"Hill's Corps in Extramadura, 1812" Topic

Hi, does anyone have details of which British, Portuguese and Spanish were under Hill's command at this time?

I'd like to do a "what if" Second Battle of Albuera, since Hill's men and D'Erlon's French faced each other across the old battlefield for about ten days in late June 1812 without action, and there could easily have been other battles soon after at Fuerte del Maestre or Valencia de las Torres.

Have you tried Nafziger?
link

I would think your best bet you be Oman's A History Of The Peninsular War Volume V or VI, depending on what months of the year you're specifically looking for. Those volumes both span 1812 and include OOB's and returns on formations for both sides. Both volumes are available online for free from Google Books and some other sources.

I've looked through Nafziger and couldn't find anything relevant.

I'll try the Oman online.

The core of Hill's force was his own 2nd Division – an unusually strong division with 3 British brigades plus a Portuguese brigade.

There was also an attached cavalry force, plus independent Portuguese units.

Most of Hill's force appears to have remained mostly stable throughout his mission from mid-1811 until late 1812, but the British cavalry might be a bit tricky, as it changed a bit in the winter of 1811.

Hill was supposed to be co-operating with Ballesteros, but I'm not sure that the Spanish were ever under Hill's command as such.

2nd Division:

Byng's – 1/3rd, 1/57th, 2/31st, 2/66th
Howard's – 1/50th, 1/71st & 1/92nd
Wilson's – 1/28th, 1/34th, 1/39th

Ashworth – 6th Line (2 Bn), 18th Line (2 Bn), 6th Cacadores.

The 2nd Division artillery was Maxwell's company.

Hill also had a Portuguese division with him: Hamiltons. This consisted of eight battalions of Portuguese infantry (2 battalions each of the 2nd, 4th, 10th and 14th Line), plus 2 batteries of artillery – Preto's company (6 pdr) and Braun's company (9 pdr)

I haven't found any details yet for attached rifle companies in 1812.

The cavalry was nominally a division (2nd Cavalry Division) of 3 brigades – 2 British and 1 Portuguese. This was usually under Erskine, sanity permitting.

The attached RHA was D Troop, under Lefebure.

Maguilla in June involved one of the attached cavalry brigades – Slade's, with the 1st Dragoons and the 3rd Dragoon Guards.

Long's Brigade in 1812 consisted of the 9th and 13th Light Dragoons, plus the 2nd KGL Hussars.

The Portuguese brigade consisted throughout of the 5th and 8th cavalry regiments.

Hope this helps.

Further to the above:

Hill's report of Arroyo dos Molinos mentions 2 companies of the 5/60th present. However, each of his 3 British brigades probably had a company, for a total of 3.

He also had Hawkers company (9 pdrs) as part of his artillery.

link

Hill also co-operated with the Spanish 'Army of Extramadura' – essentially a weak division. *Assuming* this stayed constant from Albuera onwards this would be:
The infantry was one brigade under d'Espana (later Morillo) consisting of one battalion each of the Rey, Zamora and Voluntarios de Navarra.
The cavalry under Villemur was a nightmare: squadron sized remnants of no fewer than seven regiments (Carabineros Reale, Reina, Borbon, Lusitania, Algarve, Husares Extramadura, Cazadores de Sevilla).
The 'Army' was supported by one battery of 6 4-pdrs.

Total strength in 1812 was around 2000 infantry and 700 cavalry – however, it was reinforced by guerillas when it operated.

Musketballs

I haven't found any details yet for attached rifle companies in 1812.

There were three companies of 5th/60th Rifles at this time in Hill's division, commanded by Captains John Macmahon, Frederick Peter Blassiere and Lt. John. L Barbaz. Overall command was Lt-Col John Forster FitzGerald.

Dibble:

Thanks for confirming that. Great stuff.

According to "Estados de la organización y fuerza de los ejércitos españoles beligerantes en la península, durante la guerra de España contra Bonaparte"

5th Army in January 1812 was organised as follows:

Vanguard: El Mariscal del Campo Conde de Penne. (163 officers 3,475 men)
Union Inf Regt (2 battallions)
Batallon ligero de Tiradores de Badajoz (1 battalion)
1st Provisional Inf regiment (2 battalions)
1st Provincial regiment (1 battalion)
1 company of guides

3rd Division: El Mariscal del Campo Carlos Espana (221 officers 4,979 men 789 horses)
Columna de granaderos de Castilla (1 battalion)
Mallorca regt (1 battalion)
Princesa regt (2 battalions)
Hibernia regt (1 battalion)
Tiradores de Castilla (1 battalion)
Cazadores de Castilla (1 battalion)
Lanceros de Castilla (4 squadrons)

Cavalry of the Vanguard: ??? (87 officers 1,027 men 989 horses)
1st Provisional de linea (4 squadrons)
1st Provisional de ligeros (4 squadrons)

Artillery (mix of foot & horse): ????? (17 officers 362 men)
Engineers: (8 officers 31 men)

Infantry Depots: (168 officers 358 men)
Rey, Zamora, 1st Sevilla, Cadiz, Provincial de Plasencia, Provincial de Trugillo, Battalon de Merida, Battalon de Vitoria & Leon, Reserve Companies

Cavalry Depots: (207 officers 1,459 men 518 horses)
Husares de Estramedura, Reina, Infante, Borbon, Algarbe, Sagunto, Lusitania, Cazadores de Sevilla, Legion Estremena.

Note the 1st Division of this Army was with the 4th Army.

Prince:

Thank you for the much improved OOB. Espana's division was present at Salamanca with Wellington's main army…do you have any kind of approximate date when he left Estramadura?

Musketballs,

Looking at "Wellington's Masterpiece – the battle of Slamanca" by J P Lawford & Peter Young – Espana was around the Cuidad Rodrigio area when Wellington was besieging Badajoz. Espana was complaining about the rations available for the garrison of 4,000 as he was worried Marmont would besiege it. Wellington told him to reduce the garrison to 3,000!

Looking at Lipscombe's "The Peninsular war Atlas" suggests that by 26 February, Castanos with most of Espana's men was ensconced in Cuidad Rodrigo.

The other Spanish Division in the possible area (just south of Estremedura) that might have been drawn on was Morillo's. The possible breakdown of this formation looking at Charles Esdaile "The Duke of Wellington and the Command of the Spanish Army 1812-14" has for November 1812:
1st de Leon,
Union,
1st de la Legion Extremena.

Will check Estados etc to see what other options there are.

Thought I'd posted a "Thank You" but it's not there.

So Thank You, everyone, for some most helpful replies.

I bookmarked, thanks TMP