Battle of Talavera

Battle of Talavera de la Reina
Part of Peninsular War
Date July 27–28, 1809 Location Talavera, south west of Madrid, Spain Result Indecisive
Belligerents
File:Spain1785.gif Spain, Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
Duke of Wellington, Gregorio de la Cuesta	Baron Sebastiani, Joseph Bonaparte, Claude Victor
Strength
20,000 British, 33,000 Spanish	50,000
Casualties and losses
6,500 dead or wounded	7,390 dead or wounded

The Battle of Talavera (July 27–28, 1809) was a bloody yet inconclusive battle 70 miles Southwest of Madrid. Although the French army under Joseph Bonaparte withdrew from the field, the British under Wellesley soon withdrew from Spain, leaving their wounded to the Spanish under General Cuesta, who left them to the French. This reduced trust between British and Spanish forces for the rest of the Peninsular War.

Background

Having driven Marshal Soult's French army from Portugal, General Sir Arthur Wellesley's 20,000 British troops advanced into Spain to join up with 33,000 Spanish troops under General Cuesta. They marched up the river Tagus valley to Talavera de la Reina, 70 miles south-west of Madrid. Here they encountered 50,000 French under Marshal Victor and General Sebastiani, with the French king of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte, in nominal command. The combined Allied force had a sterling opportunity to defeat the French corps of Victor at Talevera, but Cuesta's insistence that the Spanish wouldn't fight on a Sunday (July 25) provided the French the chance to get away.

Battle

The next day, July 26, having lost the best chance for victory they were likely to get, Cuesta sent his army headlong after Victor, losing a clash with the reinforced French army (now led by King Joseph). The Spanish retreated precipitously, necessitating several British battalions advancing to cover their retreat and almost leading to the capture of Wellesley by French cavalry. That night a patrol of French dragoons spooked the Spanish infantry: ten thousand opened fire at once in one of the largest single volleys of the Napoleonic Wars. Panicked by their own fire, the Spaniards turned and ran, playing nearly no part in the battle the next day.

The French crossed the Alberche at 15:00 on July 27. At 17:00, the French attacked the right of the Spaniards and the British left. One hill was taken, lost and retaken until held firmly by the British. At daybreak on July 28, the French attacked the British left again to retake the hill and were repulsed. A cannonade took place until noon when an armistice of two hours took place. At 14:00, a very heavy cannonade started ahead of various infantry and cavalry skirmishes. At about 17:30-18:00, a major engagement resulted in the French being held off. A cannonade continued until dark. At daylight the next day, the French had retired, leaving their wounded and two brigades of artillery in the field.

Results

The British bore most of the weight of this hard-fought set-piece battle, losing 5,500, to the Spaniards ~1,000 and the French 7,390 killed or wounded. Many of the wounded on both sides were burnt to death when the dry grass caught fire. To avoid an immediate conflict with Marshal Soult's advancing army, Sir Arthur Wellesley retreated to Lisbon, leaving several thousand of their own wounded under Cuesta's protection. The Spanish abandoned them shortly afterwards and they were rescued from their allies by the French.

Although the Spanish had promised food to the British if they advanced into Spain, not only was no food given, but Spanish troops threatened to pillage any town that sold food to their 'allies,' forcing the British to continue retreating back to Portugal. The British in the peninsula never fully trusted the Spanish again.

After this battle Wellesley was created Viscount Wellington of Talavera.

Sources

• Field, Andrew: Talavera  : Wellington's first victory in Spain, Barnsley : Pen & Sword Military 2006
• Weller, Jac: Wellington in the Peninsula, 1808-1814, London 1969

Reference

• Some Remarks concerning the Royal Artillery at the Battle of Talavera by Major John H. Leslie, R.A. in the Journal of the Royal Artillery (Vol XXXIV No. 11 Feb 1908)