20th Light Dragoons240Royal Artillery (three batteries)226First Brigade—Hill:5th (Northumberland Fusiliers)9441st Batt. 9th (Norfolk)76138th (South Staffords)953——2,658Second Brigade—Fergusson:36th (Worcester)59140th (South Lancashire)92371st (Highland Light Infantry)935——2,449Third Brigade—Nightingale:29th (Worcester)61682nd (South Lancashire)904——1,520Fourth Brigade—Bowes:6th (Royal Warwick)94332nd (Cornwall Light Infantry)870——1,813Fifth Brigade—C. Crawford:45th (Sherwood Foresters)91591st (Argyll Highlanders)917——1,832Sixth Brigade—Fane:50th (West Kent)9455th Batt. 60th (King's Royal Rifles)6042nd Batt. Rifle Brigade456——2,005Seventh Brigade—Anstruther:2nd Batt. 9th (Norfolk)63343rd (Oxford Light Infantry)72152nd (Oxford Light Infantry)65497th (West Kent)695——2,703Eighth Brigade—Acland:2nd (Queen's)73120th (Lancashire Fusiliers)4011st Batt. Rifle Brigade200——1,332———Total British16,712
To which must be added about 2,000 Portuguese troops. Of the French forces it is not so easy to speak. Wellesley estimated their strength at 14,000, inclusive of 1,500 cavalry, with 23 guns. Professor Oman's figures are 13,056, including 1,850 cavalry. Whatever their strength may have been, they made but a poor stand against Sir Arthur's troops.
When the three Generals responsible for the Convention of Cintra were recalled to England, Sir John Moore was nominated to the chief command in Spain. The appointment was a popular one, for Moore had greatly distinguished himself in command of a brigade at the capture of the Island of St. Lucia, and later still at the Battle of Egmont-op-Zee and in Egypt. His masterly advance from Lisbon to the relief of Madrid, and his still more masterly retreat from Salamanca to Corunna, are ably recounted in Professor Oman's monumental work on the Peninsular War, and by General Maurice in his Life of Moore. With not more than 30,000 men Moore held at bay five times that number, and finally, at Corunna, covered the embarkation of his worn-out army in the face of 25,000 French, commanded by Marshal Soult. The one episode during that famous retreat which is emblazoned on the colours and appointments of our army is the brilliant cavalry action of Sahagun, for which, as well as for the cavalry action of Benevente a few days afterwards, the medal and clasps were granted.
This honour has been awarded to the 15th Hussars only, and commemorates a brilliant little engagement, when the 15th attacked and routed a far superior bodyof French cavalry. With the trifling loss of 2 Hussars killed and 18 wounded, they captured 13 officers and 150 men of the enemy. Sahagun and Benevente—a similar action which took place a few days subsequently, in which the 10th and 18th Hussars bore their share, but for which no battle honour was granted, though a clasp "Benevente" was added to the Peninsular medal—bore testimony to the admirable manner in which our light cavalry was handled during Moore's retreat to Corunna.
Authority to assume this battle honour was given in April, 1823, and the medal and clasp were granted June 1, 1847.
This honour has been conferred on the following regiments:
Grenadier Guards.Royal Scots.Queen's R.W. Surrey.King's Own.Northumberland Fusiliers.Royal Warwicks.Norfolks.West Yorkshires.Lancashire Fusiliers.Royal Welsh Fusiliers.Cameronians.Gloucesters.Worcesters.East Lancashire.Cornwall Light Infantry.West Riding.South Staffords.South Lancashire.Black Watch.K.O. (Yorkshire Light Infantry).Oxford Light Infantry.North Lancashire.Royal West Kent.Highland Light Infantry.Gordon Highlanders.Cameron Highlanders.Argyll and Suth. Highlanders.Rifle Brigade.
The following table gives the strength of Sir John Moore's army at the commencement of the retreat. Unfortunately, no complete list of casualties exists to show the exact losses at the Battle of Corunna, but we know that on that day we had forty French guns opposed to nine English, and that the losses inflicted on the enemy were little short of 1,500, ours being about 800 only.
Cavalry Division: Lord Paget.
7th Hussars49710th Hussars51415th Hussars52718th Hussars565——2,103Royal Artillery1,297
First Division: Sir David Baird.
