View source for Battle of Corunna

{{Short description|1809 battle of the Peninsular War}}
{{For|the battles in the Spanish Civil War|Battle of the Corunna Road (disambiguation){{!}}Battle of the Corunna Road}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Corunna
| partof            = the [[Peninsular War]]
| image             = Combat de la Corogne, 16 janvier 1809.png
| caption           = ''Combat of Corunna, 16 January 1809'' <br /> [[Hippolyte Bellangé]], 1843
| date              = 16 January 1809
| place             = [[A Coruña]], Galicia
| coordinates       = {{Coord|43|19|57|N|08|24|45|W|display=inline,title}}
| result            = See ''[[#Analysis|Analysis]]''
| combatant2        = [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
| combatant1        = [[First French Empire|France]]
| commander2        = {{ubl|[[John Moore (British Army officer)|John Moore]]{{KIA}}|[[Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet|David Baird]]{{WIA}}|[[John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun|John Hope]]|[[Edward Paget]]|[[Alexander Mackenzie Fraser|Alexander Fraser]]}}
| commander1        = {{ubl|[[Jean-de-Dieu Soult]]|[[Armand Lebrun de La Houssaye|Armand de La Houssaye]]|[[Julien Augustin Joseph Mermet|Julien Mermet]]|[[Pierre Hugues Victoire Merle|Pierre Merle]]|[[Henri François Delaborde|Henri Delaborde]]|[[Jean Thomas Guillaume Lorge|Jean Lorge]]}}
| strength2         = 15,000 infantry<br/>1,000 cavalry <ref name="number of infantry">15,000 {{harv|Fortescue|1910|p=381}}; 14,800 {{harv|Oman|1902|p=582}}; 14,500 {{harv|Hamilton|1874|p=392}}.</ref><br />9{{ndash}}12 guns<ref>Napier states and Fortescue indicates that there were 12—eight British and four Spanish ({{harvnb|Napier|1873|p=121}}; {{harvnb|Fortescue|1910|p=377}}). Also {{harvnb|Gates|2002|p=112}}.</ref>
| strength1         = 12,000 infantry<br />3,200 cavalry<br />20 guns<ref>Oman put the number at "over 20,000" {{harv|Oman|1902|p=586}}, but Fortescue compares Balagny's numbers with Oman's and states that Balagny's total of about 16,000 is likely to be more accurate than Oman's ({{harvnb|Fortescue|1910|p=380}} citing Balagny vol. iv, p. 248–250).</ref>
| casualties2       = 900 dead or wounded{{sfn|Chandler|1995|p=656}}<br />300 sick abandoned{{sfn|Howard|1991|p=300}}<br>300 missing<ref>Haythornthwaite, Philip (2001), Corunna 1809, Campaign 83, Osprey Publishing, {{ISBN|1-85532-968-9}}</ref><br> 6 transports lost<ref>Pococke 1819, pp. 94–96.</ref><ref>Hugo gives an inventory of 200 cannon, 20,000 muskets, 200,000 pounds of powder, 600,000 cartridges captured when the city is taken (Hugo 1838, p. 111). Oman, "The town was, in fact, crammed with munitions of all sorts" (Oman 1902, p. 582).</ref><ref>Howard 1991, p. 300.</ref>
| casualties1       = 600<ref>Esdaile, gives a total of 2,000 casualties for both sides altogether {{harv|Esdaile|2003|p=155}}. Fortescue states the casualties for both sides were "about equal" {{harv|Fortescue|1910|p=388}}.</ref>{{ndash}}700 killed or wounded<br />200{{ndash}}300 captured
| territory         = French occupation of Northern Spain
}}
{{Campaignbox Peninsular War (1808-1809)}}
{{OSM Location map
| coord = {{coord|41|-3}}
|  zoom = 5
|   float = right
|    nolabels = 1
|     width = 304
|     height = 220
| title= [[Peninsular War]]: Spain
| caption = {{legend|black|current battle}}{{legend|maroon|Wellington in command}}{{legend|navy|Wellington not in command}}

| shapeD=n-circle
| shape-colorD=navy
| shape-outlineD=white
| label-sizeD = 12
| label-posD = right
| label-colorD = navy
| label-offset-xD =
| label-offset-yD =

| label1 = Madrid
| mark-coord1 = {{coord|40.42|-3.7}}
| mark-title1 = [[Dos de Mayo Uprising|Madrid Uprising]] on 2 May 1808

| label2 = Valencia
| mark-coord2 = {{coord|39.47|-0.37}}
| mark-title2 = [[Battle of Valencia (1808)|Battle of Valencia]] from 26 to 28 June 1808
| label-pos2 = left

| label3 = Bailén
| mark-coord3 = {{coord|38.1|-3.8}}
| mark-title3 = [[Battle of Bailén]] from 16 to 19 July 1808

| label4 = Tudela
| mark-coord4 = {{coord|42.05|-1.62}}
| mark-title4 = [[Battle of Tudela]] on 23 November 1808

| label5 = Corunna
| mark-coord5 = {{coord|43.3325|-8.4125}}
| mark-title5 = Battle of Corunna on 16 January 1809
| label-color5 = black
| shape-color5 = black

| label6 = Talavera
| mark-coord6 = {{coord|39.97|-4.83}}
| mark-title6 = [[Battle of Talavera]] on 27–28 July 1809
| label-pos6 = left
| label-color6 = maroon
| shape-color6 = maroon

