Fusiliers, according to the Art militaire , are soldiers armed with fusils and who carry a bandolier. See also Fusil.

The first regiment of fusiliers was created in 1671 for the guard of the artillery. The regiment was armed with fusils in place of muskets, which were the most common armament amongst the corps of infantry. These soldiers were also given the bayonet in addition to the sword, the first regiment of soldiers so armed.

The regiment began as four companies, each of one hundred men, that were drawn from other troops; the officers were taken from the King’s regiment. The first of these four companies were called the company of gunners of the grand-master ; they were in effect composed of gunners but by an ordonnance of Louis XIV, they became working soldiers like the other three. They [the first company] were commanded by the commander of the second battalion.

One other of these companies was composed of sappers, that is to say those who work in the trenches. Stonecutters, masons and others capable of working in mines were also employed; it was commanded by the lieutenant-colonel of the regiment, and chiefly employed in sapping.

The two others were subsequently placed at the head of the third and fourth battalion and were composed of both wood and iron workers and were used to make bridges and other works of this kind. The corps, initially composed of these four companies in 1671, was increased in 1672 before the war with Holland to twenty-two companies. A regiment of two battalions was formed called the regiment of fusiliers and in 1677 was augmented with four battalions, each of fifteen companies, drawn from the old regiments. These four battalions came after the first two and were ranked between themselves by the seniority of the regiments from which they had come from.

After the peace of Nimegue in 1679, the sixth battalion was reformed [1]. A short while after in the same year, six companies of gunners were reformed, the soldiers of which were drawn from the troops. Four of these companies were given to four senior captains of the first two battalions: the first two [companies?] were given to the two most senior of the last four battalions.

In 1689 there was an increase to six companies of gunners, taken from the troops, & officers of the regiments, so that there were now 12 companies of gunners, but these were not organized in a battalion. That same year, the third and fourth battalion was increased so that each had a company of grenadiers. In 1691, the King put all battalions into thirteen companies instead of sixteen, the last three companies of each of the last three battalions of this regiment were taken, to which were added three other companies drawn from the troops; which made twelve companies. These twelve companies supplied another one of grenadiers and from all of this composed a third battalion according to the King’s regulations and Sieur de Bouvincourt was chosen to command it as third captain of the regiment. In 1693 the King ordered that the regiment should henceforth be known as the Royal Regiment of Artillery, the officers were commissions of the King, but they were to be addressed as grand-master of artillery as was the lieutenant colonel of the regiment. Memoire d’artillerie de Saint-Remi.

The Royal Regiment of Artillery was again augmented in 1721 with the Regiment of Bombardiers, who were incorporated to become one and the same corps with this regiment. See Bombardiers. It was divided into five battalions which were place at Strasbourg, Grenoble, La Fere and Perpignan. The latter was later transferred to Besançon.

These battalions were composed of eight companies of one hundred men each, not including the first and second captain, two lieutenants and two sub-lieutenants. Each company was divided into three squads.

The first of these [squads] was double and composed of twenty-four gunners or bombardiers and twenty-four apprentice soldiers.

The second [squad] was composed of twelve miners of sappers and twelve apprentices.

The third was composed of twelve wood and iron workers and others useful for artillery work and twelve apprentices. There were also two cadets [footnote] and two drummers for each company. [2]

The battalions were independent of one another; the officers of different battalions did not enrol together in their employment; they climbed the ranks in their own battalion.

Notes

1. See Reformed.

2. Translators note: A cadet was a young gentlemen who served alongside the men to learn the necessary skills to become an officer.