The King's German Legion (1): 1803-12

338

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338

THE KING'S GE AN LEGION I) 18 -I I

MIKI: CHAPNU. apent 22 in iItfMtry ..,.d,-""", Ntlrtnt in 1.74 . . ASM 01 t~ 1at ..... TM W....1l A.-gllMont jRlfte V~I. SIne. h ..nn.... to paint mlllt.", ~ in tea MI... h. . ...... ~ k M popvtlll1ty _ • INllt8Iy .u.t...tor, and ... __ • ".nne .ttl•• MMl yHn;

........ tor o.,r~ for 0_ 21 .......... cu".....tty I",," Mel ~ in It.,...

SERIES EDITOR: LEE JOHNSON

THE KING'S GERMAN LEGION (1) 1803-1812 r

TEXT AND COLOUR PLATES BY

MIKE CHAPPELL

OSPREY MILITARY

THE KING'S GERMAN LEGION (1) 1803-1812

THE RAISING OF THE LEGION

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Tm- H:AR 1803 the fourtccll-lllolllh European interlude thal ....'aS the I)eace of Amicns came 10 an end, and Britain once again weill to war again.st France. Napoleon Bonapane. stnlggling 10 rc\;ve France's econom\ and assemble a fleet. was surprised b, the British declaration of .....ar. He had the most po.....erful ann} in the world blll a second-rate na..". Britain had a powerful na...... but a wea" anm. Seeking to strike at the British, but thwarted b" I.he barrier of the English Channel, he senL an arm.. corps to occupy the King of England's Hanoverian electorate - the homeland from .....hich Britain's Hanmerian dmast.. had been ill\;ted to the throne in 1714, and over .... hich the\ still reigned - situated in that pan of Gennan)' that is toda.. Lo'.. er Saxon, and parts of North-Rhine Westphalia. One of the consequences of this particular piece of Napoleonic aggression was a stead... but gro.... ing mo..'emcnt of men of thc fonner Ilanm'crian Ann}' to England, \\here they rallied as the King's German Legion. Napoleon's r\llhless expansion and enforced rc\;sions of the political map of Europe created many lens of thousands of refugees, man} of whom ended up in the modey ranks of various, often shon·li.. ed corps in British pay. The KGL .....a s somcthing dilTerenL: a large force of all arms, which .....ould come 1.0 represent a significant minority of Brit.lin's troops in the field, whose professional quality would keep it in the forefronl of the British elTOr! 10 bring down the French dictalOr and to free the Hanoverians' COllnll1 from occupation by his troops. This is the first pari of their story.

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George William Frederick, King Geo"'8 III 01 Oreet Brllaln end Ireland, EIKtor of Hanover. When ag,..lng 10 the Utle 'Kin".. Garman Reglmenl' bejou bfllowed on unlt8 formed from

amonsI them talking In and IIflJoying their mu.lc.

The KGL campaigned in several western European countries at a time when lhe political map of Europe was constantly being re·drawn. From the Ballic in the north to the island of Malta in the somh, from Ireland and Portugal in the westlO Pomerania in the caSt, the KGL marched and frequently fOllght in a continent very different to that of today. In thc carly 19th century by far the most po""crful western European nation was Francc. In a continent that was a kaleidoscope of small states, France stood sccurc behind much the s.nne frontiers as toda),. A country of 27 millions ....;th a common language. and ..,;th a number of strategic mCTScas possessions, she was b} then in the thrall of Napoleon l\onapanc, a brilliant. ch.uismatic dictator determincd 10 impose his \\;\1 on lhc nations surrounding France; among thcse he regarded Britain as the most powerful and most constant of his enemies. Created 'Consul for lifc' in 1802. Bonap.'lrte was soon to crown himself 'Emperor of

tAuthon

thefun~·.

hi. Hanovenan aubjec:la h" would haye bMn mindful of the

l.et that" 'Qu••n" Germe" Regiment' wa. already In Br11I.h MMea, this title having been granted 10 the former Mlnorca

Regiment

'Of" thel. gallantry In

tM Egyptian campaign of 1801. The regiments of tn. KGL ~m. O~

great 'al/ouffl.. 0'

III, who loved to InO'H

0."",,"

dl'1lwlng

afte. e-chey)

3

Bc\ond Francc"s ('astern and ~OUlh-eas(ern frOlltiers 1'1\' the AUSlro-llungarian Empire of the Ilapshurgs. a \. To lhe north Ia\ S\\eden and Denmark. The Danes then held Schleswig- and IlolsLein, the island of Iidig-oland and ;-":omav: the Swedes, Finland and S\\edish Pomerania. To the north-.easl 1;1\ Iioliand, or Ihe L'nited Pr0\1nces - a prosperous colonial power, dnming- great \\eahh from her m"erscas empire and her cemru posilion as a t"uling nalion. Bril<.in was anxious LO ensure the independence of Iiolland. particulad\ as the appro."1chcs 10 the great I>on of A.lm\·erp p:ls~,<1 through Dutch tenilon'. Be\und Frnnce's 1>Outh-western border lay the I1)('riiln peninsula, wh('l'c Britain had fllnher interests. Ensuring that the harbours of Spain and Ponugal rcmllillcd in friendl, hands and garrisoning the fonrcss of Gibraltar were the nlost obviolls of lhese, The vastness of Spain 's o\'erseas possessions made her the greatesl colonial pO\\'cr of the lime. Portugal also had colonies ill SoLllh AmeriCo\\er oflCn aL war with neighbouring RUSsia and AUSll'ia. Britain had fought Re\'olmionan France from 1792 until the Peace of Amiens in 1802. A small countrv with a comparatively small population, I\ritain was looked down upon b, the great European pO\\er\; but she enjo>cd great advamages including hcr island posilion, guarded b~ the most po\\erful n'I\~' in the world. Iler merchant neeLS carried OUl tradc with Ihe Americas, Ihe Indies and Europe. \\hibt ,IL home her Illllles. mills. foundries and financi;1! instiLutions combined LO prO\ide Britain \\ilh \\cahh be\'ond that of am nation in thc world. Throughout the N,IJ>olconic \\'aN Briwin would be tireless in diploman', and lavish in financial sllbsid), in order LO build and slislain Cominelll.al alliances ag-ain~l. Uonapanist France.

r

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OPPOSITE Privata, 3nl Lnf.ntry R~Imef'lt, "'I1O\I.o.n

AmIy, 1803. The ..."It'om! L, ..". IJiml.., to thIIt of tM British Infantry of the time; the coat Is faced with bLack and pgln wnita MIce, and the ko t ... n Is yellow-ove,...wnite. The colour 01 the turban ",",pped round the ba. . 01 the ....ko Is ...nc"ar, but wa. prob.bly black Or dal1t blue. A .tnklng det.1I I. the 'GIBRALTAR' c ...ff·tltle on hI. right lorearm, mal1tlng hi' r~Jment...ervLce Ln the defence of I...t be.leged Britl.h fol1....., (A... tho.... dr.wlng)