| label7 = Ciudad
| mark-coord7 = {{coord|40.56|-6.54}}
| mark-title7 = [[Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1812)]] from 7 to 20 January 1812
| label-color7 = maroon
| shape-color7 = maroon

| label8 = Salamanca
| mark-coord8 = {{coord|40.89|-5.65}}
| mark-title8 = [[Battle of Salamanca]] on 22 July 1812
| label-color8 = maroon
| shape-color8 = maroon

| label9 = Burgos
| mark-coord9 = {{coord|42.35|-3.7}}
| mark-title9 = [[Siege of Burgos]] from 19 September to 21 October 1812
| label-color9 = maroon
| shape-color9 = maroon

| label10 = Tordesillas
| mark-coord10 = {{coord|41.5|-5}}
| mark-title10 = [[Battle of Tordesillas (1812)]] from 25 to 29 October 1812
| label-color10 = maroon
| shape-color10 = maroon

| label11 = Vitoria
| mark-coord11 = {{coord|42.85|-2.68}}
| mark-title11 = [[Battle of Vitoria]] on 21 June 1813
| label-color11 = maroon
| shape-color11 = maroon

| label12 = Toulouse
| mark-coord12 = {{coord|43.60|1.44}}
| mark-title12 = [[Battle of Toulouse (1814)]] on 10 April 1814
| label-color12 = maroon
| shape-color12 = maroon
}}
The '''Battle of Corunna''' (or ''A Coruña'', ''La Corunna'', ''La Coruña'' or ''La Corogne''), in Spain known as '''Battle of Elviña''', took place on 16 January 1809, when a French [[corps]] under [[Marshal of the Empire]] [[Jean de Dieu Soult]] attacked a British army under [[Lieutenant-General]] [[John Moore (British soldier)|Sir John Moore]]. The battle took place during the [[Peninsular War]], which was part of the wider [[Napoleonic Wars]].

Doggedly pursued by the French under Soult, the British retreated across northern Spain while their rearguard fought off repeated French attacks. Both armies suffered from the harsh winter conditions. Much of the British army, excluding the elite [[Light Division|Light Brigade]] under [[Robert Craufurd]], suffered from a loss of order and discipline during the retreat. When the British eventually reached the port of [[A Coruña|Corunna]] on the northern coast of [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], a few days ahead of the French, they found their transport ships had not arrived. The fleet arrived after a couple of days and the British were embarking when the French forces attacked. {{sfn|Napier|1873|p=121}}

Soult had fewer infantry, but superior cavalry and artillery; however, the local rough terrain was unfavorable for cavalry. The British had larger quantities of ammunition for muskets, as a result of which their fire would be much better sustained than that of the enemy. They also held an imposing defensive position based on the mountainous terrain that Spain is rich in. In the resulting action, the British held off the French until nightfall, when both armies disengaged. British forces resumed their embarkation overnight; the last transports left in the morning under French cannon fire. The port cities of Corunna and [[Ferrol, Galicia|Ferrol]], as well as northern Spain, were captured by the French. During the battle, Sir John Moore, the British commander, was mortally wounded, dying after learning that his men had successfully repelled the French attacks. Before being wounded, he managed to give important orders in time for strengthening the defensive line around the village of Elviña. General [[John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun|Sir John Hope]] soon took over command from the wounded Moore.{{sfn|Napier|1873|pp=121–123}}

==Background==
The [[Peninsular War#Corunna campaign, 1808–1809|Corunna campaign]] started with the [[Battle of Cardedeu]].

===Prelude===
[[File:Sir John Moore (by Sir Thomas Lawrence) - original colors version.jpg|thumb|left|upright|''[[Portrait of Sir John Moore]]'' by [[Thomas Lawrence]]. Moore commanded the British forces at Corunna]]
In early October 1808, following the scandal in Britain over the [[Convention of Sintra]] and the recall of the generals [[Sir Hew Dalrymple, 1st Baronet, of High Mark|Dalrymple]], [[Sir Harry Burrard, 1st Baronet, of Lymington|Burrard]] and [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Wellesley]], Sir John Moore took command of the 30,000-man British force in Portugal.{{sfn|Richardson|1920|p=343}} In addition, [[Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet|Sir David Baird]] in command of an expedition of reinforcements out of [[Falmouth, Cornwall|Falmouth]] consisting of 150 transports carrying between 12,000 and 13,000 men, convoyed by HMS ''Louie'', [[HMS Amelia (1796)|HMS ''Amelia'']] and [[HMS Champion (1779)|HMS ''Champion'']], entered Corunna Harbour on 13 October.{{sfn|Gay|1903|p=231}} By November 1808 the British army, led by Moore, advanced into Spain with orders to assist the Spanish armies in their struggle against the invading forces of [[Napoleon]].{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=492}}

After the surrender of a French army corps at [[Battle of Bailén|Bailén]]<ref>"This was an historic occasion; news of it spread like wildfire throughout Spain and then all Europe. It was the first time since 1801 that a sizable French force had laid down its arms, and the legend of French invincibility underwent a severe shaking. Everywhere anti-French elements drew fresh inspiration from the tidings. The Pope published an open denunciation of Napoleon; Prussian patriots were heartened; and, most significantly of all, the Austrian war party began to secure the support of the Emperor Francis for a renewed challenge to the French Empire." {{harv|Chandler|1995|p=617}}</ref> and the loss of Portugal, Napoleon was convinced of the peril he faced in Spain. Deeply disturbed by news of Sintra, the Emperor remarked,
{{Blockquote|I see that everybody has lost their head since the infamous capitulation of Bailén. I realise that I must go there myself to get the machine working again.{{sfn|Chandler|1995|p=620}} }}

