1810.
On January 1, the composition of the Army was as follows:—
Cavalry. G.O.C., Payne; Cotton, second in command.
A [Fane], 3rd Dragoon Guards, 4th Dragoons; B [Slade], 1st Dragoons, 14th Light Dragoons; C [G. Anson], 16th Light Dragoons, 1st Hussars K.G.L.
1st Division. G.O.C., Sherbrooke. A [Stopford], 1st Coldstreams, 1st Scots; B [A. Cameron], 2/24th, 2/42nd, 1/61st; C [Löw], 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 7th Line, K.G.L., detachment Light Battalions, K.G.L.
2nd Division. G.O.C., Hill. A [Duckworth, temporarily], 1/3rd, 2/31st, 2/48th, 2/66th; B [R. Stewart], 29th, 1/48th, 1/57th; C [C. Craufurd], 2/28th, 2/34th, 2/39th.
3rd Division. G.O.C., R. Craufurd. A [R. Craufurd], 1/43rd, 1/52nd, 1/95th; B [Mackinnon], 1/45th, 5/60th, 1/88th.
4th Division. G.O.C., Cole. A [Myers acting for Cole], 2/7th, 1/11th, 2/53rd; B [Kemmis] 3/27th, 1/40th, 97th; C [Lightburne], 2/5th, 2/58th.[348]
Subsequent changes were:—
Cavalry. Payne went home before June 1, Cotton obtaining sole command from June 3.
On April 1 the 13th Light Dragoons arrived at Lisbon, joining the army in May, and being attached to Hill’s division, along with four regiments of Portuguese cavalry, the whole under Fane, who gave over his brigade to de Grey from May 13. Two troops of the regiment went to Cadiz, but rejoined the regiment in September.
Before the end of the year Fane seems to have gone home ill.
1st Division. On April 26 Cotton was posted to the command of the division, vice Sherbrooke, gone home ill, but gave place to Spencer, June 3, on getting the Cavalry Division.
In the “States” of March 8 to August 1, no brigadier is given for I B. On August 4 Lord Blantyre (of 2/42nd) was appointed to command I B “during the absence of Brigadier-General Cameron.” Cameron was back in command from October 1, but on November 26 he was invalided home, Blantyre probably commanding again.
By the Orders of September 12, 1/79th (just arrived from Cadiz), was posted to I B vice 1/61st, to be transferred to a new brigade to form part of the 1st Division. These orders were suspended from September 14, and at Bussaco 1/7th (arrived from Halifax before end of July), and 1/79th formed a brigade (I D) under Pakenham.
On October 6, orders were given for the transfer of Pakenham’s brigade to the 4th Division, the exchange between the 1/61st and 1/79th having been carried out previously, and a new brigade was added under Erskine, comprising 1/50th (arrived September 24), 1/71st (arrived September 26), 1/92nd (arrived in October, before the 6th), and 1 company 3/95th.
2nd Division. On June 20 Leith was appointed to command “Tilson’s brigade,” and to command the division “under Hill,” but in the “State” of July 8 his name appears as commanding the brigade composed of 3/1st, 1/9th, and 2/38th. On August 8 orders were issued to W. Stewart to take command of Tilson’s brigade and of the division under Hill. In November Hill went on sick leave.
Leith’s name ceases to appear in the returns as commanding II A from July 8, and W. Stewart’s name appears in his place from July 27. When Stewart commanded the division, Colborne of 2/66th had the brigade. C. Craufurd died in September, and at Bussaco Wilson of 2/39th commanded II C. On September 30 Lumley was posted to command it.
Before September 1 R. Stewart had gone home ill, and at Bussaco Inglis (of 1/57th) commanded II B. On October 8 Hoghton was posted to it.
3rd Division. From January 8 on 5/60th no longer appear in the Returns as belonging to the division, and their place in the brigade was taken by 74th, who arrived at Lisbon February 8, and are mentioned in Orders on February 22 as in III B.
On February 22 the division was reorganized, R. Craufurd’s brigade becoming, with two battalions of Caçadores, the Light Division. Mackinnon’s brigade now became III A, and Lightburne’s brigade was transferred from the 4th Division and became III B. The headquarters and three companies 5/60th were posted to Lightburne’s brigade, the remaining companies having been posted to I A, I B, II A, II B, II C, IV A, IV B. At the same time a Portuguese brigade composed of the 9th and 21st Regiments (under Harvey) was added to the division.
At Bussaco Champlemond was in command of the Portuguese brigade, by October 29 Sutton had it, Champlemond being wounded at Bussaco.