Shako pl'te and cuff·tltle 01 the Hanoverian 3rd Inlantry RegIment, 1803, Note the .lmllartty of the plata to the British 'unNe....L' p8ttem, the White Horae of H _ prMomlnating.. The c ... ff.ttUa . . . blue wfth whi1e ..n....,.. (AuttwN"a d..-lng)

The French occupation of Hanover

By earlr 1803 the I,'orld was aware or the ambitiom or 1':apoleon Bonapane. The rOmler artillen officer had ri~en rapidl> in the conspir,llOl;al \\'orld or the Revohuionan regime. proving himsclr lO be lhe ablesl or France's generals with hi~ victorie~ in Itah and Egvpl. tx-rore the coup ,\hich I\on him appoimmelll;as first C.ollSul in 1800. lie then drO\t~ the Austrians rrom 1L.'lh arter hi~ \;cton- at ~1.lrcngo before signing the Peace or Amiens. Set on rurther conque~l. he \\,IS rebuilding france's econOlm ariel' len \ cars orwar, whilsl allempting to increase the strength or his nan. Diplomatic negotiations. centred on the recognition of France's recelll conquests, the olTer or the island of ~Ialta and the \\ithdrawal of French rorces rrom Swil7erland and Iiolland, C\cnmalh bro"-e dO\\11: and Britain declared W,tf on France once again on I i ~Ia\ 1803. seizing all shipping in British ports and sending her squadrons 10 SC:;1 to hal'(; French \essels, SeveraJ weeks pnor to the commencement or hostilities France had threalcned BriL.'lin b\ telling the Hritish ambass.'ldor in Paris thai unkss British re-annament ceased the Firsl C.o!lSul would march 20.(x)() troops into Holl;and and ~Ialion them on the border ,,;th HanO'er, 1l1is ~n.ed 10 100\er IlanO'enan morale c\en further in a counln Ihal had recenth endured occupation b\ tbe rmssian Anm and \\hich ).,ne\\ that lillie help could be expecled from Ilritain. This apparenLi\ hopeless silllation led to tbe neglect or IlanO'er's derences as reliance ','as placed on c1aim~ or nelltralit\ guaranteed them under Ihe Treat\ of Basle, To COUTHer Ihe threal or a French invasion HanO'-er had an allm ofb;u'('1\ 10,(X)() men, In this tense atmosphere various contingenq plans were dmwn up. one or which included the embarkation or IlanO'enan troops and their e\,lcuation to England. In this particular la\ the thin"-ing- thal would e\C'ntuall) lead to the rOllndation or the King's I Gcrman Legion: but plans I,ere not enough. French aggres.~ion was invited b\ the ob\;ous weakness ora I-Iano\crian gO\enullcnt which reruscd to lake any action Lhat might pro\'oke a French invasion. ~lobilis
5

We,tern EurolMl .t the clo. . 01 the 18th century. The bofd.en; of

the 'Holy Rom.n Empire' .re Indlcloted by the he'VY bnlIl.en II...

withdrawing over the Rivet' ,,'eseI'. The Comention ofSuhlingen. signed on 3June. brought an end to hostilities b~ declaring: 'I. TIle elcctor.ue of HanO\(.·r ... shall be occupied 1» the french Anm, II, TIle Hanon~rian troops shall retire behind the [Ibe .... The convention went on to order Lhe deli\ering up of lIanO\erian artil1er~, ammunition and horses. and the sequestration of public chests; to demand that Hanover pa}. clothe and feed the french occu~ing force. and thai the cOllnl.l)"s re"enues be placed ill the dispos....! of the French governlllCIll. This cxercise in :wIlled robbn}' was being complied with when ne....-s was receivcd that llonaparte had refused to approve the convention and that hostilities were to recommence. [n this atmosphere of coercion a second convention was dr,lwn up ordering the Hanoverian troops to be taken to Fr.l.Ilce as prisoners. Sooner than accept, a decision was laken t)\' the HanO\'erians LO figlH; but a rc\ised comcntion, with more lenient tenns. followed and was signed on 5 Juh aboard a boat moored in the middle of the [Ihe, TIle cffect of the final comention was to disband the Hanovcrian Anm. 111e men laid down their anns, handed O\'er their

NORTH

.-~~

, ~f ".

~)

.

~j o ,

•

(

OTTOMAN EMPIRE SPAIN

remaining horses, and marched home, (Some made their wa)' to England inunediatcl, on ships sent to recO\er George Ill's possessionsparticularly his stud horses.) Aalslng the King's German Regiment

The Convention of the Elbe had stipulated that the men of the Hanoverian AJll1} \Icre Oil a p.1.role which prohibited them from L.1.king up arms against Fr.mce, I~ut King George III refused to ratif, this cOll\ention: and the Duke of Cambridge - who had returned to England in disb'1.ISt at the news of the deputation to Mortier approached his brother the Duke of York, Connnander-in-Chit'f of the British Anny, ,,'illl a request for alllhorit), lO raise a 4,000-strong regiment from the 1l11'1I1bcl''i of the disbanded Hanoverian Arm). A "' a network of recruiting agents which had br now been established, the men were given papcrs and directed (0 a port of embarkation - usualh Husum on (hc North Sea coast of what was (hen Denmark, Here the)' Il'ere paid their enlistment boulHies, given Danish passports, and put aboard ships for England, Oflicers II'cre required to lII...angc and pay for their own passages. On arri'~11 in England the HanO\'erians were directed to the depot of the King's Gennans at Lrmingtoll in Ilampshire, which eventually became so O\'ercrO\\dcd that in September part of the depOl mo\'ed to Parkhurst on the Isle of WighI. In October Von del' Dccken and Iialken agreed to combine their units in the interest of facilitating I·ecmiting. and 1I,lIken's Foreign l..e\'} joined Von del' Decken's King's Gemlans. Experienced cavalrymen and artillen'men now lx-gan to be combed Olll from the infanu,' ran\..s in anticipation of the raising of a force of all anns. ~I~or Iialkeu continued recruiting in England while LtCoI \'on del' Dcckcn concellU'ltcd his efforts on the Continent. In November the King',> German Regimellt moved once more, this time to Iliisea Barracks, Portsmouth. It was by now organised into two w

Adotphus FNderic:k, Duke of Cembrldge, .an of King George JII, A llevtenent-gelMf1ltln lhe Hamno..erlan Army 0' 1803, the duke ~eme Col_t.ln·Cllla' of the King" aennan Le-glon on 17 No..ember 01 that reer. He later beeeme II f1eld-ma~hal, .nd Vieeroy of Hancwer. (Aulhor'l d~wlngj

