| Cardedeu order of battle | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Victory in the Battle of Cardedeu allowed the French to break through to Barcelona in December 1808. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 First French Empire Kingdom of Italy.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Kingdom of Naples.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Swiss Confederation |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Kingdom of Spain | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Guillaume Duhesme Laurent Saint-Cyr |
Juan Miguel de Vives Theodor von Reding | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| over 42,382 | unknown | ||||||
The Cardedeu order of battle lists the troops that fought in the Battle of Cardedeu (16 December 1808) and several other battles fought between June and December in the Spanish province of Catalonia during the Peninsular War.[1] In February 1808, Imperial French forces treacherously seized Barcelona on 29 February and Sant Ferran Castle on 15 March as well as other fortresses in Spain.[2] The Dos de Mayo Uprising broke out when the Spanish people found that Emperor Napoleon deposed the Spanish royal family and set up his brother Joseph Bonaparte as their new king.[3] The 12,000 Imperial French soldiers under Guillaume Philibert Duhesme occupying Catalonia were beaten at the Battles of El Bruch and Gerona in June. Though Duhesme was reinforced by another French division, the Spanish defeated him at the Second Siege of Gerona in July and August. With Duhesme blockaded in Barcelona, Napoleon appointed Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr as commander of the VII Corps, added two good divisions and other troops to his force, and ordered him to relieve Barcelona. Saint-Cyr succeeded in this task, winning the battles of Roses, Cardedeu and Molins de Rei in December.[4]
Imperial French order of battle
On 10 October 1808, the VII Corps numbered 42,382 soldiers, of whom 4,948 men were in the hospital and 1,302 were detached. However, not all its assigned troops had joined by that date. Note that the Observation Corps became part of VII Corps when Saint-Cyr assumed command. It is probable that the corps counted over 50,000 men.[5] Joseph Chabran's division was made up of veteran French units.[6] The Provisional Cavalry regiments were created by assembling the depot squadrons, all conscripts, from as many as four different regiments.[7] Honoré Charles Reille's division was a mass of second-class units cobbled together from National Guards, provisional battalions, Swiss, and a "French" regiment from recently annexed Tuscany.[8] The Neapolitans were universally considered the worst troops in Europe.[9] On the other hand, the divisions of Joseph Souham and Domenico Pino were composed of crack troops.[10]
| Corps | Division | Strength | Unit | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Observation Corps[11] General of Division Guillaume Philibert Duhesme  |
1st Division General of Division Joseph Chabran  |
Aug: 6,045 | 2nd Line Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | 610 |
| 7th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions | 1,785 | |||
| 16th Line Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | 789 | |||
| 37th Line Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | 656 | |||
| 56th Line Infantry Regiment, 4th Battalion | 833 | |||
| 93rd Line Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | 792 | |||
| 2nd Swiss Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | 580 | |||
| 2nd Division General of Division Giuseppe Lechi  |
Aug: 4,596 | 2nd Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion | 740 | |
| 4th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | 587 | |||
| 5th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion | 806 | |||
| Italian Velites Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | 519 | |||
| 1st Neapolitan Infantry Regiment, 1st & 2nd Battalions | 1,944 | |||
| Cavalry Brigade General of Brigade Bertrand Bessières |
Aug: 825 | 3rd Provisional Cuirassier Regiment | 409 | |
| 3rd Provisional Chasseur Regiment | 416 | |||
| Cavalry Brigade General of Brigade François Xavier de Schwarz |
Aug: 892 | Prince Royal Italian Chasseur Regiment | 504 | |
