Monsieur Etienne François Vitry of the Departmental Guard.
All the veterans are wearing the Saint Helena medal. This medal, created in August 1857 by Napoleon III, was awarded to the soldiers still living in 1857, who had fought with Napoleon I during the 1792-1815 war, as promised by emperor Napoleon in his will. It is estimated that 405 000 (French, Belgiums, Dutch, Danish, Irish, etc..) soldiers received this medal. This is an estimation because of the destruction of the archives of the order in a fire. All these beneficiaries had to prove they belonged to the Grande Armée in the period between 1792 and 1815.
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A stylish uniform and a resolute pose. The lighting is remarkable! I absolutely love this photo.
ReplyDeleteIf I could get my hands on a cap like that I would wear it everywhere!
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