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7

liglH infamry hattalions, originillh intended as line corps and Iherefore uniformed in green: the cadre of a banalion of line infamr": and cadres for the fonnadon of ca\'':tln and anillen units, In Hanmer the French were reacting 10 tht" cxoom, ,\n announcement was published declaring that recmiting for the British senice WdS to be punishable b\ death under martial law. This was required to be read OUl in churches on three successi\'e Sundays, A Sergeant Ahrens, formerh of the Hanmerian infamn. was sentenced to l!'i ,ears in chains on con\'iction of rl'cmiling acti\1ties. In spite of such draconian measures the ni~ht of men for England and tht:: King's German Regiment continued, On 19 December 1803 the Duke of Cambridge recei\'ed a leuer· of-sen'ice authori~ing the formation of a 5.000-111<1n corps of all anns, to be called Ihe King's Gennan I.egion. Fifteen article~ ~pecined tenns of sen;ce, rates of pa\ and bounties, pensions, discharge. unit establishments and so on ....·hile Arlicle III stated: -:-:ati\l's of France, lIah and Sp."l.in are not to be accepted under am circullIsl;lIlces, but \our Royal HigluR'SS m:l\' lake men of other European states, also Polish. Ilungarians, Danes, Russians and Germans \\ho rt'side in this countn. No British subject ma\ be accepled ... " Article \'1Il declared that 'Officers and men \\111 t."l.ke an oath of Allegiance to His l\!:tics", and will be required to ser\'e wherever His M:tiest\' sees fit to selld them.' Despite Anide III the King's German Legion, on formation, was composed almost entirely of Ilano\'erians. Development 01 the LegIon, 1803-1805 For the next two rears the KGL grew steadil} as more officers and men joined their ranks and ne\\ units were miscd. A depot for the infantry was established .u Bcxhill in Sussex. but the accommodation there prmed insufficient and tents and huts were put up to supplement il. (Christian mn Ompteda, commanding the 1st LJnc !\allalion, rccordcd in his dian ho.... bad !he weather \\
8

C(llW!ry' Brigade (t\l:tiGen \'on Linsingen) 1st King's Gennan Dragoons (Colonel von Bock) 1st King's German Light Dragoons (Colonel Victor \011 Alten)

LtCol Colin Halk.n. no. first eommancter of the 2nd Light BatuJlon, KGL, tq,1Il.n had riHn to the ,.."k of "..~I by

...

1815.... eommancled the 5ttl BrigMte at Watenoo. ...m.... he _,..".~

,.tlnod a. a

....

1~1-eeneraL

(Author'a drawing attllf' Pl-.nanl

Ugllllnfilllll)' IJrigrult' (Colon<.'l Charlc'i \'011 Allcn) lSi Light I\allalion. KGl. (Cololl('1 Charlcs \'on Allt:lI) 2nd Light I\allalion. KGL (l.icutcnalll.Colon<.'l Halkt:tt) 1st Un, IJrigfld, (C..olOllci \'On B:ll"Sse) lSi I.ine Raltalion. KGL (Colollcl \'011 Omptt:dOl) 2nd Line llaualion, KGI. «('.nlonel \011 I\arssd 2nd 1.111' Brigad, (Colond \on l"'Ill~\enh) 3n:1 Line Battalion. KGL «(',(lIonel \on Ililllibcr) .Jtll Line Battalion. KGI. (Colonel \'on LanKwcrth) King'.s C,f'r7n(ln Arlill") (Colonel-Commandallt - Colonel \on del" Dl-'Cl..cn, \\ho was alw A(ljuLilnl-General to the KGL) (Commander - ~lajor \on l.imingcn) lsi HOI~ Ibucl' «('..Iplain Ilartnmnn) 2nd Horse llaue.... (C.lpt,lin Rtllliger) lst Foot Balle (C"lIHain Iln-Icl..mann) 2nd Foot 1\."I(lc (Caplain Kuhlmann) 3rd Foot n."ltlc~ (C"lplain Ilci!Ot.') Killg'.s C.mn(1II (.OIfls oj l~lIj!;1l/"" (This ....
Office, of the 2nd KIng" Germen LIght Dregoon. lor Hu......), c.18oe. Bw thle dete e fur cep hed been adopted, along with the pen..e and barral-...h • ell hu,..r d..... dl.tlnctlon•. Not. the pe.k attached to the cap, and tha wearing of overel1'. Tha 2nd had whit. flleing, end pell fur end gold lee. lor otfle lWelereolou, by ",.m, eourte'Y 80mann MUlIllUm, C.lle, G.rmllnyl

The expedition to Hanover, 180541806

A force of 18,000 men under Lord ClIhcart sel sail from R."llllsgate and Deal on the coaSl of Kent in No\'eml>cr, 6,000 of which were provided h\ units of the I.egion. Dc..pite disruptions Gluscd b\ bad weather mosl

•

Colonel Chrlstlen yon Ompteda, commander of lhe 1st Line Battalion, KGL, and colonetcommandant of the 5th Line; he was killed al Waterloo leading the 2nd Brlgada. His lette.. and diaries offer manv lnterestlng Insights Into life In the King" German Legion. (Aulnor" drllwlng)

of the British force were disembarked in Hanover and deployed by early January 1806, the KGL in the area of "erden. Ho\\ever, :\'apoleon had \\Tong-footed the coalition with a series of French \ictories culminating in that at Austerlitz on 2 December 1805. While regrouping to fight these battles the French had e\"'acuated HanO\cnan temton except for the fortress of Hamelin, nm\ ill\csted b\ a force of Russian troops. To the Russians' aid \H~"1lI a line brig;:lde and a foot bauen of the King's Gennan Legion. But thc peace imposed b\ France upon Austria after the de\"3Stating defeat of Austerlitz forced her to gi\e up her lands in Gennall\ and ltah. and g:l\e IlanO\'er to the Pfilssi:ms. 111e British force \'I'as ordered home. embarkation L.king place in Febntan 1806. The brief appearance of the KCL in their homeland achieved a boost to recruiting if lillie clse. Although 1,442 men took the opportllnit\ to desen. many morc enlisted, making possible the fonnation oft\,"o more ca\~llry units - a 2nd Dragoon and a 3rd Light Dr'agooll regimellt: 5th, 6th and 7th Line B:malions; and a 4111 Foot Bauery of artillel)'. The 2nd l.ight Dl'al{oons were made up to establishment. and a cadre of 300 men was formed for an 8th l.ine Ballalion. By April 1806 recruiters in IlanOH~r had enrolled 7,876 men. Ho\\ever. Hanover was I" then occupied by the Prussians. who set about putting a stop to l'ecnliting for the KGL (though not before a further 500 men had been cnli~ted). Plans had been made to expand the KGL to all L"'SL.blishmelll of 20,000, blll the Pntssian action forced this to be rc\iscd to a figure of 14,000 men. It \\~.lS at this figure that the establishmcnt of the KGL \'I'aS maintained for most of its continued existence. Records sho" that about 28.000 other r,lIlks 1001.. .scnice "ith the KGL from 1803 until its disb..ndment in 1816. This figure c1ear!\ indicates the wastage caused b~ death, wounds. sickness. caplllre and desertion.

