XII

THE FRENCH ARMY OF SPAIN

IN NOVEMBER, 1808.

N.B.—The distribution of the regiments is that of November. The detailed strength of the corps, however, comes from an October return, and there had been several changes at the end of that month.

1st Corps. Marshal Victor, Duke of Belluno.

1st Division (Ruffin):
9th Léger, three batts.
24th of the Line, three batts.
96th of the Line, four batts.
2nd Division (Lapisse):
16th Léger, three batts.
8th of the Line, three batts.
45th of the Line, three batts.
54th of the Line, three batts.
3rd Division (Villatte):
27th Léger, three batts.
63rd of the Line, three batts.
94th of the Line, three batts.
95th of the Line, three batts.
Corps Cavalry (Brigade Beaumont):
2nd Hussars.
26th Chasseurs.

The gross total of this corps on Oct. 10 was 33,937 men, of whom 2,201 were detached, and 2,939 in hospital. The 4th Hussars, originally belonging to this corps, was transferred to the 3rd Corps by November.

2nd Corps. Marshal Bessières: after Nov. 9, Marshal Soult.

1st Division (Mouton, afterwards Merle):
2nd Léger, three batts.
4th Léger, three batts.
15th of the Line, three batts.
36th of the Line, three batts.
[Garde de Paris, one batt.]
2nd Division (Merle, afterwards Mermet):
31st Léger, three batts.
47th of the Line, two batts.
70th of the Line, one batt.
86th of the Line, one batt.
1st Supply. Regt.
 of the Legions
 of Reserve
2nd ditto 		} = 122nd of the
Line, four batts.
2nd Swiss Regiment, one batt.
3rd Swiss Regiment, one batt.
3rd Division (Bonnet):
13th Prov. Regt.
14th Prov. Regt. 		} = 119th of the
Line, four batts.
17th Prov. Regt.
18th Prov. Regt. 		} = 120th of the
Line, four batts.
Corps Cavalry (Division Lasalle):
9th Dragoons (transferred from Milhaud).
10th Chasseurs.
22nd Chasseurs.

Lasalle, with the 9th Dragoons and 10th Chasseurs, was detached after Gamonal (Nov. 10) and replaced by Franceschi’s division. The corps received in January a reinforcement of twenty-two battalions from the dissolved 8th Corps, which formed two new divisions under Delaborde and Heudelet.

The gross total of this corps on Oct. 10 was 33,054 men, of whom 7,394 were detached and 5,536 in hospital.

3rd Corps. Marshal Moncey, Duke of Conegliano.

1st Division (Maurice Mathieu,
  afterwards Grandjean):
14th of the Line, four batts.
44th of the Line, three batts.
70th of the Line, one batt.
2nd of the Vistula, two batts.
3rd of the Vistula, two batts.
2nd Division (Musnier):
1st Prov. Regt.
2nd Prov. Regt. 		} = 114th of the
Line, four batts.
3rd Prov. Regt.
4th Prov. Regt. 		} = 115th of the
Line, four batts.
[One Westphalian batt.]
3rd Division (Morlot):
5th Prov. Regt. { = 116th of the
Line, four batts.
9th Prov. Regt.
10th Prov. Regt. 		} = 117th of the
Line, four batts.
[One Prussian batt.]
[One Irish batt.]
4th Division (Grandjean):
5th Léger, three batts.
2nd Legion of Reserve, four batts.
1st of the Vistula, two batts.
Corps Cavalry (Brigade Wathier):
1st Provisional Cuirassiers (= 13th Cuirassiers).
1st Provisional Hussars.
2nd Provisional Light Cavalry (Hussars
 and Chasseurs).

Grandjean’s division (No. 4) was afterwards absorbed in Morlot’s [December], with the exception of the 1st of the Vistula, sent to join Musnier. The cavalry was afterwards strengthened by the 4th Hussars from the 1st Corps. The 121st of the Line (four batts.) arrived in December, and joined Morlot. The battalions in square brackets were left behind in the garrisons of Biscay and Navarre.

The gross total of the corps on Oct. 10 was 37,690 men, of whom 11,082 were detached in garrisons, &c. and 7,522 in hospital.

4th Corps. Marshal Lefebvre, Duke of Dantzig.

1st Division (Sebastiani):
28th of the Line, three batts.
32nd of the Line, three batts.
58th of the Line, three batts.
75th of the Line, three batts.
2nd Division (Leval):
Nassau Contingent, two batts.
Baden Contingent, two batts.
Hesse-Darmstadt Contingent, two batts.
Frankfort Contingent, one batt.
Dutch Contingent, two batts.
3rd Division (Valence):
4th of the Vistula, two batts.
7th of the Vistula, two batts.
9th of the Vistula, two batts.
Corps Cavalry (Brigade Maupetit):
5th Dragoons.
3rd Dutch Hussars.
Westphalian Chevaux-Légers.

The gross total of this corps on Oct. 10 was 22,895 men, of whom 955 were detached and 2,170 in hospital.

5th Corps. Marshal Mortier, Duke of Treviso.