The French, all but masters of Spain in June, stood with their backs to the [[Pyrenees]], clutching at [[Navarre]] and [[Catalonia]]. They did not know if even these two footholds could be maintained in the face of a Spanish attack. By October French strength in Spain, including garrisons, was about 75,000 soldiers. They were facing 86,000 Spanish troops{{sfn|Richardson|1920|p=343}} with Spain's 35,000 British allies en route.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=648}}

However, no attack came. The Spanish social fabric, shaken by the shock of rebellion, gave way to crippling social and political tensions; the patriots stood divided on every question and their nascent war effort suffered accordingly. With the fall of the monarchy, constitutional power devolved to local [[Junta (Peninsular War)|juntas]]. These institutions interfered with the army and the business of war, undermined the tentative central government taking shape in Madrid,<ref>Chandler notes that "the particular interests of the provincial delegates made even the pretense of centralised government a travesty" {{harv|Chandler|1995|p=625}}.</ref> and in some cases proved almost as dangerous to each other as to the French.{{sfn|Chandler|1995|p=621}}{{efn|John Lawrence Tone has questioned this assessment of the Spanish juntas on the grounds that it relies too much on the accounts of British officers and elites; these sources being patently unfair to the revolutionaries, "whom they despised for being Jacobins, Catholics, and Spaniards, not necessarily in that order." {{harv|Tone|2004|p=110}}.}} The British Army in Portugal, meanwhile, was itself immobilized by [[logistics|logistical]] problems and bogged down in administrative disputes, and did not budge.{{sfn|Chandler|1996|p=628}}

Months of inaction had passed at the front, the revolution having "temporarily crippled Patriot Spain at the very moment when decisive action could have changed the whole course of the war".<ref>Esdaile notes that the Junta of Seville declared itself the supreme government of Spain and tried to annex neighbouring juntas by force. {{harv|Esdaile|2003a|pp=304–305}}</ref> While the allies inched forward, a vast consolidation of bodies and bayonets from the far reaches of the French Empire brought 100,000 veterans of the [[Grande Armée]] into Spain, led in person by Napoleon and his [[Marshal of France|Marshals]].{{sfn|Gates|2002|p=487}} With his ''Armée d'Espagne'' of 278,670 men drawn up on the Ebro, facing a scant 80,000 raw, disorganized Spanish troops, the Emperor announced to the Spanish deputies:{{sfn|Glover|2001|p=55}}{{blockquote|I am here with the soldiers who conquered at [[Battle of Austerlitz|Austerlitz]], at [[Battle of Jena|Jena]], at [[Battle of Eylau|Eylau]]. Who can withstand ''them''? Certainly not your wretched Spanish troops who do not know how to fight. I shall conquer Spain in two months and acquire the rights of a conqueror.}} Starting in October 1808 Napoleon led the French on a brilliant{{sfn|Chandler|1995|p=631}} offensive involving a massive [[double envelopment]] of the Spanish lines. The attack began in November and has been described as "an avalanche of fire and steel".{{sfn|Churchill|1958|p=260}}

For a time the British army was dangerously dispersed, with Baird's newly arrived contingent at [[Astorga, Spain|Astorga]] to the north, Moore at [[Salamanca]] and [[John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun|Hope]] {{convert|70|mi|km}} to the east near Madrid{{sfn|Haythornthwaite|2001|p=27}} with all Moore's cavalry and artillery.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=598}} The main army, under Moore, had advanced to Salamanca and were joined by Hope's detachment on 3 December when Moore received news that the Spanish forces had suffered several defeats. He considered that to avoid disaster he must give up and retreat back to Portugal.<ref>Chandler quotes from Moore's diary: "I have determined to give this thing up and retire" ({{harvnb|Chandler|1996|p=645}} cites: Sir J. Moore, ''Diaries'', Major General Sir J.F. Maurice, ed. (London:1904), Vol II, p. 358.</ref>{{efn|Neale shows that correspondence from both [[Louis-Alexandre Berthier|Berthier]], in a letter on 10 December 1808, and Moore in a dispatch on 28 December, indicate that both sides were aware that the allies were defeated and that the British were prepared to retreat. Berthier wrote "...everything inclines us to think that they [the British] are in full retreat..." {{harv|Neale|1809|loc=Appendix—XXXV p.&nbsp;100}}, and Moore that "I had no time to lose to secure my retreat" {{harv|Neale|1809|loc=Appendix—XXXVI p.&nbsp;102}}.}}

Moore, before retreating, received intelligence{{sfn|Fortescue|1910|pp=326–327}} of Soult's 16,000-man corps' scattered and isolated position at [[Carrión de los Condes|Carrión]]{{sfn|Fremont-Barnes|2002|p=35}} and that the French were unaware of the British army's position. On 15 December, he seized this opportunity to advance on the French near Madrid, hoping that to defeat Soult and possibly divert Napoleon's forces.<ref>Neale quotes Moore (letter to [[Lord Castlereigh]], 31 December 1808) "I have made the movement against Soult; as a diversion it has answered completely, but as there is nothing to take advantage of it, I have risked the loss of my army for no purpose" {{harv|Neale|1809|loc=Appendix, p.&nbsp;104}}.</ref> A junction with Baird on 20 December, advancing from Corunna, raised Moore's strength to 23,500 infantry, 2,400 cavalry{{sfn|Haythornthwaite|2001|p=45}} and 60 guns<ref>{{harvnb|Hamilton|1874|p=385}}. Neale, et al. gives: 28,900 men (2450 cavalry) and 50 guns {{harv|Neale|Hopetoun|Malcolm|Rocca|1828|p=171}}.</ref> and he opened his attack with a successful raid by [[Lieutenant-General]] [[Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey|Paget]]'s cavalry on the French [[Picket (military)|picquets]] at [[Battle of Sahagún|Sahagún]] on 21 December.{{sfn|Gates|2002|p=108}} However, Moore failed to follow up against a surprised Soult. Moore halted for two days and allowed Soult to concentrate his corps.{{sfn|Chandler|1996|p=648}}

