What Does Voltigeur Mean?

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.

What do Voltigeurs do?

Voltigeurs ([vɔltiʒœʀ], English: "acrobats") 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.

Did Voltigeurs use rifles?

Organization. The regiment was commanded by Colonel Timothy P. ... However this arrangement was never used, the Voltigeurs became a regiment of foot riflemen, armed with the muzzle-loading Model 1841 rifle, the same rifle as was used by the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen.