Battle of Talavera order of battle

Black and white drawing of early 1800s British soldiers charging on foot toward the viewer.
The British 48th Foot charges at the Battle of Talavera

The Battle of Talavera (27–28 July 1809) saw an Imperial French army under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan attack a combined British and Spanish army led by Sir Arthur Wellesley. After several of their assaults were bloodily repulsed on the second day, the French retreated toward Madrid leaving the battlefield to the Anglo-Spanish army. Events soon compelled Wellesley, who was soon appointed Viscount Wellington, to fall back toward his base in Portugal. The following units and commanders fought at the battle, which occurred during the Peninsular War.

Anglo-Spanish Army

Commander-in-Chief of the Anglo-Spanish Army: Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley

British Army

Commander-in-Chief: Lieutenant General The Rt Hon Sir Arthur Wellesley KB

Total Anglo-Spanish forces: 52,735, 66 guns

Division[1][2] Brigade[1][2] Units[1][2] Strength[2] Losses 27th[3] Losses 28th[4]
1st Division
Major General
John Coape Sherbrooke
5,964 		1st Brigade
Brigadier General
Henry Frederick Campbell (2,045) 		1/Coldstream Guards 970 3 293
1/3rd Foot Guards 1,019 0 322
5/60th Rifle Regiment, one company 56 * *
2nd Brigade
Brigadier General
Alan Cameron (1,364) 		1/61st Foot 778 7 265
2/83rd Foot 535 0 283
5/60th Rifle Regiment, one company 51 * *
3rd Brigade
Brigadier General
Ernst Eberhard Kuno, Baron Langwerth von Simmern (1,388) †[5] 		1st Line Battalion, KGL 604 9 291
2nd Line Battalion, KGL 678 3 387
1st Light Battalion, KGL, two companies 106 36 43
4th Brigade
Brigadier General
Sigismund, Baron Löw (1,167) 		5th Line Battalion, KGL 610 41 255
7th Line Battalion, KGL 557 146 110
Artillery Sillery's Company, RA (six light 6-pounders) RA RA RA
2nd Division
Major General
Rowland Hill
3,885 		1st Brigade
Major General
Christopher Tilson (1,891) 		1/3rd Foot 746 0 142
2/48th Foot 567 3 68
2/66th Foot 526 0 126
5/60th Rifle Regiment, one company 52 * *
2nd Brigade
Brigadier General
Richard Stewart (2,014) 		29th Foot 598 55 132
1/48th Foot 807 8 168
1st Battalion of Detachments 609 70 203
Artillery Heise's Battery, KGA (six light 6-pounders) KGA KGA KGA
3rd Division
Major General
John Randoll Mackenzie of Suddie †[5]
3,747 		1st Brigade
Major General
Mackenzie (2,276) 		2/24th Foot 787 9 343
2/31st Foot 733 119 131
1/45th Foot 756 25 158
2nd Brigade
Colonel
Rufane Shaw Donkin (1,471) 		2/87th Foot 599 198 60
1/88th Foot 599 64 85
5/60th Rifle Regiment, five companies 273 * 60th total: 27 * 60th total: 50
Artillery Rettberg's Battery, KGA (six heavy 6-pounders) KGA KGA KGA
4th Division
Brigadier General
Alexander Campbell (WIA)
2,960 		1st Brigade
Brigadier General

Campbell (1,032)

2/7th Foot 431 0 65
2/53rd Foot 537 0 39
5/60th Rifle Regiment, one company 64 * *
2nd Brigade
Colonel
James Kemmis (1,928) 		1/40th Foot 745 0 58
97th Foot 502 0 53
2nd Battalion of Detachments 625 0 21
5/60th Rifle Regiment, one company 56 * *
Artillery Lawson's Company, RA (six 3-pounders) RA RA RA
Cavalry Division
Lieutenant General
William Payne-Gallwey
2,969 		1st Heavy Brigade
Brigadier General
Henry Fane (1,069 or 1,070) 		3rd Dragoon Guards Regiment 525 0 3
4th Dragoon Regiment 545 0 12
2nd Brigade
Major General
Stapleton Cotton (989 or 1,189) 		14th Light Dragoons 464 1 15
16th Light Dragoons 525 0 14
3rd Brigade
Brigadier General
George Anson (910) 		23rd Light Dragoons 459 0 207
1st Hussars, KGL 451 4 37
Artillery Reserve
Brigadier General

Edward Howarth (1,011)

Elliot's Company, RA (six light 6-pounders) RA RA RA
British (RA) totals RA: 681 RA: 2 RA: 32
German (KGA) totals KGA: 330 KGA: 0 KGA: 34
Total British forces: 20,735 (16,556 infantry, 3,168 cavalry, 1,011 artillery, 30 guns)

