Chapter XXIII: Appendix: I

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(A.) ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BRITISH INFANTRY OF THE LINE. July, 1809.

N.B.—The star * affixed to a battalion’s station means that it had just returned from Sir John Moore’s Corunna Campaign.

Total. 1st 2nd 3rd and Junior Total.
Battalions. Battalions. Battalions.
At Home 25[334] 42[335] 3[336] 70
Peninsula 11[337] 15 2 28
Sicily and Malta 10 3 1 14
East Indies 21 2 0 23
West Indies 21 2 4 27
Cape of Good Hope 5 0 0 5
Canada and Nova Scotia 6 0 0 6
New South Wales 2 0 0 2
Gibraltar and Madeira 2 2 0 4
---
Total 179

A consideration of the prefixed table of “establishments” shows the following results. Putting aside the regiments with many battalions (the 1st, 14th, 27th, 60th, 95th), the remainder fall into two-battalion and single-battalion corps.

Of the 61 double-battalion regiments--

9 were at a strength of 2250 or thereabouts.[338]
17 were at a strength of 2031 or thereabouts.[339]
16 were at a strength of 1820 or thereabouts.[340]
12 were at a strength of 1610 or thereabouts.[341]
7 were at a strength of under 1600.[342]

All the regiments on the two higher establishments (with one exception) had both battalions on active service in 1809, either one in the Indies and one in Europe, or both in Europe. Hence it was necessary to keep them at a very high figure.

Those with 1820 or 1610 men were nearly all regiments which had one battalion on active service and one on home service, though a very few had both overseas (such as the 18th, 34th, 39th, 62nd); in such cases the 2nd battalion, though on service, was very weak.

The two-battalion corps with under 1600 men were almost invariably regiments which had one battalion in the Indies, worked down to very low numbers by disease, and had failed to keep up its strength (the 15th, 25th, 96th in the West, the 59th, 69th in the East Indies).

The 37 single-battalion regiments stood on the following establishments--

6 were at a strength of 1126 or thereabouts.[343]
13 were at a strength of 940 or thereabouts.[344]
15 were at a strength of 700–730 or thereabouts.[345]
3 were at a strength of under 600.[346]

Those corps on the two higher establishments are either actually serving, or are designated for immediate service abroad, and have therefore their establishments fixed high. Those on the lower establishments (730 or under) fall into two classes: either they are regiments in the East or West Indies which have died down to a low figure [_e.g._ 16th, 37th, 46th, 54th, 55th, 65th, 68th, 70th, 86th] or they are battalions quartered in peaceful stations and not expected to be sent on active service, [_e.g._ 41st, 99th, 100th, 103rd, in Canada and Bermuda] or at home [74th, 75th, 77th, 85th, 94th]. All the last-named five, on home service, were raised to a higher establishment and sent to the front in 1810–12.

It will be noted that of the one hundred and three 1st battalions, or single-battalion regiments, a great many were not available, viz. twenty-one in the East Indies, twenty-one in the West Indies (including Bermuda), eleven in the Mediterranean Garrisons, five at the Cape of Good Hope, six in Canada, two in (or bound for) New South Wales. There were only twenty-five 1st battalions at home, and of these twenty had served under Moore in the Corunna retreat and then went on the Walcheren expedition, so that in 1809 they were unavailable. Three more battalions which had not served under Moore had shared in the same descent on the Scheldt (74th, 77th, 85th). There were actually only two single-battalion corps which had neither gone to Corunna nor to Walcheren and were available at home (75th and 94th).[347] In the way of the strongly organized first battalions, therefore, there was absolutely nil to send to Wellington in 1809 save Craufurd’s three Light Infantry battalions, which though they had been with Moore in January were back in the Peninsula by July (1/43rd, 1/52nd, 1/95th).

