A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 6, September 1, 1812-August 5, 1813

by Charles Oman

FRENCH LOSSES IN THE CAMPAIGN OF THE PYRENEES

[From Soult’s Official Return, lent me by Mr. Fortescue.]

	Killed.		Wounded.		Prisoners.
	Off.	Men.	Off.	Men.	Off.	Men.	Total.
I. Reille’s Wing:
1st Division (Foy)	6	78	9	393	—	69	555
7th Division (Maucune)	14	189	27	500	25	1,102	1,857
9th Division (Lamartinière)	10	79	16	657	3	216	981
Total Reille’s Wing	30	346	52	1,550	28	1,387	3,393
II. D’Erlon’s ‘Centre’:
2nd Division (Darmagnac)	13	191	65	1,925	1	30	2,225
3rd Division (Abbé)	9	130	21	560	1	29	750
6th Division (Maransin)	11	105	34	783	—	126	1,059
Total D’Erlon’s ‘Centre’	33	426	120	3,268	2	185	4,034
III. Clausel’s Wing:
4th Division (Conroux)	16	145	35	1,432	12	747	2,387
5th Division (Vandermaesen)	16	153	30	978	2	301	1,480
8th Division (Taupin)	6	125	38	1,007	—	26	1,202
Total Clausel’s Wing	38	423	103	3,417	14	1,074	5,069
IV. Cavalry	—	12	2	33	1	19	67
General Total of Army	101	1,207	277	8,268	45	2,665	12,563

No figures for Artillery, Engineers, Train, or other auxiliary services, or for General Staff. Martinien’s lists supply 4 casualties of generals (Conroux, Schwitter, Rignoux, Meunier), and 12 of staff officers. There must have been appreciable casualties in the other services, especially men captured from the Train at the Yanzi disaster.

Soult’s figures are always unreliable (as witness Albuera). The details above contain some ‘moral impossibilities’—e. g. the Return gives 63rd Line of Abbé’s Division 193 casualties, not including one officer. But Martinien’s lists supply one officer-casualty at Maya, two at Beunza, two at Yanzi. Similarly 58th Line of Conroux has in the Official Return 473 casualties, including only 5 officers—1 wounded and 4 prisoners. A reference to Martinien shows 2 officers killed (one the colonel!) and 5 wounded—adding the 4 prisoners we get 11 officer-casualties to 473 men: quite a possible percentage, which Soult’s is not.

Captain Vidal de la Blache (i. p. 280) gives a casualty list differing slightly from the above. It runs: Foy 556, Maucune 2,457, Lamartinière 981, Darmagnac 2,225, Abbé 253 [quite impossible], Maransin 1,059, Conroux 2,387, Vandermaesen 1,480, Taupin 1,202, Cavalry 72; total 12,071.

