The Battle of Talavera (27–28 July 1809) saw an Imperial French army under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan attack a combined British and Spanish army led by Sir Arthur Wellesley. After several of their assaults were bloodily repulsed on the second day, the French retreated toward Madrid leaving the battlefield to the Anglo-Spanish army. Events soon compelled Wellesley, who was soon appointed Viscount Wellington, to fall back toward his base in Portugal. The following units and commanders fought at the battle, which occurred during the Peninsular War.
Anglo-Spanish Army Commander-in-Chief of the Anglo-Spanish Army: Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley
British Army Commander-in-Chief: Lieutenant General The Rt Hon Sir Arthur Wellesley KB
Total Anglo-Spanish forces: 52,735, 66 guns
DivisionBrigadeUnitsStrengthLosses 27thLosses 28th 1st DivisionMajor GeneralJohn Coape Sherbrooke5,964 1st BrigadeBrigadier GeneralHenry Frederick Campbell (2,045) 1/Coldstream Guards 970 3 293 1/3rd Foot Guards 1,019 0 322 5/60th Rifle Regiment, one company 56 * * 2nd BrigadeBrigadier GeneralAlan Cameron (1,364) 1/61st Foot 778 7 265 2/83rd Foot 535 0 283 5/60th Rifle Regiment, one company 51 * * 3rd BrigadeBrigadier GeneralErnst Eberhard Kuno, Baron Langwerth von Simmern (1,388) 1st Line Battalion, KGL 604 9 291 2nd Line Battalion, KGL 678 3 387 1st Light Battalion, KGL, two companies 106 36 43 4th BrigadeBrigadier GeneralSigismund, Baron Löw (1,167) 5th Line Battalion, KGL 610 41 255 7th Line Battalion, KGL 557 146 110 Artillery Sillery's Company, RA (six light 6-pounders) RA RA RA 2nd DivisionMajor GeneralRowland Hill3,885 1st BrigadeMajor GeneralChristopher Tilson (1,891) 1/3rd Foot 746 0 142 2/48th Foot 567 3 68 2/66th Foot 526 0 126 5/60th Rifle Regiment, one company 52 * * 2nd BrigadeBrigadier GeneralRichard Stewart (2,014) 29th Foot 598 55 132 1/48th Foot 807 8 168 1st Battalion of Detachments 609 70 203 Artillery Heise's Battery, KGA (six light 6-pounders) KGA KGA KGA 3rd DivisionMajor GeneralJohn Randoll Mackenzie of Suddie3,747 1st BrigadeMajor General Mackenzie (2,276) 2/24th Foot 787 9 343 2/31st Foot 733 119 131 1/45th Foot 756 25 158 2nd BrigadeColonelRufane Shaw Donkin (1,471) 2/87th Foot 599 198 60 1/88th Foot 599 64 85 5/60th Rifle Regiment, five companies 273 * 60th total: 27 * 60th total: 50 Artillery Rettberg's Battery, KGA (six heavy 6-pounders) KGA KGA KGA 4th DivisionBrigadier GeneralAlexander Campbell2,960 1st BrigadeBrigadier General Campbell (1,032) 2/7th Foot 431 0 65 2/53rd Foot 537 0 39 5/60th Rifle Regiment, one company 64 * * 2nd BrigadeColonelJames Kemmis (1,928) 1/40th Foot 745 0 58 97th Foot 502 0 53 2nd Battalion of Detachments 625 0 21 5/60th Rifle Regiment, one company 56 * * Artillery Lawson's Company, RA (six 3-pounders) RA RA RA Cavalry DivisionLieutenant GeneralWilliam Payne-Gallwey2,969 1st Heavy BrigadeBrigadier GeneralHenry Fane (1,069 or 1,070) 3rd Dragoon Guards Regiment 525 0 3 4th Dragoon Regiment 545 0 12 2nd BrigadeMajor GeneralStapleton Cotton (989 or 1,189) 14th Light Dragoons 464 1 15 16th Light Dragoons 525 0 14 3rd BrigadeBrigadier GeneralGeorge Anson (910) 23rd Light Dragoons 459 0 207 1st Hussars, KGL 451 4 37 Artillery ReserveBrigadier General Edward Howarth (1,011) Elliot's Company, RA (six light 6-pounders) RA RA RA British (RA) totals RA: 681 RA: 2 RA: 32 German (KGA) totals KGA: 330 KGA: 0 KGA: 34Total British forces: 20,735 (16,556 infantry, 3,168 cavalry, 1,011 artillery, 30 guns)
Spanish Army Commander-in-Chief: Lieutenant General Gregorio García de la Cuesta, Captain-General of Castilla
Spanish cavalry units ending in a number (Nr.) are regular units, and so is the Carabineros Reales Regiment. Other cavalry units are probably newly-raised volunteers. Regular units titled Cavalry are heavy cavalry, while units titled Cazadores are light cavalry. Units labeled Regiment are probably regular infantry from the old army, though Badajoz, Canarias, Mallorca, Osuna and Salamanca are not in Charles Oman's list. Units labeled Cazadores Regiment are regular light infantry. Infantry units titled Granaderos or Provincial are the standing militia units from the old army. All other infantry units are probably newly-raised volunteers.