| Neapolitan Chasseur Regiment | 388 | |||
| Corps Artillery | Aug: 356 | Artillery & train companies | 356 | |
| Observation Corps Total | Aug: 12,714 Nov: 10,000[12] |
| - | |
| VII Corps[5] General of Division Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr  |
3rd Division[8] General of Division Honoré Charles Reille  |
Aug: 8,370[8] Nov: 5,612[13] |
32nd Light Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion | 1,100? |
| 16th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion | 840? | |||
| 56th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion | 840? | |||
| 113th Line Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions | 1,300 | |||
| Perpignan Provisional Regiment, 4 battalions | 1,680 | |||
| 5th Legion of the Reserve, 1 battalion | 500 | |||
| Chasseurs des Montagnes, 1 battalion | 560? | |||
| Valais Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion | 800 | |||
| 4 squadrons cavalry replacements | 550 | |||
| 2 artillery companies | 200 | |||
| 4th Division General of Division Joseph Souham  |
Nov: 7,712[13] | 1st Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions | ? | |
| 3rd Light Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion | ? | |||
| 7th Line Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions | ? | |||
| 42nd Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions | ? | |||
| 67th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion | ? | |||
| 5th Division General of Division Domenico Pino  |
Nov: 8,368[13] | 1st Italian Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions | ? | |
| 2nd Italian Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions | ? | |||
| 4th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions | ? | |||
| 5th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion | ? | |||
| 6th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions | ? | |||
| 7th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion | ? | |||
| 6th Division General of Division Louis François Jean Chabot  |
Nov: 1,988[13] | Chasseurs of the Eastern Pyrenees, 1 battalion | ? | |
| 2nd Neapolitan Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions | ? | |||
| Cavalry Brigade General of Brigade Jacques Fontane |
Nov: 1,700[13] | 7th Italian Dragoon Regiment | ? | |
| Royal Italian Chasseur Regiment | ? | |||
| 24th Dragoon Regiment (not brigaded) | ? | |||
| VII Corps Artillery | Nov: 500[13] | Artillery companies | 500 | |
| Grand Total | Nov: 42,382 | | - | |
Spanish order of battle
The Royal Spanish army included three Irish regiments, including the Ultonia Infantry Regiment. There were also six Swiss regiments, among them the 1st Wimpfen and 2nd Reding senior Infantry Regiments. The Provincial Grenadiers were a militia formation.[14] Uniquely among the provinces of Spain, Catalonia raised its own type of militia, the miquelets. This was a mass levy of military aged men that was armed and paid by the church parishes. They were sometimes called somatenes after the alarm-bell (somaten) used to alert them.[15] The miquelets were organized into 1,000-man "tercios".[16] Newly-raised units are labeled "Volunteers" or "new". Miquelets and militia have the Catalan flag. All others are regulars.[17]
During the Siege of Roses, the garrison consisted of 150 men of the Ultonia Regiment, one-half of the 2nd of Barcelona Light Infantry Regiment, one company of the 1st Wimpfen Swiss Regiment, the Lerida and Igualada Tercios, and elements of the Berga and Figueras Tercios.[18] These were later reinforced by a small battalion of the Borbon Regiment.[19] Nearly all these troops went into captivity when the place surrendered on 5 December.[20]
One authority stated that Reding commanded two battalions each of the 1st Grenada, Baza, and Almeria Infantry Regiments at Cardedeu. Vives led newly organized Catalan units at Cardedeu, plus seven guns, but the source did not specify which units.[21] A second historian credited the Spanish at Cardedeu with 5,000 Granadan troops under Reding and 4,000 Catalans under Vives, but did not list the individual units. This force included 600 cavalrymen and seven field guns. During the battle, Francisco Milans del Bosch was to the east with 3,000 miquelets and Luis Rebolledo de Palafox y Melci, 1st marqués de Lazán was to the north with perhaps 6,000 more soldiers. However, Milans' men were still reeling from their defeat the day before and Lazán was too slow; neither intervened at Cardedeu.[22]
