X - A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 2, Jan.-Sep. 1809 - 31

X

APPENDICES RELATING TO THE TALAVERA CAMPAIGN

THE BRITISH FORCE AT TALAVERA
FROM THE MORNING STATE OF JULY 25, 1809

Present and fit for Duty.

CAVALRY DIVISION (Lieut.-Gen. Payne).
Fane’s Brigade:
3rd Dragoon Guards	525
4th Dragoons	545
Cotton’s Brigade:
14th Light Dragoons	464
16th Light Dragoons	525
Anson’s Brigade:
23rd Light Dragoons	459
1st Light Dragoons K.G.L.	451
Total Cavalry	2,969
INFANTRY.
1st (Sherbrooke’s) Division.
H. Campbell’s Brigade:
1st batt. Coldstream Guards	970
1st batt. 3rd Guards	1,019
One company 5/60th Foot	56
	2,045
Cameron’s Brigade:
1/61st Foot	778
2/83rd Foot	535
One company 5/60th Foot	51
	1,364
Langwerth’s Brigade:
1st Line batt. K.G.L.	604
2nd Line batt. K.G.L.	678
Light Companies K.G.L.	106
	1,388
Low’s Brigade:
5th Line batt. K.G.L.	610
7th Line batt. K.G.L.	557
	1,167
Total of the 1st Division	5,964
2nd (Hill’s) Division.
Tilson’s Brigade:
1/3rd Foot	746
2/48th Foot	567
2/66th Foot	526
One company 5/60th	52
	1,891
R. Stewart’s Brigade:
29th Foot	598
1/48th Foot	807
1st batt. of Detachments	609
	2,014
Total of the 2nd Division	3,905
3rd (Mackenzie’s) Division.
Mackenzie’s Brigade:
2/24th Foot	787
2/31st Foot	733
1/45th Foot	756
	2,276
Donkin’s Brigade:
2/87th	599
1/88th	599
Five companies 5/60th	273
	1,471
Total of the 3rd Division	3,747
4th (Campbell’s) Division.
A. Campbell’s Brigade:
2/7th Foot	431
2/53rd Foot	537
One company 5/60th	64
	1,032
Kemmis’s Brigade:
1/40th Foot	745
97th Foot	502
2nd batt. of Detachments	625
One company 5/60th Foot	56
	1,928
Total of the 4th Division	2,960
ARTILLERY.
British:
Three batteries, Lawson, Sillery, Elliot	681
German:
Two batteries, Rettberg and Heyse	330
Total of Artillery	1,011
ENGINEERS,	22
STAFF CORPS,	63
Total Present	20,641

The Army had also sick left in Portugal, about 3,246: sick at Plasencia and Talavera about 1,149: on detachment in Portugal about 1,396: on detachment in Spain about 107. Total absent or non-effective 5,898. The newly arrived regiments at Lisbon, and the troops on their way to the front under R. Craufurd are, of course, left out of this return.

THE ARMY OF ESTREMADURA AT TALAVERA

[From an unpublished document in the Deposito de la Guerra, Madrid.]

