Duty in the Peninsula 1810 - 1812

Interactive Map of Portugal and Spain

    The beginning of 1810 saw the 82nd Regiment rejoined with its detachment left behind in the Peninsula a year earlier, and no doubt amongst the survivors of both parties there were tales to tell and fallen comrades to be remembered. The corps had suffered most terribly on Walcheren from the pestilence of Malaria, and continued to do so even after it had landed back in England on Sept. 21, 1809. Indeed its ill-effects would continue to sap the health of those lucky enough to survive it for many years to come. During this time in England, the regiment gained a new Commanding Officer: Lt. Colonel William Grant. A fiery Scotsman with “projecting, bristly eyebrows and a manly Caledonian countenance"[1], Grant had first entered service in the British army as an Ensign in 1773, and according to George Wood in his memoirs was much respected by his men. He was to lead the 82nd through the rest of its service in the Peninsula, after which he was deservingly gazetted Major-General in June, 1814, on the King's birthday.

The Rock of Gibraltar

    Sometime early in 1810, the 82nd having drawn on it depot battalion was deemed fit for further duty and ordered once again on foreign service; this time destined for Gibraltar. The regiment loaded onto ships at Portsmouth and after a tedious voyage of 5 weeks, arrived at that bastion of British Empire known affectionately as ‘The Rock’. Here the regiment settled into several months of relatively quiet garrison duty, the main danger for the men being sickness, as the they struggled to deal with ailments brought on by the oppressive summer heat. For the most part though, the men were quite content, as per George Wood. In his words:

“All this…was ease and luxury in comparison to campaigning, for here we had a warm room, good food, and a comfortable barrack to retreat to, after being relieved. Indeed, on the whole, the Rock is rather a desirable quarter for soldiers, particularly the private men, as it is impossible they can live better in any part of the world. They have a good basin of coffee or cocoa for breakfast, good meat, soup, and vegetables, for dinner, and bread and cheese for supper; wine and spirits being so cheap that they commonly get too much of them.”[2]  

Guns of Gibraltar

    Action, however, soon caught up with the regiment during its stay in Gibraltar, as the war in the Peninsula moved into the south of Spain. Following a major defeat of the Spanish at Ocana on Nov 19, 1809, Joseph Bonaparte ordered his armies to overrun the rich province of Andalusia: an operation that was successfully completed by years end, with Marshal Victor putting the remnants of the Spanish Central Junta under siege at Cadiz on Feb. 10, 1810. The British Government, alarmed at this misfortune, was quick to prop up the Spanish at Cadiz, so that by June 9,000 British and Portuguese soldiers and a large naval squadron joined the 18,000 strong Spanish garrison to defend the city. Subsequent operations commenced with the varying objectives of attempting the relief of Cadiz, aiding Spanish rebel activity and disrupting the French armies now in southern Spain. During this time the 82nd Regiment or detachments of it saw action at Fuengirola, Barrosa and Tarifa, with varying success.

The Battle of Fuengirola, October 1810

                With the siege of Cadiz now underway, it was decided by Gen. Campbell, the Governor of Gibraltar, to fit out an expedition whose goal would be to relieve some pressure on the besieged city by disrupting French supply lines and communications running through Malaga. Some hope was also put in combining with local Spanish guerrilla bands known to be in the area. This enterprise was put under the command on Lord Blayney, a veteran of much service in Britain’s wars. Placed at his disposal was a small, motley group of units, notably:

4 co’s of the 89^th Regiment (353 men)

A 'Battalion of Foreign Recruits' comprised of German, Polish and Italian soldiers, lately deserted from the French (509 men)

Spanish Regiment de Toledo (650 men)

The 82nd Regiment (932 men)

5 guns (including 1 large 32-pounder) and 65 British gunners

Gibraltar - Fuengirola - Malaga

                All told, the small force consisted of 2,509 men, of varying reliability. To convey the expedition, the Admiralty contributed the Battleship Rodney, an old Spanish Line-of-Battle, and a small squadron of frigates and gunboats. On October 10, 1810, the expedition set sail from Gibraltar and after stopping at Cueta to pick up the Spanish Regiment, arrived off the coast near the town of Fuengirola on the morning of the 14th. The 82nd Regiment did not land with the force on the 14th; as always the corps seemed to be an afterthought, perhaps in this case due to a lack of available conveyance, as Wood states he was “shipped on board an old Spanish man-of-war, under jury-masts”[3]: no doubt the old Spanish battleship previously mentioned, while the Rodney returned as well to transport the more lucky men of the regiment.

