Historical Notes of a general nature
By edict of 21 February 1806 King Ferdinand I of Bourbon instructed the princes of Trabia, Cassaro and Belmonte, of " propose means more prepared and more effective weapons " to activate the defense of Sicily, threatened by French troops. The edict was leveraging the "patriotic spirit " Sicilian, implying that the French nobles of the island not confined themselves to change the king, but they would have overturned the entire social and economic system. For the Sicilian nobility, the only way to avoid the catastrophe was to collaborate with the King " for a common defense of the country, constitution, laws, people and property and what has this world's most sacred and dear .
In Sicily in 1798 had already been created the Militia volunteer who had 24,000 men, of which 2,700 to horse, spread over 21 regiments commanded by barons, but in 1808 a Real dispatch dissolving the regiments of the militia set up in 1798 and incorporated municipalities and lower officers in a new "army sedentary local militias" or "Army de 'Volunteers Siciliani," which had " main object ... the defense of the United dell'inimico invasion. "
The king was certain that the Sicilians would have helped to complete the army, " and loyalty and love so much" to his person and family "and the particular interest of its own and each order to preserve the present form of government, being known to everyone by reports that come from places occupied by French forces, which feudalism there is abolished, that the goods have flooded the churches, that all day, new taxes, and weights are necessary, and that Artegiani, and the peaceful inhabitants of the country are quick to force from their homes and sent to war in faraway places for items quite contrary to the political interests of their homeland . The dispatch appointed general commander of the Prince Leopold of Bourbon, second son of the king, assisted by the Prince of Butera to the position of Director General , and with the rank of lieutenant general. The prince of the Catholic was named "Major General " with the rank of field marshal and the principles of Collereale, Scaletta, of Cutò and Carini and Baron Michele Requesenz adjutant general inspectors of the 5 divisions (four of infantry and cavalry) with the rank of Brigadier. Thirty-six barons were appointed at last "colonels owners" of as many regiments of volunteers (9 of garrison, 23 hunters and 4 Light Dragoons). Michele Burgio was appointed Colonel of the Regiment Sappers.
This army was to include infantry, cavalry and artillery. The infantry was divided into regiments of the garrison, who were recruited among the inhabitants of major cities and used for their defense and domestic security, and regiments of hunters, who were recruited in all other cities and towns of the island, divided territorially into battalions, companies and teams, for the defense of their territory by internal and external enemies. The cavalry, it also organized on a territorial basis, there were four regiments of light dragoons, consisting of horse owners, keepers and guards on horseback, the baronial estates and private estates. Artillery that was never made was to be composed of a regiment of gunners, a brigade of horse artillery, three companies pontoniers and a regiment of sappers.
Except for those in the old militia, the authority placed in the new ones, enrollment was voluntary and was to be made in proportion to the inhabitants of cities and countries. The age of the volunteers ranged from 16 to 45 years and preference, especially for hunters regiments, was given to unmarried persons. Enlistments were to provide the barons, the feudal lords and to that end the colonel commandant of each regiment was to be a noble assisted in the actual command a Director , who was a lieutenant colonel in the regular troops. Pure by regular troops came the biggest battalion commanders el'aiutante more, as well as aides, selected from the flag pole and the first sergeants of the troops of the line, many of whom were then without a job and had actually seen to fall by two third the pay. The other places were covered by an officer or wealthy nobles who were to distinguish the clothing and equipment at their own expense volunteers. These volunteers were the days when law serves in such a wage of five pugs (6 for the cavalry), one of which was retained to form the mass clothing with which the volunteers without a dress uniform. Other incentives were offered the privilege of all'arruolamento hole military , extended family members of the volunteer, for almost any cause, free from medical aid and pension pugs 5 per day for the disabled and 3 pugs for widows of any casualties.
Surgeons, gunsmiths, farriers and saddlers, called to offer their work beyond the day of service, should receive a modified gratification, proportionate their efforts and expenditures .