General-in-Chief, Lieut.-Gen. Gregorio de la Cuesta.
Second in Command, Lieut.-Gen. Francisco de Eguia.
Major-General of Infantry, Major-Gen. J. M. de Alos.
Major-General of Cavalry, Major-Gen. R. de Villalba, Marques de Malaspina.
Officer Commanding Artillery, Brigadier-Gen. G. Rodriguez.
Officer Commanding Engineers, Brigadier-Gen. M. Zappino.
INFANTRY.
Vanguard—Brigadier-Gen. José Zayas:
2nd Voluntarios of Catalonia, Cazadores de Barbastro (2nd batt.), Cazadores de Campomayor, Cazadores de Valencia y Albuquerque, Cazadores Voluntarios de Valencia (2nd batt.)	five batts.
1st Division—Major-General Marques de Zayas:
Cantabria (three batts.), Granaderos Provinciales, Canarias, Tiradores de Merida, Provincial de Truxillo	seven batts.
2nd Division—Major-General Vincente Iglesias:
2nd of Majorca, Velez-Malaga (three batts.), Osuna (two batts.), Voluntarios Estrangeros, Provincial de Burgos	eight batts.
3rd Division—Major-General Marques de Portago:
Badajoz (two batts.), 2nd of Antequera, Imperial de Toledo, Provincial de Badajoz, Provincial de Guadix	six batts.
4th Division—Major-General R. Manglano:
Irlanda (two batts.), Jaen (two batts.), 3rd of Seville, Leales de Fernando VII (1st batt.), 2nd Voluntarios de Madrid, Voluntarios de la Corona	eight batts.
5th Division—Major-General L. A. Bassecourt:
Real Marina, 1st Regiment (two batts.), Africa (3rd batt.), Murcia (two batts.), Reyna (1st batt.), Provincial de Sigüenza	seven batts.
CAVALRY.
1st Division, Lieut.-General J. de Henestrosa:
Rey, Calatrava, Voluntarios de España, Imperial de Toledo, Cazadores de Sevilla, Reyna, Villaviciosa, Cazadores de Madrid.
2nd Division, Lieut.-Gen. Duque de Albuquerque:
Carabineros Reales (one squadron), Infante, Alcantara, Pavia, Almanza, 1st and 2nd Hussars of Estremadura.
Totals, inclusive of sick, and troops on detachment:
35,000 Infantry, 7,000 Cavalry, 30 guns.

It is most unfortunate that no regimental or divisional totals are given, but only the gross total of the whole army.

N.B.—There were at least four battalions detached, viz. Merida and 3rd of Seville, with Sir R. Wilson, and two others (names not to be ascertained, Cuesta does not give them) under Del Reino at the Puerto de Baños. Another was apparently dropped at Almaraz to guard the bridge. Allowing 3,000 for these troops, and 5,000 for sick and men ‘on command,’ the Army of Estremadura marched to Talavera with about 28,000 foot, more than 6,000 horse, and 800 artillery.

The following troops which had all been with the Army of Estremadura in April are not named in the above return. Most of them were in garrison at Badajoz, but some were in the Northern Passes—Spanish Guards (one batt.), Walloon Guards (one batt.), Zafra, Plasencia, La Serena, Leales de Fernando VII (2nd batt.), Provincial de Cordova, Tiradores de Cadiz.

STRENGTH OF THE FRENCH ARMY AT TALAVERA

(Figures of July 15, excluding sick and men detached.)

1st Corps, Marshal Victor:	Strength.
État-Major	47
1st Division (Ruffin), 9th Léger, 24th and 96th of the Line, three batts. each	5,286
2nd Division (Lapisse), 16th Léger, 8th, 45th, 54th of the Line, three batts. each	6,862
3rd Division (Villatte), 27th Léger, 63rd, 94th, 95th of the Line, three batts. each	6,135
Corps-Cavalry (Beaumont), 2nd Hussars, 5th Chasseurs	980
	19,310
4th Corps, General Sebastiani:
État-Major	13
1st Division (Sebastiani), 28th, 32nd, 58th, 75th of the Line, three batts. each	8,118
2nd Division (Valence), one regiment only, 4th Polish, two batts.	1,600
3rd Division (Leval), Nassau, Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt, Holland, two batts. each: Frankfort, one batt.	4,537
Merlin’s Light Cavalry, 10th and 26th Chasseurs, Polish Lancers, Westphalian Chevaux-Légers	1,188
	15,456
Reserve Cavalry:
1st Dragoon Division (Latour-Maubourg), 1st, 2nd, 4th, 9th, 14th, 26th Dragoons	3,279
2nd Dragoon Division (Milhaud), 5th, 12th, 16th, 20th, 21st Dragoons, and 3rd Dutch Hussars	2,356
	5,635
From Madrid:
One Brigade of Dessolles’ Division, 12th Léger, 51st Line, three batts. each	3,337
King’s Guards, infantry	1,800
King’s Guards, cavalry	350
27th Chasseurs (two squadrons)	250
	5,737
The artillerymen are included in the divisional totals.
Total	46,138

TALAVERA.—BRITISH LOSSES ON JULY 27

TABLE LEGEND:

A = Officers.
B = Men.