CHARACTER AND ORGANISATION OF THE KING'S GERMAN LEGION

10

Il) no\\' fully formed, and almost \\holl) Hanm'crian, the King's German l.egion was commanded by a bod} of former officers of the Ilano\"erian Army dr,\wn from lhe nobility. landed gentry and middle classes. (There were 14 officers bearing the name Von der Decken, ten each of Von Diu'ing and Von Brandis, and nine Von Linsingens.) These German officers look the profession of arms more seriollsly lhan their British counterparts. especially when it came to the inSlruction of their mell. ~Iosl British officers considered it beneath lheir dig-nilv to instmct their soldiers in the intricacies of drill. prcfening- 10 leave that tasl.. to non
Prtv.t. of the 3rd Hu...,.., KOl, 1812. By thl. tim•••hako ha.d .. pl~ec1 the fur e.p, which ..... Imprsctleal on ..rvle•. The .,.... tNadd,........ deco,..tecl with whit. I~. d_plte the f~t that the IIICI~ and I~. 01 the 3rd Hu....,.. were yellow. (Wat8fColour by .... rb, eourte.y

Hom.nn Mutfilm, C81141

From the earliest da)'s of the Lcgion thcre werc more Ilanoverian oflict'r applicanL~ than there were \'acancie..; thus the officcr component of the KGL remaincd almost com pic tel} llanoverian throughout its life, maintaining the lOne and high standards of the original Legion to the end. (This was far from true of man~ foreign corps in British emplovmenl. The original £10\\ of French Ro~'llist emigre officers largeh dried up aftcr thc Peace of Amicns. and as the war draggcd on, putting ever grcater pressurc on sourccs of respectable military leadership, mam dubiolls characters m.maged to secure commissions in these corps. Apan from thc excellent S\\;SS regiments there \',ere few to match the KGt. - 'iCe 1\lAA. 328 & 335. f:migri (11ll1 fomgrl Troops ill British Snviu (I) 1793-1802, (2) 1803-1815.)

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Despite the qualit, of thc officers, howc,er. w;th direct recmiting in Hano\er at an end it \\-dS necessa1"\ to h;nc recourse 10 other sources of rcrruits. and these had the clTcct of diluting the llanm'erian nature of thc rank-and-file of the King's Gennan Legion. lIanmerians who had enlisted in units of the British Anm were cncouraged to seek rransfers to the Legion: and Danes. Dutchmen, Swiss. S\\edes. Ilungarians. Poles and nalhes of other Gcnnan slates wcrc cajoled to join as nc\er before. As time \\enl b\ and the need 10 replace casualtie'i pres.!>Cd, deserters and prisoner'i-Of.war were enrolled into the ranks of KGL units. \\;th an ine\;tahle consequent lowering of slandards. In 1811 an attempt \\WdS made to raise the establishment of the KGL to 16,000 b\ tapping this source of renegades. Insrructions wcre issued 10 ensure that '~one but such as are natives of German}' and speak, or al leasl understand Gennan' \\ere taken. By ulis aUlhoril~ amone w;lh a smauering of German who \\.lS prepared 10 lie aboul his placc of birth could swcar allegiance to King George and pocket a fourguinea bounty. Sent 10 the KGL depots in England to be equipped and trained, this unpromising material was fcd back as replacemenL~. Although some KGL units managed 10 retain a purelY Gennan character. others sulTered from the innux of 'U1C scum of Europe', as will be secn. Within the infantl1' each or Ihe lcn banal ions of the KGL (two Light and eight Line) had ten companies. The e'itablishmelll of a company was as follows: I captain (commanding) 2 lieulenants ensign (junior officer) 5 sergeanL~ 5 corporals (one of whom was the com pan)' quartermaster) I drummer (bugler in the Light infantry companies) 96 privales (from which \\'ere found a second drummcr/bugler. pioncers. band~men, grooms and officers' sermnts). Companies were designaled alphabcticall~. 'A' being lhe Grenadier compan} and T. the junior, thc Light comparn. Each batL"!lion had a platoon of 'Sharpshooters' anned with rines inslead of smooth-bore muskets. This consisted of: I lieutenant (commanding) 2 sergeants

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2 corporal-. I bugkr 52 prh~lles (The Light hatlaliOIH had a higher proportion of rifles to llluskelS.) L'lch battalion had ,I colond-commandalH, but his dutiL's rareh brouglll him into contact I,'ith his unil. Al batL.'llion headquarters were: I lieUlenal1l
12

Troops wcre distin· guished b, Icller'i, and squadrons b\ numbers. As in the infal1l ..... POSts such as trmnpel-ln,yol'.

flgu... loa •

""If

offk:er'...

wrgeon., ~vm-.t-. ete. were termM: note ttI.Ilt he won ~u"tt..,

In eontreat to tne

eq~ron ottlc:en'

ahou!det" wings, jAuthor's eolleetion)

_-...-'"_-.... ...

.......

sergcanL~

corpOl'ills tl1.un pc Ie r 76 priv,lteS

Alcn.rd Kn6tel print 01 otflcerf; 01 the l.t D~., KGl, 1808: len. 'Mmee d,...... and eentre, '~ra4e d.....•• The mounted

.-.

~

_..........,.~~.:-:;.

......

;,. m....... ma:.

.....

or Paull..

,........... nr PIU'Ilola.

1. Sehweres Dragoner-Regiment der Englisch-Deutschen Legion.

,soo.

bandsmen, orderlies ,111(1 ~CIYdnl.~ were filled b} men from the troop~. In the anil1ery. Ilor~e and Foot, bauen establishmelll \'aried according to role and the t\'pc of gun. The~e \\'ere 6-pounder, 9-pdr and 12-pdr guns and r)~in and 8in howilLers. A 9-pdr f<Xl1 bailer). for ex'llnple, had four b'lIllS and two hO\\;tzers (5~in), each piece being served b} one NCO and nine gunners. Eight horses drew each of these weapons. Total baller' slrength included: I capL.'l.in (commanding) I .:.econd
,-

.tt.cheel to the fur c.p, .nd the pl.lted .ide·lock•. (Author" collection)

IRELAND, POMERANIA AND COPENHAGEN 1806-1807 As Cathcart's expedition'll") force made itS ignominious journey back to

England, Europe began acljllsting to the 'peace' which Napoleon had imposed upon Allslria. Not all were prepared to accept the settlement: !lUI the Prussians' belligerence led to their own disastrous defeat at Napoleon's hands al Jena and AUCl'stacll ill October 1806. With tbe Emperor's anention focused eastward. the largc forces Britain had been forced to concentrate in SOlllh-ca.~lern England wcre no longer necess.'l.I"), and the units of the KGI. found thclll~ches rcdeplo\ed throughout England and Ireland. The 2nd Dragoons \\'ent to Northampton where the regiment \\';.IS brought lip to strength. The 2nd Light Dragoons weill 10 Cantcrbu ..... allel the 3rd 10 Guildford. The 51h and 6th Line BatL.'l.lions weill 10 Winchester, where the\ \\cre joined in Ma\ b\ the 71h and 8th Line Battaliom. The anilien weTH to I~orchesler Barracks, Por15mOlll..h. \"Il(~rc a sch<Xl1 of in5tnlcLion for artille.... officers and i'\COS was established b\ ~l
13

A ,plrited Kn6tel drswl"", 01 sn offic.r snd prtvlt. of th. hi Llilhl Blttillon, KOl, c., 808. 8y Ihl' 11m. th. Jsck.ts of Ih. hi L1ghl Bn hsd D.c:om. dlsUncth". In thlt thos. of th. rsnk·lnd·fIl. hsd s slngl. row of buttons whlls th.lr offic.", hsd two ro_. (Autho.... collection)