==Prelude==

===Retreat to Corunna===
[[File:Jean-de-Dieu Soult, maréchal duc de Dalmatie (1769-1851).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Marshal [[Jean-de-Dieu Soult]], the French commander]]
Once Moore made his presence known Napoleon responded with customary swiftness and decisiveness. The Spanish were defeated and no longer an organized threat. His army was generally concentrated while the enemy was dispersed. With the initiative firmly in his grasp, Napoleon seized the chance to destroy Britain's only field army.<ref>{{harvnb|Haythornthwaite|2001|p=28}}; {{harvnb|Chandler|1996|pp=645, 657}}; {{harvnb|Oman|1902|pp=503, 601}}.</ref> When Moore realized he was in serious danger of being trapped he called off his advance and went into headlong retreat.{{sfn|Gates|2002|p=110}} This epic dash and chase would cover more than {{convert|250|mi|km}},<ref>{{harvnb|Hamilton|1874|p=394}}; {{harvnb|Balagny|1906|p=280}}; "...[More:] one hundred and fifty miles over good roads ... [Napoleon:] a march, on bad roads, of a hundred and sixty-four miles" {{harv|Napier|1873|p=129}}.</ref> during which the British cavalry and the infantry of the [[Light infantry|Light Brigade]] were used to cover the movements of Moore's army after their retreat began on 25 December. This saw them engage the French in small rearguard clashes, including defeating a French cavalry force and capturing General [[Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes]] at [[Battle of Benavente|Benavente]] before entering the mountains of Galicia,<ref>{{harvnb|Fitchett|1900|p=74}}{{verify source|date=December 2014}}</ref> and another at [[Battle of Cacabelos|Cacabelos]] where [[Auguste François-Marie de Colbert-Chabanais|General Colbert-Chabanais]] was killed by a British rifleman.<ref name=thrifles>[https://archive.today/20130802164747/http://www.95thrifles.com/Old-Website/Articles/Plunkett/index.htm Moore, Richard. "Plunket's Shot: A reconstruction of a famous exploit in the history of the 95th Rifles"]</ref>

The retreat of the British, closely followed by their French pursuers, took them through mountainous terrain in dreadful conditions of cold and snow and was marked by exhausting marches, privation, and suffering. Moore was joined at Astorga by General [[Pedro Caro, 3rd Marquis of la Romana|Romana]] leading the remnants of Blake's Spanish forces and Romana proposed they make a stand. However, with Napoleon closing in, Moore declined and continued his retreat north while Romana went west towards Portugal.{{sfn|Haythornthwaite|2001|p=52}} On the march between Astorga and [[Betanzos]] the British army lost 3,000 men with 500 more left in hospitals at Astorga and Villafranca.{{sfn|Howard|1991|p=300}}

Napoleon had attempted to speedily catch the British and force them to fight. He led the French army {{convert|200|mi|km}} over 10 days by forced marches and in spite of winter blizzard conditions reached Astorga on 1 January with 80,000 men.{{sfn|Fitchett|1900|p=76}} Napoleon manoeuvred to cut Moore off from a retreat to Portugal. Moore had already planned that he would have to be ready to make a run for the coast. On 28 November Moore had ordered his Corunna contingent under Baird to embark from Vigo while the main British army was to fall back on Portugal but by 28 December he had decided to embark the whole army at Vigo.{{sfn|Duffy|2011|p=18}} Abandoning Astorga on 30 December, he would manage to keep ahead of the pursuing French and avoid a major battle. Moore ordered Crawford and two [[brigade]]s as well as the troop transport ships to the port of [[Vigo]]. Napoleon wrote to his brother [[Joseph Bonaparte|Joseph]] on 31 December: 
{{blockquote|My vanguard is near Astorga; the English are running away as fast as they can... they are abhorred by everybody; they have carried off everything, and then maltreated and beaten the inhabitants. There could not have been a better sedative for Spain than to send an English army.{{sfn|Fitchett|1900|pp=76–77}}{{sfn|Neale|Hopetoun|Malcolm|Rocca|1828|pp=175–176}}{{sfn|Esdaile|2003|pp=151, 197–198}}}} 

When it was clear that he could not bring Moore to battle, Napoleon left the pursuit of the British to Soult's corps with [[Michel Ney]] in support and took the bulk of the army, some 45,000 men, back to Madrid.{{sfn|Gates|2002|p=111}} Napoleon decided to leave Spain to attend to other pressing matters; the Austrians were about to declare war on France, and would soon invade Italy and Bavaria.<ref>{{harvnb|Cross|1914|p=854}}; {{harvnb|Stephens|1900|p=271}}; {{harvnb|Bourrienne|Phipps|1892|p=xlix}}; {{harvnb|Oman|1899|p=616}}; {{harvnb|Fortescue|1910|p=362}}; {{harvnb|Chandler|1996|p=654}}</ref>