INDEX

• Abbé, general, governor of Navarre, fails to relieve Tafalla, [262];
  • joined by Barbot, [263];
  • by Taupin, [264];
  • at Maya, [629];
  • at Beunza, [703];
  • at Venta de Urroz, [710];
  • at Yanzi, [723].
• Aboville, Auguste Gabriel, general, his explosion at Burgos, [358].
• Adam, Frederick, colonel, at combat of Biar, [287-90];
  • at Castalla, [291-7];
  • protests against abandonment of the siege of Tarragona, [511].
• Alava, Miguel, general, wounded at Villa Muriel, [80].
• Alba de Tormes, combat of, [122-3];
  • defended by major José Miranda, [125].
• Albeyda, combat of, [282].
• Alcoy, combat of, [282].
• Alicante, Maitland at, [4], [162];
  • Mackenzie commands Anglo-Spanish army at, [58], [163];
  • Bentinck’s proposal to withdraw troops from, [220];
  • Murray at, [275];
  • Bentinck brings back expeditionary force to, [521].
• Alten, Charles, major-general commanding Light Division, left in command at Madrid, [4];
  • in the Bastan, [540];
  • moves the Light Division to Lecumberri, [690];
  • ordered to harass Soult’s retreat, [715-24];
  • at Yanzi, [727];
  • at Ivantelly, [735].
• Alten, Victor, major-general, on retreat from Madrid, [98], [119], [130], [135], [144];
  • pursues Villatte, [317];
  • at Vittoria, [395], [419];
  • in the Vittoria pursuit, [458].
• Altobiscar, combat of, see [Roncesvalles].
• Alvarez, Pedro, colonel, his defence of Castro-Urdiales, [272-3].
• Anson, George, major-general, his brigade on the Douro, [9-10], [15];
  • on retreat from Burgos, [68];
  • at Venta del Pozo, [71-6].
• Anson, William, major-general, at Vittoria, [419];
  • at Sorauren, [656], [673];
  • at second Sorauren, [694].
• Aranjuez, evacuated by Hill, [97].
• Ariñez, village of, in battle of Vittoria, taken by Picton, [418-21].
• Artificers, Royal Military, converted into Royal Sappers and Miners, [26];
  • at siege of Burgos, [50].
• Ashworth, Charles, brigadier-general, at Vittoria, [419];
  • in the Bastan, [530];
  • at Maya, [626];
  • at combat of Beunza, [703].
• Astorga, long siege of, [6-12];
  • surrenders to Castaños, [11];
  • Foy at, [11].
• Aussenac, general, joins Souham, [54];
  • operations of his brigade, [116 note];
  • in Biscay, [267].
• Avy, Antoine, general, at Vittoria, [393], [411], [428].

• Babila Fuente, combat of, [319].
• Balaguer, fort, besieged by Murray, [491];
  • fall of, [499].
• Ballasteros, Francisco, general, Wellington’s orders to, [58], [59];
  • his attempted coup d’état, [60], [61], [66], [178], [198];
  • exiled by the Cortes, [62];
  • Wellington’s comments on, [300].
• Barbot, general, his troops defeated at combat of Lerin, [263];
  • checked at Roncesvalles, [615].
• Barnes, Edward, major-general, his gallant counter-attack at Maya, [637];
  • at second Sorauren, [697];
  • charge of his brigade at Echalar, [733].