1st Division (Suchet):
17th Léger, three batts.
34th of the Line, four batts.
40th of the Line, three batts.
64th of the Line, three batts.
88th of the Line, three batts.
2nd Division (Gazan):
21st Léger, three batts.
28th Léger, three batts.
100th of the Line, three batts.
103rd of the Line, three batts.
Corps Cavalry (Brigade Delaage):
10th Hussars.
21st Chasseurs.

The gross total of this corps on Oct. 10 was 24,552 men, of whom 188 were detached and 1,971 in hospital.

6th Corps. Marshal Ney, Duke of Elchingen.

1st Division (Marchand):
6th of the Line, three batts.
39th of the Line, three batts.
69th of the Line, three batts.
76th of the Line, three batts.
2nd Division (Lagrange,
  afterwards Maurice Mathieu):
25th Léger, four batts.
27th of the Line, three batts.
50th of the Line, four batts.
59th of the Line, three batts.
Corps Cavalry (Brigade Colbert):
3rd Hussars.
15th Chasseurs.

The gross total on Oct. 10 was 38,033 men, of whom 3,381 were detached and 5,051 in hospital. This total, however, includes a division under Mermet, whose battalions were transferred to the 2nd and 3rd Corps, when the campaign began in November. The 6th Corps, including its cavalry and artillery, had probably not more than 20,000 net when it took the field in its final form.

7th Corps. General Gouvion St. Cyr.

1st Division (Chabran):
2nd of the Line, one batt.
7th of the Line, two batts.
10th of the Line, one batt.
37th of the Line, one batt.
56th of the Line, one batt.
93rd of the Line, one batt.
2nd Swiss, one batt.
2nd Division (General Lecchi):
2nd Italian Line Regt., one batt.
4th Italian Line Regt., one batt.
5th Italian Line Regt., one batt.
Italian Chasseurs (Velites), one batt.
1st Neapolitan Line Regt., two batts.
3rd Division (Reille):
32nd Léger, one batt.
16th of the Line, one batt.
56th of the Line, one batt.
113th of the Line, two batts.
Prov. Regt. of Perpignan, four batts.
5th Legion of Reserve, one batt.
Chasseurs des Montagnes, one batt.
Battalion of the Valais, one batt.
4th Division (Souham):
1st Léger, three batts.
3rd Léger, one batt.
7th of the Line, two batts.
42nd of the Line, three batts.
67th of the Line, one batt.
5th Division (Pino):
1st Italian Light Regt., three batts.
2nd Italian Light Regt., three batts.
4th Italian Line Regt., two batts.
5th Italian Line Regt., one batt.
6th Italian Line Regt., three batts.
7th Italian Line Regt., one batt.
6th Division (Chabot):
2nd Neapolitan Line Regt., two batts.
Chasseurs of the Pyrénées Orientales, one batt.
Corps Cavalry:
 Brigade Bessières:
3rd Provisional Cuirassiers.
3rd Provisional Chasseurs.
 Brigade Schwartz:
Italian Chasseurs of the Prince Royal.
2nd Neapolitan Chasseurs.
 Brigade Fontane:
Italian Royal Chasseurs.
7th Italian Dragoons.
 Unattached Regiment:
24th Dragoons.

The gross total of this corps on Oct. 10 was 42,382 men, of whom 1,302 were detached and 4,948 in hospital. But this does not include several regiments which did not join St. Cyr from Italy till long after the date of the return. In January, 1809, he had 41,386 men present with the colours, and 6,589 in hospital, besides 543 prisoners. There had also been considerable losses in the fighting. Probably the corps in November—December was well over 50,000 strong.

8th Corps. General Junot, Duke of Abrantes.

Dissolved in December, 1808. The troops were drafted as follows:—

1st Division (Delaborde):
15th of the Line, one batt., drafted to join its regt. in Merle’s Div., 2nd Corps.
47th of the Line, two batts., drafted to join its regt. in Mermet’s Div., 2nd Corps.
70th of the Line, three batts., received one more batt. from Mermet’s Div.
86th of the Line, two batts., received one more batt. from Mermet’s Div.
4th Swiss, one batt.
This division, therefore, in January, 1809, consisted of four battalions 70th, three battalions 86th, and one battalion 4th Swiss. It was sent to join Soult, and strengthened by three battalions of the 17th Léger, thus having eleven battalions at Corunna.
2nd Division (Loison):
2nd Léger, one batt., drafted to join its regt. in Merle’s Div., 2nd Corps.
4th Léger, one batt., drafted to join its regt. in Merle’s Div., 2nd Corps.
12th Léger, one batt., drafted to join its regt. in Dessolles’ Div.
15th Léger, one batt.
32nd of the Line, one batt., drafted to join its regt. in Sebastiani’s Div., 4th Corps.
58th of the Line, one batt., drafted to join its regt. in Sebastiani’s Div., 4th Corps.
2nd Swiss, one batt., drafted to join the batt. in Mermet’s Div., 2nd Corps.
The remaining battalion of this division, that of the 15th Léger, was drafted to join Heudelet’s Division, and became part of the 2nd Corps.
3rd Division (Heudelet):
31st Léger, one batt., drafted to join its regt. in Mermet’s Div. of 2nd Corps.
32nd Léger, one batt.
26th of the Line, two batts.
66th of the Line, two batts.
82nd of the Line, one batt.
Légion du Midi, one batt.
Hanoverian Legion, one batt.