DivisionRegiments Vanguard DivisionBrigadier General José Pascual de Zayas y Chacón 2nd Voluntarios de Cataluña Regiment Cazadores de Barbastro Regiment, 2nd Battalion Cazadores de Campo Mayor Regiment Cazadores de Valencia y Albuquerque Cazadores de Valencia Regiment, 1st Battalion (Oman: 2nd) Tiradores de Estremadura (Oman: excluded) Lanceros de Andalusia (cavalry) (Oman: excluded) Michelena's Battery (6 guns) 1st Infantry DivisionMajor General Antonio Zayas y Potau, Marquis de Zayas Cantabria Regiment, three battalions Voluntarios de Castilla Regiment (Oman: excluded) Canarias Regiment, one battalion Tiradores de Mérida Provincial de Trujillo Granaderos Provinciales Tiradores de Cádiz (Oman: excluded) Artillery Battery (6 guns) 2nd Infantry DivisionMajor General Vicente Iglesias Mallorca Regiment, 2nd Battalion Velez-Malaga Regiment, three battalions Osuna Regiment, two battalions Voluntarios Estranjeros 2nd Provincial de Burgos (Oman: omit 2nd) Salamanca Regiment Artillery Battery (6 guns) 3rd Infantry DivisionMajor General Francisco Gómez de Terán y Negrete, Marquis de Portago Badajoz Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions Cazadores de Antequera (Oman: 2nd) Imperiales de Toledo, one battalion Provincial de Badajoz 2nd Provincial de Guadix (Oman: omit 2nd) Artillery Battery (6 guns) 4th Infantry DivisionMajor General Rafael Manglano Irlanda Regiment, two battalions Jaén Regiment, two battalions Sevilla Regiment, 2nd Battalion (Oman: 3rd) Leales de Fernando VII, 1st Battalion 2nd Voluntarios de Madrid Voluntarios de la Corona Regiment Artillery Battery (6 guns) 5th Infantry DivisionMajor General Luis Alejandro Bassecourt y Dupire 1st Real Marina Regiment, two battalions Africa Regiment, 3rd Battalion Murcia Regiment, two battalions Reina Regiment, 1st Battalion Provincial de Siguenza Artillery Battery (6 guns) 1st Cavalry DivisionLieutenant General Juan Henestrosa Rey Cavalry Regiment Nr. 1 Calatrava Cavalry Regiment Nr. 10 Imperiales de Toledo Regiment Cazadores de Sevilla Regiment Reina Cavalry Regiment Nr. 2 Villaviciosa Cazadores Regiment Nr. 5 Cazadores de Madrid Regiment 2nd Cavalry DivisionLieutenant General José Miguel de la Cueva y de la Cerda, Duke of Alburquerque Carabineros Reales Regiment, one squadron Infante Cavalry Regiment Nr. 4 Pavia Cazadores Regiment Nr. 4 Almansa Cazadores Regiment Nr. 3 Alcantara Cavalry Regiment Nr. 7 (Oman only) 1st Husares de Estremadura Regiment 2nd Husares de Estremadura Regiment Borbón Cavalry Regiment Nr. 5 (Oman: excluded) Sevilla Regiment (part) (Oman: excluded) Madrid Regiment (part) (Oman: excluded)Total Spanish forces: 32,000, 36 guns (Lipscombe) or 28,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, 800 artillery, 30 guns (Oman)
French Army of the Centre Commander-in-Chief (nominal): Prince Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte, King of Spain and of the Indies Chief-of-Staff (actual commander): Marshal of France Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, Major-General of the Armies of the King of Spain
Total French forces: 46,180, 84 guns
I Corps d'Armée Marshal of France Claude Perrin Victor, Duke of Belluno
