A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 1, 1807-1809

by Charles Oman

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.