• Bathurst, Henry, Earl, Secretary for War, correspondence of Wellington with, [12], [25], [28], [64], [112], [117], [164 note], [197], [211], [214], [217], [219], [220], [225-6];
  • establishes Beresford’s claims to seniority over Graham and Cotton, [230];
  • Wellington sends plan of campaign for 1813 to, [301-4];
  • Wellington’s remarks after Vittoria, [453], [468];
  • suggests Wellington’s transfer to Germany, [558].
• Bayas, skirmish on the, [379].
• Behobie, bridge of, broken by Foy, [487].
• Bejar, Foy’s failure at, [240-1].
• Bentinck, Lord Frederick, at siege of Tarragona, [507], [511].
• Bentinck, Lord William, sends troops to Alicante, [164];
  • proposes to withdraw them, [222-3];
  • sends a raiding force to Tuscany, [223];
  • recalls troops from Alicante to Sicily, [284];
  • arrives to take command at Balaguer, [520];
  • his dispatches to Wellington and Bathurst, [521].
• Beresford, Sir William, marshal, his management of army in Portugal, [210];
  • Wellington’s choice of, as successor to himself, [228];
  • Duke of York’s decision against his claims, [229];
  • Lord Bathurst establishes his right to seniority, [230];
  • receives Wellington’s plan of campaign for 1813, [303].
• Bertoletti, general, commands at Tarragona, [492];
  • defends the town against Murray, [496-514].
• Beunza, combat of, [703], [704];
  • casualties at, [739].
• Biar, combat of, [288-90].
• Bilbao, taken and lost by the Spaniards, [254];
  • again attacked, [254];
  • relieved by Palombini, [261];
  • again attacked by Spaniards, [267].
• Bloye, captain (R.N.), at Castro-Urdiales, [271-2], [273].
• Bock, Eberhard, general, on retreat from Burgos, [69];
  • at combat of Venta del Pozo, [71-4];
  • brings his brigade to join Graham, [323];
  • crosses the Esla, [330];
  • at Vittoria, [396], [437].
• Bourbon, the Cardinal, appointed head of Spanish Regency, [205-7].
• Boyer, general, at combat of Venta del Pozo, [72-4];
  • ordered to return to France, [246];
  • his raid across the Esla, [327];
  • at Vittoria, [404], [436];
  • summoned to join Napoleon, [531].
• Bradford, Henry,brigadier-general, sufferings of his brigade on retreat to Rodrigo, [154];
  • at Vittoria, [396], [424], [437];
  • at combat of Villareal, [474], [475];
  • at combat of Tolosa, [478];
  • at St. Sebastian, [567], [571].
• Brisbane, Thomas, major-general, his brigade at Vittoria, [413], [418], [421].
• Burgos, description of, [21-4];
  • siege of, [17-51];
  • relieved by Souham, [68];
  • Wellington’s comments on, [299];
  • operations round, in June, 1813, [346-63];
  • abandoned by King Joseph, [357].
• Burgoyne, John, major (R.E.), senior engineer at Burgos, [18 n.], [28 n.], [30 n.], [41 n.];
  • his observations, [44-5], [47], [49-51];
  • his notes on siege of St. Sebastian, [573], [578].
• Byng, John, major-general, at Vittoria, [400], [419];
  • at Roncesvalles, [557], [611];
  • retires, [622-3];
  • at Sorauren, [656], [673];
  • at second Sorauren, [694].