On September 12 2/83rd was posted to III B, 2/88th having arrived from Cadiz to relieve them September 4. Hurrying to the front they joined their brigade before Bussaco. When they did join, 2/58th was detached from III B for garrison duty at Lisbon. 94th (arrived from Cadiz September 20), were added to III B on October 6, and on October 10 Colville was posted to command the brigade vice Lightburne, who went home.
4th Division. On the transfer of Lightburne’s brigade to the 3rd Division the other two brigades exchanged places, Kemmis’ becoming IV A, and being Cole’s brigade, but under the immediate command of Kemmis. A. Campbell, who had rejoined, took command of his old brigade.
The 3rd and 15th Portuguese were added to the division in February, as a brigade under Collins.
At Bussaco the Portuguese brigade consisted of the 11th and 23rd, the 3rd and 15th having been removed to the 5th Division.
On October 6 A. Campbell’s brigade was removed from the division to become the nucleus of the newly-formed 6th Division, its place being taken by Pakenham’s from the 1st Division, i.e. 1/7th, 1/61st, to which the Brunswick Oels Light Infantry (arrived Lisbon September 17) were added.
On November 12 the Brunswick Oels were removed to the Light Division, but one company was posted to IV B, two more being detached to provide the newly-formed 5th Division, with extra light troops. Their place in IV B was taken by the newly arrived 1/23rd from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
On November 17 2/7th and 1/61st were ordered to exchange, IV B thus becoming the Fusilier Brigade.
Light Division. Formed on February 22 by the removal of R. Craufurd’s brigade from the 3rd Division, the 1st and 3rd Portuguese Caçadores being added to it. On August 4 it was broken up into two brigades, as follows: A [Beckwith of 1/95th] 1/43rd, 4 companies 1/95th, 1st Caçadores; B [Barclay of 1/52nd] 1/52nd, 4 companies 1/95th, 3rd Caçadores. Barclay having been wounded at Bussaco, Wynch of 1/4th got the brigade (in Orders of November 14th).
A company of 2/95th (from Cadiz) was added to A before October 1. On November 12 nine companies Brunswick Oels joined B.
5th Division. Officially this division first appears in the “State” of August 8, when the 3/1st, 1/9th, and 2/38th,[349] are first called the “Fifth Division,” a Portuguese brigade, Spry’s (i.e. 3rd and 15th Line), being added, and Leith being G.O.C.
On August 4 J. S. Barns of 3/1st was appointed to command the British brigade, being superseded by Hay September 30.
On October 6 orders were issued that Leith should command the 5th Division, and that it should be composed of Brigadier-General Hay’s brigade, a brigade made up of 1/4th (from England, they first appear in the “State” of November 15), 2/30th (from Cadiz), and 2/44th (from Cadiz), and Spry’s Portuguese.
On November 5 Dunlop was posted to V B, hitherto under its senior battalion commander.
On November 12 a company of the Brunswick Oels was posted to each of the British brigades.
6th Division. Ordered to be formed October 6, by taking A. Campbell’s brigade out of the 4th Division and adding Eben’s Portuguese (i.e. 8th Line and Lusitanian Legion) to it: A. Campbell being G.O.C.
On November 14, Hulse was posted to A. Campbell’s brigade.
On November 17 1/61st from IV B exchanged with 2/7th.
In addition to the Portuguese brigades attached to the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Divisions there were at least five others, two of which, the 4th under Archibald Campbell (=4th and 10th Line), and 2nd under Fonseca (=2nd and 14th Line) formed a division under Hamilton, which acted throughout under Hill. Wellington says that he intended to organize this division like the rest, but the heavy losses at Albuera and the consequent necessity of reforming the 2nd Division made it impossible for him to carry out his resolve. [Cf. Wellington Dispatches, viii. 111.]
The remaining brigades were the 1st (Pack’s), consisting of the 1st and 16th Line and 4th Caçadores, the 5th (A. Campbell’s), 6th and 18th Line, and 6th Caçadores; the 6th (Coleman’s), 7th and 19th Line and 2nd Caçadores. On the formation of the 7th Division in March, 1811, Coleman’s brigade was posted to it, the other two remaining unattached.
The 12th and 13th Line and 5th Caçadores seem to have formed yet another brigade under Bradford, but in October the 13th Line was in garrison at Abrantes.
Spry’s brigade ranked at the 3rd, Eben’s as the 7th, Sutton’s as the 8th, and Collins’ as the 9th.
State of January 1, 1811