Spanish Army

Commander-in-Chief: Lieutenant General Gregorio García de la Cuesta, Captain-General of Castilla

Spanish cavalry units ending in a number (Nr.) are regular units, and so is the Carabineros Reales Regiment. Other cavalry units are probably newly-raised volunteers. Regular units titled Cavalry are heavy cavalry, while units titled Cazadores are light cavalry. Units labeled Regiment are probably regular infantry from the old army, though Badajoz, Canarias, Mallorca, Osuna and Salamanca are not in Charles Oman's list. Units labeled Cazadores Regiment are regular light infantry. Infantry units titled Granaderos or Provincial are the standing militia units from the old army. All other infantry units are probably newly-raised volunteers.[6]

Division[7][8] Regiments[7][8]
Vanguard Division
Brigadier General José Pascual de Zayas y Chacón 		2nd Voluntarios de Cataluña Regiment
Cazadores de Barbastro Regiment, 2nd Battalion
Cazadores de Campo Mayor Regiment
Cazadores de Valencia y Albuquerque
Cazadores de Valencia Regiment, 1st Battalion (Oman: 2nd)
Tiradores de Estremadura (Oman: excluded)
Lanceros de Andalusia (cavalry) (Oman: excluded)
Michelena's Battery (6 guns)
1st Infantry Division
Major General Antonio Zayas y Potau, Marquis de Zayas 		Cantabria Regiment, three battalions
Voluntarios de Castilla Regiment (Oman: excluded)
Canarias Regiment, one battalion
Tiradores de Mérida
Provincial de Trujillo
Granaderos Provinciales
Tiradores de Cádiz (Oman: excluded)
Artillery Battery (6 guns)
2nd Infantry Division
Major General Vicente Iglesias 		Mallorca Regiment, 2nd Battalion
Velez-Malaga Regiment, three battalions
Osuna Regiment, two battalions
Voluntarios Estranjeros
2nd Provincial de Burgos (Oman: omit 2nd)
Salamanca Regiment
Artillery Battery (6 guns)
3rd Infantry Division
Major General Francisco Gómez de Terán y Negrete, Marquis de Portago 		Badajoz Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions
Cazadores de Antequera (Oman: 2nd)
Imperiales de Toledo, one battalion
Provincial de Badajoz
2nd Provincial de Guadix (Oman: omit 2nd)
Artillery Battery (6 guns)
4th Infantry Division
Major General Rafael Manglano (WIA)[9] 		Irlanda Regiment, two battalions
Jaén Regiment, two battalions
Sevilla Regiment, 2nd Battalion (Oman: 3rd)
Leales de Fernando VII, 1st Battalion
2nd Voluntarios de Madrid
Voluntarios de la Corona Regiment
Artillery Battery (6 guns)
5th Infantry Division
Major General Luis Alejandro Bassecourt y Dupire 		1st Real Marina Regiment, two battalions
Africa Regiment, 3rd Battalion
Murcia Regiment, two battalions
Reina Regiment, 1st Battalion
Provincial de Siguenza
Artillery Battery (6 guns)
1st Cavalry Division
Lieutenant General Juan Henestrosa 		Rey Cavalry Regiment Nr. 1
Calatrava Cavalry Regiment Nr. 10
Imperiales de Toledo Regiment
Cazadores de Sevilla Regiment
Reina Cavalry Regiment Nr. 2
Villaviciosa Cazadores Regiment Nr. 5
Cazadores de Madrid Regiment
2nd Cavalry Division
Lieutenant General
José Miguel de la Cueva y de la Cerda, Duke of Alburquerque 		Carabineros Reales Regiment, one squadron
Infante Cavalry Regiment Nr. 4
Pavia Cazadores Regiment Nr. 4
Almansa Cazadores Regiment Nr. 3
Alcantara Cavalry Regiment Nr. 7 (Oman only)
1st Husares de Estremadura Regiment
2nd Husares de Estremadura Regiment
Borbón Cavalry Regiment Nr. 5 (Oman: excluded)
Sevilla Regiment (part) (Oman: excluded)
Madrid Regiment (part) (Oman: excluded)
Total Spanish forces: 32,000, 36 guns (Lipscombe)[8] or 28,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, 800 artillery, 30 guns (Oman)[7]

