Jönköpings Infantry
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Origin and History
The regiment was initially raised in 1618 as the Östergötland Storeregement, one of the nine grand regiments organised by Gustavus Adolphus. Descended from the Smaländska forfänikors (smaller units of about 500 men), oldest records from 1563 and the Ostgota-Smaländska Regement.
Around 1623, this grand regiment was organised into sub-units: three field regiments and one cavalry regiment (Östgöta).
In 1684, the grand regiment was finally broken down into three distinct and independent "Indelta" regiments, giving birth to the Jönköpings Infantry regiment.
Transferred in Pomerania in 1699 and in the Holstein campaign of 1700. With Gyllenstierna to Poland in 1702 and thereafter with the King army. Captured at Poltava (1709) but reraised. In the Skane campaign (1710). To Stralsund 1711 and participated to the city defense and the 1715 compromise. Raised again and in the Norwegian campaign of 1718.
At the beginning of the Seven Years' War, the regiment consisted of 1,184 men in 2 battalions of 4 companies. Each company had 137 privates and 11 officers, NCOs and musicians. The eight companies were (in order): Livkompaniet, Mo Härads, Norra Västbo, Södra Västbo, Östbo, Västra Härads, Norra Vedbo and Vista.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was commanded by:
- since 1758: Major K. Ribbing
- from 1761 to 1762: Karl Fredrik Pechlin
Service during the War
Initially in 1757, the regiment remained in Sweden.
In June 1758, 6 companies of the regiment (about 900 men) were transferred to Stralsund. On November 18, a detachment of the regiment was part of General von Lingen's force at the Combat of Güstow.
On September 16 1759, during the campaign of Pomerania, the regiment took part in the assault and capture of the fortified town of Wollin, attacking the bridge on the Divenow. On October 1, when Fersen's Corps left the Oder islands to join the Swedish Main Army in Pasewalk, 1 battalion of the regiment was left behind to defend the islands.
The regiment remained in Pomerania until 1761.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear |
| ||||||||||||
| Neckstock | black | ||||||||||||
| Coat | dark blue with 10 tin buttons down the front with yellow trimmed buttonholes and 2 tin buttons at small of the back
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| Waistcoat | yellow | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | yellow | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | white stockings with brown leather strap at knee | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
|
Troopers were armed with a sword and a musket. The bayonet was permanently fixed to the musket.
Other interpretations
Schirmer as well as Pengel and Hurt mention red collar, red cuffs and white trimmed buttonholes. Pengel and Hurt mention red waistcoat.
NCOs
NCOs wore uniforms similar to those of the privates with the following distinctions:
- a silver lace on the tricorne
- brass buttons (smaller than those of officers)
NCOs carried halberds but no cane.
Officers
Officers wore a blue uniform (coat) with blue distinctives (collar, cuffs, turnbacks). They were further distinguished from privates by:
- a gold lace on the tricorne
- no turnbacks on the coat
- a silver gorget
- brass buttons
- blue or black breeches (breeches of the same colour as those of the privates were also worn)
N.B.: contrarily to the custom in other armies, Swedish officers did not wear any sash
Horses were equipped with blue housing with a yellow border.
Musicians
The drummers wore reversed colours uniforms. White laces ran along the seems of the sleeves and shoulders and along the edges of the coat.
The drums were brass with provincial coats of arms embossed on the front. The rims were blue with yellow edging.
Colours
The pikes used as staffs to carry the colours were always yellow. The Liffana had gold finials while the Kompanifana had steel finials. The colours measured 2.12 x 1.70 m. (1.81 x 1.33 m. as per Clifford).
Liffana (colonel flag): white field; centre device carried the crowned royal arms of Sweden flanked by 2 crowned golden lions; the corner of the first canton carried a white castle with black doors and windows on a green mound.
N.B.: for the liffana, Clifford adds a pedestal supporting the arms, the letters “AFRS” above the arms and 1 royal crown in the corner of each of the 3 remaining cantons.
Kompanifana (ordonnance flag): field consisting of red and yellow alternating horizontal stripes (starting with red at top); centre device consisting of a white castle with black doors and windows on a green mound; the whole surrounded by a green laurel wreath tied with a gold ribbon.
 Liffana - Source: Hannoverdidi |
 Kompanifana - Source: Hannoverdidi |
References
Economic Expert: Ostrogothia Grand Regiment (website)
Großer Generalstab: Die Kriege Friedrichs des Großen - Dritter Teil: Der Siebenjährige Krieg 1756–1763. Vol. 6 Leuthen, Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung II (Publisher), Berlin 1904, pp.92-107, Annex pp. 11-16
Höglund, Lars-Eric and Ake Sallnäs: The Great Northern War 1700-1721, Colours and Uniforms, Acedia Press, Karlstadt, 2000
Jönköping War Museum, Sweden
Pengel, R. D. and G. R. Hurt: Swedish Army in Pomerania – 1757-1763, Birmingham, 1983
Purky, Jim: Swedish Army Organization, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. X No. 1
Säwe, Teofron: Sveriges deltagande i Sjuåriga Kriget Åren 1757-1762, Beijers Bokförlagsaktiebolag, Stockholm, 1915
Schirmer, Friedrich: Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756-1763, published by KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg, Neuauflage 1989
Schorr, Dan: Swedish Flags 1757-1762 - Part II Infantry Flags, The Courrier, March-April 1980
Schorr, Dan: Uniforms of the Swedish Army, 1757-1762, The Courrier, June-July 1979
Swedish War Archives, Sketches of infantry uniforms
English Wikipedia - Jönköpings regemente
Wilson, Peter: The Swedish Army in 1756, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. X No. 1
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
