Dromedary Regiment

Two men from General Bonaparte's dromedary regiment in Egypt.

Contrarily to some modern depictions, the men of the dromedary regiment, formed in 1799, did not wear shakos as the headgear was adopted by the army only later. The regiment would be disbanded in 1801 when the French left Egypt.

The tasks of the dromedary regiment were varied, between fighting insurgents, escorting convoys or patrolling. Unlike traditional cavalry, the men would not necessarily fight from their mounts but rather alight and fight on foot like infantry, using the animals as cover if needed. Needless to say, they were considered an elite troop.