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A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 3, Sep. 1809-Dec. 1810 cover

A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 3, Sep. 1809-Dec. 1810

Chapter 35: IV
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About This Book

The volume chronicles a critical sixteen-month phase of the Peninsular War, tracing the French advance into Portugal, the Anglo-Portuguese defensive measures—combining scorched-earth tactics, mass mobilization and construction of the Lines of Torres Vedras—and Masséna’s inability to breach those defenses leading to his retreat. It details the campaign actions around Bussaco and Torres Vedras, the logistical and partisan efforts that cut French communications, and concurrent French operations elsewhere in Spain including sieges and regional offensives. The narrative integrates official reports, private correspondence, and military papers to analyse strategy, troop dispositions and the conduct of commanders, supplemented by maps, appendices and newly published documentary material.

IV

FRENCH LOSSES AT TAMAMES, OCT. 18, 1809

The detailed return of the losses of the 6th Corps at Tamames has not been preserved. Marchand merely states that he lost 1,300 men. But the subjoined list of losses of officers, taken from Martinien’s invaluable tables, shows sufficiently well which were the units that were hard hit:—

  Killed. Wounded.
1st Division:    
Brigade Maucune:    
6th Léger 1 6
69th Ligne 2 4
Brigade Marcognet:    
39th Ligne 4 12
76th Ligne 7 15
  14 37
2nd Division:    
Brigade Labassée:    
25th Léger 3 8
27th Ligne 2
59th Ligne 3
Cavalry:    
15th Dragoons 2
15th Chasseurs 1 2
État-Major: 2
  4 18

Total 18 killed, 55 wounded.

At the average rate of 21 men hit per officer, which prevailed during the Peninsular War, this total of 73 officers ought to imply a total loss of about 1,533 men. But Marchand’s 1,300 is probably correct.