The British Army in Portugal and Spain

Military Subjects: Battles & Campaigns

Cork

The Baltic Expedition

The British Army in Portugal and Spain: Its Order-of-Battle (June 1808 - April 1809)

Part I: The Disposable Force

By Ron McGuigan

In June 1808, the following were available for immediate service:

The force for South America, under the command of Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley, was assembled at Cork and Portsmouth. Its staff was Major Generals Alexander Mackenzie and Rowland Hill, Brigadier Generals Henry Fane and James Catlin Craufurd.

At Cork were the:

1/5th Regiment (990)
1/9th Regiment (833)

1/38th Regiment (957)

1/40th Regiment (843)

5/60th Regiment (936)

1/71st Regiment (903)

1/91st Regiment (917)

4 companies 2/95th Regiment (400)

4th Royal Veteran Battalion (737)

At Portsmouth:

The Royal Artillery was under Lieutenant Colonel William Robe and Major James Viney with:
Geary's Company, 5th Battalion
Raynsford's Company, 8th Battalion (420)

The artillery had five 9 pounders, ten light 6 pounders, one 5½ inch heavy howitzer, and two 5½ light inch howitzers, all with limbers.

The 20th Light Dragoons (300) at Portsmouth.

At Harwich was Brigadier General Wroth Palmer Acland with:

2nd Regiment (813)
20th Regiment (689)

2 companies 1/95th Regiment (180)

Crawford's Company, 6th Battalion Royal Artillery

Tieling's 2nd Company KGL Artillery (430) attached

At Ramsgate was Brigadier General Robert Anstruther with:

2/9th Regiment (675)
2/43rd Regiment (861)

2/52nd Regiment (858)

97th Regiment (769)

At Gibraltar were Major General Brent Spencer and Brigadier General Miles Nightingall with:

29th Regiment (863)
1/32nd Regiment (941)

1/50th Regiment (1019)

1/82nd Regiment (991)

Lawson's Half-Company, 8th Battalion Royal Artillery (66). [The other half of Lawson's Company had gone to Sicily in May]

At Madeira were Major General William Beresford and Brigadier General Robert Meade with:

1/3rd Regiment
1/11th Regiment

Royal Artillery: Lieutenant Colonel George Salmon

Scott's Company 4th Battalion Royal Artillery
Thornhill's Company 7th Battalion Royal Artillery

The Baltic Expedition

The force sent to Sweden in April 1808, the Baltic Expedition, was to be recalled. It was organized as:

Commanding the force: Lieutenant General Sir John Moore

Second-in-command: Lieutenant General John Hope

Adjutant General: Brigadier General Richard Stewart

Quarter Master General: Lieutenant Colonel George Murray

1st Division: Lieutenant General Alexander Mackenzie Fraser

Clinton's Brigade: Brigadier General Henry Clinton
1/4th Regiment (971)
1/28th Regiment (1020)

Highland Brigade: Colonel Alan Cameron

1/79th Regiment (995)
1/92nd Regt (934);

2nd Division: Major General John Murray

Langwerth's Brigade: Colonel Ernest Baron Langwerth
1st Line Battalion (725)
2nd Line Battalion (761);

Drieberg's Brigade: Colonel George de Drieberg

5th Line Battalion (753)
7th Line Battalion (679);

3rd Division or Reserve: Major General Edward Paget

1/52nd Regiment (951)
3 companies 1/95th Regiment (300);

Alten's Brigade: Colonel Charles Baron Alten

1st Light Battalion (907)
2nd Light Battalion (903);

3rd Light Dragoons KGL (570)

Garrison Company KGL (48);

Brigadier General John Sontang was attached to Moore's force.

Artillery: Lieutenant Colonel George Wood

Drummond's Company, 3rd Battalion
Wilmot's Company, 3rd Battalion

Major Julius Hartmann KGL (829)

1st Company [Gesenius's]
4th Company [Heise's]

The artillery consisted of four medium 12 pounders, five heavy or long 6 pounders, sixteen light 6 pounders, two 8 inch howitzers, three 5½ inch heavy howitzers, four 5½ inch light howitzers, four 3 pounder mountain guns with two 10 inch iron mortars and six 5½ inch brass mortars on beds. There were only limbers for five heavy or long 6 pounders, five light 6 pounders, one 5½ inch heavy howitzer and one 5½ inch light howitzer.

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