[[File:Napoleon Dragoon and Sapper by Bellange.jpg|thumb|left|upright|French dragoons by [[Hippolyte Bellangé]]]]

On several occasions, the discipline of Moore's army broke down; British troops looted [[Benavente, Zamora|Benavente]] on 28 December and hundreds of drunken soldiers were abandoned on 2 January at [[Bembibre]]{{sfn|Fremont-Barnes|2002|p=38}}<ref>{{harvnb|Fitchett|1900|p=78}}; {{harvnb|Esdaile|2003|p=151}}; {{harvnb|Oman|1902|pp=577–578}}.</ref> and were captured or killed by pursuing French [[dragoon]]s.{{sfn|Fortescue|1910|pp=364–365}} Paget attempted to hang three British soldiers for looting in a Spanish town but was forced to abandon the executions after pursuing French troops neared.{{sfn|Fortescue|1910|p=366}} The French cavalry [[Auguste François-Marie de Colbert-Chabanais|General Colbert]],{{sfn|Blakeney|1905|p=59}}{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=568}} was killed while in close [[Battle of Cacabelos|pursuit across the bridge]] at the village of [[Cacabelos]] by a long-range rifle shot fired by [[Thomas Plunket]] of the [[95th Rifles]]{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=569}} after driving off the British 15th Hussars. Losses were about the same for the two units.{{sfn|Fortescue|1910|pp=367–368}}

Moore made a stand before the old Roman town of [[Lugo]] on 6 January and offered battle but, initially, Soult's forces were too strung out.{{sfn|Chandler|1996|p=655}} Over two days Soult concentrated his troops and tried to get Ney to send a [[Division (military)|division]] from Villa Franca del Bierzo but Ney sent few troops. By the 8th Soult was prepared for battle, but Moore, imagining Ney was outflanking him, slipped away that night,{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=119}} shooting 500 [[Lameness (equine)|foundered]] horses and destroying artillery caissons and food stores.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=576}} Now realizing he could not get to Vigo and fearing his army would disintegrate on the way,{{sfn|Duffy|2011|p=18}} he ordered the transports to Betanzos Bay between Corunna and [[Ferrol, Galicia|Ferrol]] and he headed for Corunna.{{sfn|Neale|Hopetoun|Malcolm|Rocca|1828|pp=214–215}}

Rain storms and confusion caused the British main body to partially lose order and break up with thousands straggling. Some 500 British were captured by the pursuing French dragoons, with hundreds more stragglers captured by Franceschi's cavalry on the 10th and several hundred more on the 11th.<ref>{{harvnb|Fortescue|1910|pp=372–374}}. Oman gives more than 1,000 lost, {{harvnb|Oman|1902|p=580}}.</ref> The loss of troops between Lugo and Betanzos was greater than all of that of the preceding retreat.{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=120}} Eventually, on 11 January, the British main body reached the port of [[A Coruña|Corunna]] in northwest Spain, where they had hoped to find the fleet to take them back to England.<ref>Sir John Moore's last sentence in his last letter to Lord Castlereigh, 13 January 1809, "If I succeed in embarking the army, I shall send it to England – it is quite unfit for further service, until it has been refitted, which can best be done there" {{harv|Neale|1809|loc=Appendix, p.&nbsp;108}}.</ref> They found Betanzos Bay empty and only 26 transports and two warships at Corunna.{{sfn|Duffy|2011|p=18}} The rest of the 245 ships had been delayed by contrary winds only arriving at Vigo on the 8th and would not depart for Corunna until the 13th.{{sfn|Duffy|2011|p=18}}{{sfn|Fortescue|1910|p=375}}

The French had also suffered severe fatigue and deprivation during their pursuit having to travel over ground already crossed by the British.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=581}} The British rearguard had held off the pursuing French, allowing the rest of the British army to continue to withdraw, however the French cavalry had continually pressed them and prevented effective [[reconnaissance]] by the British cavalry. Soult's infantry had also had trouble keeping up and was badly strung out and most were well behind the cavalry which included the divisions of [[Armand Lebrun de La Houssaye]], [[Jean Thomas Guillaume Lorge]] and [[Jean Baptiste Marie Franceschi-Delonne]]. Soult's three infantry divisions, commanded by [[Pierre Hugues Victoire Merle]], [[Julien Augustin Joseph Mermet]] and [[Henri François Delaborde]], and his artillery would arrive at Corunna piecemeal over the next few days.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=584}}

===Arrival of the armies before Corunna===
[[File:Napoleon Grenadier and Voltigeur of 1808 by Bellange.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|French Infantry by Hippolyte Bellangé]]

The British army arrived in Corunna on 11 January and there were found only the [[ships of the line]], a small number of transport and hospital ships to which the many wounded were embarked. There was also a large quantity of badly needed military stores: 5,000 new muskets were issued to the troops, a vast amount of cartridges for re-equipping, numerous Spanish artillery pieces and plenty of food, shoes and other supplies.{{sfn|Haythornthwaite|2001|p=66}}