French Army of the Centre

Total French forces: 46,180, 84 guns

I Corps d'Armée

Marshal of France Claude Perrin Victor, Duke of Belluno

Division/Brigade[10][11][8] Strength[10][11] Units[11][8] Losses[12]
Headquarters Staff 47 - 1
1st Division
General of Division
Count François Amable Ruffin 		5,286 9th Légère Infantry Regiment 457
24th Ligne Infantry Regiment 567
96th Ligne Infantry Regiment 606
Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) *
2nd Division
General of Division
Pierre Belon Lapisse, Baron of Sainte-Hélène †[9] 		6,862 16th Légère Infantry Regiment 407
8th Ligne Infantry Regiment 437
45th Ligne Infantry Regiment 388
54th Ligne Infantry Regiment 532
Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) *
3rd Division
General of Division
Eugène-Casimir Villatte, Count d'Oultremont 		6,135 27th Légère Infantry Regiment 189
63rd Ligne Infantry Regiment 40
94th Ligne Infantry Regiment 145
95th Ligne Infantry Regiment 27
Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) *
Cavalry Brigade
General of Brigade
Louis-Chrétien Carrière, Baron de Beaumont 		980 2nd Hussar Regiment 16
5th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment 23
Horse Artillery Battery (6 guns) *
Reserve Artillery Included above Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) * 64 - total artillery
Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) *
Total I Corps d'Armée: 19,310

IV Corps d'Armée

General of Division Horace-Francois-Bastien Sebastiani de La Porta

Division/Brigade[10][11][8] Strength[10][11] Losses[12] Units[11][8]
Headquarters Staff 13 unknown -
1st Division
General of Brigade
Louis Liger-Belair 
(vice Sebastiani)
8,118 2,180 28th Ligne Infantry Regiment, three battalions
32nd Ligne Infantry Regiment, three battalions
58th Ligne Infantry Regiment, three battalions
75th Ligne Infantry Regiment, three battalions
Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns)
2nd Division
General of Division
Jean-Baptiste Cyrus de Timbrune de Thiembronne, Count of Valence 		1,600 40 4th Polish Infantry Regiment, two battalions
3rd Division
General of Division
Jean Francois, Baron Leval 		4,537 1,007 Nassau Infantry Regiment, two battalions
Baden Infantry Regiment, two battalions
Hesse-Darmstadt Infantry Regiment, two battalions
Holland Infantry Regiment, two battalions
Frankfurt Infantry Regiment, one battalion
Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns)
Cavalry Brigade
General of Brigade
Christophe Antoine, Count Merlin 		1,188 48[13] 10th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment
26th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment
Polish Lancer Regiment
Westphalian Chevau-léger Regiment
Horse Artillery Battery (6 guns)
Reserve Artillery included above included above Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns)
Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns)
Total IV Corps d'Armée: 15,456

Reserves

King Joseph Bonaparte

Division[10][11][8] Strength[10][11] Losses[13] Units[11][8]
Madrid Garrison
General of Division
Jean-Joseph Paul Augustin, Marquis Dessolles 		5,737 0 12th Légère Infantry Regiment, three battalions
51st Ligne Infantry Regiment, three battalions
King's Guard Infantry Regiment
27th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment
King's Guard Cavalry Regiment
1st Dragoon Division
General of Division
Marie-Victor-Nicolas de Fay, Marquis de La Tour-Maubourg 		3,279 83 1st Dragoon Regiment
2nd Dragoon Regiment
4th Dragoon Regiment
9th Dragoon Regiment
14th Dragoon Regiment
26th Dragoon Regiment
Horse Artillery Battery (6 guns)
2nd Dragoon Division
General of Division
Count Édouard Jean Baptiste Milhaud 		2,356 6 5th Dragoon Regiment
12th Dragoon Regiment
16th Dragoon Regiment
20th Dragoon Regiment
21st Dragoon Regiment
3rd Dutch Hussar Regiment
Horse Artillery Battery (6 guns)
Total Reserve: 11,372

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Glover 2001, pp. 374–375.
  2. ^ a b c d Oman 1995, pp. 645–646.
  3. ^ Oman 1995, p. 649.
  4. ^ Oman 1995, pp. 650–651.
  5. ^ a b Oman 1995, p. 555.
  6. ^ Oman 2010, pp. 608–611.
  7. ^ a b c Oman 1995, p. 647.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lipscombe 2010, pp. 361–365.
  9. ^ a b Oman 1995, p. 556.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Glover 2001, p. 389.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Oman 1995, p. 648.
  12. ^ a b Oman 1995, p. 652.
  13. ^ a b Oman 1995, p. 653.

References

  • Glover, Michael (2001). The Peninsular War 1807-1814. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-141-39041-7.
  • Lipscombe, Nick (2010). The Peninsular War Atlas. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84908-364-5.
  • Oman, Charles (2010) [1902]. A History of the Peninsular War Volume I. Vol. 1. La Vergne, Tenn.: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-1432636821.
  • Oman, Charles (1995) [1903]. A History of the Peninsular War Volume II. Vol. 2. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-215-7.