Division/BrigadeStrengthUnitsLosses Headquarters Staff 47 - 1 1st DivisionGeneral of DivisionCount François Amable Ruffin 5,286 9th Légère Infantry Regiment 457 24th Ligne Infantry Regiment 567 96th Ligne Infantry Regiment 606 Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) * 2nd DivisionGeneral of DivisionPierre Belon Lapisse, Baron of Sainte-Hélène 6,862 16th Légère Infantry Regiment 407 8th Ligne Infantry Regiment 437 45th Ligne Infantry Regiment 388 54th Ligne Infantry Regiment 532 Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) * 3rd DivisionGeneral of DivisionEugène-Casimir Villatte, Count d'Oultremont 6,135 27th Légère Infantry Regiment 189 63rd Ligne Infantry Regiment 40 94th Ligne Infantry Regiment 145 95th Ligne Infantry Regiment 27 Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) * Cavalry BrigadeGeneral of BrigadeLouis-Chrétien Carrière, Baron de Beaumont 980 2nd Hussar Regiment 16 5th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment 23 Horse Artillery Battery (6 guns) * Reserve Artillery Included above Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) * 64 - total artillery Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) *Total I Corps d'Armée: 19,310
IV Corps d'Armée General of Division Horace-Francois-Bastien Sebastiani de La Porta
Division/BrigadeStrengthLossesUnits Headquarters Staff 13 unknown - 1st DivisionGeneral of BrigadeLouis Liger-Belair (vice Sebastiani) 8,118 2,180 28th Ligne Infantry Regiment, three battalions 32nd Ligne Infantry Regiment, three battalions 58th Ligne Infantry Regiment, three battalions 75th Ligne Infantry Regiment, three battalions Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) 2nd DivisionGeneral of DivisionJean-Baptiste Cyrus de Timbrune de Thiembronne, Count of Valence 1,600 40 4th Polish Infantry Regiment, two battalions 3rd DivisionGeneral of DivisionJean Francois, Baron Leval 4,537 1,007 Nassau Infantry Regiment, two battalions Baden Infantry Regiment, two battalions Hesse-Darmstadt Infantry Regiment, two battalions Holland Infantry Regiment, two battalions Frankfurt Infantry Regiment, one battalion Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) Cavalry BrigadeGeneral of BrigadeChristophe Antoine, Count Merlin 1,188 48 10th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment 26th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment Polish Lancer Regiment Westphalian Chevau-léger Regiment Horse Artillery Battery (6 guns) Reserve Artillery included above included above Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns) Foot Artillery Battery (8 guns)Total IV Corps d'Armée: 15,456
Reserves King Joseph Bonaparte
DivisionStrengthLossesUnits Madrid GarrisonGeneral of Division Jean-Joseph Paul Augustin, Marquis Dessolles 5,737 0 12th Légère Infantry Regiment, three battalions 51st Ligne Infantry Regiment, three battalions King's Guard Infantry Regiment 27th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment King's Guard Cavalry Regiment 1st Dragoon DivisionGeneral of DivisionMarie-Victor-Nicolas de Fay, Marquis de La Tour-Maubourg 3,279 83 1st Dragoon Regiment 2nd Dragoon Regiment 4th Dragoon Regiment 9th Dragoon Regiment 14th Dragoon Regiment 26th Dragoon Regiment Horse Artillery Battery (6 guns) 2nd Dragoon DivisionGeneral of DivisionCount Édouard Jean Baptiste Milhaud 2,356 6 5th Dragoon Regiment 12th Dragoon Regiment 16th Dragoon Regiment 20th Dragoon Regiment 21st Dragoon Regiment 3rd Dutch Hussar Regiment Horse Artillery Battery (6 guns)Total Reserve: 11,372
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