Brigade of Guards—Ward:1st Batt. Grenadiers1,3002nd Batt. Grenadiers1,027——2,327First Brigade—Bentinck:1st Batt. 4th (King's Own)7541st Batt. 42nd (Royal Highlanders)8801st Batt. 50th (Royal West Kent)794——2,428Third Brigade—Manningham:3rd Batt. Royal Scots5971st Batt. 26th (Cameronians)7452nd Batt. 81st (North Lancashire)615——1,957
Second Division: Sir James Hope.
Third Brigade—Leith:51st King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)5162nd Batt. 59th (East Lancashire)5572nd Batt. 76th (West Riding Regiment)654——1,727Fourth Brigade—Hill:2nd (Queen's)6161st Batt. 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers)8352nd Batt. 14th (West Yorkshire)5501st Batt. 32nd (Cornwall Light Infantry)756——2,757Fifth Brigade—C. Crawford:1st Batt. 36th (Worcester)7361st Batt. 71st (Highland Light Infantry)7241st Batt. 92nd (Gordon Highlanders)900——2,360
Third Division: Lieutenant-General Fraser.
Sixth Brigade—Beresford:1st Batt. 6th (Royal Warwicks)7831st Batt. 9th (Norfolk)6072nd Batt. 23rd (Royal Welsh Fusiliers)4962nd Batt. 45th (Oxford Light Infantry)411——2,297Seventh Brigade—Fane:1st Batt. 38th (South Stafford)8231st Batt. 79th (Cameron Highlanders)8381st Batt. 82nd (South Lancashire)812——2,473
Reserve Division: Major-General E. Paget.
Eighth Brigade—Anstruther:20th (Lancashire Fusiliers)4991st Batt. 52nd (Oxford Light Infantry)8281st Batt. Rifle Brigade820——2,147Ninth Brigade——Disney:1st Batt. 28th (Gloucester)7501st Batt. 91st (Argyll Highlanders)698——1,448Light Brigade——R. Crawford:1st Batt. 43rd (Oxford Light Infantry)8172nd Batt. 52nd (Oxford Light Infantry)3812nd Batt. Rifle Brigade702——1,900———Total British27,221
Casualties at Corunna.
Regiments.Officers.Men.K.W.K.W.General Staff1---7th Hussars----10th Hussars----15th Hussars----18th Hussars----Royal Artillery----Grenadier Gds. (2nd Batt.)--13401st Royal Scots----2nd Queen's----4th K.O. Lancaster Regt.13--5th Northumberland Fus.----6th Royal Warwick----9th Norfolk----14th W. Yorks--103020th Lancs F.----23rd Royal Welsh Fus.----26th Cameronians----28th Gloucester----32nd Corn. L.I.----36th Worcester----38th S. Stafford----42nd Royal Highlanders-63910543rd Oxfd. L.I. (two batts.)----50th Royal West Kent23--51st K.O. Yorks L.I.--52052nd Oxf. L.I. (1st and 2nd Batts.)-253359th E. Lancs----71st Highld. L.I.----76th West Riding Regiment--1679th Cameronian Highdrs.----81st L. North Lancashire3112711382nd S. Lancs----91st Argyll Highlanders----92nd Gordon Highlanders11315Rifle Brigade (1st and 2nd Batts.)--1233
It is useless disguising the fact that the French claim Corunna as a victory. Moore, who fell during the action, and who, with General Anstruther, was buried within the precincts of the work, had been compelled to destroythe greater number of his horses and to bury some of his guns prior to giving the order for embarkation, and a large number of his sick were left behind. Nothing, however, can detract from the magnificent manner in which he conducted the retirement in the face of enormous odds, nor from the gallant way in which his men pulled themselves together after the hardships endured during the retreat, and stood at bay outside Corunna. It was not a victory in the fullest sense of the word, but Corunna was a grand military achievement.
To give even a summary of the campaign would be beyond the limits of this work. It is the campaign which more than any other has formed the theme for countless books, and is more or less known to every schoolboy. My scheme is merely to bring before the regimental officer and those interested in the "price of blood" the losses sustained by each corps in each action, and so to bring home to the army the anomalies that exist in the system under which battle honours have been awarded.
