The Heavy Cavalry Regiment of Napoleon

The quirissiers and carboniers of the grand arme were among the most feared of napoleon's soldiers. They were officially classified as elite troops and received extra pay. The drawbacks were that it was expensive to manufacture and very difficult to move in. Fresh recruits for the armored heavy cavalry regiments needed to ride and exercise in their armor for months before they were comfortable moving around in it. Even veteran heavy cavalry troopers sometimes discarded them in battle, especially if they were knocked from their horses.