The French army began to arrive the next day, building up strength as they arrived from the march. Soult's artillery arrived on 14 January. The long-awaited transport ships also arrived on the 14th and that evening the British evacuated their sick, some horses and most of the remaining field guns, cavalrymen and gunners. There was no intention by the British of garrisoning and holding on to Corunna as a future base with its extensive stores and certain support from the sea.{{efn|Oman states "... arguments for attempting a defence of Galicia were more weighty than has been allowed.<sup>(See the arguments stated on {{harvnb|Oman|1902|pp=554–555}})</sup>".{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=598}} }} The British then destroyed a portion of the enormous amount of military stores originally intended for the Spanish: nearly 12,000 barrels of powder, 300,000 cartridges in two magazines outside the town and 50 fortress guns and 20 mortars.<ref>{{harvnb|Haythornthwaite|2001|p=66}}. Napier, indicates a magazine and a storehouse outside Corunna {{harv|Napier|1873|p=120}}; Oman indicates "The town was, in fact, crammed with munitions of all sorts" {{harv|Oman|1902|p=582}}. Hugo inventories an additional vast amount of stores captured by the French following the battle inside Corunna {{harv|Hugo|1838|pp=110–111}}.</ref>

The British embarked nearly all their cannon and artillerists and, as the terrain was unsuitable for cavalry, all their cavalry troopers and a few healthy horses,{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=121}} but killed some 2,000 of the cavalry's horses.<ref>Fitchett states 290 horses from the KGL alone {{harv|Fitchett|1900|p=86}}; Hugo mentions 1,200 "cadavers de chevaux" {{harv|Hugo|1838|p=111}}; Oman gives 2,000 horses and draft cattle killed and thrown into the sea {{harv|Oman|1902|p=582}}.</ref> Moore now actually had the advantage in numbers in infantry, 15,000<ref name="number of infantry" /> to 12,000<ref>Fortescue states the British had 15,000 infantry to the French 12,000 {{harv|Fortescue|1910|p=381}}.</ref> and, with the rough ground much broken up by sunken roads and walls, Soult's cavalry would be of little use.{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=121}} The British were rearmed, well rested and well fed,{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=582}} in marked contrast to the oncoming French.{{sfn|Napier|1873|pp=121–122}}

Moore had deployed his army to cover the evacuation by placing the main part of it on a ridge astride the road to Corunna, a mile and a half south of the harbour. A stronger position lay to the south but the British commander considered that he lacked the numbers to defend it properly and had to be content with placing outposts there to slow the approach of the French. The left flank was covered by the river Mero and the left and centre of the ridge was quite defensible. The western and lower end of this ridge was more vulnerable and could be swept by guns on the rocky heights of the loftier range opposite, and the ground further west consisted of more open terrain extending as far as Corunna which might provide the means of turning the whole position. Moore held two divisions back in reserve a little north and westwards in order to guard the right flank and to prevent a turning movement.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=583}}

On 15 January French troops pushed back the British outposts on the higher range and gradually took up position there. A counterattack by British [[5th Foot]] was repulsed with heavy loss.{{sfn|Gates|2002|p=112}} Soult sited his 11 heavy guns upon the rocky outcrop from where they would be able to fire upon the British right. The task was very difficult and it was night before the guns had been dragged into position.{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=121}} Delaborde's division was posted on the right and Merle's in the centre with Mermet on the left. The light field guns of the French were distributed across the front of their position,{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=121}}<!--See the subsection "Battle of Coruna"--> however the broken ground, sunken roads and walls limited them to long range support. The French cavalry was deployed to the east of the line. For the British, Baird's division formed on the right and Hope's the left, each deploying a brigade ''en potence'' with Paget as the reserve at the village Airis.{{sfn|Oman|1902|pp=584, 588}}

==Battle==
{{See also|Battle of Corunna order of battle}}

As day broke on 16 January the French were in position on the heights, and all through the morning both armies observed each across the valley between them. Moore planned to continue with the embarkation later that day if Soult did not attack. By afternoon Moore considered an attack unlikely and ordered the first divisions to make their way to the port; the rest of the army would follow at dusk, but shortly afterwards, at 2:00 pm,{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=121}} he learned that the French were attacking.{{sfn|Oman|1902|pp=586–587}}

Soult's plan was to move against the strongly placed British infantry of the left and centre in order to contain it while the infantry division of Mermet attacked the more vulnerable British right above the village of Elviña. The cavalry was deployed further west near the more open country leading to Corunna. If the attacks succeeded they could seize the western end of the British lines and push on to cut off the bulk of the army from Corunna.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=586}}

[[File:French foot artillery 1809.jpeg|thumb|right|upright|French Artillerymen 1809]]
Mermet's infantry advanced quickly and soon pushed the British picquets back, carrying the town of Elviña and attacking the heights beyond. The first French column divided into two with Gaulois' and [[Henri-Antoine Jardon|Jardon's]] brigades attacking Baird front and flank, and the third French brigade pushing up the valley on the British right in an attempt to turn their flank with Lahoussaye's dragoons moving with difficulty over the broken ground and walls trying to cover the left of the French advance.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=587}}

[[File:Battle of Corunna.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|The positions of the armies at Corunna. <br />The British are in red and the French in blue.]]
The fiercest fighting took place in and around Elviña as the possession of this village would change hands several times, and the British suffered particularly from the fire of the heavy artillery on the heights opposite. As the French attack broke through Elviña and came up the hill behind it, Moore sent in the [[50th Foot]] and the [[42nd Regiment of Foot|42nd (Black Watch)]] to stop the French infantry while the [[4th Foot]] held the right flank of the British line.{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=121}} The ground around the village was broken up by numerous stone walls and hollow roads. Moore remained in this area to direct the battle, ordering the 4th Foot to fire down upon the flank of the second French column that was attempting the turning movement and calling up the reserve under Paget to meet it. The British advance carried beyond the village but some confusion among the British allowed Mermet's reserves to drive into and through Elviña again chasing the 50th and 42nd back up the slope. Moore called up his divisional reserve, some 800 men from two [[battalion]]s of the Guards, and together with the 42nd they halted the French advance.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=588}}