14

2nd, 3rd and 41h Linc Battalions), the 1st Dragoons and thc 1st Light Dragoons. Sea vO)~lges were a halardollS undenaking under sail, particular!) in the storm) seas surrounding the British Isles. The hisLO'1 of the KGL contains man} harrowing accounts of shipwred" with loss of life at sea adding to the toll of casualties sustained on the b;mlefield. The ships can;ing the inf;ullrl battalions to Ireland in :\Ia" 1806 v,'ere caught up in a ';olent gale which drove them out into the Atlalllic for three da\'S before the' could s<:ek shelter in B.'lllrl B." on the southwest coast of Ircland, From here I.he, made their \,-", to Cork, where the troops disembarlcd and set out to march to their new stations. Scarcd\ had the\ settled in "hen orders were received for the lsI Line Brigade to take ship for Gibmlrur, where the' ani\ed in June. ThC\ were replaced in Ireland In tile 3rd Line Brigade (5th and 6th Line Bmtalions). :\lost of the units of the KGL were b\ now sen;ng in Ireland, a dun which the} appear to h,ne found most agreeable. Both officers and men found hospitalit\ to be bener than in England, and the cost of li\;ng cheaper. TIle gentn extended ,I welcome to the officers of the Legion. as did the more humble classes LO the ?\'COs and men. (But the condition of the Irish poor shocked the Germans. Their houses caused Clu;.stian \'on Ompteda to record the opinion that there were probabl, none \,'orsc in any cultimted part of the world. Describing barter in the markets - where German money was preferred to English because it ....' as hea\;er, and where an old pair of trousers could be bartered for a pighe commented that it was like trading with \\;Id mni\'e people.) In July 1806, hO\\'e\'er. there occurred an incident \dlich soured relationships between the G·erman soldiers and the locals. Four companies of Irish Militia Oil line of march entered Tullamorc (Lhe station of the 1st Light Battalion and a squadron of the 1St Dr;lgoons, KGL) seeking temporary accommodation. Refusing an invitation to dinner from the German officers, those of the Militia set about billeting their men for the night when, at about SC\'Cll o'clock in the e\'ening, a party of r..Hitia assaulted a lone German soldier of the Light Battalion. Three other Germans \,'ere also bealell \\hcn the)' carne to the aid of their comrade. The incident thus rar \\~lS witnessed b) M~Gcn \on Linsingen from the dining rooTll ofa nearby hotel. He illunediatcl) called upoTlthe militiamen to stop. but the) mere!) paused in their ma>hem. \\hereupon Cen \on Linsingen called OUI a KCL palrol from the barracks, and sent for the officers of the Militia. He then ordered both the Militia and the Light Battalion 10 be paraded and roll calls to be taken; but befo~e this could be accomplished e\ents tool a turn fOI the \\OI'SC. TIle I\.GL palrol had seiled the ringleader of the Militia. at v,hich point aboul 20 of his comrades prepared 10 charge the Gennans \\;th fixed b..'1'onets, ThC\ were thwarted b\ c.'1pt \on Dllrings' compam,

which had been muslering in lhe town square, IZ\oJeite':lLeithtfs "Ba.taHlon dtr KgL.'Df.u.tschm Ltjion and which no\\ drove the ~"itilia back through l.hc town - unt.ilthey turned aboul and opened fire on the Germans. seven of \\hom wcre wounded. Xc\"erthe\ess. DtirillgS' men pressed on and pursued the ~Iilitia as lhe} retired, niH firing on the KGL. one IIlllsket ball wounding Ll. ~Iarchack in the chesL. Al the first sound of muskctn Cen mn Linsingen had ordered out a detachment. of the 1st Dragoons. and at lheir head he charged the main bexh of the ~liIitia despite he,l\) fire. B\ this time the Dragoons were not inclined to show mern. and their actions mpidh ended the affm\. The affair al. Tullamore left the KGL with three officers, 22 men and fi\e horses wounded (one of the wounded men later ching). and the Militia ~;lh nine ,\ounded, one of\\hom laler died. TIle imbalance of casual tics was due 10 the faet thall.he ~Iilitia had anul1unilion and the KGL did noL. Subsequcm courts of emluin faik-d 1.0 find the cause of lhc \iolence, but held the conduct of certain ~liIitia officers to hale been 'reprehensible'. Courts martial SClllcncL-d eighl of the Militia I;ngleaders lO 'SC''Crc' punishments. The beha\;our of the KGL officers and men \'-
15

Whcn thi~ dcmand was rejectcd thc British set out on a prc-cmpthe strike, sending a flcet which arrhcd off 0lpenhagen on 3 August, Thc flect brought with them the KGL 1st Line Brigadc and the 1st Ught Dragoons. When the Riigen force wa,. ordered to Copenhagen the \\holc King's Gennan Legion was ~mbled with the exception of the two dragoon regimcnts and t\\o ,millen batteries, The threc KGL light dragoon regiments - the force's onh ca\OlI" werc a5!>Cmbled as a brigade under ~lajGen mn Linsingen. The ten KGL infant" battalions formcd the 2nd Division under the Earl of RossInI, anri the four b.1Iteries of KGL ani lien werc undcr the command of ~l;ti Rottiger. (Fi\'e l..c/{ioll engineer officers WCrt' also pre~nL) Of a total force of 26,000 nwn, J 0,000 were thus pro\'ided by the King's Germatl Legion, Opposing the I\rilish wcre a Danish g;lrrison of 14,000 in C,openhagen and about 11,000 mher troops inland, The Uritish beg::1ll landing on the 16th at \\'edheck, se\'elOll miles from Copcnhagen. Thc\ mct lillic resistance as the\ approached the cit\, and b\ the following morning had it der Englisch-Deutseh.m Lea-Ion. cOlllplctch in\csted. Clashes with thc defenders ,~'s. occurrcd and firc was opened on thc British lines from Danid\ gunboats within thc harbour, but A Aktulrd Knelt.. print of thcse quickh came undcr firc from the British ships withollt. Both sides Dn9OOn' 01 the KGl., 1812. '""" sculed into a siege. equipment Is IncOf'nlCt, and Inland, the first cncounters were betwecn thc KGL ca\OlI" O\Ienllls were worn on NfYlce, and Danish militia, One of thcse had an elemcnt of farcc when, on but otherwt. . !hI, Is how 'Bock.. the 18th, the fortress of Friedericks\\erk about 20 milcs from Heavv o.nnan,' would h..,. appeared ,t GIln::la Hernandez. Copcnhagen surrendered to a Mluadron of the 1st King's German Light (Autho.... collection) Dragoons after a massi\'e bluff on the part of their commander, Capt Knluchcnberg, Conducting a reconnaissance with Gen \'on dcr Decken, he Icarned that a COIHO) of ammunition wagons, well esconed, was on its wa)' 10 Friederickswcrk, lie attempted to cut 01T the conmv and cffect its capture hut, failing 10 find it, he pressed on to Friedcrickswerk ilc1f, arri"ing at one o'clock in the morning. Krauchenbcrg then surprised a Danish picquct and sent its commander into the fortres.'i with an ultimatum that 'Gencral \011 der Decken, at the head of an ann)' of ten thousa.nd men', was on the march to F'riederkkswcrk, which would be taken hy storm if it did not immediateh surrender. Surrender the\ did: 860 men, an arsenal of g-uns, small arms and p(l\\dcr, enable to carn off all this ordnancc, Gcn \'on der Decken contented himself with fouf gUlls and half of the small arms, ha\ing extracted promises from the KO\Clllor that the remainder would not be used against the British. But as da\light broke the bluff could no longer be sustained, the size.of the small force being ob\·iol.ls. Thc angr'!' locals armed thcm.selves and attemptcd to harass the \\ithdrawOlI of\'on der Dccken and his mcn. but thc\ managed to e\'ade the mobs and reached their own Iin~ \\ith c'lpti\"(.'S and bool\.

