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Battle of Talavera

The British victory south of Madrid on 28th July 1809 over Joseph Bonaparte, the King imposed on Spain by Napoleon, and his French army

Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by William Heath

Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by William Heath

The previous battle of the Peninsular War is the Battle of the Passage of the Douro

The next battle of the Peninsular War is the Battle of Busaco

To the Peninsular War index



Battle: Talavera

War: Peninsular War

Date of the Battle of Talavera: 28th July 1809

Joseph Bonaparte: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

Joseph Bonaparte: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

Place of the Battle of Talavera: south-west of Madrid in New Castile, on the road from the Portuguese border to the Spanish Capital.

Combatants at the Battle of Talavera: British, Germans and Spanish against the French.

Generals at the Battle of Talavera: Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley against King Joseph Bonaparte.

Size of the armies at the Battle of Talavera: 20,000 British and Germans with 30,000 Spanish against 46,000 French.

Uniforms, arms, equipment at the Battle of Talavera:
The British infantry wore red waist-length jackets, grey trousers, and stovepipe shakos. Fusilier regiments wore bearskin caps. The two rifle regiments wore dark green jackets and trousers.

The Royal Artillery wore blue tunics.

Highland regiments wore the kilt with red tunics and black ostrich feather caps.

British heavy cavalry (dragoon guards and dragoons) wore red jackets and ‘Roman’ style helmets with horse hair plumes.

The British light cavalry was increasingly adopting hussar uniforms, with some regiments changing their titles from ‘light dragoons’ to ‘hussars’.

Sir Arthur Wellesley at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

Sir Arthur Wellesley at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

The King’s German Legion (KGL) was the Hanoverian army in exile.  The KGL owed its allegiance to King George III of Great Britain, as the Elector of Hanover, and fought with the British army.  The KGL comprised both cavalry and infantry regiments.  KGL uniforms mirrored the British.

The French army wore a variety of uniforms. The basic infantry coat colour was dark blue.

The French cavalry comprised Cuirassiers, wearing heavy burnished metal breastplates and crested helmets, Dragoons, largely in green, Hussars, in the conventional uniform worn by this arm across Europe, and Chasseurs à Cheval, dressed as hussars.

The French foot artillery wore uniforms similar to the infantry, the horse artillery wore hussar uniforms.

Gate of Talavera: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

Gate of Talavera: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

The standard infantry weapon across all the armies was the muzzle-loading musket. The musket could be fired at three or four times a minute, throwing a heavy ball inaccurately for a hundred metres or so. Each infantryman carried a bayonet for hand-to-hand fighting, which fitted the muzzle end of his musket.

The British rifle battalions (60th and 95th Rifles) carried the Baker rifle, a more accurate weapon but slower to fire, and a sword bayonet.

Field guns fired a ball projectile, of limited use against troops in the field unless those troops were closely formed. Guns also fired case shot or canister which fragmented and was highly effective against troops in the field over a short range. Exploding shells fired by howitzers, yet in their infancy. were of particular use against buildings. The British were developing shrapnel (named after the British officer who invented it) which increased the effectiveness of exploding shells against troops in the field, by showering them with metal fragments.

Throughout the Peninsular War and the Waterloo campaign, the British army was plagued by a shortage of artillery. The Army was sustained by volunteer recruitment and the Royal Artillery was never able to recruit sufficient gunners for its needs.

The bayonet attack by the 48th Regiment at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by William Barnes Wollen

The bayonet attack by the 48th Regiment at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by William Barnes Wollen

Napoleon exploited the advances in gunnery techniques of the last years of the French Ancien Régime to create his powerful and highly mobile artillery. Many of his battles were won using a combination of the manoeuvrability and fire power of the French guns with the speed of the French columns of infantry, supported by the mass of French cavalry.

While the French conscript infantry moved about the battle field in fast moving columns, the British trained to fight in line. The Duke of Wellington reduced the number of ranks to two, to extend the line of the British infantry and to exploit fully the firepower of his regiments.

Officer of the 16th Light Dragoons: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Richard Simkin

Officer of the 16th Light Dragoons: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Richard Simkin

British order of battle at the Battle of Talavera:
Commander in chief: Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley

Cavalry:

commanded by Lieutenant General William Payne
1st Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General Henry Fane
3rd Dragoon Guards
4th Dragoons

2nd Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General Stapleton Cotton
14th Light Dragoons
16th Light Dragoons

3rd Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General George Anson
23rd Light Dragoons
1st Hussars, King’s German Legion

Light Company Officer 87th Regiment: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

Light Company Officer 87th Regiment: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

Infantry:
1st Division: commanded by Lieutenant General John Sherbrooke
1st Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General Henry Campbell
1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
1st/3rd Guards
1 company 5th/60th Foot