The first phase of military training for volunteers was posted specifically delegated to non-commissioned officers of the army, then the volunteers would have exercised under the guidance of its graduates every Sunday for two hours, each unit in the country, except to meet in the city where the Company Headquarters on the first Sunday of the month. Once a year (twice for hunters) the regiments were to gather for exercises, marches and maneuvers.
garrison regiments were formed from Piana Piana Major and Minor and two battalions of five companies, four rifle and one of grenadiers. Those hunters had a similar composition but with only four battalions of companies. The regiments of Light Dragoons were on the General Staff was lower and four squadrons of two companies.
garrison regiments were distributed as follows: 4 to Palermo, 1 to Trapani, 1 to Messina (divided between Messina and Milazzo) 1 to a split between Catania and Siracusa and Augusta. The regiments were divided hunters: 10 in Val di Mazzara (a Girgenti, Mazzara, Termini, Sciacca, Marsala, Licata, Polizzi, Corleone, Sutera e Monreale), 7 in Valdemone (a Forìe di Messina (ossia nei villaggi intorno a Messina), Patti, Cefalù, Troina, Taormina, Aci Reale e Castroreale) e sei infine in Val di Noto (Noto, Caltagirone, Lentini, Castrogiavanni, Ragusa e Terranova). Con ordine del giorno del 31 marzo 1809 venne poi aggiunto un reggimento di cacciatori della Piana di Palermo .
The 24 regiments Hunters
regiments Hunters (6 Valdimazzara Division I, II and then 5, 7 and 6 of the Valdemone Valdinoto) were composed of 1097 men including 40 officers (level greater than 10, plain less than 39 and 2 battalions, each about four companies of 131) for a total of 26,088 men of whom 960 officers. In addition to war service, and hunters dragoon serving as police to maintain order and security of the universities and in the valleys. The magistrates had the right to use in these services with the permission of the helper in the Inspector General Staff, now must give a report to the commanding general of the Army. In addition to education individual and team or squad, was expected in the capital of an annual meeting of the regiment, in the spring, before the farm work, for education to serve the country, camp, military marches and maneuvers the battalion and the line.
Hunters of the regiment Forìe of Messina, the operations of the night between 17 and 18 September 1810 to oppose the landing of the Division Cavaignac. Report made by the assistant inspector general staff of the 3rd Division VS Valdemone, Sergeant Prince Collareale, by Lieutenant Colonel James Natoli, Director of the Regiment hunters Forìe of Messina, we learn that he and Major Emmanuel Reyes is confined to gather 400 men of the 1st Battalion in the torrent of prejudice Camaro still here waiting for orders. Another 200 gathered at the landing sites were more dall'aiutante Gaetano Cardinal, but to direct the fighting to the beaches of Mili, Galati and Stephen were actually three sergeants: Pitelli of IV / 1, Peter IV of Topica / 2 ° and Peter d'Errico of the IV / 1. Sergeant Topica boasted the capture of 14 prisoners and the capture of two drums trimmed in brass. The ratio of the Train Colonel Natoli mentions only one dropped (son of a volunteer of St. Stephen), 5 injured (2 volunteers, 2 sons and a master maker of volunteers) and a dispersed, is also reported the loss of four guns stolen or broken.
We also know that two companies of "Voltigeurs" Sicilians were added to the column Anglo-German game from the dawn of Messina 19.
May 23, 1812 The Academy of the garrison regiments Sicilian Volunteers stopped the service in the streets, but dragons and hunters continued to be used for monitoring illegal export of wheat to Malta in excess of the quotas agreed with the British and the cordon arranged by order of September 5, 1812 for real plague and yellow fever in Izmir along the coast of Noto and Avola, (regiment hunters known) in 1813 and along the beaches of Tusa and Carini and then also Aci, S. And San Antonio Philip. The use of the Hunters for the performance of these services sparked quite a few issues with local universities, damaged by the consumer granted exemptions from import duties to volunteers and the occupations of buildings. The University of Val di Mazzara self reduced the amounts to be paid per diem for the volunteers, in turn provoking the protests of the controls.
By royal decrees of 18 and 19 January 1818 nn. 1071 and 1081 the volunteers were disbanded in Sicily.
Notes uniformology
The decree of incorporation of the royal army of volunteers in Sicily in March 1808, which replaced the old provincial militias, it also set the standard for all types weapon.
regiments hunters had a uniform inspired in part, to the ancient hunters army battalions Bourbon and partly that of the British light troops. In fact, their estate was formed by a jacket of green cloth, short and snap chest ridden with exhibitions, profiles Faldini the chest and the distinctive color of the valley of belonging and yellow metal buttons.
| Valley | distinctive color |
| Valdimazzara Valdemone Valdinoto | scarlet heavenly black |
had epaulets on the shoulders of yellow wool. In life wore a strip of scarlet wool. The trousers were of the type of sock braga ashy gray cloth " marinara . The hides were painted blacks, headgear consisted of a helmet with a crest of black chenille, and had a Fluffy Green on the left side of the type carried by the Light Dragoons and other infantry units of the British army.
