The First French Army of Spain, Spring-Summer 1808
1st Corps of Observation of the Gironde
Commander: General Junot
Chief of Staff: General Thiébault
1st Division: General Delaborde
Brigades Avril and Brennier
15th of the Line (3rd battalion)
47th of the Line (2nd battalion)
70th of the Line (1st and 2nd battalions)
86th of the Line (1st and 2nd battalions)
4th Swiss Regiment (1st battalion)
Total Strength: 7,848
2nd Division: General Loison
Brigades Charlot and Thomières
2nd Léger (3rd battalion)
4th Léger (3rd battalion)
12th Léger (3rd battalion)
15th Léger (3rd battalion)
32nd of the Line (3rd battalion)
58th of the Line (3rd battalion)
2nd Swiss Regiment (2nd battalion)
Total Strength: 8,481
3rd Division: General Travot
Brigades Graindorge and Fusier
31st
Léger (3rd battalion)
32nd Léger (3rd battalion)
26th of the Line (3rd battalion)
66th of the Line (3rd and 4th battalions)
82nd of the Line (3rd battalion)
Légion de Midi (1st battalion)
Hanoverain Legion
Total Strength: 5,538
Cavalry Division: General Kellerman
Brigades Margaron and Maurin
26th Chasseurs
1st Dragoons
3rd Dragoons
4th Dragoons
5th Dragoons
9th Dragoons
15th Dragoons
Total Strength: 1,754
Artillery and Baggage Train
Total Strength: 1,297
22 battalions of infantry, seven squadrons of cavalry, total strength: 24,918
2nd Corps of Observation of the Gironde
Commander: General Dupont
Chief of Staff: General Legendre
1st Division: General Barbou
Brigades Pannetier and Chabert
Garde de Paris (2nd battalion from 1st and 2nd regiments)
3rd Legion of Reserve (1st and 2nd battalions)
4th Legion of Reserve (1st, 2nd and 3rd battalions)
Marines of the Guard
4th Swiss Regiment (2nd battalion)
Total Strength: 7,836
2nd Division: General Vedel
Brigades Poinsot and Cassagne
1st Legion of Reserve (three battalions)
5th Legion of Reserve (three battalions)
3rd Swiss Regiment (1st battalion)
Total Strength: 6,884
3rd Division: General Frere
Brigades Laval and Rostolland
15th Léger (2nd battalion)
2nd Legion of Reserve (three battalions)
2nd Swiss Regiment (1st battalion)
Total Strength: 5,204
Cavalry Division: General Fresia
Brigades Rigaud and Dupré
1st Provisional Cuirassiers
2nd Provisional Cuirassiers
1st Provisional Chasseurs
2nd Provisional Chasseurs
6th Provisional Dragoons
Total Strength:
Artillery and Baggage
Total Strength: 1,204
twenty one battalions of infantry, fifteen squadrons of cavalry, total strength: 24,428
Corps of Observation of the Ocean Coast
Commander: Marshal Moncey
Chief of Staff: General Harispe
1st Division: General Musnier
Brigades Brun and Isemburg
1st Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
2nd Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
3rd Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
4th Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
Westphalian battalion
Total Strength: 9,699
2nd Division: General Gobert
Brigades Lefranc and Dufour
5th Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
6th Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
7th Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
8th Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
Irish Legion
Total Strength: 8.393
3rd Division: General Morlot
Brigades Bujet and Lefebvre
9th Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
10th Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
11th Provisional Regiment of Infantry (four battalions)
Prussian Battalion
Total Strength: 7,149
Cavalry Division: General Grouchy
Brigades Privé and Wathier
1st Provisional Dragoons
2nd Provisional Dragoons
1st Provisional Hussars
2nd Provisional Hussars
Total Strength: 2,850
Artillery and Baggage
Total Strength: 1,250
Forty Seven battalions of infantry, twelve squadrons of cavalry, total strength: 29,341
Corps of Observation of the Pyrenees
Commander: Marshal Bassières
Chief of Staff: General Lefebvre-Desnouettes
1st Division: General Merle
Brigades Darmagnac and Gaulois
47th of the Line (1st Battalion)
86th of the Line (two companies)
3rd Swiss Regiment (2nd battalion)
1st Régiment de Marche (two battalions)
1st Supplementary Regiment of the Legions of Reserve (two battalions)
Total Strength: 5,248
2nd Division: General Verdier
Brigades Sabathier and Ducos
17th Provisional Regiment (four battalions)