2nd Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General Alan Cameron
1st/61st Foot
2nd/83rd Foot
1 company 5th/60th Foot

3rd Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General Ernst, Baron Langwerth
1st Line Battalion, King’s German Legion
2nd Line Battalion, King’s German Legion
1st Light Battalion, King’s German Legion
2nd Light Battalion, King’s German Legion

Infantry, Light Infantry and Hussar of the King's German Legion: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Charles Hamilton Smith

Infantry, Light Infantry and Hussar of the King’s German Legion: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Charles Hamilton Smith

4th Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General Sigismund, Baron Löw
5th Line Battalion, King’s German Legion
7th Line Battalion, King’s German Legion

2nd Division: commanded by Major General Rowland Hill

1st Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General Christopher Tilson
1st/3rd Buffs
2nd/48th Foot
2nd/66th Foot
1 company 5th/60th Foot

2nd Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General Richard Stewart

29th Foot
1st/48th Foot
1st Battalion Detachments

Royal Artillery gunners: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Charles Hamilton Smith

Royal Artillery gunners: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Charles Hamilton Smith

3rd Division: commanded by Major General Alexander Mackenzie
1st Brigade: commanded by Major General Alexander Mackenzie
2nd/24th Foot
2nd/31st Foot
1st/45th Foot

2nd Brigade: commanded by Colonel Donkin
2nd/87th Foot
1st/88th Foot
5th/60th Foot

4th Division: commanded by Brigadier General Alexander Campbell
1st Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General Alexander Campbell
2nd/7th Fusiliers
2nd/53rd Foot
1 company 5th/60th Foot

2nd Brigade: commanded by Colonel James Kemmis
1st/40th Foot
97th Foot
2nd Battalion Detachments
1 company 5th/60th Foot

Artillery:
Lawson’s, Sillery’s and Elliot’s batteries
Rettberg’s and Heise’s batteries

Captain and Lieutenant of French 16th Dragoons: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Horace Vernet

Captain and Lieutenant of French 16th Dragoons: Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Horace Vernet

French order of battle at the Battle of Talavera:
Commander in Chief: Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain
Chief of Staff: Marshal Jourdan

I Corps: commanded by Marshal Victor
1st Division commanded by General Ruffin
2nd Division commanded by General Lapisse
3rd Division commanded by General Villatte

IV Corps: commanded by General Sebastiani
1st Division commanded by General Sebastiani
2nd Division commanded by General Valence
3rd Division commanded by General Leval

Cavalry Brigade commanded by General Merlin

Madrid Division commanded by General Dessolles

Reserve of cavalry: 
1st Dragoon Division commanded by General Latour-Maubourg
2nd Dragoon Division commanded by General Milhaud
Artillery: commanded by General Sénarmont
82 guns.

Map of the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: map by John Fawkes

Map of the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: map by John Fawkes

Account of the Battle of Talavera:
Sir Arthur Wellesley crossed the border from Portugal into Spain on 2nd July 1809, with the intention of co-operating with the Spanish armies of General Cuesta and of General Venegas, in an attack on the French in Madrid under Joseph Bonaparte, the king imposed on Spain by the Emperor Napoleon.

Joseph also had aggressive plans, intending to use Marshal Soult’s corps to invade Portugal.

On 20th July 1809, Wellesley joined General Cuesta and advanced to attack Marshal Victor’s corps near Talavera.

On 22nd July 1809, the British began probing Victor’s positions.

Hearing of Wellesley’s advance, Marshal Soult, positioned to the North, proposed that Victor hold the British and Spanish armies, while he marched south and put his army of 30,000 men between Wellesley and his base in Portugal.

Victor, in the face of the attacks on him, withdrew, with Cuesta’s Spanish army following him.

At Torrijos, forty-five miles to the east, Cuesta was confronted by Joseph Bonaparte’s army of 46,000 men. Cuesta retreated and joined Wellesley at Talavera.

3rd Foot Guards at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

3rd Foot Guards at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

During the final part of this retreat, the French advance guard surprised a brigade of British infantry and inflicted heavy casualties on it.

By the evening of 26th July 1809, the British and Spanish armies were in position at Talavera, on the north bank of the River Tagus. The Spanish occupied Talavera and the area immediately to the north of the town.

Beyond the Spanish positions, a line of high ground stretching to the north formed the main position for the British troops, ending in the Cerro de Medellin. Between the Cerro and the mountains of the Sierra de Segurilla lay a narrow valley.  The Talavera position provided the high ground Wellesley favoured for a defensive battle.

29th Regiment attacking the French at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

29th Regiment attacking the French at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

It was Marshal Victor’s corps that led the French advance and it had surprised the British brigade, while pursuing the retreating Spanish.