                The expedition was over quickly. While the Battleships returned to pick up the 82nd, Blayney went ashore on the 14th and marched with the force he had up to the town of Fuengirola at 2pm. The garrison of Polish soldiers there did not have surrender in mind, instead they opened a fierce bombardment on the British soldiers and also the gunboats offshore. The British commander promptly ordered a siege to commence and with much effort the artillery was offloaded and brought up overnight. On the morning of Oct. 15, both sides renewed bombarding each other. At this time, Blayney learned that a division of 5,000 infantry under the French General Sebastiani was on its way to relieve the garrison. Upon learning however that the 82nd Regiment had arrived offshore, he decided to stay and fight. Things started to go wrong quickly. A sortie by the Polish garrison captured the artillery pounding away the fort. Blayney rallied the men of the 89th and some of the foreign troops and retook the guns, but at this time the vanguard of Sebastiani’s division arrived. Mistakenly taking them for friendly Spanish, Blayney blundered into this force and was captured, along and most of the 89th with him.

The French and Polish drive Blayney's force to his ships at Fuengirola

            A mad rush to the beach by the Spanish and foreign soldiers ensued. On the shore, the flank companies of the 82nd had just been offloaded. They formed a line and, supported by the guns of the British naval squadron, held off the attacking French and Polish until the remnants of the expedition could be disembarked. Finally, under fire, the two companies of the 82nd made it onto boats themselves and rowed their way back to their transports. George Wood describes the operation as he witnessed it:

   “An expedition had been fitted out at this port Gibraltar] under Lord Blayney, for the purpose, as we understood, of making a descent on Malaga, in which my regiment received orders to embark…we proceeded after the expedition with all sail possible, but only reached them as this unfortunate affair was terminating, and that with great disaster. Our flank companies, however, landed to support them; but support was now almost too late, for they were withdrawing in the greatest confusion and haste to our boats, into which they got, and which ought to have been sent back for the remainder of the [82^nd]regiment. The artillery was lost, and a great number of prisoners taken, among whom was the Commander-in-chief himself; but the greater part of the troops had the good fortune to escape under the fire of the Rodney man-of-war, and our flank companies, who were the last to re-embark.”[4]     

            The affair was a dismal failure. The determined resistance of the Polish garrison of Fuengirola and their prompt succour by an entire division of French soldiers indicated the expedition was likely compromised. Only a handful of Spanish guerrilla's turned up to fight with the force. There are no casualty figures for the 82nd yet discovered. No battle honours were given for the fighting at Fuengirola and indeed, none of the meager histories of the 82nd Foot that the author has come across mentions this affair, even though the holding action on the beach by the 2 companies of the corps were a creditable service to the operation. Soon the regiment was back at Gibraltar on garrison duty.

The Barrosa Campaign, March 1811

            Following the action at Fuengirola, the 82nd enjoyed four more months of uneventful garrison duty, as the French did not attempt to besiege this impregnable fortress. In January, 1811 however, a third of the 25,000-man French army under Marshal Victor blockading nearby Cadiz was drawn off for another siege at Badajoz: an opportunity the British and Spanish felt they could not pass up. In consequence, a force of over 4,000 British and 8,000 Spanish was organized. Forming part of the British force was a battalion comprised of the flank companies of several regiments, including the 82nd, under the Command of Lt. Col. Brown of the 28th Foot. This battalion mustered 509 officers and men at the beginning of the expedition.

Barrosa Campaign Map

On Feb. 23, 1811, the British contingent, under the command of Lt. Gen. Thomas Graham, landed at the town of Algesiras. From there, the British marched west along the coast to Tarifa and then inland to the pass of Facinas, arriving there on the 28th. By this time, the British were joined by the Spanish contingent under General Manuel La Pena, to which Graham courteously ceded overall command. Due to Spanish indecision, the advance from Facinas was a confused affair and after some exhausting marching and counter-marching, the allied army reached the vicinity of Cadiz on the morning of March 5.

The Battle of Barrosa, March 5 1811

  Interactive Battle of Barrosa Map

 Despite having just completed 14 hours of marching, La Pena moved forward with the Spanish contingent on the 5th and successfully broke the French siege lines at Bermeja, forcing a French division under Gen. Villate back across the Almazna creek. At mid-day, the British contingent stationed on Barrosa Hill marched off to join La Pena, leaving behind several Spanish regiments and none other than Browne’s Flank Battalion, containing the 2 companies of the 82nd. Half and hour later, this small blocking detachment was attacked by a good part of an entire French Division under Gen. Ruffin. The Spanish soldiers flew in a panic, making away with the baggage, while Browne’s Battalion hastily beat to arms and retired in better order. Graham, now notified, ordered Brown to stand fast and fight, while the main British force marched to join them. This the battalion did, against fearful odds. An account of the battle describes the action:

“Against the slender force Marshal Victor directed an overwhelming attack, and Browne retreated in good order. Then he sent for orders from Graham, who was then near Bermeja. ‘Fight’ was the laconic answer; and Graham, facing about himself, regained the open plain… when the view opened, he beheld Ruffin’s brigade, flanked by the two grenadier battalions, near the summit on the one side, the Spanish rearguard and the baggage flying towards the sea on the other, the French cavalry following the fugitives in good order, Laval close upon his own left flank…Meanwhile Graham’s Spartan order had sent Browne headlong upon Ruffin, and though nearly half his detachment went down under the first fire, he maintained the fight…a dreadful, and for some time doubtful, combat raged; but soon Ruffin and Chaudron Rousseau, who commanded the chosen grenadiers, fell, both mortally wounded; the English bore strongly onward, and their incessant slaughtering fire forced the French from the hill with the loss of 3 guns and many brave soldiers.”[5]

