At this time the French military authorities were not accepting volunteers as readily as they did later on, so Paul had much difficulty in getting rolled in the service as a Franc-tireur.
A few days after he had landed in Havre, he was marching away with a chassepot rifle on his shoulder and a knap-sack and blanket on his back.
His uniform consisted of a black tunic with yellow trimmings, blue pants with wide red stripe along the side, a red sash bound around the waist, over which circled the belt which supported his sabre, bayonet and revolver.

It also held an arm, the only one of the kind in his company, viz: a bowie knife which he had carried from America.

Shoes, leather gaiters and kepi or cap completed the uniform.

The company was about sixty strong, all picked men and Paul was the only foreigner in the lot.

It was known as la Deuxieme Compagnie Franc-tireurs du Havre.
The only visible difference between the regular and the irregular army was the lack of regulation buttons on the latter, and that they had no commissary department and had to provision themselves as they went.