| Army | Division | Strength | Unit | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army of Catalonia Captain-General Juan Miguel de Vives y Feliu |
Vanguard Brigadier-General Mariano Álvarez de Castro  |
5,600 |  Ultonia Infantry Regiment | 300 |
| Borbon Infantry Regiment | 500 | |||
| 2nd of Barcelona Light Infantry Regiment | 1,000 | |||
| 1st Wimpfen Swiss Infantry Regiment | 400 | |||
 1st Gerona Tercio | 900 | |||
| 2nd Gerona Tercio | 400 | |||
| Igualada Tercio | 400 | |||
| Cervera Tercio | 400 | |||
| 1st Tarragona Tercio | 800 | |||
| Figueras Tercio | 400 | |||
| San Narciso Hussar Regiment (new) | 100 | |||
| 1st Division General Conde de Caldagues |
4,998 6 guns |
2nd Walloon Guards | 314 | |
| Soria Infantry Regiment | 780 | |||
| Borbon Infantry Regiment (det.) | 151 | |||
| 2nd of Savoia Infantry Regiment | 1,734 | |||
| 2nd Reding senior Swiss Infantry Regiment (det.) | 270 | |||
| Tortosa Tercio | 984 | |||
| Igualada and Cervera Tercio (det.) | 245 | |||
| Sappers | 50 | |||
| Españoles Hussar Regiment, 2 squadrons | 220 | |||
| Cataluña Cazadores Cavalry (new) | 180 | |||
| Artillery battery | 70, 6 guns | |||
| 2nd Division General Laguna |
2,360 7 guns |
Old Castile Provincial Grenadiers | 972 | |
| New Castile Provincial Grenadiers | 924 | |||
| Zaragosa Volunteers | 150 | |||
| Sappers | 30 | |||
| Españoles Hussar Regiment | 200 | |||
| Artillery battery | 84, 7 guns | |||
| 3rd Division General La Serna |
2,458 | Grenada Infantry Regiment | 961 | |
| 2nd Tarragona Tercio | 922 | |||
| Arzu Division (new) | 325 | |||
| Sueltas Companies (new) | 250 | |||
| 4th Division General Francisco Milans del Bosch  |
3,710 | 1st Lerida Tercio | 872 | |
| Vich Tercio | 976 | |||
| Manresa Tercio | 937 | |||
| Valls Tercio | 925 | |||
| Reserve | 907 4 guns |
Spanish Guards | 60 | |
| Grenadiers Soria Regiment | 188 | |||
| Grenadiers Wimpfen Swiss Regiment | 169 | |||
| General's Bodyguard | 340 | |||
| Sappers | 20 | |||
| Españoles Hussar Regiment | 80 | |||
| Artillery battery | 50, 4 guns | |||
| Army of Granada General Theodor von Reding  |
1st Division | 8,200 | 2nd Reding senior Swiss Regiment | 1,000 |
| 1st Granada (Iliberia) Infantry Regiment (new) | 2,400 | |||
| Baza Infantry Regiment (new) | 2,400 | |||
| Almeria Infantry Regiment (new) | 2,400 | |||
| 2nd Division | 6,000 | Santa Fé Infantry Regiment (new) | 2,400 | |
| Antequera Infantry Regiment (new) | 1,200 | |||
| Loja Infantry Regiment (new) | 2,400 | |||
| Cavalry | 670 | Granada Hussar Regiment (new) | 670 | |
| Artillery | 130, 6 g. | Artillery battery | 130, 6 guns | |
| Army of Aragon Captain-General José de Palafox y Melci Not present .jpg.webp) |
3rd Division General Luis Palafox, marqués de Lazán |
4,688 | 1st Aragon Volunteers | 638 |
| 3rd Aragon Volunteers | 593 | |||
| Fernando VII of Aragon Regiment (new) | 648 | |||
| Daroca Regiment (new) | 503 | |||
| La Reunion Regiment (new) | 1,286 | |||
| Reserva del General Regiment (new) | 934 | |||
| Fernando VII Cazadores Cavalry, 1 troop | 22 | |||
| Artillery battery | 64 | |||
Notes
- ↑ "History of Guerre d'Espagne - The PEninsular War 1808-1814".
- ↑ Oman 2010, p. 37.
- ↑ Gates 2002, p. 12.
- ↑ Gates 2002, pp. 59–67.
- 1 2 3 Oman 2010, pp. 642–643.
- ↑ Oman 2010, p. 107.
- ↑ Oman 2010, pp. 104–105.
- 1 2 3 Oman 2010, p. 320.
- ↑ Oman 2010, p. 311.
- ↑ Oman 2010, p. 333.
- 1 2 Oman 2010, p. 614.
- ↑ Oman 1995, p. 38.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Oman 1995, p. 44.
- ↑ Oman 2010, p. 609.
- ↑ Oman 2010, p. 306.
- ↑ Oman 2010, p. 322.
- ↑ Oman 2010, p. 631.
- ↑ Oman 1995, pp. 47–48.
- ↑ Oman 1995, p. 53.
- ↑ Oman 1995, p. 56.
- ↑ Smith 1998, p. 272.
- ↑ Oman 1995, p. 63.
- ↑ Oman 2010, pp. 633–636.
References
- Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6.
- Oman, Charles (2010). A History of the Peninsular War Volume I. Vol. 1. La Vergne, Tenn.: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-1432636821.
- Oman, Charles (1995). A History of the Peninsular War Volume II. Vol. 2. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-215-7.
- Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.