It is easy to see, therefore, that there was the greatest possible difficulty in finding battalions with which Wellesley’s Peninsular Army could be reinforced. Of troops which had not gone to Walcheren there were left in Great Britain only the 75th and 94th, with twenty-eight 2nd (or junior) battalions which had not joined in the expedition to the Scheldt. These were almost without exception very weak units, the first battalions of ten of these were in the Indies, then of five more already in the Peninsula, all their strength was used up in keeping their senior battalions full, of the remaining thirteen only two (2/5th 2/34th, 2/38th), were strong enough to be sent to Portugal. The reinforcements which Wellington was given in the autumn of 1809 and the summer of 1810 were largely scraped up from foreign garrisons—the 1/7th from Nova Scotia, the 1/11th from Madeira, the 1/57th from Gibraltar. But in 1810 Walcheren battalions began to come out, such as the 3/1st, 1/9th, 1/50th, 1/71st, 1/79th, and to load Wellington’s hospitals with ague-stricken convalescents. For later reinforcements see Chapter VII.

ESTABLISHMENT OF CAVALRY IN 1809.

--------------------+------+-----------------------------
1st Dragoon Guards | 905 | Home
2nd Dragoon Guards | 905 | Home
3rd Dragoon Guards | 905 | Peninsular Field Army
4th Dragoon Guards | 905 | Home
5th Dragoon Guards | 905 | Home
6th Dragoon Guards | 905 | Home
7th Dragoon Guards | 905 | Home
1st Dragoons | 1083 | Peninsular Field Army
2nd Dragoons | 905 | Home
3rd Dragoons | 905 | Home [went to Walcheren]
4th Dragoons | 905 | Peninsular Field Army
6th Dragoons | 905 | Home
7th Hussars | 905 | *Home
8th Light Dragoons | 720 | East Indies
9th Light Dragoons | 905 | Home [went to Walcheren]
10th Hussars | 905 | *Home
11th Light Dragoons | 905 | Home
12th Light Dragoons | 905 | Home [went to Walcheren]
13th Light Dragoons | 905 | Home
14th Light Dragoons | 905 | Peninsular Field Army
15th Hussars | 905 | *Home
16th Light Dragoons | 905 | Peninsular Field Army
17th Light Dragoons | 940 | East Indies
18th Hussars | 905 | *Home
19th Light Dragoons | 905 | Home
20th Light Dragoons | 905 | 1/2 Sicily and 1/2 Peninsula
21st Light Dragoons | 905 | Cape of Good Hope
22nd Light Dragoons | 928 | East Indies
23rd Light Dragoons | 905 | Peninsular Field Army
24th Light Dragoons | 928 | East Indies
25th Light Dragoons | 940 | East Indies
--------------------+------+-----------------------------

N.B.—Note that there was no 5th regiment of Dragoons in 1809. The corps last bearing that number had been disbanded in 1799, and its successor was not raised till 1858.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HOUSEHOLD TROOPS IN 1809.

N.B.—The Second Batts. Coldstream and 3rd Foot Guards both sent their flank companies to Walcheren. The troops sent to Cadiz early in 1810 were detachments, viz. 4 companies of the 2/1st Guards, 3 of the 2/2nd, 3 of the 2/3rd.

MISCELLANEOUS CORPS.

In addition to the regular units shown in these lists, there are on the estimates of 1809 twelve veteran battalions, with effectives ranging from 693 to 1129, and eight garrison battalions, mostly with an establishment of 906. Most of these were at home, but a few in the Mediterranean garrisons.

There were also the foreign corps of Meuron, de Roll, Watteville, Dillon, _Chasseurs Britanniques_, Royal Malta, Royal Corsicans and the Sicilian regiment, all in the Mediterranean, with the York Light Infantry, York Rangers, and Royal West India Rangers in the West Indies. These were all single battalion corps ranging from 1361 men (de Roll) to 694 (York L. I.). The black regiments, eight West India battalions with 1125 men each, could only be used in their own regions.

Of the King’s German Legion there were at home the two Heavy Dragoon Regiments with an establishment of 694 each, and the 2nd and 3rd Hussars, with the same numbers. The 3rd Hussars were just back from the Corunna Retreat: the 2nd went to Walcheren. Of the ten infantry battalions, four (1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th Line) were with the Peninsular Field Army, as was the 1st Hussars; four (3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th Line) were in Sicily; 1st and 2nd Light battalions (just back from Corunna) were at home, and went to Walcheren. Four battalions had establishments of 1062, six of 902, of all ranks.

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Wellington's Army, 1809-1814Chapter XXIII: Appendix: I

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