Burnham, Robert/McGuigan, Ron Wellington's Light Division and the Invasion of Spain

The Sieges and Battles of 1812

After driving the French out of Portugal in 1811, the Duke of Wellington went on the offensive and decided to attack Spain and liberate the country. To do so, however, he first had to capture the important border fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. This would secure the main routes to Portugal and protect his supply lines. By mid-April 1812, Wellington's troops had captured both forts, and he began planning his advance into central Spain to liberate Madrid. At the end of July, he defeated the French army of Portugal at the Battle of Salamanca and was welcomed as a liberator by the people of Madrid a month later. In September, however, the offensive came to a standstill and French forces began to regroup. In October, the order came to abandon Madrid and retreat to Portugal. Wellington's army had to move quickly to avoid being cut off and losing its line of communication to Lisbon. The retreat soon turned into an arduous march in miserable weather conditions and with little provisions, while the British troops were pursued by a relentless enemy who was hot on their heels. It was not until the end of November that the army reached the safety of the Portuguese border. As in previous years, the Light Division was at the heart of the fighting. It was part of the attacking force in both the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. It led the army into Spain and was on the left flank at Salamanca. It was one of the first units to enter Madrid and was part of the rearguard during the retreat. By the end of November 1812, the division was back in its quarters around Ciudad Rodrigo. However, it had suffered terrible losses at all levels over the previous eleven months and was now a shadow of its former self. These new sources, particularly the diaries, are full of eyewitness accounts and previously unpublished material, allowing us to examine the movements and locations of the regiments, the effects of overstretched supply lines, and the arrival of reinforcements and new commanders as never before.