This was originally two dragoon regiments commanded by Rodsten and Juul
which were hired to Austria 1701 and merged 1703 after they had suffered
great casualties in northern Italy.
Then it fought in Hungary until it returned to Denmark 1709 and received
new
uniforms. During the time in foreign service the regiment received
Austrian equipment
(which they kept after they returned home) and it recruited new soldiers
on location so that it almost exclusively was composed of Hungarians and
Germans. The regiment was disbanded 1714 and most of its men were
transferred to the Württemberg Dragoon Regiment. At that time the ratio
of ethnic Danes in the Hungarian Dragoon Regiment was still as low as 4 % (the
average for Danish cavalry regiments was 29 %).
No other regiment has
as much conflicting information about its uniforms as the Hungarian dragoons. Lars-Eric Höglund
notes that in 1700 they had a red coat with facings and lining in blue.
This would then have changed in 1703 to yellow
coats with light blue lining. After the return to Denmark 1709 they were
issued a blue or grey coat with orange lining and facings.
The postmaster in Malmö reported however that they had had red coats
and cloaks with blue cuffs and collars. Torstein Snorrason who has
written a article about this particular regiment mention that during its
time in Austrian service sources describe its coats as grey
with orange facings, blue with yellow facings and yellow with blue facings. For
the time in Danish service he refers to a specification from July1709
which say that the regiment should have blue coats with orange lining and
facings. But he considers it doubtful that they actually received these
uniforms. Snorrason instead refer to the above mentioned spy report from
the Malmö postmaster as well as an image of one of its officers who died 1711
and is depicted in a red coat with blue facings. The regulation from
1711 stated that the regiment should have red coats with lining in aurora
and facings win aurora with a white stripe. Although, according to Snorrason,
the regimental commander complained over this decision because he had
recently received blue cloaks and saddle cloths which were not due
for replacement until two years' time. He thought it was better to
instead have dark blue as their regimental colour, and that the old coats
could be used as camisoles (vests). The interpretation I have made is
that the spy report from 1709
is correct and that the Hungarian dragoons fought in the
battle of Helsingborg
in red coats with dark blue facings and had red cloaks. I have also
guessed that the still had these uniform colours in the battle of Gadebusch with
the exception that they were issued blue cloaks 1711. The comment that
the old coats could be used as camisoles probably meant that they were
turned inside out in so that a red coat with blue lining became a blue vest.
Al this means that I have not followed Karsten Skjold Petersen who notes
that they had grey
coats with orange facings 1709-1714. These and the other alternative
coats are illustrated below:
An explanation to the large number of similar uniforms could be that
observer confused the coats with the cloaks which may have had the
colours reversed compared to the coats. Torstein Snorrason have made
the assumption that the regiment wore traditional Hungarian caps (instead
of the tricornes I have depicted them with) because most of the regiment
consisted of Hungarians. |
  Württemberg Dragoon Regiment
(disbanded 1721)
Prince of Württemberg-Oels
J. Bonar
W. Schulenburg |
1701
?
1713-21 |
1701-1702 White coat with yellow facings and yellow
lining.
1703-1721 Unknown uniform. The English envoy Vrigny
wrote in 1702 that Württemberg Dragoon Regiment's uniform was a white (light
grey) coat with yellow facings. The enlistment patent from 1701 notes
however that they should have blue coats with facings and
lining in red. Lars-Eric Höglund has interpreted this as if the white/yellow coats
were a temporary uniform, and this also appears to be Karsten Skjold
Petersen's conclusion. Torstein Snorrason on the other hand believes
that Vrigny made a mistake and actually described Prince
Carl's Infantry Regiment which according to Snorrason should have had grey coats
with yellow facings and were deployed in the same area. To make it more
confusing, Skjold Petersen believes that it was Prince Carl's regiment
which had blue coats with red facings.
The regiment was hired to the Maritime powers 1703-1713 and
is therefore not included in the regulation from 1711. The one from 1716
decrees red coats with lining and facings in aurora. |
Sjællandske-Fynske
National Dragoons
(enlisted cuirassier regiment from 9 March 1711, disbanded 1721)
F. H.
Sprengel 1704, H. E. Prehn 1710, G. D. Finecke 1719
According to Snorrason the Sjællandske-Fynske national dragoons should
have had
light grey coats with blue facings and red saddle cloths.
The spy report from December 1709 by the post master in Malmö states however
that
"Fynske national dragoons" had blue coats and cloaks as well as white facings
and collars. A probable explanation is that they had turned their coats
inside out to fool the Swedes. The blue coats actually confused the
Swedes on more than one occasion during the Scanian campaign.
The uniform regulations from 1711 and 1716
prescribed that the regiment should have red coats with light green lining and
light green facings with a red stripe. |
  Jyske
National Dragoons
(enlisted cuirassier regiment from 15 December 1710, disbanded 1721)
1704-1713 Unknown uniform
1713-1764 Red coat. According to Snorrason the Jyske
national dragoons should have had light grey coats with red facings and
blue saddle cloths. According to the regulations from 1711 and 1716 the regiment
should have had red coats with light blue lining and light blue facings with
a black stripe. |
National Dragoons Raised 1717
A new batch of national dragoons was raised in 1717 and replaced the
two regiments from 1704 that had been converted to enlisted cuirassiers 1710-11.
This time they consisted of three regiments with the names: East Sjællandske, West Sjællandske
and Jyske-Fynske. They wore red coats but apart from that their
uniforms are, according to Karsten Skjold Petersen,
unknown until 1722. Lars-Eric Höglund mentions however that their
collars were: light blue with a wide white edge; light yellow with red
and white edge
respectively light brown with a black edge.
East Sjællandske
K. Rantzau 1717
K. F. Haxthausen 1720
 |
West Sjællandske
F. Eberhartz 1717
 |
Jyske-Fynske
F. E. Amthor 1717
 |
1722-? Blue facings with paille-coloured stripe.
(1728)-1730 Blue with black and white stripes |
1722-? Orange facings with two light blue
stripes. Orange vest.
1729 Facings and lining in paille. |
1722 Paille-coloured facings with a light blue
stripe. Lining and vest in paille.
?-1730 Paille-coloured facings and collar
with black and white stripes. Lining and vest
in paille. |
|