Portugal 1808/09 - expanding the project

I am currently painting Spanish infantry and to prepare for this I spent a week sourcing information covering uniforms. Gathering all related information I have the impression newly raised units were hard pressed to be clothed in a consistent fashion as the insurrection (1808) spread throughout Spain. Troops filling the ranks of the established regiments had depots to supply their needs, though items could still run short.

Selecting one of the many Spanish armies that confronted the French was a bit of a puzzle, as divisions were moved about to assist other regions. Of these, I did find Del Parque’s army, of late 1809, had a good balance of old line regiments, militia and newly raised levies. All would offer my colour palette a wide range to work with. Listed below is the order of battle which campaigned in late 1809.

Regiments listed in black type are the old established regiments, those in blue are old militia regiments and in green the newly raised levies. Light regiments are noted with (Lt) after their name.

Del Parque’s Army

in the Tamames-Alba de Tormes Campaign,

Oct.- Nov. 1809

Vanguard Division – MG de la Carrerra                                                  7,000 men (13 bns.)

Principe (3 bns.), Saragossa (3 bns.), 1^st of Catalonia, 2^nd of Catalonia (Lt.), Gerona, Barbastro (Lt.), Escolares de Leon (1 bn), Vittoria (1 bn), Montorte de Lemos (1 bn), Voluntarios de la Muerte (1 bn), one battery field artillery

1^st Division – MG Losada                                                                           7,985 men (13 bns.)

Granaderos Provinciales de Galicia (2bns.), Leon (2 bns.), 1^st and 2^nd of Aragon (Lt.), Voluntarios de la Corona (2 bns.), Regimento del General (1 bn), 1^st and 2^nd of La Union (1 bn), Betanzos (2 bns.), Orense (1 bn), Compaña de Guardias Nacionales (1 bn), one battery field artillery

2^nd Division – MG Conde de Belveder                                                      6,415 men (14 bns.)

Rey (2 bns.), Zamora (2 bns.), Seville (2 bns.), Toledo (2 bns.), Hibernia (2 bns.), Voluntarios de Navarra (Lt.), Santiago, Lovera (2 bns.), one battery field artillery

3^rd Division (Asturias) – MG Ballasteros                                                9,632 men (15 bns.)

Navarra (3 bns.), Princesa (2 bns.), Oviedo (1 bn), Covadonga (1 bn), Villaviciosa (1 bn), Candas y Luaneo (1 bn), Castopol (1 bn), Pravia (1 bn), Cangas de Tineo (1 bn), Grado (1 bn), Infiesta (1 bn), Lena (1 bn), one battery field artillery

5^th Division (Leonese) BG Marquis de Castrofuerte                                            5,912 men (7 bns.)

Tiradores de Ciudad Rodrigo (1 bn), 2^nd of Ciudad Rodrigo (1 bn), Voluntarios de Fernando VII (1 bn), Leon (1 bn), Legroño (1 bn), Toro (1 bn), Valladolid (1 bn), one battery field artillery

NB – The 4^th Division, Galician troops under Mahy about 7,000 strong, and the garrison of Ciudad Rodrigo, 3,817 bayonets, were never brought up to the front.

Cavalry Division – the Prince of Anglona                                               

Borbon, Sagunto, Granaderos de Llerena   

Reyna, Provisional Regiment, Cazadore de Ciudad Rodrigo, one horse-artillery battery  

Total Old Line regiments - 32 bns., Old Militia regiments  - 6 bns.., New levies  - 25 bns.

Reference

History of the Peninsular War, C. Oman, volume III, appendix III.