In attempts to retain or re-assert control over its colonies in America, the Spanish Empire deployed several expeditionary forces during and after the Spanish American wars of independence. The largest of these forces, known as "the expeditionary army of Costa Firme", and consisting of over 10,000 troops under General Morillo, undertook the Spanish reconquest of New Granada (1815–16).Lynch, Spanish American Revolutions, 209. Rodríguez, Independence of Spanish America, 122. Kinsbruner, Independence in Spanish America, 57. Forces were also sent to New Spain between 1812 and 1817.Small contingents from Spain had been arriving in the Americas since 1810. On August 25, 1810, a group of Spanish Marines arrived in Veracruz from Cádiz on the frigate, Nuestra señora de Atocha under the command of Rosendo Porlier and accompanying Viceroy Francisco Javier Venegas. These were the first Spaniards to have come from Europe in support of royalists. Frieyro de Lara. Guerra ejército y sociedad en el nacimiento de la España contemporánea. (2009, Universidad de Granada) p. 660. Later, after Mexican independence in 1821, a Spanish garrison was sent from Cuba to occupy Spain's last Mexican outpost, the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa; this force remained there until surrendering in 1825. Finally, a force under Isidro Barradas Valdés attempted to regain control of Mexico in 1829.
Viceroyalty of New Spain
Counter insurgency (1812-1821) + Period year Number of men Units and Commanders (units changed names in 1820) European Expeditions 1812 - 1817 year 1812 total men 3857 Unitsoldiers Officers Battalion Asturias (Mallorca) 270 men - Battalion Lobera (Infante Don Carlos) 847 men Francisco Bucelli, teniente coronel Regiment América (Murcia) 817 men, one Battalion Juan José Olazábal Battalion Castilla (Voluntarios de Castilla) 649 men Francisco Hevia Battalion Zamora 910 men Rafael Bracho Battalion Fernando VII -expediciónario- 364 men Ángel Díaz del Castro, teniente coronel year 1813 men total 1895 Unitsoldiersofficers Battalion Extremadura 995 men coronel Benito Armiñan Battalion Saboya (Reina) 900 men coronel Melchor Álvarez Year 1815 men total 1749 Brigadier Fernando Miyares y Mancebo, commander of expedition unitsoldiersofficers Regiment Órdenes Militares 1126 men,2 Battalions Coronel Francisco LLamas Battalion Voluntarios de Navarra (Barcelona) 623 men Coronel José Ruiz Year 1817 men total 1547 Mariscal de Campo Pascual Liñan, commander of expedition. unitsoldiersofficers Regiment Zaragoza 2 Battalions brigadier Domingo Luaces
Defense of San Juan de Ulúa (1821-1825) Date Expeditions Units San Juan de Ulúa August 7, 1821 Brigadier Juan Rodríguez de la Torre, comandante en jefe UnitSoldiers 1º Company mixed form Regiments Habana and Luisiana, and Battalions Málaga, Cataluña and Tarragona. 105 men 2º Company de Battalion Pardos de la Habana. 75 men 3º Company de Battalion Morenos de la Habana. 75 men 4º Company de voluntarios. 105 men August 1821 1º reinforcement 299 men October 1822 2º reinforcement 1º Commander of fortress Brigadier Francisco Lemaur. 834 soldiers y 44 officers, y 100 artillery men Battalion Cataluña and Málaga. December 24, 1822 1º relief 354 soldiers y 8 officers Battalion Málaga 75 soldiers Battalion Tarragona March 1823 2º relief numbers similar to 1º relief from battalions Cataluña, Tarragona y Málaga. August 1823 3º relief 200 men. July 1824 4º relief 227 men from Battalions Cataluña and Málaga. January 1825 5º relief (last) 300 men battalions Cataluña and Tarragona, plus 116 men from Battalion Pardos y Morenos de Cuba. 2º Commander of fortress, brigadier José Coppinger.
Expedition of Isidro Barradas (1829) Division of Vanguard (1829)
Total 3,000 men
Commander Brigadier General Isidro Barradas Valdés
Units Regiment de la Corona (3 Battalions ) I Battalion Rey Fernando II Battalion Reina Amalia III Battalion Real Borbón Squadron of cavalry (dismounted) (incomplete) Company of artillery (short)
Expeditionary Army of Costa Firme (Venezuela and New Granada)
Viceroyalty of Perú (Perú, Chile and Upper Peru)
References