The Anglo-Portuguese Army was the combined British and Portuguese army that participated in the Peninsular War, under the command of Arthur Wellesley. The Army is also referred to as the British-Portuguese Army and, in Portuguese, as the Exército Anglo-Luso or the Exército Anglo-Português.
The Anglo-Portuguese Army was established with the British Army deployed to the Iberian Peninsula under the command of General Arthur Wellesley, and the Portuguese Army rebuilt under the leadership of British General William Beresford and the Portuguese War Secretary Miguel Pereira Forjaz. The new Portuguese battalions were supplied with British equipment, trained to British standards and thoroughly re-organised. Incompetent or corrupt officers were cashiered and appropriate replacements were appointed or promoted from amongst promising Non-commissioned officers.
On 22 April 1809, Wellesley became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in the Peninsula, replacing General Cradock, whose assessment of the military situation the British government found too pessimistic. At the same time he was appointed by the Portuguese Government as Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese Army. He then came to have the two armies under his command, transforming them into a single integrated army.
The Army was organised into divisions, most of them including mixed British-Portuguese units. Usually, each one had two British and one Portuguese brigades. In the elite Light Division, the brigades themselves were mixed, each including two British light infantry and one Portuguese Caçadores battalions.
Order of battle The following tables show the order of battle and commanders of the Anglo-Portuguese Army at various stages in the Peninsular War.
July 1809Battle of Talavera de la ReinaSeptember 1810Battle of BussacoMay 1811Battles of Fuentes de Oñoro and AlbueraSeptember 1811 Commander in Chief Lt Gen Sir Arthur Wellesley Lt Gen Viscount Wellington Lt Gen Viscount Wellington Lt Gen the Earl of Wellington Corps Commanders – – Maj Gen Brent Spencer1st and 3rd Divisions. Marshal William Carr Beresford2nd, 4th and Portuguese Divisions. The usual commander of this corps, Hill, was on sick leave in England at the time of Albuera. Maj Gen Rowland Hill2nd and Portuguese Divisions. Lt Gen Sir Thomas GrahamGraham was second-in-command of the main army, not operating as a distinct corps. Cavalry Lt Gen William Payne -Only 2 squadrons of the 14th Light Dragoons were present (Glover, p. 375) Maj Gen Stapleton Cotton Maj Gen Sir William Erskine Lt Gen Sir Stapleton Cotton 1st Division Maj Gen John Coape Sherbrooke Maj Gen Brent Spencer Maj Gen Miles Nightingall Lt Gen Sir Thomas Graham 2nd Division Maj Gen Rowland Hill Maj Gen Rowland Hill Maj Gen the Hon William Stewart Maj Gen the Hon William Stewart 3rd Division Maj Gen Alexander Randoll Mackenzie Maj Gen Thomas Picton Maj Gen Thomas Picton Maj Gen Thomas Picton 4th Division Brig Gen Alexander Campbell Maj Gen the Hon Lowry Cole Maj Gen the Hon Lowry Cole Maj Gen the Hon Lowry Cole 5th Division – Maj Gen James Leith Maj Gen Sir William Erskine Maj Gen James Dunlop 6th Division – – Maj Gen Alexander Campbell Maj Gen Alexander Campbell 7th Division – – Maj Gen William Houston Maj Gen John Sontag Light Division – Brig Gen Robert Craufurd Brig Gen Robert Craufurd Brig Gen Robert Craufurd Portuguese Division – Maj Gen John Hamilton Maj Gen John Hamilton Maj Gen John Hamilton Independent Brigades – Brig Gen Denis Pack Brig Gen Alexander Campbell Brig Gen Francis John Colman Maj Gen Charles, Baron von AltenKGL Light Battalions Col Charles Ashworth Col Richard Collins Brig Gen Denis Pack Brig Gen Thomas McMahon Col Charles Ashworth
July 1812Battle of SalamancaJune 1813Battle of VitoriaNovember 1813Battles of Pyrenees, Nivelle and NiveApril 1814Battle of Toulouse Commander in Chief Lt Gen the Earl of Wellington Lt Gen the Marquess of Wellington Field Marshal the Marquess of Wellington Field Marshal the Marquess of Wellington Corps Commanders Maj Gen Rowland Hill2nd and Portuguese Divisions. Lt Gen Sir Rowland Hill2nd and Portuguese Divisions. Lt Gen the Earl of Dalhousie3rd and 7th Divisions.
Lt Gen Sir Thomas Graham1st and 5th Divisions. Lt Gen Sir Rowland Hill2nd, 6th and Portuguese Divisions. Lt Gen the Hon Sir John Hope1st and 5th Divisions.
Maj Gen Charles, Baron von AltenLight Division and attached Spaniards.
Marshal Sir William Carr Beresford3rd, 4th and 7th Divisions. Lt Gen Sir Rowland Hill2nd and Portuguese Divisions. Lt Gen the Hon Sir John Hope1st and 5th Divisions.
Marshal Sir William Carr Beresford4th and 6th Divisions. Cavalry Lt Gen Sir Stapleton Cotton Lt Gen Sir Stapleton Cotton Lt Gen Sir Stapleton CottonMost of the cavalry was quartered in the rear during the battles in the Pyrenees. Lt Gen Sir Stapleton Cotton 1st Division Maj Gen Henry Frederick Campbell Maj Gen Kenneth Alexander Howard Maj Gen Kenneth Alexander Howard Maj Gen Kenneth Alexander HowardNot present at Toulouse, besieging Bayonne. 2nd Division Maj Gen the Hon William StewartNot present at Salamanca Lt Gen the Hon William Stewart Lt Gen the Hon William Stewart Lt Gen the Hon William Stewart 3rd Division Col the Hon Edward Pakenham Lt Gen Sir Thomas Picton Maj Gen the Hon Charles Colville Lt Gen Sir Thomas Picton 4th Division Maj Gen the Hon Lowry Cole Lt Gen the Hon Sir Lowry Cole Lt Gen the Hon Sir Lowry Cole Lt Gen the Hon Sir Lowry Cole 5th Division Maj Gen James Leith Maj Gen John Oswald Maj Gen Andrew Hay Maj Gen Andrew HayNot present at Toulouse, besieging Bayonne. 6th Division Maj Gen Henry Clinton Maj Gen Henry ClintonNot present at Vitoria Lt Gen Sir Henry Clinton Lt Gen Sir Henry Clinton 7th Division Maj Gen John HopeNot to be confused with Lt Gen John Hope who commanded a corps in 1813 Lt Gen the Earl of Dalhousie Maj Gen Carlos Lecor Maj Gen George Townshend WalkerNot present at Toulouse, occupying Bordeaux. Light Division Maj Gen Charles, Baron von Alten Maj Gen Charles, Baron von Alten Maj Gen Charles, Baron von Alten Maj Gen Charles, Baron von Alten Portuguese Division Maj Gen John HamiltonNot present at Salamanca Maj Gen Francisco da Silveira Lt Gen Sir John Hamilton Maj Gen Carlos Lecor Independent Brigades Brig Gen Denis Pack Brig Gen Thomas Bradford Brig Gen Denis Pack Brig Gen Thomas Bradford Maj Gen Lord Aylmer Brig Gen John Wilson Maj Gen Thomas Bradford Maj Gen Lord Aylmer Maj Gen Alexander Campbell Maj Gen Thomas Bradford
See also Army of Spain (Peninsular War) Lines of Torres Vedras King's German Legion Anglo-Portuguese Alliance
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