Voltigeur

The Voltigeurs were French military skirmish units created in 1804 by Emperor Napoleon I. They replaced the second company of fusiliers in each existing infantry battalion. The voltigeurs moniker later saw use with other militaries.

Etymology

Voltigeurs (English: "vaulters") were named after their originally conceived mode of operation: although they were foot soldiers, on the battlefield they were intended to jump onto the croup of cavalry horses to advance more quickly. This proved unworkable and they were trained to be elite skirmishers, but they retained their original name. Voltigeurs formed an integral part of the Grande Armée's basic building blocks, the line and light infantry battalions.

Line and light infantry voltigeurs

In 1804, each French Line (Ligne) and Light (Légère) infantry battalion was ordered to create one company of ninety of the best shots who would serve as elite skirmishers. The voltigeurs were skilled at sharpshooting and received specific training in marksmanship, using cover and taking the initiative.

Like the grenadiers, this company would frequently be detached from the battalion to perform specialised light infantry tasks—operating in loose formation, forming the skirmish line and screening the battalion from the enemy. The formation instruction for voltigeurs gave no indication where they were supposed to stand in the battle line.

Although the original concept of skirmishers using cavalry to transport them during battle quickly proved unworkable in any large scale, voltigeurs did on occasion ride with French dragoons to battle, as recalled by a British officer on the harrowing retreat of John Moore's army prior to the Battle of Corunna.