We have seen that the Convention of Cintra, which was the closing act of the successful campaign of Vimiera, had been received with a storm of indignation in England. When it became known that Sir Arthur Wellesley, one of the Signatories of that Convention, had been appointed to succeed the late Sir John Moore in command of the troops in Portugal, the attacks broke out afresh. The result, however, gave the lie to the arm-chair critics, for the "Sepoy General" proved a consummate master of the art of war. Landing at Lisbon on April 22, Sir Arthur struck at once. There was one French army still in Portugal, at Oporto, where Soult lay with a considerable force. Leaving a portion of his army under Beresford to watch the French main army, who were near Talavera, Wellesley moved swiftly to the north. By a masterly stroke, he threw one brigade across the Douro, and, with the loss of but 190 killed and wounded, drove Soult out of Oporto.
is inscribed on the colours and appointments of the
14th Hussars.Buffs.Northamptons.Royal Berkshires.
and commemorates this, Wellington's first victory after he had been entrusted with the supreme command in the Peninsula. In addition to the regiments which are entitled to bear this battle honour, there was a battalion of detachments engaged made up of the light companies of the 29th (Worcesters), 38th (South Staffords), 43rd and 52nd (Oxford Light Infantry), and the Rifle Brigade. The 16th Lancers, who were generally to the fore when fighting was expected, also suffered some casualties. Soult was not only surprised; he was, despite the smallness of our losses, badly beaten, and it was only Wellesley's want of cavalry which prevented his being overwhelmed with disaster. As it was, Soult only succeeded in effecting a junction with Ney by burning his baggage, throwing his guns over the mountain-side, and, by following goat-tracks, he at last escaped the English pursuit.
Casualties at the Passage of the Douro, May 10, 11, and 12, 1809.
Regiments.Officers.Men.K.W.K.W.14th Hussars-4131916th Lancers-3--20th Hussars--1-Royal Artillery----3rd Buffs-1--29th Worcester--2738th S. Staffs (detachment)-1--48th N'ampton-1--52nd Oxf. L.I. (detachment)-1--66th Berkshire-3926
Note.—No detailed list of the casualties in the three days' skirmishing on the Douro is appended to Sir Arthur Wellesley's despatch. On May 11 we lost 19 men killed and 62 wounded, and on the 12th 23 killed and 86 wounded. The despatch alludes to the conduct of the 20th Hussars, and of the light companies of the 29th, 43rd, and 52nd, and the riflemen of the 95th Regiment. None of these regiments have been awarded the honour. A detachment of the 83rd (Royal Irish Rifles) was present, and lost 14 men wounded.
Note.—No detailed list of the casualties in the three days' skirmishing on the Douro is appended to Sir Arthur Wellesley's despatch. On May 11 we lost 19 men killed and 62 wounded, and on the 12th 23 killed and 86 wounded. The despatch alludes to the conduct of the 20th Hussars, and of the light companies of the 29th, 43rd, and 52nd, and the riflemen of the 95th Regiment. None of these regiments have been awarded the honour. A detachment of the 83rd (Royal Irish Rifles) was present, and lost 14 men wounded.
Returning south after the success at the Douro, Wellesley at once took steps to attack the main French army, which, under Marshal Victor, with King Joseph himself as nominal leader, lay at Talavera, to the north-east of Lisbon, across the Spanish frontier.
This battle honour is borne by the
3rd Dragoon Guards.4th Hussars.14th Hussars.16th Lancers.Coldstream Guards.Scots Guards.Buffs.Royal Fusiliers.South Wales Borderers.Gloucesters.Worcesters.East Surrey.South Lancashire.Sherwood Foresters.Northamptons.Royal Berkshires.Shropshire Light Infantry.King's Royal Rifles.Royal Irish Rifles.Royal Irish Fusiliers.Connaught Rangers.
Talavera was a very different stamp of fight to anything in which our troops had been previously engaged in the Peninsula. We had but 20,000 men present, and our losses amounted to 4,000 killed and wounded, those of the French to over 7,000. The full fruits of the victory were lost owing to the failure of our Spanish allies to afford us proper support, and the British army was compelled to retire on the following day, leaving its wounded in the hands of the French. It is true that we captured 17 guns, but the fact of our retreat, coupled with the abandonment of the sick and wounded, have induced the French to claim Talavera as a French victory. Marshal Victor was created Duke of Talavera by King Joseph, while Sir Arthur Wellesley was raised to the peerage under the title of Lord Wellington,—of Wellington, in the county of Somerset, and of Talavera. The fighting was exceedingly severe, and on more than one occasion matters looked very doubtful. Sir Arthur, however, had every reason to be proud of the manner in which his men faced the tried veterans of France.
Casualties at the Battle of Talavera, July 27 and 28, 1809.