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,.

III a rJlOle wrious anion 011 the 21"1, a squadron of the 3rt! Killg\ German LiKht Dr,lwxms surpri ..ed a Danish outpost lIear Rocskilde, killing 16 of lhe l'nl'rJI>', capluring thret· and taking IS horst-'s. One of the Uritish gellL·ral .. Wilh the co\'ering force I\,IS Sir Arthur Welll'!>ky, commanding the I{l'..('nl': ,md it \\~d.S here lhal he and the KGL This Alc:twlrd Kn6tel print shows, lIere 10 ,>ee L"tch Ollll'r in action fOl the firsl time. LTndl'r hi~ Lomlll of (';1\,lln, the 6th Line Baualion, and the the KOL HorN Artillety; 8 priotete ho~ artillL'n 01 lilt,' I.cKion. 011 26 "UgHsl Wellesley's command fought of KOL Foot Artlllefy; e KOL an act.ion ncar Ki(>I{t'. lkcisi\ch defeating a Danish force to ellsure that Engl-r. and an ottker of KOL Foot Artlliefy _ ell 1812. The two the forn's ill\e..ting Copc:,'nh,lgen did '10 withoUl illlerTliption. In this foot artltlefymen ... shown hauk ,lilt! tl\(: sllh~qllent pursuit til(' ca\'ah~ of the KGL fought I\ith _ring tM 1812 pIIttem .~. great cour,lge and .,Lill. l.ietlu:nant Janscn of the 3rd Light Dragoons etwIko; euthorised ... Oecembet" rcrei\ed a gift from Sir .\nhllr ofa case of handsome pistols. alld a letter 1811, thho Item Pf'Obabfy did not b e c _ ge.--.t _ _ ..... til 1813. cxprcS!>ing the gent:...a)'., appr('ci,llion ofJanscn's distillgui~hed conduct tAuthon coIled:1on) tllOIt d,u. On 2 SeplL'mlx'r thL' bomb; !x-forL' thl' dtk wa.... coillL'c1.) 1\\ late October lhl' Briti,h forCL' W,LS L'mbarLL'd and on ilS \\,1\ hOllie, accompanied b, tilL' \e"'~l'b -". of lhe Danish Iln'\ - .. IOLII Il.tlteatlu J..tlllerlil. •....... t1l1nllt. of one thou5,;md ..ail. With them \\("Ill 1.000 reHtlits Englisch-Deutsche Legion. for the KGL - D,l1Ie... JSt~, SwedL'S. Poks ami ( .....'r1ll,1II..

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17

r

- enlisted frOIll the rdnls of Danish prisoners and

foreign deserters. But the \\;nd lhat filk-d the saib IlImed r.lpidh IlllD a \iolcm sionn on the 22nd, dispersing the combined nt."Cts and scaucring \"C:SSeb Olll into the ~orth St-.l. nl(~ stonns cOlllinued for mam da\'s. rcsuhing in the foundering of '\C\"eral transports earn·jng mel1 and animals of the King's German Legion. or the tOlal KGL casualtjes on this expedition - 1,175 - more than 500 losllheir liH.'S at sea on the retumjoume\, TIle grcate5tloss of life occurred \\hen the Sa/ishll1)' went do\\n, laking \\ith her nine officers. 212 men. 30 women and fin~ children of the 2nd Une Battalion. Colonel '-on Ompteda ";Ih three companies of his unit. the 151 Line RanaHan, were in lhe lr.lllsport AlIgu5tltS CaLsar \\-hich, ancr a collision IVilh a m:m-of-war. \\';.\5 dismasted and hated, Drivcn ashore in Holland, the sun'ivors were at first fired upon and then made prisoncr, The nine officers amongst them were paroled and e\entuaU)' exchanged with Fre.'lch officers held .,.. prisoner in England. The ~COS and men were ..- ~.less fonunatc. Being held to be nath·es of the Unitn-Intanteril der Englmh-DeuLiehen legion. ncwlv~fonlled 'Kingdom ofWcstphalia', the} "ere "''1 obliged to elller the scn;ce of the French, from \\hich tllC\ 100" tllc carliest opponunit\ lodesen. Rk:herd Kn~tel print of LIne (Sun~vors of Ihe expedition 10 Copenhagen wcre to enjO\ a payment Infantry of thl KGL In 1812. of pritt' money for the seizure of the Danish l1eel. This ranged from Again. It I. doubl1ul If thlY had £ I,500 for a general 10 £2 for a privatc soldicr - in the laller case, 40 thl t812 pattlrn .hako at lhl. dars' gross pay.) time; and Kn6tel .," .hoWi

1)',.." ...

_.

_. -

da~ blue and turnb..:k.. Note tne ..... troueers then comlne Into Hf'¥lcl, From ..tt to right tne print ahowe a privetl of e 'centre' company, e grenadier privati, a centre company office., and a 'tharpshoote" and his offiCI'. (.... uthor.. collectlonl

...

them lneorrKtty with ~I.r wine'

,.

THE PENINSULA 1808-1812 In the aftcnnatll of the stonn the scaltered rc~,.iments \\en:: scarcel\ assembled when orders "ere hri\en for the 3rd. hh. 6th and 8th line R.1.Ualions and the ~nl Foot Ballen 10 embark as pan of an expedition of 7.000 men originallr intended for I>Orlllbral. The neet bearing il left PorL~rnOUlh in lale December, cncountering lhe usual bad we.Hher which obliged most of the ships to relurn to [llgland. In the me,lIlume Lisbon had been occupied b' the French; the bad \,eatller persisu..d , and il,,";:iS not unul April 1808 that the force Iinalh landed - not in Ponugal, bm at ~Iessina. Sicih, II reinforced the defenders of tllal island, and the follo\\;ng \ear made a successful mid on Ihe Italian mainland. nle King's Gennan Legion units continut.·d 10 cOllllibule 10 the defence of Sicih ag-dinsl invasion in 1810. In England a further expedition to the Baltic was being rnoulHed. Among the units commilted "ere the KGL 3rd Light Dragoons. tbe lSI Light Infantry Br;w\(!c, the lSI, Ylld, 5lh and 7lh Line BanaliOIH and two fOOl batteries. Commanding the cnterprise was another general under whom the KCL ,,'auld :.ee servin' in lhe Peninsula. Sir John ~loort,>. The expedition sel sail for Gothenburg in ~Ia, 1808; but the King of S"eden