Regiments.	Killed.		Wounded.		Missing.		Total.
Regiments.	A	B	A	B	A	B	Total.
(1) In the Combat of Casa de Salinas.
Cavalry:
14th Light Dragoons	–	–	–	1	–	–	1
1st Light Dragoons K.G.L.	–	2	1	1	–	–	4
3rd Division
Mackenzie’s Brigade:
2/24th Foot	–	1	1	6	–	1	9
2/31st Foot	1	23	5	88	–	2	119
1/45th Foot	–	4	1	13	–	7	25
Donkin’s Brigade:
5/60th Foot	–	3	1	4	–	19	27
2/87th Foot	1	26	10	127	–	34	198
1/88th Foot	2	7	–	25	–	30	64
Total	4	66	19	265	–	93	447
(2) In the Combat in front of Talavera at 9 p.m.
Staff	1	–	–	–	–	–	1
1st Division
H. Campbell’s Brigade:
1st Coldstream Guards	1	–	–	2	–	–	3
Cameron’s Brigade:
1/61st Foot	–	3	1	3	–	–	7
Langwerth’s Brigade:
1st Line batt. K.G.L.	–	2	–	7	–	–	9
2nd Line batt. K.G.L.	–	–	–	3	–	–	3
Light Companies, K.G.L.	–	4	2	25	–	5	36
Low’s Brigade:
5th Line batt. K.G.L.	–	6	–	34	–	11	41
7th Line batt. K.G.L.	–	19	1	49	–	77	146
2nd Division
Tilson’s Brigade:
2/48th Foot	–	–	–	3	–	–	3
R. Stewart’s Brigade:
29th Foot	–	10	1	43	–	1	55
1/48th Foot	–	–	–	8	–	–	8
1st batt. Detachments	1	14	–	40	2[760]	13	70
Artillery	–	–	–	2	–	–	2
Engineers	–	–	1	–	–	–	1
Total	3	58	6	219	2	107	385

BRITISH LOSSES AT TALAVERA
SECOND DAY. JULY 28, 1809.

TABLE LEGEND:

A = Officers.
B = Men.

Regiments.	Killed.		Wounded.		Missing.		Total.
Regiments.	A	B	A	B	A	B	Total.
Staff	4	–	9	–	–	–	13
CAVALRY.
Fane’s Brigade:
3rd Dragoon Guards	–	–	1	1	–	1	3
4th Dragoons	–	3	–	9	–	–	12
							15
Cotton’s Brigade:
14th Light Dragoons	–	3	6	6	–	–	15
16th Light Dragoons	–	6	1	5	–	2	14
							29
Anson’s Brigade:
1st Light Dragoons K.G.L.	–	1	2	32	–	2	37
23rd Light Dragoons	2	47	4	46	3	105	207
							244
INFANTRY.
1st Division (General Sherbrooke):
H. Campbell’s Brigade:
1st Coldstream Guards	1	33	8	251	–	–	293
1st 3rd Guards	5	49	6	261	–	1	322
							615
Cameron’s Brigade:
1/61st Foot	3	43	10	193	–	16	265
2/83rd Foot	4	38	11	202	–	28	283
							548
Langwerth’s Brigade:
1st Line batt. K.G.L.	2	37	10	241	–	1	291
2nd Line batt. K.G.L.	–	61	14	288	–	24	387
Light Companies, K.G.L.	–	6	–	37	–	–	43
							721
Low’s Brigade:
5th Line batt. K.G.L.	3	27	6	118	–	101	255
7th Line batt. K.G.L.	–	17	4	35	–	54	110
							365
2nd Division (General Hill):
Tilson’s Brigade:
1/3rd Foot	–	26	2	107	–	7	142
2/48th Foot	–	12	2	53	1	–	68
2/66th Foot	–	16	11	88	–	11	126
							336
R. Stewart’s Brigade:
29th Foot	–	26	6	98	–	2	132
1st batt. Detachments	–	26	9	166	–	2	203
1/48th Foot	–	22	10	135	–	1	168
							503
3rd Division (General Mackenzie):
Mackenzie’s Brigade:
2/24th Foot	–	44	10	268	–	21	343
2/31st Foot	–	21	3	102	–	5	131
1/45th Foot	–	9	2	134	1	12	158
							632
Donkin’s Brigade:
5/60th Foot	–	7	6	25	–	12	50[761]
2/87th Foot	–	9	3	43	–	5	60
1/88th Foot	1	12	3	69	–	–	85
							195
4th Division (General A. Campbell):
Campbell’s Brigade:
2/7th Foot	1	6	3	54	–	1	65
2/53rd Foot	–	6	2	30	–	1	39
							104
Kemmis’s Brigade:
1/40th Foot	–	7	1	49	–	1	58
97th Foot	–	6	–	25	1	21	53
2nd batt. Detachments	–	7	–	13	–	1	21
							132
ARTILLERY.
British	1	7	3	21	–	–	32
German	–	3	–	30	–	1	34
ENGINEERS	–	–	1	–	–	–	1
STAFF CORPS	–	–	2	–	–	–	2
Total	27	643	171	3,235	6	439	4,521

