Conclusion
The picture one gets of the Saxon army of this period is of an army in the throes of modernisation. It is assimilating French fashions while at the same time adhering to its Germanic roots. The cut of the new uniform and the replacement of the bicorn with the new shakos are very definitely inspired by French styles. At the same time the organization of the regiments remains German. Its adherence to the heavy side arm is also Germanic as are many other little details of their equipment – the red leather for scabbards and musket slings, the NCOs cartridge pouches and the issue water bottle (inspired by their Austrian neighbours).
Modern sources-
Peter Bunde’s Brigade plates are without doubt the best source of information available to English speakers. He presents his work in a very user-friendly format and manages to pack an inordinate amount into a sheet of A4. These plates are available from Calpe Miniatures.
Frederic Berjeaud’s work is full of rare gems of information but is only available in French. His master work on the Saxon army is incomplete (he is working on the Cavalry at the moment). Since it has not yet been published, copies of the manuscript (as it stands) are expensive. He does do a series of smaller plates some of which are on the Saxons of this period. His website address is as follows-
http://frederic.berjeaud.free.fr/soldats_de_la_grande_armee.htm