VIII

ARMY OF THE SOUTH

REORGANIZED AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF THE POLES
AND OTHER REGIMENTS

Return of March 1, 1812

[From the returns in the Archives Nationales. Lent me by Mr. Fortescue.]

Officers. Men.

1st Division: Conroux. Head-quarters: Villamartin (near Bornos).

1st Brigade, Meunier; 9th Léger (2 batts.)*, 24th Ligne (3 batts.).

2nd Brigade, Mocquery; 96th Ligne (3 batts.).

Total, including artillery 182 5,263

2nd Division: Barrois. Head-quarters: Puerto Real (near Cadiz).

1st Brigade, Cassagne: 16th Léger, 8th Ligne (3 batts. each).

2nd Brigade, Avril: 51st Ligne, 54th Ligne (3 batts. each).

Total, including artillery 225 7,551

3rd Division: Villatte. Head-quarters: Santa Maria (near Cadiz).

1st Brigade, Pécheux: 27th Léger, 63rd Ligne (3 batts. each).

2nd Brigade, Lefol: 94th Ligne, 95th Ligne (3 batts. each).

Total, including artillery 244 7,115

4th Division: Leval. Head-quarters: Granada.

1st Brigade, Rey: 32nd Ligne, 43rd Ligne (4 batts. each).

2nd Brigade, Vichery: 55th Ligne (4 batts.), 58th Ligne* (3 batts.).

Total, including artillery 273 9,131

5th Division: Drouet D’Erlon. Head-quarters: Zafra (Estremadura).

1st Brigade, Dombrowski: 12th Léger, 45th Ligne (3 batts. each).

2nd Brigade, Reymond: 64th Ligne* (2-2/3 batts.), 88th Ligne* (2 batts.)

Total, including artillery 192 5,927

6th Division: Daricau. Head-quarters: Zalamea (Estremadura).

1st Brigade, Quiot: 21st Léger, 100th Ligne (3 batts. each).

2nd Brigade, St. Pol: 28th Léger*, 103rd Ligne* (2 batts. each).

Total, including artillery 174 4,854

Total of six divisions 1,290 39,841

The regiments marked * had each one battalion in garrison at Badajoz, except the 64th, which had two companies there only [9th Léger, 28th Léger, 58th, 88th, 103rd Ligne]. The total of these 5-1/3 battalions was 2,951 officers and men. Adding these to the six divisions the total was 44,082 French infantry present under arms.

Cavalry.

Officers. Men.

1st Division. Head-quarters: Ribera (Estremadura).

1st Brigade, Perreymond: 2nd Hussars, 21st Chasseurs, 26th Dragoons.

2nd Brigade, Bonnemain: 5th Chasseurs, 27th Chasseurs.

Total 116 1,840

2nd Division. Head-quarters: Cordova.

1st Brigade, Digeon: 2nd, 4th, 5th Dragoons.

2nd Brigade, Lallemand: 14th, 17th, 27th Dragoons.

Total 170 3,307

3rd Division, Pierre Soult. Head-quarters: Granada.

1st Brigade, Boille: 10th Chasseurs, 12th Dragoons.

2nd Brigade, Ormancey: 16th Dragoons, 21st Dragoons.

Total 135 2,203

Total Cavalry 421 7,350

N.B.—7th Lancers, a Polish regiment, is omitted here, but actually stayed with the Army of the South till the end of 1812.

Officers. Men.

Spanish Troops [by return of April 1]:

Infantry 218 2,732

Cavalry 163 2,358

Total Juramentados 381 5,090

Artillery (deducting divisional batteries) 100 2,800

Engineers and Sappers 20 900

Three naval battalions (43rd and 44th équipages de flotte, and a battalion of ouvriers de marine) 60 1800

Gendarmerie, &c. 10 600

General Total of army 2,282 58,381

Or adding the garrison of Badajoz (2,951 infantry, 268 artillery, 265 sappers, 42 cavalry, of the Army of the South, not including 910 Hessians of the Army of the Centre), a total of 64,189, without sick, &c.

When Soult on April 1st, 1812 marched to attempt the relief of Badajoz, he drew up the following statistics as to the strength of his army, omitting the naval troops, and the gunners of the Cadiz Lines:

Officers. Men.

(1) Marched for Badajoz:

Infantry 600 17,964

Cavalry 237 3,944

Artillery 26 613

Engineers 2 116

Total 865 22,637 = 23,502

(2) Left before Cadiz and in Granada, &c.:

Infantry 611 18,312

Cavalry 152 2,555

Total 763 20,867 = 21,630

(3) Garrisons of the Provinces of Cordova, Jaen, Granada, and Seville:

Infantry 90 2,547

Cavalry 57 1,654

Total 147 4,201 = 4,348

(4) Spanish troops:

Infantry 218 2,732

Cavalry 163 2,358

Total 381 5,090 = 5,471

Adding up these four totals we get officers 2,156, rank and file 52,795 = 54,951. This total omits the artillery in the Cadiz Lines and other fortified places, and the three marine regiments, and such sappers, gendarmes, military train, &c., as did not form part of the expedition that marched with Soult to relieve Badajoz. Adding these, at their strength of March 1, we get a total of about 59,000 of all ranks, not including the garrison of Badajoz. This agrees well enough with the March total of 60,663, allowing for a month’s wear and tear.