"Barossa 1811 Question" Topic

Hello friends-From the Allied perspective (a very simplistic one), with the woods to the left and the hill to the right, where were the 5 Spanish retreating battalions stationed? Were they in the woods or on the hill before being ejected from the field?

Talking about the very beginning of the battle, I guess before Graham turned about.

Ahh. Barrosa, not Barossa.

Here is my OOB for the game this Saturday, I'm afraid I don't have much flexibility as I am scraping the bottom of the barrel for manpower, but I have just enough to pull this off.

French
C-n-C I Corps- Marshal Victor 3 ADC's
1st Division- Gen. Ruffin
(4) Infantry battalions (Line)
(2) Grenadier infantry battalions (Veteran)
(1) foot artillery battery (8lb, Veteran)
(6) skirmishers
2nd Division- Gen. Laval
(1) Grenadier infantry battalion (Veteran)
(5) Infantry battalions (Line)
(1) foot artillery battery (8lb, Veteran)
(6) skirmishers
Attached Cavalry- Col. Dermoncourt
(1) 1st Regiment Dragoons (campaign cavalry, Line)
Allies
C-n-C Anglo-Portuguese- Gen. Graham 4 ADC's
Advance Guard- Browne/Barnard/Duncan/Bussche
(1) 2nd KGL Hussars (battle cavalry, small, Veteran)
(2) flank battalions (Veteran) + (3) skirmishers + (3) rifle skirmishers
(1) horse artillery battery (6lb, Large, Veteran)
Dilke's Brigade- Gen. Dilke
(2) Guards' infantry battalions (Elite) + (3) skirmishers + (2) rifle skirmishers
Wheatley's Brigade- Gen. Wheatley
(3) Infantry battalions (Line) + (3) skirmishers
Spanish Division- Gen. Ruiz
(5) infantry battalions (recruit) + (4) skirmishers
(1) cavalry regiment (heavy, small, Recruit)
(1) foot artillery battery (4lb, Line)

Mike
I have never looked at Barrosa as a scenario as it is on such a modest scale, but the forces look pretty balanced so it has piqued my interest. Which rules are you using?

The most detailed account of the battle is in the Spanish Revista Militar 2011 (extra 1). You can download it for free as a PDF from the Spanish Ministry of Defence Website.

link Click on the PDF button.

The article starts on page 149 but it's called the Battle of Chiclana in Spanish. If you don't speak Spanish there are a lot of colour maps and a detailed OOB as well. I see no mention of any General Ruíz btw perhaps Gen Antonio Beguines de los Rios?

If by the hill you mean the Cerro del Puerco then according to the article the five Spanish battalions and Browne's flank battalion were there. The Spanish account of the battle is rather different to the English. According to Whittingham's account it was Browne's battalion that abandoned the hill first.

Hope this helps

I am far out of my depth here, but it appears that the 5 battalions (and Brown's flanker battalion, and 4x 4lbers) were initially on the hill to the right.

Brown retreated to join the the British, the Spanish retreating toward the coast road and their baggage train.

See the detailed maps here : (search "Chiclana" and "Cerro del Puerco")
link
and

@ Allan F Mountford

Our little group played this a few years ago, using " Over the Hills" rules. Very enjoyable game.
We were inspired by this post from The Devon Wargames Group.

link

Hi

FYI in
Grehan, J (2012) The Battle of Barossa he notes that …
Whittingham, with five squadrons, artillery and five Spanish battalions, retired down the southern slope to join the army's baggage train on the coast road towards Cadiz.

He cites J. Sturgis, A Boy in the Peninsular War as a reference for this.

Hi Allan, I am using General d' Armee.

Scott, Dave, Mighty & Mich, thanks so much for the responses!

I was planning at opening the battle with the Small Spanish Division holding the Hill, which the French will have to run off. Then counter-attacking with the British, with later arrivals.

So Browne's battalion was on the hill WITH the Spanish? I understand they were up there, fell back, and then counterattacked their previously-held ground once Graham arrived?

I will read all the posted links you all so generously supplied to try and get a handle on the timelines.

I see the Spanish general was called Lepena, as well. Otherwise, Ruiz de Sotillo. I am horrible with long Spanish names….and French for that matter.

Thanks again for the help all!

French
C-n-C I Corps- Marshal Victor 3 ADC's
1st Division- Gen. Ruffin
(4) Infantry battalions (Line)
(2) Grenadier infantry battalions (Veteran)
(1) foot artillery battery (8lb, Veteran)
(6) skirmishers
2nd Division- Gen. Laval
(1) Grenadier infantry battalion (Veteran)
(5) Infantry battalions (Line)
(1) foot artillery battery (8lb, Veteran)
(6) skirmishers
Attached Cavalry- Col. Dermoncourt
(1) Regiment Dragoons (campaign cavalry, Line)

Allies
C-n-C Anglo-Portuguese- Gen. Graham 4 ADC's
Dilke's Brigade- Gen. Dilke
(2) Guards' infantry battalions (Elite) + (3) skirmishers
Wheatley's Brigade- Gen. Wheatley
(3) Infantry battalions (Line) + (3) skirmishers
(1) horse artillery battery (9lb, Large, Veteran)
Anglo- Spanish Division- Col. Whittingham
(1) KGL Hussars (battle cavalry, small, Veteran)
(1) Browne's flank battalion (veteran)
(5) infantry battalions (recruit) + (5) skirmishers + (2) rifle skirmishers
(1) Spanish cavalry regiment (heavy, small, Recruit)
(1) foot artillery battery (4lb, Line)

I redid the OOB to incorporate the Flank battalions into the respective units where they fought.

@SteamingDave2
Great link – thanks!
@Mike Petro
Hope to see an AAR. I don't know much about General d'Armee, but I am aware of the ADC function and will be interested to see how it works in the game.