would agree with no plan proposed bl ~loore, Arter riding al anchor for six Ileels, no douhl in considcnlble discomfort for Ihe lroops, the I\rilish force \\i1S ordered home. As soon as il relurned, withOlil rlisemharldng the troops. il was immedialch ordered 10 sail fO!' Portugal. E\enlS in Ihe lbel;an Peninsula Ilcre IX'ginning 10 mo\'e in falour of Ihe British. Elsewhere in Europe Napoleon's armies had conqucred or cowed into suhmission all who challenged his will. nUl his allemplS 10 subdue Spain anrl Portugal were to prOlC an espensile anrllong-dr..l\\·nOUI irrilaru and e\eIHualh a disaster, L'ntil Ihis lime the regime ruling Spain - hC:lderl nominalh b\ the dim-willed and complais;llll King C."l.rlos IV, hut aClllalh b, the Qucen '5 10ler Manuel GorlOl - had Ix'Cll ~apoleon's more or less \1;lling alh, scnding troops to sene with his Cr.mdc Annce in Gennan, ,md colluding in his altempt 10 close down I'Orluguc$C "'Ide with Britain. In Augusl 1807 Portuguese shippillg \1~IS cmbargOl.'d from all French pOrLs. Thc following monlh a Frcnch anllY corps WitS adrnilled to Spain in order to llH:rlace Portugal. In the s.lIne month Napoleon told the I'orlug"uese ambassador: 'The English say they will llot respecI nelllrais at sea. I will nOl respect them on land: The I'onllguese w('re ohliged LO bow to French pressure, and French troops "d,,el had been able to escape to Bmzil \I;th lheir ROI'II ramih. The Ponllgllcsc, in 111eir turn, no\\ had their firsl ell.perience of French occupmion, enduring looting ;md 'requisitioning' b\ Ihe French troops. N'lpoleon demanded 100 million fmnes to co\'er I1Ie COSI of his ill\
RIchard Kn6tel print 0' the Light troops of the KI"lI" Oennan l.eglon In 1812. On the left .,. an officer and men of the ht LIght Bn, on the right the 2nd. Note the d i f f _ In jec.keUi and capa. Kn6tttl Ihowa the 1at Ught: Bn . . . . . . a tvft rt.lng a ball, and the nIInken of

from

the 2nd

e .,1 - botIl

COfltrw)'

the regu6atlona of the IAuthon collectionl

to

~

,.

The well-known Charlet Hamilton-Smith prlnt 01 men 01 the KGL; altho...gh It w. . p...bU.hed In 1815. HamlltonSmith d ..w from 9tall. taken much earliet'o He .now. the Une In'antryman (left) with capoll".. on hi. 1812 pattern ahako tak"" from a g..nadler f...r c.P. dar1l bl ...e {G rd. patteml wIng ••nd dar1l bl t ...mback•• The Light Infantryman (c.nt.., +a probably 'rom the 2nd Ught Battalion; not. the mhteton c.p with a bugle hom iHldge on the Coek.9. the three ro_ of b...tton., and the lact that he I. .rmed with. m....ket. not a rlfle. The trooper of the 3rd H"''''B (r\gtlt) I. de9lc:tecl In the ... nitonn worn from 1812, with wtHt, u.p l.ce and corda but ~Iow uniform l.clnga; the pall... .howa a .carlel lining. (Author', collection)

P.1.UiOlS. h was to be one of\e" fev. Spanish successes in pitched b..-mle: but the next fi\c \ears \\ould see regional annies struggling on WiUI stubborn courage againsl lhe French occupiers and despoilers of llluch of lheir counu1" Simull;:lIIeoush. lens of thousands of milila" stn.lgglers. \·cngeful peasants and urban patriots would take 10 ule hills and fores~ to v.-dge in"egular \\"3rfare. These 'gIurrillnos' foughl ll:.ing tactics that the French would find increasingh difficult to counter, ham·ing French lines of communication and ning down mam lholls,1.nds of troops which \\ould halC been heller employed in the French field armies. Meamdlile Ilrilish ships brought Cen Romana's Spanish anm corps home from Co<.'rm,tIl\ 10 join the W;:II": and from the first months of the uprising until I.he end of the v.-ar huge quantities of I\ritish anllS. unifomlS. and supplies of all kinds were shipped to Spain 10 sust;lin lhe stmggle. As soon as I.he \\"af broke oUllhe CenlralJunti.l based al Se\"ille made peace with Illitain. and inJune 1808 an expedilion was asscmbled uncler LIGcn Sir Anhuf \\'ellc~lc} for SC'fvicc in lhe Peninsula. ;\10 KGL units ~ned wil.h l.his force \.. hich. afler \\inning the IMlllc of \'imiero on 20 AuguSI.. forced lhe French commander in Portugal 10 sed.. terms. These were ncgOl.i,ned \.."ith Wellington·s recemh arriH:"d superior, Sir Ilug-h Dalfpnple. alld became lhe inf,unolls Comemion of Cinu-a b, \\hich 24.000 French troops were cOIll'ered home in I\rilish ~hips Wilh all their arms and lool. When I.he ne\\'s of this folh reached Enj.{land Dalf'll1ple was 'laded, and Wcllesle\ - though quite innocelll of fespon:.ibili1'o was removed to a pasl in Ireland. Command nO\I rleloked on Sir John \loore, v.ho had arrh"ed v.ith the troops he IMeI taL.en to S\.. edcn. :\loore's mcn began disembarking al ~laceinl Ila\ on 25 August. a difficuh operation through rolling surf I .. hich tooL. four d
20

:\Ioorc's inSl.rUCliOlls were 1.0 co-operauc- v.il.h I.he Spanish armics. blll it was OClObcr heforc he \..-as ready 1.0 march bis ,Ifllll imo Spain to join thelll" BI this time a French anm of

three corps of 100,000 men under Napoleon himsdf were in contact with the Spanish in rhe north where, after a series of battles in :-Jovember, the patriots \\'ere driven hack. Kapoleon re-occllpied ~Iildrid on" December. lie no\\' tllrnerl to rleal with Moore, \\ho was tlnil\\';lre of his enenn's strength and dispmition, was dangerollsh isolated at Salamanca, hUI was preparing to strike at ~apoleol1's lines of communications at \'alladolid. B\ a piece of extraordinan good Iud. a set of French orders fell illto ~Ioore's hands, giving him his first idea of the si7e of the enenl' force'S in Spain (b\ then 200,000), their deplo\'Tllellt, and Kapoleon's illlentions. lie marcherl his "rill' north to Sahagun intending to attack the French there.