Regiments.Officers.Men.K.W.K.W.3rd Drag. Gds.11--4th Hussars-3-914th Hussars-63716th Lancers-16523rd Lt. Drag.244746Royal Artillery13723Roy. Engineers-2--Coldstream Gds.2933253Scots Guards56492613rd Buffs-261077th Royal Fus.1365324th S. Wales Borderers-104527429th Worcesters-73614031st E. Surrey173419040th S. Lancs-1179045th Sherwood Foresters-31314748th N'ampton-123428053rd Shropshire L.I.-263660th K.R.R.-7102961st Gloucesters3114619666th R. Berks-11168883rd Royal Irish Rifles4113828287th R. Irish Fus.1133517088th Connaught Rangers33198597th West Kent--625
Note.—There were two battalions of detachments at Talavera. The one composed of the flank companies of the 52nd, 79th, and 91st lost an officer, and 74 men killed and wounded. The other, made up from the 28th, 35th, 38th, 42nd, and 43rd, had 194 casualties.The Cameron Highlanders lost 9 killed and 28 wounded at Talavera.
Note.—There were two battalions of detachments at Talavera. The one composed of the flank companies of the 52nd, 79th, and 91st lost an officer, and 74 men killed and wounded. The other, made up from the 28th, 35th, 38th, 42nd, and 43rd, had 194 casualties.
The Cameron Highlanders lost 9 killed and 28 wounded at Talavera.
At Talavera Wellington realized that he was too weak to cope in the field with the immense forces that France had poured into the Peninsula. His plan of campaign now was to wear the enemy down until he should have organized the Portuguese and Spanish armies. He therefore retired once more into Portugal, and commenced that systematic defence of the kingdom which ultimately led to the destruction of French pretensions in the Iberian Peninsula. By the summer of 1810 Napoleon had 300,000 men in Spain. By that time Wellington had thrown up the famous lines of Torres Vedras, behind the shelter of which the task of reorganizing the Portuguese army proceeded apace. The winter of 1809-10 was passed without any open conflict.It was not until the end of September, 1810, that the next great fight was fought, when Wellington, with 50,000 men, barred Massena's advance at the Ridge of Busaco.
This battle honour has been conferred on the
Royal Scots.Northumberland Fusiliers.Royal Fusiliers.Norfolks.South Wales Borderers.Gloucesters.Royal Highlanders.South Staffords.Oxford Light Infantry.Sherwood Foresters.King's Royal Rifles.Highland Light Infantry.Cameron Highlanders.Connaught Rangers.Royal Irish Rifles.Rifle Brigade.
Our losses are tabulated below. Those of the French amounted to 4,400 killed and wounded, including 5 General Officers.
Casualties at the Battle of Busaco, September 27, 1810.
Regiments.Officers.Men.K.W.K.W.Royal Artillery--1714th Hussars---316th Lancers-1--1st Royal Scots---25th Northumberland Fus.--177th Royal Fus.-11229th Norfolk-151824th S. Wales Borderers-1--38th S. Stafford-151742nd Black Watch---743rd Oxf. L.I.---745th Sherwood Foresters342510950th Royal W. Kent-1--52nd Oxf. L.I.-231060th K.R.R.-531674th Highl. L.I.1162179th Cameron Highlanders12114183rd Royal Irish Rifles-1-488th Connaught Rangers17299595th Rifle Brig.--922
Wellington had once more shown his men that they were more than a match for the French in the field, but he still clung to his old plan of campaign, and, retiring behind the lines of Torres Vedras, prepared to wear the enemy down. The winter was passed with the English secure within their formidable entrenchments at Torres Vedras, the French starving outside. We held the command of the sea, and, with the Tagus in his rear, Wellingtonwas able to feed his men without difficulty, to replenish supplies, and to continue the reorganization and training of the Portuguese army. In the South of Spain the French were showing renewed activity and Wellington detached a division under General Graham to afford support to the garrison of Cadiz. This the stout old Scotsman did most effectually by attacking Victor at Barrosa.
This distinction is borne on the colours of the
Grenadier Guards.Coldstream Guards.Scots Guards.Gloucesters.Hampshires.Royal Irish FusiliersRifle Brigade.
Here a little British division not 4,000 strong overthrew double the number of Frenchmen, capturing six guns and two eagles. The subjoined list of casualties shows that others besides the regiments which are authorized to emblazon this battle honour on their colours did their duty as Englishmen on that March day. There seems no valid reason why the Norfolks, North Lancashires, South Lancashires, and the Rifle Brigade should not be permitted to assume this honour, albeit the headquarters of those regiments were not present in the engagement.