18th Provisional Regiment (four battalions)
13th Provisional Regiment (four battalions)
14th Provisional Regiment (four battalions)
Total Strength: 8,518
Cavalry Division: General Lasalle
10th Chasseurs
22nd Cahsseurs
Escadron de Marche of Cuirassiers
Total Strength: 1,082
Artillery, Baggage
Total Strength: 408
Detached Troops
Garrison of Pampeluna: General D'Agoult
15th Regiment of the Line (4th battalion)
47th Regiment of the Line (3rd battalion)
70th Regiment of the Line (3rd battalion)
5th Escadron de Marche of Cuirassiers
Garrison of San Sebastian: General Thouvenot
2nd Supplementary Regiment of the Legions of Reserve (4th battalion)
Dépôt Battalion
Cavalry Dépôt
Total Strength: 3,830
Twenty seven and a quarter battalions of infantry, nine squadrons of cavalry, total strength: 19,086
Corps of Observation of the Eastern Pyrenees
Commander: Gereral Duhesme
Chief of Staff: Colonel Fabre
1st Division: General Chabran
Brigades Goulas and Nicolas
2nd of the Line (3rd battalion)
7th of the Line (1st and 2nd battalions)
16th of the Line (3rd battalion)
37th of the line (3rd battalion)
56th of the Line (4th battalion)
93rd of the Line (3rd battalion)
2nd Swiss Regiment (3rd battalion)
Total Strength: 6,045
2nd Division: General Lecchi
Brigades Milosewitz
2nd Italian Line (2nd battalion)
4th Italian Line (3rd battalion)
5th Italian Line (2nd battalion)
Royal Vélites (1st battalion)
1st Neapolitan Line (1st and 2nd battalions)
Total Strength: 4,596
Cavalry Brigade: General Bessières
3rd Provisional Cuirassiers
3rd Provisional Chasseurs
Total Strength: 825
Cavalry Brigade: General Schwartz
Italian Chasseurs of the Prince Royal
2nd Neapolitan Chasseurs
Total Strength: 892
Artillery, Baggage
Total Strength: 356
Fourteen battalions of infantry, nine squadrons of cavalry, total strength: 12,714
Imperial Guard
Commander: General Dorsenne
Infantry
1st Fusiliers
2nd Fusiliers
Marines of the Guard
Total Strength: 3,069
Cavalry
Total Strength: 1,762
Artillery and baggage
Total Strength: 1,581
Six battalions of infantry, nine squadrons of cavalry, total strength: 6,412
Reinforcements sent to Spain in June-August 1808
Division Mouton
Brigades Rey and Reynaud
2nd Léger (1st and 2nd battalions)
4th Léger (1st, 2nd and 4th battalions)
12th Léger (1st and 2nd battalions)
15th of the Line (1st and 2nd battalions)
Garde de Paris (one battalions)
Total Strength: 5,100
Division Bazancourt
14th of the Line (1st and 2nd battalions)
44th of the Line (1st and 2nd battalions)
Total Strength: 3,102
Polish Brigade
Two battalions each from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Regiments of the Vistula
Total Strength: 3,951
Divison of General Reille at Perpignan
113th Regiment (two battalions)
National Guard of the Pyrenees Orientales
1st Provisional Battalion of Perpignan
2nd Provisional Battalion of Perpignan
Three mixed battalions
5th Legion of Reserve (one battalion)
Battalion of the Valais
Two squadrons of Tuscan Dragoons
Two escadrons de Marche
Two batteries of artillery
Total Strength: 8,370
Other Units
| Unit |
Strength |
| 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Bataillions de March |
2,281 |
| Division of General Chabot - Reserve of Perignan |
2,667 |
| Portuguese Troops used at Saragossa |
553 |
| National Guard of the Pyrenees |
971 |
| General Dépôt at Bayonne |
7,659 |
| Infantry drafts |
8,637 |
| Cavalry drafts |
3,911 |
| Artillery drafts |
851 |
| Engineers and other reinforcements |
101 |
Total Strength: 48,204
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How to cite this article:
Rickard, J (15 March 2008), The first French Army of Spain, Spring-Summer 1808 , https://www.historyofwar.org/articles/armies_peninsular_french_1st.html
A History of the Peninsular War vol.2: Jan.-Sept. 1809 - From the Battle of Corunna to the end of the Talavera Campaign, Sir Charles Oman. Part two of Oman's classic history falls into two broad sections. The first half of the book looks at the period between the British evacuation from Corunna and the arrival of Wellesley in Portugal for the second time, five months when the Spanish fought alone, while the second half looks at Wellesley's campaign in the north of Portugal and his first campaign in Spain. One of the classic works of military history.
