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Battle Of Talavera
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  conflict Battle of Talavera de la Reina
  partof Peninsular War
  date July 27 &ndash July 28 , 1809
  place Talavera , south of Madrid , Spain
  result Anglo-Spanish victory
  combatant1 Spain <br> Britain
  combatant2 France
  commander1 Duke Of Wellington <br/> Gregorio De La Cuesta
  commander2 Baron Sebastiani <br/> Joseph Bonaparte
  strength1 20,000 British<br/>33,000 Spanish
  strength2 50,000
  casualties1 6,500 dead or wounded
  casualties2 7,390 dead or wounded


The Battle of Talavera was a battle of the Peninsular War . It took place on July 27 – July 28 1809 , when having driven Marshal Soult's French army from Portugal , General Sir Arthur Wellesley's 20,000 British troops joined forces with 33,000 Spanish troops under General Cuesta and marched up the river Tagus valley to Talavera De La Reina , 70 miles south-west of Madrid .
Lieutenant General Wellington was not elevated to 1st Duke of Wellington until 1814

Here they encountered 50,000 French under Marshals Victor and Sebastiani , with the French king of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte , in nominal command. Owing to poor cooperation with General Cuesta the British bore most of the weight of this hard-fought set-piece battle, for which the Spaniards were untrained, and withstood the French attacks at a cost of 5,500 killed or wounded. The Spaniards lost about 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, Wellesley reatreated into Portugal again. After this battle he was created Viscount Wellington .


DETAIL

The French crossed the Alberche at 15:00 on , 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.


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)