Charging Against Wellington: The French Cavalry in the Peninsular War, 1807–1814

487 Pages·2011·4.15 MB·English

by  Burnham

Charging Against Wellington
Napoleon’s Cavalry in the Peninsula 1807–1814
This edition published in 2011 by Frontline Books,
an imprint of
Pen and Sword Books Limited, 47 Church Street,
Barnsley, S. Yorkshire, S70 2AS
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© Robert Burnham, 2011
The right of Robert Burnham to be identified
as Author of this Work
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Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN: 978–1–84832–591–3
ePub ISBN:9781844684366
PRC ISBN: 9781844684373
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Contents
List of Illustrations
List of Tables
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part I: Organisation of the French Cavalry in the Peninsula
Chapter One
The Build-up (July 1807–October 1808)
Chapter Two
The Invasion and Conquest of Spain (November 1808–March 1810)
Chapter Three
Occupation (Spring 1810–July 1812)
Chapter Four
The Long Retreat: (August 1812–April 1814)
Part II: The Peninsular Cavalry Generals
Chapter Five
Introduction
Chapter Six
The Peninsular Cavalry Generals – Arrighi to Curto
Chapter Seven
The Peninsular Cavalry Generals – Davenay to Konopka
Chapter Eight
The Peninsular Cavalry Generals – Laferriere to Montbrun
Chapter Nine
The Peninsular Cavalry Generals – Noirot to Watier
Part III: The Regiments
Chapter Ten
Introduction
Chapter Eleven
The Dragoon Regiments
Chapter Twelve
The Chasseur Regiments
Chapter Thirteen
The Hussar Regiments
Chapter Fourteen
The Imperial Guard, Cuirassier and Lancer Regiments
Chapter Fifteen
The Provisional Cavalry Regiments
Chapter Sixteen
The Foreign Regiments
Appendix: Sources
References
Index
Illustrations
Plates may be found between pages 156 and 157
1 Auguste-François-Marie Colbert de Chabanais
2 August-Jean-Gabriel de Caulaincourt
3 Vital-Joachim Chamorin
4 François Fournier-Sarlovèse
5 Jean-Baptiste Francesqui dit Franceschi-Delonne
6 François-Etienne Kellermann
7 François-Antoine Lallemand
8 Antoine-Charles-Louis Lasalle
9 Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes
10 Pierre Margaron
11 Louis-Pierre Montbrun
12 Ythier-Silvain Pryvé
13 2nd Dragoons
14 6th Dragoons
15 14th Dragoons
16 16th Dragoons
17 17th Dragoons
18 25th Dragoons
19 5th Chasseurs
20 3rd Hussars
List of Tables
1.1 The Cavalry Division of the 1st Corps of Observation of the Gironde,
August 1807
1.2 Deployment of the Cavalry Division of the 1st Corps of Observation of
the Gironde, October 1807
1.3 The march of the cavalry across Spain, October-November 1807
1.4 French cavalry in Spain and Portugal, late January 1808
1.5 Strength of cavalry in the Corps of the Western Pyrenees, 23 April
1808
1.6 Strength of General Lasalle’s Cavalry Brigade in the Corps of the
Western Pyrenees, early May 1808
1.7 Strength of cavalry in the Corps of the Eastern Pyrenees, 23 April 1808
1.8 Imperial Guard cavalry in Spain, April 1808
1.9 Organisation of the French cavalry in Spain and Portugal, June
1808**ganisation of the Frencganisation of the Frencganisation of the
Frencganisation of the Frencganisation of the Frencganisation of the
Frencganisation of the Frencganisation of the Frenc
1.10 Command structure of the French cavalry designated for service in
Spain, 7 September 1808
1.11 Command structure of the French cavalry designated for service in
Spain, 2 October 1808
2.1 French cavalry in Spain, 15 November 1808
2.2 Location of French cavalry in Spain, mid-December 1808
2.3 Location of French cavalry in Spain, mid-January 1809
2.4 Cavalry generals who departed Spain January-June 1809
2.5 Organisation of French cavalry in north-west Spain, 1 July 1809
2.6 Organisation and location of French cavalry in central Spain, 1 July
1809
2.7 Organisation of French cavalry in eastern Spain, 15 July 1809
2.8 Location of French cavalry in Spain, October 1809
2.9 Organisation of the French cavalry, mid-December 1809
3.1 French supply routes in Spain from Bayonne to Valladolid, 1809 (483
km in 15 days)
3.2 French supply routes in Spain from Valladolid to Madrid, 1809 (212
km in 7 days)
3.3 French supply routes in Spain from Bayonne to Saragossa, 1809 (468
km in 15 days)
3.4 French military governments in Spain, 1810
3.5 The creation of French armies in Spain, 1810 and 1811
3.6 Organisation of the Provisional Dragoon regiments, January 1810
3.7 Organisation of the French cavalry, June 1810
3.8 Organisation of the French cavalry, November 1810
3.9 French military governments assigned to the Army of the North,
January 1811
3.10 Cavalry brigades in the Army of the North, January 1811
3.11 Loss of horses in the cavalry of the Army of Portugal, 16 September
1810-1 March 1811
3.12 Location and strength of the cavalry of the Army of Portugal, 1 April
1811
3.13 French cavalry at Fuentes de Oñoro, 3-5 May 1811
3.14 Organisation of the French cavalry in the Army of the South, spring
1811
3.15 Organisation of the French cavalry in the Albuera campaign, May
1811
3.16 Cavalry in the Army of Portugal, August 1811
3.17 Regiments withdrawn from Spain to create the new lancer regiments,
1811
3.18 Cavalry of the Army of Portugal, November 1811
3.19 Organisation of the cavalry in the Armies of the Aragon, Catalonia, the
Centre, and the North, autumn 1811
3.20 Cavalry in the Army of the South, July 1811
3.21 Location of cavalry in the Army of the South, September 1811
3.22 Cavalry in the Army of the South, October 1811
3.23 Cavalry in the Army of the South, 16 November 1811
3.24 The new cavalry divisions of the Army of the South, 7 February 1812
3.25 Cavalry generals in the Army of the South who served as provincial
governors or commandants of cities, February 1812
3.26 Cavalry divisions and brigades in Spain, March 1812
3.27 Number of squadrons and soldiers in the cavalry of the French armies
in Spain, 1 July 1812
3.28 Cavalry regimental strength in the French armies in Spain, 1 July 1812
4.1 Cavalry divisions and brigades in Spain, 15 October 1812
4.2 Cavalry divisions and independent brigades in Spain, spring 1813