British Army Theatre Returns: 1808-1815
The Peninsular War
These returns are for the forces that landed in Portugal in 1808 and would form the main Peninsular field army from
1809 onwards. A month-by-month break of the total strength of the army is:
Monthly Strength of the British Forces in the Peninsula: 1808 - 1814
1808
Coverage for the first months of the war is
patchy: there is a return for Wellesley’s 1808 command prior to sailing, but
nothing until all the various commands were united under Dalrymple in
September. For November and December there are separate returns for those units
serving with Moore and those left in Portugal, but there is no January 1809
return for Moore; nor are there any returns for Baird’s corps prior to its
joining Moore. It should be noted that the combined monthly totals for the whole theatre do not include Moore's troops after October 1808.
Peninsular Monthly Return, July 1808
(Troops at Cork)
Peninsular Monthly Return, September
1808
Peninsular Monthly Return, October 1808
Peninsular Monthly Return, November 1808
(Portugal)
Peninsular Monthly Return, November 1808
(Moore)
Peninsular Monthly Return, December 1808
(Portugal)
Peninsular Monthly Return, December 1808
(Moore)
1809
Although these are all returns for the main
army, they do also record troops sent under major General Mackenzie in an
abortive attempt to put a garrison into Cadiz. In June 1809 the procedure
changed so that returns were to be made on the 25th of the month
rather than the 1st. There are therefore two returns for this month.
Since there were substantial numbers of men recorded missing in the aftermath
of Talavera, these have been included as an extra column at the end of the
return.
Peninsular Monthly Return, January 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, February 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, March 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, April 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, May 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, June 1st 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, June 25th 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, July 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, August 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, September
1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, October 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, November 1809
Peninsular Monthly Return, December 1809
1810
As of June of this year, a note is also
made of numbers of men sent home, but the distinction is no longer retained
between men sick in hospital and men sick but still with their units.
The July Return includes the troops at
Cadiz, before it was established that this was to be treated as a separate
command for reporting purposes. The tracking of men recorded missing post
Talavera has been continued through the first few months of 1810.
Peninsular Monthly Return, January 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, February 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, March 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, April 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, May 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, June 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, July 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, August 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, September 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, October 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, November 1810
Peninsular Monthly Return, December 1810
1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, January 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, February 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, March 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, April 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, May 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, June 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, July 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, August 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, September 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, October 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, November 1811
Peninsular Monthly Return, December 1811
1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, January 1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, February 1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, March 1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, April 1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, May 1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, June 1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, July 1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, August 1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, September 1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, October 1812
Peninsular Monthly Return, November 1812##
Peninsular Monthly Return, December 1812
1813
As of January, those battalions forming
part of the 2nd-4th Provisional Battalions are listed as having only four
companies present, but retain their own individual identities in the returns.
No change is ever noted respecting the units forming part of the 1st
Provisional Battalion. Where possible, a note has been added with respect to
the Brunswick-Oels Regiment enumerating those men present with the battalion,
as opposed to detached with the Jäger companies.
Peninsular Monthly Return, January 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, February 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, March 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, April 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, May 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, June 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, July 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, August 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, September 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, October 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, November 1813
Peninsular Monthly Return, December 1813
1814
A record has been maintained so long as
there was a significant British military presence. After the main army had been
shipped home there were still troops in Lisbon: the 13th Royal Veterans
remained until January 8th 1815 along with detachments of artillery
and engineers, and the last detachments of infantry left Lisbon March 1815.
As of March 25th, substantial
numbers of men were struck off as dead who had disappeared during the previous
years and could not be found – see “Return of the number of men belonging to
Corps in the Peninsula who could not be found in the General Hospitals, and who
have been struck off as Dead” dated 25th March 1814 in WO17/2475.
The figures in the main table for that month have been corrected to ignore
these men, but the number struck off, and the resulting grand total of men
listed as “dead” that month, have been added at the end of the main table
Peninsular Monthly Return, January 1814
Peninsular Monthly Return, February 1814
Peninsular Monthly Return, March 1814
Peninsular Monthly Return, April 1814
Peninsular Monthly Return, May 1814
Peninsular Monthly Return, June 1814
Placed on the Napoleon Series: February - June 2013; last updated December 2018
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