N.B.—The last-named eight battalions, afterwards joined by one from Loison’s Division, were formed into the 4th Division of the 2nd Corps.

The whole corps cavalry of the 8th Corps was composed of provisional regiments, which were dissolved, and sent to join their units.

The 8th Corps on Oct. 10 had a gross total of 25,730 men, of whom 2,137 were detached, and 3,523 in hospital.

RESERVE.

(1) Independent Reserve Division (General Dessolles):
12th Léger, three batts.
43rd of the Line, three batts.
51st of the Line, three batts.
55th of the Line, three batts.
(2) Guards of the King of Spain (General Saligny):
Four battalions of Infantry.
One regiment of Cavalry.
(Two regiments, mainly Spanish deserters,
were added in January.)

The total is confused in the return of Oct. 10 with that of the Imperial Guard, and includes also some regiments left in garrison in the north, e.g. the 118th of the Line; including these the Reserve amounted to 13,000 men.

RESERVE OF CAVALRY.

Division of Dragoons, Latour-Maubourg:
 Brigades Oldenbourg, Perreimond, Digeon.
1st, 2nd, 4th, 14th, 20th, and 26th Dragoons.
The gross total of the division on Oct. 10 was 3,695 sabres.
Division of Dragoons, Milhaud:
The 12th, 16th, and 21st Dragoons.
(The 5th and 9th Dragoons, originally belonging to this division, were transferred to Lefebvre and Lasalle respectively.)
The gross total of the division on Oct. 10 was 2,940 sabres, probably including one of the transferred regiments.
Division of Dragoons, Lahoussaye:
 Brigades D’Avenay and Marisy. (On D’Avenay being transferred to an independent provisional brigade, Caulaincourt replaces him.)
17th, 18th, 19th, and 27th Dragoons.
The gross total of this division on Oct. 10 was 2,020 sabres.
Division of Dragoons, Lorges:
 Brigades Vialannes and Fournier.
13th, 15th, 22nd, and 25th Dragoons.
The gross total of this division on Oct. 10 was 3,101 sabres.
Division of Dragoons, Millet (Kellermann after Jan. 1809):
3rd, 6th, 10th, and 11th Dragoons.
The gross total of this division on Oct. 10 was 2,903 sabres.
Division of Light Cavalry, Franceschi:
 Brigades Debelle and Girardin (?).
8th Dragoons.
22nd Chasseurs à Cheval.
‘Supplementary Regiment’ of Chasseurs à Cheval.
Hanoverian Chevaux-Légers.
The Provisional Chasseurs were dissolved in Jan. 1809, and replaced by the 1st Hussars. The 22nd belonged to the original corps-cavalry of Soult.
The numbers of this division (which had not yet been put together on October 10) seem unobtainable, save that the 1st Hussars was 712 strong. Probably Franceschi’s total would be about 2,400 sabres.

IMPERIAL GUARD.

Infantry:

Two regiments of Grenadiers (four batts.), two regiments of Chasseurs (four batts.), two regiments of Fusiliers (six batts.).

Cavalry:

One regiment each of Chasseurs à Cheval, Grenadiers, Dragoons, Gendarmes d’élite, Polish Light Horse, one squadron of Mamelukes. 36 guns.

The total was about 8,000 infantry and 3,500 horse, with 600 gunners.

N.B.—A few late-coming regiments, and a few units not attached to any division, are not included in the above tables, e.g. the 118th, 121st, and 122nd Regiments of the Line, and the 27th Chasseurs. Nor are there included the dépôt of undistributed conscripts at Bayonne, nor the battalions of National Guards forming movable columns inside the French frontier. But the 19,371 artillery of the army are included in the corps, divisions, and brigades.

GROSS TOTAL OF THE WHOLE ON OCTOBER 10.

Total. Detached.Hospital
or missing.		Effective
present.
1st Corps33,937 2,2012,93928,797
2nd Corps33,054 7,3945,53620,124
3rd Corps37,690 11,0827,52219,086
4th Corps22,895 9552,17019,770
5th Corps24,552 1881,97122,393
6th Corps38,033 3,3815,05129,601
7th Corps42,382 1,3024,94836,132
8th Corps25,730 2,1373,52320,070
Reserve Cavalry17,059}3,5333,94534,801
Imperial Guard12,100
Reserve of Infantry (Dessolles, Joseph’s Guards, &c.)13,120
Troops on the march from Germany not distributed to the corps5,200 363744,763
Columns inside the French frontier (National Guards)8,860 1071658,588
314,612 32,64337,844244,125

Exclusive of the dépôt of conscripts at Bayonne.