Casualties at the Battle of Barrosa, March 4, 1811.
Regiments.Officers.Men.K.W.K.W.Grenadier Gds.2833177Coldstream Guards12846Scots Guards111485Royal Artillery-8640Roy. Engineers--1228th Gloucester-81613567th Hampshire-4103087th R. Irish F.14441249th Norfolk (flank cos.)-485647th N. Lancs (flank cos.)11204982nd S. Lancs (flank cos.)-288995th Rifle Brig.131448
Note.—A battalion composed of the flank companies of the 9th (Norfolk), 28th (Gloucester), and 82nd (South Lancashire) went into action 475 bayonets; its losses were 225 non-commissioned officers and men killed and wounded. A fellow battalion of the flank companies of the 47th and three companies of the 95th (Rifle Brigade) lost 130 men out of 594.
Note.—A battalion composed of the flank companies of the 9th (Norfolk), 28th (Gloucester), and 82nd (South Lancashire) went into action 475 bayonets; its losses were 225 non-commissioned officers and men killed and wounded. A fellow battalion of the flank companies of the 47th and three companies of the 95th (Rifle Brigade) lost 130 men out of 594.
In March, 1811, Massena, with his army much worn with the hard winter blockade outside Torres Vedras, fell back into Spain, closely followed by Wellington. Then ensued a number of rearguard actions which are not inscribed on our colours, but which brought out, on the one hand, the capacity of Ney as a rearguard commander, and, on the other, the admirable handling of our own Light Division of immortal fame. Pressing Massena back, Wellington endeavoured to relieve the beleaguered garrison of Ciudad Rodrigo with his own army, and detached Beresford to perform the same action with regard to Badajoz, and so it came about that within a few days of each other two general actions were fought.
Fuentes d'Onor is borne on the colours or appointments of the
1st Royal Dragoons.16th Lancers.14th Hussars.Scots Guards.Coldstream Guards.Royal Highlanders.Oxford Light Infantry.South Wales Borderers.King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry).Sherwood Foresters.Shropshire Light Infantry.Highland Light Infantry.King's Royal Rifles.Cameron Highlanders.Gordon Highlanders.Connaught Rangers.Royal Irish Rifles.Rifle Brigade.
Casualties at the Battle of Fuentes d'Onor, May 3-5, 1811.
Regiments.Officers.Men.K.W.K.W.1st Roy. Drag.-413614th Hussars-542816th Lancers-2716Royal Artillery-3622Roy. Engineers----Coldstream Gds.-1449Scots Guards1155224th S. Wales B.1-62142nd Black Wat.-132945th Sherwood Foresters--3151st K.O. Yorks L.I.---5King's Roy. R.-432171st Highl. L.I.382810574th Highl. L.I.1336379th Cameron Highlanders3115816685th Shropshire L.I.13123783rd R. Irish R.1163688th Connaught Rangers12125392nd Gordon Highlanders-374395th Rifle Brig.11319
The feature of the action was the marvellous gallantry of a troop of horse artillery under Norman Ramsay, which, though surrounded by the French, cut its way through the hostile hosts, and, amidst the tumultuous applause of the whole army, rejoined Wellington, with guns intact, but with the loss of half its men.
The following regiments appear in the casualty returns published in theLondon Gazette, but do not yet bear the battle honour:
Regiments.Officers.Men.K.W.K.W.Royal Scots---95th Northumberland Fus.---79th Norfolk---430th E. Lancs---450th West Kent-232494th Connaught Rangers---7
Ten days after Wellington had defeated Massena at Fuentes d'Onor, Beresford, at the head of 32,000 men, of whom only 8,000 were English, repulsed a determined attack on the part of Soult at Albuera. This battle, which was one of the most severe ever fought by British troops, is recorded on the colours of the
3rd Dragoon Guards.4th Hussars.13th Hussars.Buffs.Royal Fusiliers.Royal Welsh Fusiliers.Gloucester.Worcesters.East Surrey.Border Regiment.Dorsets.Northamptons.Royal Berkshire.Middlesex.King's Royal Rifles.
The Allies were undoubtedly superior in numbers, but the brunt of the fighting fell on the British division, which lost 3,500 out of 8,000 engaged. The French losses amounted to upwards of 8,000 killed and wounded.
The following table, published in theLondon Gazette,shows once more that battle honours are bestowed in a very capricious fashion:
Casualties at the Battle of Albuera.