The Legion Noire's prisoners, uniforms, and command problem

Prisoner returns provide the best surviving breakdown of the Legion Noire, identifying 46 officers and about 1,178 men after the surrender. Reported losses of eight men during the landing and four to enemy action suggest an initial strength of 1,190 men besides the officers. The force mixed regulars with convicts, prisoners, and unwilling recruits, making its discipline fragile before it reached Wales. Captured British arms and red uniforms from the Quiberon expedition were reused, with the coats dyed into uneven dark shades that helped produce the unit's nickname. Colonel William Tate depended on French and Irish officers to communicate with troops whose language he did not speak. The detachment had originally been intended for Liverpool before its target changed to Bristol by way of Wales.