[[File:36 214430~death-of-sir-john-moore-(1761-1809)-january-17th-1809,-from-'the-martial-achievements-of-great-britain-and-her-allies-from-1799-.jpg|thumb|right|''Death of Sir John Moore at the Battle of Corunna'', derived from an engraving by Thomas Sutherland and [[aquatint]] by [[William Heath (artist)|William Heath]]]]
The British commander had just rallied the 42nd{{sfn|Knight|1861|p=506}} that had fallen back from Elviña and had ordered the Guards to advance on the village when he was struck by a cannonball.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=588}} He fell mortally wounded, struck "on the left shoulder, carrying it away with part of the collar-bone, and leaving the arm hanging only by the flesh and muscles above the armpit".<ref>{{harvnb|Oman|1902|p=588}} citing a letter by his aide-de-camp Hardinge in James Moore's ''Life'' p. 220.</ref> He remained conscious, and composed, throughout the several hours of his dying. The second advance again drove the French back through Elviña. Mermet now threw in his last reserves with one of Merle's brigade attacking the east side of the village. This was countered by an advance by Manningham's brigade and a long fire-fight broke out between two British: the 3/[[1st Foot|1st]] and the 2/[[81st Foot|81st]] and two French regiments: the 2nd Légere and 36th Ligne of Reynaud's brigade. The 81st was forced out of the fight and relieved by the 2/[[59th Foot|59th]] and the fighting petered out here late in the day with both sides finally retiring.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=591}}{{sfn|Fortescue|1910|p=386}}

For a time the British were without a leader until General [[John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun|John Hope]] took command as Baird was also seriously wounded. This hampered attempts at a counterattack in the crucial sector of Elviña, but the fighting continued unabated.<ref>"The enemy was not even discouraged by two fatal events: General Baird was shot in the arm with a bullet, and the commander-in-chief Moore was mortally wounded. General John Hope replaced him as commander and the enemy continued to maintain their position throughout the line." (translation from French {{harvnb|Hugo|1838|p=110}}).</ref>

Further west the French cavalry pushed forward as part of the flank attack and made a few charges but they were impeded by the rough terrain. Lahoussaye dismounted some his Dragoons which fought as skirmishers but they were eventually driven back by the advance of the [[95th Rifles]], [[28th Foot]] and [[91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot|91st Foot]] of the British reserves. Franceschi's cavalry moved to flank the extreme right of the British attempting to cut them off at the gates of Corunna but were countered again by the terrain and Fraser's division drawn up on the Santa Margarita ridge which covered the neck of the peninsula and the gates. As Lahoussaye retired, Franceschi conformed with his movement. As per ''The History of the Rifle Brigade'' (by [[Cope baronets|Sir William Cope, 1811–1892]]), the 95th attempted to assault the French left-wing position, but was unsuccessful, enjoying, however, the capture of 150 prisoners of war. The French, having brought forward all their reserves, were still in position at the head of the valley of the Monelos stream when the action came to an end. During the battle, this valley had been occupied by the 28th as a consequence of its counterattack against Lahoussaye's men.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=590}}{{sfn|Fortescue|1910|pp=386-387}}

Night brought an end to the fighting by which time the French attacks did not produce results and the opponents returned to their original positions; both sides holding much the same ground as before the fight. Practically, the battle for Elviña was inconclusive, with a part of the village remained under the French control. The French, like the British, decided to disengage "as if by mutual consent" because of the onset of night. A portion of Elviña was firmly occupied by the British, as well as some land previously occupied by Lahoussaye. The French seized a southern foothold in Pedralonga{{sup|[[:es:Pedralonga (La Coruña)|[es]]]}} as well, a village that also saw a small battle that day. The northern sector of Pedralonga was under British control by the end.{{sfn|Oman|1902|pp=591-592}}{{sfn|Fortescue|1910|pp=385–386}}{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=122}}

==Aftermath==

===End of Corunna campaign===
Command of the British army had passed to [[John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun|General Hope]] who decided to continue the embarkation rather than to attempt to hold their ground<ref name="Napier 1875, p. 165">Napier suggests that both Corunna and Ferrol could have been held by their Spanish garrisons for months after the departure of the British {{harv|Napier|1873|p=165}}.</ref> or attack Soult.<ref>Fitchett suggests that only Moore's death prevented the total destruction of Soult, and that Hope "forbore" to press the French, {{harv|Fitchett|1900|p=94}}. Oman offers a more realistic appraisal of Hope's chances {{harv|Oman|1902|p=592}}.</ref> At around 9:00 pm the British began to silently withdraw from their lines, leaving behind strong picquets who maintained watch-fires throughout the night.{{sfn|Pococke|1819|pp=94–96}}

At daybreak on 17 January the picquets were withdrawn behind the rearguard and went aboard ship; by morning most of the army had embarked.{{sfn|Pococke|1819|pp=94–96}} When Soult perceived that the British had left the ridge, he posted six guns on the heights above the southern end of the bay and by midday the French were able to fire upon the outlying ships. This caused panic amongst some of the transports, four of which ran aground and were then burned to prevent their capture. Fire from the warships then silenced the battery.{{sfn|Pococke|1819|pp=94–96}}