Total of the two days:—killed: 34 officers, 767 men; wounded: 196 officers, 3,719 men; missing: 8 officers, 639 men. Grand Total, 5,363.

TALAVERA.—THE FRENCH LOSSES

N.B.—I owe these figures to the kindness of Commandant Balagny, who has caused them to be copied in detail from the French Archives.

TABLE LEGEND:

A = Officers.
B = Men.

Regiments.	Killed.		Wounded.		Missing.		Total.
Regiments.	A	B	A	B	A	B	Total.
1st Corps (Marshal Victor):
État-Major Général	–	–	1	–	–	–	1
1st Division (Ruffin):
9th Léger	3	35	14	340	–	65	457
24th Line	1	92	17	456	1	–	567
96th Line	3	36	19	548	–	–	606
État-Major	–	–	2	–	–	–	2
							1,632
2nd Division (Lapisse):
16th Léger	8	49	8	342	–	–	407
8th Line	3	41	17	376	–	–	437
45th Line	3	43	12	328	–	2	388
54th Line	2	54	14	462	–	–	532
État-Major	–	–	3	–	–	–	3
							1,767
3rd Division (Villatte):
27th Léger	1	25	4	159	–	–	189
63rd Line	–	2	2	36	–	–	40
94th Line	1	20	1	123	–	–	145
95th Line	–	–	–	27	–	–	27
							401
Corps-Cavalry (Beaumont):
2nd Hussars	–	3	2	11	–	–	16
5th Chasseurs	–	1	3	19	–	–	23
							39
Artillery and Engineers	1	9	1	53	–	–	64
Total of 1st Corps	26	410	120	3,280	1	67	3,904
4th Corps (General Sebastiani):
1st Division (Sebastiani):
28th, 32nd, 58th, 75th Line	13	187	67	1,852	–	61	2,180
2nd Division (Leval):
Baden, Hesse, Nassau, Holland, Frankfort	6	97	24	803	–	77	1,007
3rd Division (Valence):
4th Polish Regiment	–	3	–	37	–	–	40
Total of 4th Corps	19	287	91	2,692	–	138	3,227
Cavalry Divisions—
1st Division of Dragoons (Latour-Maubourg):
1st, 2nd, 4th, 9th, 14th, 26th Dragoons	–	13	9	61	–	–	83
2nd Division of Dragoons (Milhaud):
5th, 12th, 16th, 20th, 21st Dragoons	–	–	–	3	–	–	3
Milhaud’s Artillery	–	–	–	3	–	–	3
Merlin’s Light Cavalry Division:
10th, 26th Chasseurs, Polish Lancers, Westphalian Chevaux-Légers	–	6	–	42	–	–	48
Total of Cavalry Divisions	–	19	9	109	–	–	137
General Totals:—
45 officers, 716 rank and file killed;
220 officers, 6,081 rank and file wounded;
1 officer, 205 rank and file missing = 7,268.

Note.—No distinction is made in the French returns between losses on July 27 and July 28, which cannot therefore be ascertained separately.

These ‘Missing’ do not include the French wounded who were left within the British lines on the night of July 28, and became prisoners, but were freed again on Aug. 6 when Victor reoccupied Talavera and captured the British hospitals. They must have been numerous in the divisions of Ruffin, Lapisse, and Sebastiani. The French returns are those made up for the Emperor’s use, some weeks after the battle—those of the 4th Corps as late as Sept. 19. The men in question therefore appear as ‘wounded,’ but not as ‘prisoners.’