The Army of Portugal, March 1811

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

This is the structure of the Army of Portugal just prior to the retreat. The bulk of the information is in volumes 3 and 4 of Oman.

The bulk of the fighting was done by Ney's 6th Corps which formed the rearguard.

Commander-in-Chief: Marechal André Massena, duc de Rivoli, prince d'Essling

2nd CORPS - General Jean Louis Ebenezer Reynier

1st Division - Pierre Merle

Sarrut's Brigade: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions/2nd Leger; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions/36th Ligne
Graindorge's Brigade: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions/4th Ligne

2nd Division - Etienne Heudelet

Foy's Brigade : 1st, 2nd, 3rd battalions/17th Leger; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions/70th Ligne
Arnaud's Brigade: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions/31st Leger; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions/47th Ligne
Foy had been promoted to Divisional commander while in Paris, and may not have resumed command of his brigade.

Cavalry - Pierre Soult

1st Hussars, 22nd Chasseurs, 8th Dragoons, Hanoverian Chasseurs

6th CORPS - Marechal Michel Ney, duc d'Elchingen

1st Division - Jean Marchand

Maucune's Brigade: 1st, 2nd battalions/6th Leger; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions/69th Ligne
Marcognet's Brigade: 1st, 2nd, 3rd battalions/39th Ligne; 1st, 2nd, 3rd battalions/76th Ligne
Nicolas Marcel was a sous-lieutenant in the 69th

2nd Division - Julien Mermet

Bardet's Brigade: 1st, 2nd battalions/25th Leger; 1st, 2nd, 3rd battalions/27th Ligne
Labassée's Brigade: 1st, 2nd, 3rd battalions/50th Ligne; 1st, 2nd, 3rd battalions/59th Ligne

3rd Division - General Louis Henri Loison

Simon's Brigade: 5th, 6th, 7th battalions/26th Ligne; Legion du Midi; 1st, 2nd battalions/Hanoverian Legion
Ferey's Brigade: 2nd battalion/32nd Leger; 4th, 5th, 6th battalions/66th Ligne; 4th, 5th, 6th battalions/82nd ligne
The 5/82 had originally been left to garrison Ciudad Rodrigo, but had come forward with the 9th Corps
At the start of the retreat, Loison (with the rest of the 6th Corps) covered the Army's concentration. Once the retreat got under way, t his brigade seems to have been detached by Massena and used as his personal guard. This meant it was usually between the rest of the 6th and the 8th. It could also explain why, when he sacked Ney, Massena replaced him with Loison.

Cavalry - Lamotte

3rd Hussars, 15th Chasseurs

8th CORPS - Jean Androche Junot, duc d'Abrantes

1st Division - Bertrand Clausel

Menard's Brigade: 4th battalions of 19th Ligne; 25th Ligne; 28th Ligne; 34th Ligne
Taupin's Brigade: 4th battalions of 15th Ligne; 46th Ligne; 75th Ligne
Godard's Brigade: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions/22nd Ligne

2nd Division - Solignac

Gratien's Brigade: 1st, 2nd, 3rd battalions/15th Ligne; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions/86th Ligne
Thomières' Brigade: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th battalions/65th Ligne; Irish Regiment; Prussian Regiment

Cavalry - Ste Croix

2 squadrons of each of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 9th, 14th and 26th Dragoons

9th CORPS - General Jean Baptiste Drouet, comte d'Erlon

1st Division - Claparéde

1st Brigade: Depot battalions of 54th Ligne, 21st Leger and 28th Leger
2nd Brigade: Depot battalions of 40th, 63rd and 88th Ligne
3rd Brigade: Depot battalions of 64th, 100th and 103rd Ligne
This division was detached and left at Celorico and Guarda in an attempt to keep communications open

2nd Division - Conroux

1st Brigade: Depot battalions of 16th, 9th and 27th Leger
2nd Brigade: Depot battalions of 8th, 24th and 45th Ligne
3rd Brigade: Depot battalions of 94th, 95th and 96th Ligne
This division took and held Leira until the withdrawal

Cavalry - Fournier

7th, 13th and 20th Chasseurs

Cavalry Reserve - General Louis Pierre Montbrun

Lorcet's Brigade: 3rd and 6th Dragoons
Cavrois' Brigade: 11th Dragoons
Ornano's Brigade: 15th and 15th Dragoons

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