The Retreat to Corunna With :\Ioore'os arnl\ were the 3rd King's Gennan Light Dragoons (b\ this time st\led 'lIuSS<1.rs', and hereafter refcrred to b\ that title) and lhe ughl Brigade of the KCL; the Line Bligadcs and artillcn of the Legion had remained in Portugal. ~Ioore had b\ now been joined b\ a force under Sir Da\-id 1:t1.ird \dlich had landed at Conuum. to bring his total force to 2,278 ('3.\'aln-, 19,0.:>3 infallln and 60 guns. On 20 December the

......\\\I·~I~r

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21

Detan. of the 1BOO pattarn ahako wom by the rank-and-me of In. KGL from 1803 until about 1808/07. Se...." Im:ne.ln height, It ...... ~. of leath<M" and 1Ileq...-.d fabric..... Ihown .,.... 'eIplod
plata, &Ins x alna, Ite+d to the atMtko by wi,...; and the blllC'k IoNther coc:luMM, through ....k:h • ....1_b11 bvtton, bugle hom Or ll~ bad.ge wa. put,hecl - for

centre, light and gren.cllar companl•• reapectlvely - to be aecured by the wi,. 0' the woollan tutt, which wa. then l""ned Into. loop 0" the front uPtM' edge of the ahako. The tuft w•• 41na long. whlta for

IIrenadlers and .rtUlery, ",...n for light In'antry, and .mlt_.... ...:! lor all other trooIn- €Author'l d..-lng)

Bdlish 15th Hussars defeated a ho(h or FrClJ(.h Gl\'aln at S.~haKtIll as the Blitish I11m'cd on Burgos: but on !.he 231"d illlclligcnce finalh rc\cak-d to ~Ioorc the eXLreme danger which ,hrC;ltcncd his oliUllImhered and isolated amn. He ordered \\ithdrawal to \'igo. During I.he relreat lhallhen took place tht.> u-W0n's 3rd 111ISS<'1l's pl.l\t~d an importaJlI role in sCI"Ccning- the rearguard. freqllclll.h dashing \\ith em.'m\ C'd\'CquelHh found most of lhem to h;nc been enlisted in Denmark after the battle of Copenhagen.) To the north Ill00re's arml slI'1lggled into Conmna and turned to gill..' battle to the pursuing French on I6jallllatl' 1809. driving them back ami inflicting 2,000 casualties on lheir lormelllors. Moore had lost O\'cr 5,000 men during the retreat, and he now bccame one of lhe Blitish casualties ;11 the hattie of Corunna. I Ie \\',IS buricd in the citadel JUSt !x'lore lhc British fleet Miled on lhe 18th. With them 1\'Clll the 3rd HU~"lI'S KGL, who had thc dislressing t:lSk of shooting 290 of their hor..es on the beach bcfore embarbtion. The \'o\'ages hacl.. to Eng:land were m
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22

1809: Wellesley's return Napoleon had len Spain upon Moore's relreat; he considered the PCllin~llla a sideshow compared to

his pmblems at horne and wilh Ausuia. Spain would cOlllinue to Ix: a running ~re on his southern border, a continuing drain on his manpower and lreasure lhal would pmve one of the m.yor factors conuibluing 10 his downfall. BUI in 1809 this ....'aS unforeseeable, and he conlidelllh len the conduct of the campaign lO his marshals. In April 1809 Sir Arthur Welleslc\, nO\\ cleared of am blame for the ComClllion ofCinU'a, found himselfappoinled to command the AngloPOnUb"lIt.'SC forces in Ponugal. Ilere his 25,000 men included a troop of the KGL 3rd Hussars, detachments of the lst and 2nd Light Baualions, the lsi, 2nd, 5th and 7th Line Battalions, and two b.-weries of foot ani lien - 3,300 men all told. (The 'Sharpshooters' ofthe Line b.-Htaliolls and the detachments of the Light ballalions were at this time grouped together as a unit of rinemen. The 3rd Hussars troop were 0lx:rating \\ith the British 141..11 LiglH Dr'lgoons.) The ad\'lIlcing French had occupied nonhern POrLlIgal and \\'eHesley moved to conlaCl them, auaddng the 20,()()()..stmng artllY of '\hu'Shal Soult on 12 "lay al Opono after forcing a cmssing of the Rher Doum, He compelled Soullto wilhdraw with the loss ofo,OOO men, their artillery and their baggage. I laving ~ecured northern Portugal Wellesley lurned 10 face lhe threat on its eaStern frontier, where '\larshal Victor led anOther 22,000 men, En mUle be collected 5,000 reinforcements from England, including I.he lsI. Ilussars ofthe KCL (I.he lroop of 3rd IIlls~rs 1101\' I'eturned to England.) B} cad, Juh Wellesley's armv had moved into Spain in order to co-operatc wil.h Cen Cuesta's Spanish anm of 32,000 men. CI.lt.'Sta \\,15 old and unpredict;t.ble (to put it generouslr). and there were several false startS before I.he Allied annies brought the French LO hallie at Tala\era on 27 Juh.

-..

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.... .. --_.

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",. 'unlv.rsal' cock.oe worn In mo.t h.addres•• It. tMac:k colour

.ignifying • soldier 0' Britain or Hanov.r. Mad. of .Ilk ribbon 'or offic:.no, .nd ••• h.re •• tamped 'rom I.ath.r for the rank·andfile, It wa. u.ually ••cured to the cap by a reglm.ntal button,

(Author's drawillil) Th. d••lgn 1M t~ g.rt.r and

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centre t~ anako plat. th.e King" Gennan legion foot artillery, taken 'rom Hawk. .' metal badge book, 1804, Compared to th.e un....,.... plat. thet of the attlileory was smal.... and a different .nape, For the KGl the tItJe Mown ~ the motto HON' SOfT 0Uf MAL .,

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P£NSE.

Talavera The combined French forces under Victor, Sebastiani and King Joseph numbered o\er 46,000 wilh 80 guns, some 3,000 of the soldiers being Germans from Napoleon's ·Confedenll.ion of the Rhine'. Afler a bank which raged fOI" two da~'S the~ wil.hdrew, having sustained losses of 7,358 men - 1,000 ofthcm Cermans - and 17 gUllS. The Anglo-Portuguese had 5,361 casualties of which 1,407 were from units of I.he KGL; Spanish losses were given as 1,207. Talavera was a bloody affair in which units of the King's Cerman Legion had their firSl experience of a real batLle, a lacticaH) lInimaginau\e face-I.o-face killing match between major armies. The 1st and 2nd Line were brigaded under \'on Lang'\\'enh, Ihe 5th and 7th under \'on Lowe, in Sherbrooke's 1st Division holding I.he ~ledellin hill \\hich formed !.he anchor of Wcllesle,'s centre lefl. TIle) had an uneasy stan when a night attack led 1>\ the French 9!.h Lightlnfanm of Ruffin's Di\ision caught \'on Lowe's men unprcpared and pushed them back before 'Daddy' Hill led a successful British

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lAuthor's .......,

23

COUlllerallack. 111en:after Ihe KGL fought well, and laid thl' foundalions of whal was to become an ell\iable repuI;llion. During a Ihird major French ab..'llih on tht: \Iedellin hill b\ the dh'isions of 1..1pisse and SclxlSliOlni the 5th Ulll' l\olll