    After a short time of standing alone against at least 1,900 men and 5 guns, Browne’s Battalion was joined by the rest of its brigade, under Gen. Dilkes. The British met with the French on the top of the hill and after a further bloody exchange of gunfire, the French broke and fled. Graham meanwhile was able to fight off an attack on the British left by Gen. Leval’s division. The British then marched after the retreating French, who made haste back to the nearby town of Chiclana and so the battle ended. Soon after, Graham ordered his British contingent into Cadiz, angered that La Pena had refused to join the battle and refusing to take further commands from the Spanish general. With the allied army now broken up, the Spanish too absconded and Victor was shortly thereafter able re-commence the siege.

A French regimental eagle was taken by the British at Barrosa

    Although the short campaign as a whole did little to relieve Cadiz, the action of Browne’s Flank Battalion was gallant and crowned with success. Six guns and two eagles were captured by the British in the encounter. Because the entire regiment was not present, the 82nd was not allowed this battle honour, although some believe the regiment deserved it. Casualties for Browne’s Battalion were 225 rank and file, out of a total of 475 non-commissioned officers and men: a rate of almost 50 percent! The two companies of the 82nd suffered 8 men killed and 2 officers and 89 men wounded. The regiment can be proud of its participation in this affair.  

  The Siege of Tarifa, December 1811

                The French army of occupation in Andalusia had for some time been irritated by the small Spanish army of General Ballesteros, who whenever confronted was able to retire his army under the walls of Gibraltar or into the fortified town of Tarifa. Because he could not hope to reduce Gibraltar, Marshal Soult decided to attempt a siege of Tarifa, which if successful would much limit the operations of the Spanish. Besides the 2,000 men of the  Spanish garrison in the town, Tarifa had also a substantial British force within it walls, consisting of a detachment of the 82nd Regiment, the 2/47th, 2/87th, the light company of the 11th, a detachment of the 2nd Hussars KGL (King’s German Legion), some Royal Artillery and several companies of the 95th Rifles. The 82nd's detachment was commanded by Major King. The British force, therefore, mustered 67 officers and 1,707 men all told. The British contingent was commanded by Colonel Skerret of the 2/47th. The fortress itself, on the whole though, was poorly maintained and out of date and therefore eminently capturable.

  Siege of Tarifa Map

            On Dec. 8, 1811, 12,500 troops under Marshal Soult set off from Cadiz, reaching Tarifa on the 20th. After a few days preparation, the French artillery opened up on the 29th of December, concentrating upon the northern and eastern sides of the town, which were most vulnerable. It did not take long for the walls of the old medieval fortress to crumble and in several hours there was a workable breach on the east side. At this point Col. Skerret, alarmed at the state of affairs, made ready to leave Tarifa; however, he was dissuaded by Major King of the 82nd and Captain Smith of the Engineers. To seal the decision, Lt. General Graham at Gibraltar ordered the British transports away from Tarifa. There was no going home now.

            Gen. Laval now took command of the siege from Soult. By Dec. 30, the breach was over 60 feet wide, but a call by the French to surrender was turned down by the garrison. The next day, the French attempted to storm the town but due to a heavy rain and a determined defense, it failed, leaving 207 casualties before the walls. After this, there were no more attempts on the fortress, as incessant rain and the failure of the assault on the wall served to break the French morale. On January 5, 1812, the French army moved off, having suffered over 500 casualties and leaving behind a number of guns. The garrison suffered little in comparison, tallying 70 casualties, including 46 British. There is no record of the 82nd suffering a loss during the siege, although the corps' detachment certainly played its part. An account of one regimental history of the 82nd reports:

   “…during the defense of Tarifa, Lieutenant Welstead of the 82nd made a brilliant sally, penetrating into the enemy’s very camp and capturing a field-piece.”[6]    

            This Benjamin Welstead must have been a real fire-brand. He was to die a hero’s death two years later storming the redoubts of the Nivelle. Although the 82nd Foot was not granted the Battle Honour of Tarifa, once again the Detachment of its men under Major King did the regiment proud during this siege: the only such operation of this type the regiment took a direct part in during the whole Peninsular War.* As far as its duty in the south of Spain from 1810 to 1812, although only one of the three actions it took part in could be called successful, on the whole the 82nd Regiment and its detachments conducted themselves with honour and gallantry throughout, something the corps could be most proud of. Perhaps as a result of the corps good conduct, Lt. Col. Grant was gazetted Brevet Colonel on January 1, 1812. Under his steady leadership, the regiment served out the remainder of its garrison duty quietly, until it was ordered to Portugal in June, 1812. By years end, much hard marching and suffering would be the lot for this corps.

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