On the evening of 27th July 1809, Victor decided to assault the Cerro de Medellin, the feature that dominated the British line, without delay, although it was now night. The division of General Ruffin made the attack. The French reached the summit of the Cerro de Medellin before the British troops realised they were there and there was considerable confusion in the British ranks.

General Hill brought up a reserve brigade and drove Ruffin’s men from the Cerro de Medellin. The rest of the night was spent by the British awaiting a further French assault.

At 5am on 28th July 1809, Marshal Victor sent Ruffin’s division back up the Cerro de Medellin, with supporting fire from a battery of fifty guns.

The wounded Colonel Donellan gives command of the 48th Regiment to Major Middlemore at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

The wounded Colonel Donellan gives command of the 48th Regiment to Major Middlemore at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

This time the British were ready. Wellesley’s troops were lying down behind the crest of the hill, out of the line of fire of the French artillery. As Ruffin’s infantry reached the top of the hill, the British 29th and 48th Foot stood up and charged with the bayonet, driving the French back down the hill and across the Portina brook.

There was a pause in the battle for two hours, while Joseph Bonaparte consulted with his chief of staff, Jourdan, Victor and Sebastiani. Victor urged that Sebastiani should attack the British right, at its junction with the Spanish formations, while he attacked the Cerro de Medellin yet again. Joseph, anxious for a victorious outcome agreed.

Sebastiani’s columns attacked at the point where the hills were lowest. His left column, after bitter fighting, was driven back by the 7th Fusiliers and the 53rd Foot.

Sebastiani’s right column attacked the British Foot Guards and the 83rd Foot. The French were driven back by the Guards, but during the pursuit, the Guards were taken in enfilade by a French battery and thrown back in confusion, while Sebastiani’s columns returned to the attack.

Wellesley brought up the 48th Foot, behind which the Guards were able to reform, and the dangerous French counter-attack was held and repelled.

In the meantime, Ruffin’s division had been ordered to make its third assault on the Cerro de Medellin, which it did with little enthusiasm and no success.

In the valley to the north of the Cerro de Medellin, Victor’s right hand division attempted to outflank the British line.

23rd Light Dragoons attacking the French infantry squares at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Richard Caton Woodville: buy this picture

23rd Light Dragoons attacking the French infantry squares at the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Richard Caton Woodville

Wellesley launched Anson’s cavalry brigade in a charge on Victor’s infantry. A hidden defile brought disaster to the cavalry. The 1st Light Dragoons of the King’s German Legion plunged into the defile. The 23rd Light Dragoons charged on, to be met by the French Infantry in square and suffered significant casualties.

The French assault petered out and Joseph’s army retreated during the night, leaving several guns for the British and Spanish to capture.

43rd Regiment collecting the dead after the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Lady Butler

43rd Regiment collecting the dead after the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Lady Butler

Casualties at the Battle of Talavera:
French losses were 17 guns and 7,268 men killed, wounded and captured. The British and KGL lost 5,363 men killed, wounded and captured.  Spanish losses are unknown.

Follow-up to the Battle of Talavera:
The next day Wellesley heard that Soult, with 30,000 French troops, was near to cutting the route to Portugal. Wellesley was forced to conduct a precipitous British retreat to the Portuguese border.

Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by R. Westall

Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by R. Westall

Anecdotes and traditions from the Battle of Talavera:

  • Military General Service medal 1793-1814 with clasp for the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

    Military General Service medal 1793-1814 with clasp for the Battle of Talavera on 28th July 1809 in the Peninsular War

    The morning after the Battle of Talavera, Brigadier General Robert Craufurd’s Light Brigade arrived in camp with bugle horns playing, marching forty-two miles in twenty-six hours in an attempt to reach the army in time for the battle. Having just arrived, the Light Brigade marched for another fifteen hours to secure the Almaraz Bridge, before Marshal Soult could take it, thereby keeping open the British army’s route to Lisbon.

References for the Battle of Talavera:

History of the Peninsula War by Sir William Napier Volume 1

History of the Peninsula War by Sir Charles Oman

History of the British Army by John Fortescue Volume 6

British Battles on Land and Sea by James Grant Volume 2

The Peninsular War: A Concise Military History by Michael Glover

The previous battle of the Peninsular War is the Battle of the Passage of the Douro

