Anglo-Portuguese Army


The Anglo-Portuguese Army was the combined British and Portuguese army that participated in the Peninsular War, under the command of Arthur Wellesley. The Army is also referred to as the British-Portuguese Army and, in Portuguese, as the Exército Anglo-Luso or the Exército Anglo-Português.
The Anglo-Portuguese Army was established with the British Army deployed to the Iberian Peninsula under the command of General Arthur Wellesley, and the Portuguese Army rebuilt under the leadership of British General William Beresford and the Portuguese War Secretary Miguel Pereira Forjaz. The new Portuguese battalions were supplied with British equipment, trained to British standards and thoroughly re-organised. Incompetent or corrupt officers were cashiered and appropriate replacements were appointed or promoted from amongst promising Non-commissioned officers.
On 22 April 1809, Wellesley became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in the Peninsula, replacing General Cradock, whose assessment of the military situation the British government found too pessimistic. At the same time he was appointed by the Portuguese Government as Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese Army. He then came to have the two armies under his command, transforming them into a single integrated army.
The Army was organised into divisions, most of them including mixed British-Portuguese units. Usually, each one had two British and one Portuguese brigades. In the elite Light Division, the brigades themselves were mixed, each including two British light infantry and one Portuguese Caçadores battalions.

Order of battle

The following tables show the order of battle and commanders of the Anglo-Portuguese Army at various stages in the Peninsular War.
July 1809September 1810May 1811September 1811
Commander in ChiefLt Gen Sir Arthur WellesleyLt Gen Viscount WellingtonLt Gen Viscount WellingtonLt Gen the Earl of Wellington
Corps CommandersMaj Gen Brent Spencer
Marshal William Carr Beresford
Maj Gen Rowland Hill
Lt Gen Sir Thomas Graham
CavalryLt Gen William Payne-Maj Gen Stapleton Cotton
Maj Gen Sir William Erskine
Lt Gen Sir Stapleton Cotton
1st DivisionMaj Gen John Coape SherbrookeMaj Gen Brent SpencerMaj Gen Miles NightingallLt Gen Sir Thomas Graham
2nd DivisionMaj Gen Rowland HillMaj Gen Rowland HillMaj Gen the Hon William StewartMaj Gen the Hon William Stewart
3rd DivisionMaj Gen Alexander Randoll MackenzieMaj Gen Thomas PictonMaj Gen Thomas PictonMaj Gen Thomas Picton
4th DivisionBrig Gen Alexander CampbellMaj Gen the Hon Lowry ColeMaj Gen the Hon Lowry ColeMaj Gen the Hon Lowry Cole
5th DivisionMaj Gen James LeithMaj Gen Sir William ErskineMaj Gen James Dunlop
6th DivisionMaj Gen Alexander CampbellMaj Gen Alexander Campbell
7th DivisionMaj Gen William HoustonMaj Gen John Sontag
Light DivisionBrig Gen Robert CraufurdBrig Gen Robert CraufurdBrig Gen Robert Craufurd
Portuguese DivisionMaj Gen John HamiltonMaj Gen John HamiltonMaj Gen John Hamilton
Independent Brigades
  • Maj Gen Charles, Baron von Alten
  • Col Charles Ashworth
  • Col Richard Collins
  • Brig Gen Denis Pack
  • Brig Gen Thomas McMahon
  • Col Charles Ashworth
  • July 1812June 1813November 1813April 1814
    Commander in ChiefLt Gen the Earl of WellingtonLt Gen the Marquess of WellingtonField Marshal the Marquess of WellingtonField Marshal the Marquess of Wellington
    Corps CommandersMaj Gen Rowland HillLt Gen Sir Rowland Hill
    Lt Gen the Earl of Dalhousie
    Lt Gen Sir Thomas Graham
    Lt Gen Sir Rowland Hill
    Lt Gen the Hon Sir John Hope
    Maj Gen Charles, Baron von Alten
    Marshal Sir William Carr Beresford
    Lt Gen Sir Rowland Hill
    Lt Gen the Hon Sir John Hope
    Marshal Sir William Carr Beresford
    CavalryLt Gen Sir Stapleton CottonLt Gen Sir Stapleton CottonLt Gen Sir Stapleton CottonLt Gen Sir Stapleton Cotton
    1st DivisionMaj Gen Henry Frederick CampbellMaj Gen Kenneth Alexander HowardMaj Gen Kenneth Alexander HowardMaj Gen Kenneth Alexander Howard
    2nd DivisionMaj Gen the Hon William StewartLt Gen the Hon William StewartLt Gen the Hon William StewartLt Gen the Hon William Stewart
    3rd DivisionCol the Hon Edward PakenhamLt Gen Sir Thomas PictonMaj Gen the Hon Charles ColvilleLt Gen Sir Thomas Picton
    4th DivisionMaj Gen the Hon Lowry ColeLt Gen the Hon Sir Lowry ColeLt Gen the Hon Sir Lowry ColeLt Gen the Hon Sir Lowry Cole
    5th DivisionMaj Gen James LeithMaj Gen John OswaldMaj Gen Andrew HayMaj Gen Andrew Hay
    6th DivisionMaj Gen Henry ClintonMaj Gen Henry ClintonLt Gen Sir Henry ClintonLt Gen Sir Henry Clinton
    7th DivisionMaj Gen John HopeLt Gen the Earl of DalhousieMaj Gen Carlos LecorMaj Gen George Townshend Walker
    Light DivisionMaj Gen Charles, Baron von AltenMaj Gen Charles, Baron von AltenMaj Gen Charles, Baron von AltenMaj Gen Charles, Baron von Alten
    Portuguese DivisionMaj Gen John HamiltonMaj Gen Francisco da SilveiraLt Gen Sir John HamiltonMaj Gen Carlos Lecor
    Independent Brigades
  • Brig Gen Denis Pack
  • Brig Gen Thomas Bradford
  • Maj Gen Lord Aylmer
  • Brig Gen John Wilson
  • Maj Gen Thomas Bradford
  • Maj Gen Lord Aylmer
  • Maj Gen Alexander Campbell
  • Maj Gen Thomas Bradford