Switzerland. Canton Bern. Neuenegg. Historisches Neueneggschiessen. A woman, dressed with historic traditional soldiers outfits, is holding a musket affixed with a bayonet during a historical reenactment in order to celebrate the Neuenegg battle. On March 5, 1798, under the command of Colonel Johann Rudolf von Graffenried, the Bernese army triumphed over numerically superior French troops under Brigadier General Pigeon. The Swiss proved their military skills by defeating a Napoleonic brigade. Napoleon still conquered Switzerland, but that hasn't prevented the celebration of Neuenegg's victory each year. Among the crowd attending the historical ceremony, an officer from the Swiss Armed Forces wearing a camouflage uniform. A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smoothbore firearm, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer. The musketwoman carries also a sabre which is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the Early Modern and Napoleonic periods. 5.03.2017 © 2017 Didier Ruef