The next battle of the Peninsular War is the Battle of Busaco

To the Peninsular War index



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      • Battle of Ticonderoga 1758
      • Capture of Louisburg 1758
      • Battle of Quebec 1759
    • American Revolutionary War
      • Battle of Lexington and Concord
      • Battle of Bunker Hill
      • Battle of Quebec 1775
      • Battle of Sullivan’s Island
      • Battle of Long Island
      • Battle of Harlem Heights
      • Battle of Fort Washington
      • Battle of Trenton
      • Battle of Princeton
      • Battle of Ticonderoga 1777
      • Battle of Hubbardton
      • Battle of Bennington
      • Battle of Brandywine Creek
      • Battle of Freeman’s Farm
      • Battle of Paoli
      • Battle of Germantown
      • Battle of Saratoga
      • Battle of Monmouth
      • Siege of Savannah
      • Siege of Charleston
      • Battle of Camden
      • Battle of King’s Mountain
      • Battle of Cowpens
      • Battle of Guilford Courthouse
      • Battle of Yorktown
      • Siege of Gibraltar
      • Battle of Cape St Vincent 1780
  • Wars of 1800
    • Second Mahratta War
      • Battle of Assaye
    • Peninsular War
      • Battle of Vimeiro
      • Battle of Corunna
      • Battle of the Douro
      • Battle of Talavera
      • Battle of Busaco
      • Battle of Barossa
      • Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro
      • Battle of Albuera
      • Battle of Salamanca
      • Battle of Vitoria
    • Napoleonic Wars
      • Battle of Cape St Vincent 1797
      • Battle of the Nile
      • Battle of Copenhagen
      • Battle of Trafalgar
      • Battle of Quatre Bras
      • Battle of Waterloo
    • First Afghan War
      • Battle of Ghuznee
      • Battle of Kabul and the retreat to Gandamak
      • Siege of Jellalabad
      • Battle of Kabul 1842
    • First Sikh War
      • Battle of Moodkee
      • Battle of Ferozeshah
      • Battle of Aliwal
      • Battle of Sobraon
    • Second Sikh War
      • Battle of Ramnagar
      • Battle of Chillianwallah
      • Battle of Goojerat
    • Crimean War
      • Battle of The Alma
      • Battle of Balaclava
      • Battle of Inkerman
      • Siege of Sevastopol
    • American Civil War
      • First Battle of Bull Run
      • Battle of Shiloh
      • Battle of Antietam
      • Battle of Fredericksburg
      • Battle of Chancellorsville
    • Abyssinian War
      • Battle of Magdala
    • Second Afghan War
      • Battle of Ali Masjid
      • Battle of Peiwar Kotal
      • Battle of Futtehabad
      • Battle of Charasiab
      • Battle of Kabul 1879
      • Battle of Ahmed Khel
      • Battle of Maiwand
      • Battle of Kandahar
    • Zulu War
      • Battle of Isandlwana
      • Battle of Rorke’s Drift
      • Battle of Khambula
      • Battle of Gingindlovu
      • Battle of Ulundi
    • War in Egypt and Sudan
      • Battle of Tel-el-Kebir
      • Battle of El Teb
      • Battle of Tamai
      • Battle of Abu Klea
      • Battle of Atbara
      • Battle of Omdurman
    • First Boer War
      • Battle of Laing’s Nek
      • Battle of Majuba Hill
    • Great Boer War
      • Battle of Talana Hill
      • Battle of Elandslaagte
      • Battle of Ladysmith
      • Battles of Belmont and Graspan
      • Battle of Modder River
      • Battle of Stormberg
      • Battle of Magersfontein
      • Battle of Colenso
      • Battle of Spion Kop
      • Battles of Val Krantz and Pieters
      • Battle of Paardeberg
      • Siege of Mafeking
      • Siege of Kimberley
      • Siege of Ladysmith
    • North-West Frontier of India
      • Black Mountain Expedition 1888
      • Black Mountain Expedition 1891
      • Waziristan 1894
      • Siege and Relief of Chitral
      • Malakand Rising 1897
  • Wars of 1900
    • First World War
      • British Expeditionary Force (BEF)
      • Battle of Mons
      • Battle of Mons (2nd Day): Elouges
      • Battle of Landrecies
      • Battle of Le Cateau
      • Battle of Le Grand Fayt
      • Battle of Étreux
      • Battle of Heligoland Bight
      • Battle of Néry
      • Battle of Villers Cottérêts
      • Battle of the Marne
      • Battle of the Aisne
      • Texel Action
      • Battle of Coronel
      • Battle of the Falkland Islands
      • Battle of the Dogger Bank
      • Gallipoli Part I: Naval Attack on the Dardanelles
      • Gallipoli Part II: Genesis of the land attack on the Gallipoli Peninsula
      • Gallipoli Part III: ANZAC landing on 25th April 1915
      • Gallipoli Part IV: First landings at Cape Helles and Y Beach on 25th April 1915
      • Battle of Jutland Part I: Opposing fleets
      • Battle of Jutland Part II: Opening Battle Cruiser action on 31st May 1916
      • Battle of Jutland Part III: Clash between British and German Battle Fleets during the evening 31st May 1916
      • Battle of Jutland Part IV: Night Action 31st May to 1st June 1916
      • Battle of Jutland Part V: Casualties and Aftermath
  • British Battles