For all the bodies of infantry troops included the support of jacket and trousers of cotton rolls (probably white), from neighborhood green cloth cap with side fillets and ribbons of color and a distinctive coat of gray cloth infantry.
hunters also had a sheepskin for use both as mucciglia (backpack) rolled and tied behind their backs, and sleeping in a bivouac (in-room service of the coastlines).
Flags
in measures relating to the establishment of the Royal Volunteer Army Siciliani mention is made of flags of where these units were to be provided, and which we know were distributed. Each battalion regiments in garrison had to have two flags, the battalions of the Hunters had one. These flags were to have the white and wore the emblem of the Eagle in the center of Sicily in the act of flying, in whose breast there were 3 gold Bourbon lilies. The 4 corners of the flag were alternately weapons and downstream of the capital city where the battalion or squadron were reported.
Notes modeling
The inspiration to make a Hunter Regiment Forìe Messina of the Royal Volunteer Army Sicilians came to me while watching the beautiful Mariner of the Guard of the Kingdom of Naples 1808, sculpted by Bruno and produced by Maurizio Romeo Models (RM 54-94). Looking at the box art, I realized that with very few changes I could add a new piece to my collection of Bourbon soldiers. So I pulled out the necessary documents from the archive, I've got the kit and Romeo Models I started work. 
First I decided to replace the original head, which is separate from the headgear in the model and as it may already be good, but I had in mind something different. Found a resin head of my Historex rating in the "stock" of the pieces I've gathered a loose copripaco always Historex Inniskilling Dragoons of which I have reduced the size of original and reproduced with stucco ridge crest of black chenille that I needed. I continued to modify the helmet playing with putty the metal band and the chin strap made with galvanized sheet metal, all following tables taken from the volume of Boeri and Crusaders, Army Bourbon from 1759 to 1815 , published by History of the EMS. 
I then tackled the file and I removed the original straps, shoulder straps of the backpack, I lowered the file with a cross-chest height by the central changing the way of intersection, rebuilding with epoxy filler. Again with the putty I got the puffs crescent-shaped straps that are from Historex changed. With a sharp utility knife, I also removed the insignia on the collar substituted with two cornets hunter, always Historex. 
The gun comes with the soldier in the original French is obviously very different from the English Brown Bess supplied to the volunteers in Sicily.
I've got some pictures of the Brown Bess and I started using a small file to change the football, so I filed the case and removed the gun barrel. During this operation is much damaged the front half of the gun. There was no great harm. Thus, the remaining half of the box rifle I made a slot at the top where I put the barrel and a molded stretch of the lower part of the same to get the housing of the wand. I unplugged from the front half with the left hand by wielding the weapon and I cleaned up so that he could accept the new gun that I completed while adding a new barrel drilled obtained cutting with a metal tube used by fishermen to trigger the worms and reconstructing the chest with Milliput. The stick I got with the sprue ironed. The hands were then centered and inserted in place to verify that the rifle rested naturally on the left hand of the soldier.
Completed the gun (which later snap the strap in the original kit), I switched to also change the diagonal, minimizing, and extending it a bit. The roof was rebuilt with a sheet of galvanized sheet steel (tube of ointment) and everything was finished with stucco. At this point I added the strap which engages the particular mucciglia (backpack) shouldered and consists of a sheepskin folded mo 'of bag, closed with three frogs that I modeled with stucco. The grommets I reproduced them with thin copper wire and stretched sprue. Finally I achieved by changing the dagger with sandpaper and a knife dagger digger French Now the only missing dell'Historex Fluffy to be inserted on the left side of the helmet and the hunter is finished and ready to be painted with the colors of the Regiment Val Demone.
Between one phase and another one I started to prepare the base, using as part station, the setting provided by the kit, adapted to the board with putty that I had chosen. But as it had seemed a bit ' "Bare". So in the plaster is still wet I put a few pebbles and then I got the crazy idea of \u200b\u200badding a plant in a corner of the prickly pear ...
Pippo Pandolfo
Modelers Society Valdemone
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