• Cadiz, Wellington at, [201-6].
• Cadogan, Hon. Henry, colonel, at Vittoria, [400];
  • death of, [401].
• Caffarelli, Louis Marie, general, commands Army of the North, [2];
  • strengthens Burgos, [23];
  • joins Souham at Briviesca, [48-54];
  • in pursuit of Wellington, [85];
  • returns to Burgos, [111];
  • opposed by the Guerrilleros, [166];
  • his failure to restore order in Biscay, [191-3], [252-8];
  • superseded by Clausel, [193];
  • returns to France, [217], [262].
• Cameron, John, colonel, succeeds to Cadogan’s brigade at Vittoria, [417], [419], [429];
  • in pursuit of the French, [439];
  • in the Bastan, [530];
  • at Maya, [542], [626], [633], [634].
• Campbell, Archibald,major-general, at Roncesvalles, joins Ross, [621];
  • at Sorauren, [656];
  • at Beunza, [704].
• Campbell, Colin, captain, his account of storm of St. Sebastian, [580], [581], [582].
• Campbell, James, general, at Alicante, [162];
  • supersedes Clinton, [165], [275];
  • superseded by Murray, [275].
• Carvajal, Spanish minister of war, Wellington’s letter to, [198-200].
• Casapalacios, general, commanding Franco-Spaniards at Vittoria, [394-426];
  • under Soult, [595].
• Cassagne, general, at Vittoria, [393], [402], [414], [429];
  • his division in the Bastan, [534].
• Cassan, general, governor of Pampeluna, [528].
• Castalla, battle of, [291-6].
• Castaños, Francisco Xavier, general, commands Army of Galicia, joins Wellington before Burgos, [15-16];
  • on retreat, [64], [156];
  • winter quarters of, [184];
  • Wellington’s approval of, [199];
  • appointed captain-general in Galicia, Castile, and Estremadura, [305];
  • deposed by Regency, [523].
• Castro-Urdiales, fortified by the Spaniards, [260];
  • Clausel at, [265];
  • siege and storm of, [271-3].
• Chinchilla, siege of, [63];
  • taken by French, [66].
• Ciudad Rodrigo, Wellington’s retreat on, [153];
  • winter quarters at, [180].
• Clarke, Henri, duc de Feltre, French minister of war, appoints Masséna to command Army of Portugal, [33];
  • orders withdrawal from Madrid, [243];
  • recalls troops to France, [248], [249];
  • his orders to Clausel, [259];
  • forwards King Joseph’s complaints to Russia, [88];
  • lectures the king on his strategy, [243], [248], [249];
  • his views on the Northern insurrection, [252];
  • urges the king to send troops to Biscay and Navarre, [259-60];
  • his misconceptions of Wellington’s strength and designs, [245], [251];
  • his instructions to King Joseph after his retreat into France, [546].
• Clausel, Bertrand, general, commands Army of Portugal, [2];
  • reorganizes his army, [6-8];
  • advances to Valladolid, [8-9];
  • retreats northward, [14], [15], [17];
  • superseded by Souham, [33];
  • in operations round Salamanca, [124-42];
  • supersedes Caffarelli with Army of the North, [193], [258], [262];
  • his failure to subdue the North, [259], [270];
  • his pursuit of Mina, [268], [269], [334];
  • ordered to join King Joseph, [386];
  • fails to reach Vittoria before the battle, [454];
  • evades Wellington’s pursuit, [460-9];
  • reaches Saragossa, [465];
  • arrives in France, [469], [527];
  • appointed to command of the left wing under Soult, [594];
  • at Roncesvalles, [615];
  • at Sorauren, [657], [663], [665-77];
  • in second battle of Sorauren, [692-7];
  • retreat, [707];
  • at Sumbilla, [718];
  • at Echalar, [734].
• Clinton, Henry, general commanding 6th Division, [2];
  • joined by Wellington, [13];
  • at Burgos, [42];
  • Wellington’s dissatisfaction with, [52];
  • resumes command of 6th Division, after Vittoria, [462];
  • pursues Clausel, [463], [464].
• Clinton, William, major-general, takes command at Alicante, [164];
  • superseded by Campbell, [165], [275];
  • at battle of Castalla, [291-7];
  • at Tarragona, [492], [565];
  • thwarted by Murray, [509-10].
• Collier, Sir George, captain (R.N.), blockades St. Sebastian, [567];
  • lands naval guns, [569].
• Cole, Sir Lowry, major-general, retreats from Madrid, [102];
  • at Roncesvalles, [585], [604], [611], [617], [620];
  • Wellington censures his retreat, [622], [623];
  • at combat of Linzoain, [651];
  • at Sorauren, [656];
  • at second Sorauren, [694].
• Colville, Hon. Charles, major-general, at Vittoria, [411], [417], [429], [435].
• Conroux, general, at Vittoria, [401];
  • alarmist reports of, [538], [540];
  • at Sorauren, [663], [668];
  • in second battle of Sorauren, [692-6];
  • at Sumbilla, [719];
  • at Echalar, [734].
• Constantin, Foy defeats Silveira at, [11].
• Copons, Francisco, captain-general of Catalonia, commands 1st Army in Catalonia, [308];
  • co-operates with Murray, [49], [504];
  • Murray’s pledge to join him in defending the Gaya, [507];
  • abandoned by Murray, [513];
  • threatens Mathieu’s force, [518].
• Cortes, intrigues in the Spanish, [202-3].
• Cotton, Sir Stapleton, lieut.-general, at combat of Venta del Pozo, [70-4];
  • in command at combat of Villadrigo, [76];
  • Wellington’s estimate of, [229];
  • his ambitions as to the command in the Peninsula, [229-30].
• Croker, John Wilson, records Wellington’s plan for driving the French out of the Peninsula, [359-60], [454 note].
• Curto, Jean-Baptiste, general, pursues Wellington from Burgos, [69], [71];
  • at combat of Venta del Pozo, [71-4];
  • at Vittoria, [426], [436].