On 18 January, the British rearguard embarked as the Spanish garrison under General [[Antonio de Alcedo|Alcedo]] "faithfully" held the citadel until the fleet was well out to sea before surrendering.<ref>{{harvnb|Napier|1873|p=165}}; {{harvnb|Fortescue|1910|p=393}}</ref>{{efn|Oman criticizes Alcedo for not putting up more of a fight for the town which the British themselves, having destroyed much of its defences, had just abandoned to its fate {{harv|Oman|1902|p=596}}. Napier makes a similar criticism.<ref name="Napier 1875, p. 165"/>}} The city of Corunna was taken by the French, two Spanish regiments surrendering along with 500 horses and considerable military stores captured including numerous cannon, 20,000 muskets, hundreds of thousands of cartridges and tons of gunpowder.<ref>Hugo gives an inventory of 200 cannon, 20,000 muskets, 200,000 pounds of powder, 600,000 cartridges captured when the city is taken {{harv|Hugo|1838|p=111}}. Oman, "The town was, in fact, crammed with munitions of all sorts" {{harv|Oman|1902|p=582}}.</ref> A week later Soult's forces captured Ferrol,{{sfn|Oman|1903|pp=172–175}} an even greater arsenal{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=81}} and a major Spanish naval base across the bay, taking eight [[ships of the line]], three with 112 guns, two with 80, one 74, two 64s, three frigates and numerous corvettes, as well as a large arsenal with over 1,000 cannon, 20,000 new muskets from England and military stores of all kinds.<ref>{{harvnb|Hugo|1838|p=111}}; Also, {{harvnb|Belmas|1836|p=55}}; {{harvnb|Napier|1873|p=165}}.</ref>

As a result of the battle the British suffered around 900 men dead or wounded. Unable to embark the many horses in the army, most of the nearly 2,000 cavalry horses and as many as 4,000 more horses of the artillery and train were slaughtered to prevent them from falling into French hands.<ref>Hugo gives 6,000 horses dead from fatigue, or killed by the British,{{harv|Hugo|1838|loc=''Entrée de Français à Lug'', p.110}} and 2,500 soldiers killed or wounded with many wounded abandoned,{{harv|Hugo|1838|p=111}}. Fortescue says 1,000 horses were saved {{harv|Fortescue|1910|p=377}}. Oman says only 250 cavalry horses and 700 artillery draught cattle were saved {{harv|Oman|1902|p=582}}. The remainder that he puts at 2,000 were killed, but may only be the rest of the cavalry's horses and not included the rest of the transport horses etc. since he gives the cavalry initial strength as 3,078 with 2,800 troopers embarking at Corunna {{harv|Oman|1902|p=646}}. Soult estimates 4,000 horses {{harv|Balagny|1906|p=345}}.</ref> The French lost around 1,000 men killed, wounded or captured.<ref>Chandler and Oman give 1,500 (Chandler p. 656; {{harv|Oman|1902|p=594 }}). Fortescue and Esdaile both state casualties about equal at some 900 per side ({{harvnb|Fortescue|1910|p=388}}; {{harvnb|Esdaile|2003|p=155 }}).</ref> The most notable casualty was Lieutenant-General Moore, who survived long enough to learn of his success. Sir David Baird, Moore's second in command, was seriously wounded earlier in the battle and had to retire from the field. In addition two of Mermet's three brigadiers were also casualties: Gaulois was shot dead and Lefebvre badly hurt.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=594}}

On the morning of the battle 4,035 British were listed sick, a few hundred of these were too sick to embark and were left behind.{{harv|Oman|1902|p=582}} Two more transports were lost with about 300 troops mostly from the [[King's German Legion]].{{sfn|Haythornthwaite|2001|p=87}} By the time the army returned to England four days later some 6,000 were ill, with the sick returns listed at Portsmouth and Plymouth alone as 5,000.{{sfn|Howard|1991|p=300}}

Within ten days the French had captured two fortresses containing an immense amount of military [[matériel]] which, with more resolution, could have been defended against the French for many months.{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=165}} Ney and his corps reinforced with two cavalry regiments took on the task of occupying Galicia.{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=165}} Soult was able to refit his corps, which had been on the march and fighting since 9 November, with the captured stores so that, with half a million cartridges and 3,000 artillery rounds carried on mules (the roads not being suitable for wheeled transport),{{sfn|Dunn-Pattison|1909|p=101}} and with his stragglers now closed up on the main body, he was able to begin his march on Portugal on 1 February with a strength of 19,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry and 58 guns.{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=166}}

==Analysis==
[[Image:Monolito Moore (Front).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Moore's monolith in the old battlefield, now a campus of the University of Corunna]]

The British army had been sent into Spain to aid in expelling the French, but they had been forced into a humiliating retreat in terrible winter conditions that wrought havoc with health and morale and resulted in the army degenerating into a rabble. In his authoritative account of the battle, the English historian [[Christopher Hibbert]] states: "It was all very well to talk of the courage and endurance of the troops but of what use were these virtues alone when pitted against the genius of Napoleon? 35,000 men had crossed the Spanish frontier against him; 8,000 had not returned. We were unworthy of our great past."{{sfn|Hibbert|1961|p=188}} The British of the day similarly viewed Corunna as a defeat: according to ''[[The Times]]'', "The fact must not be disguised... that we have suffered a shameful disaster."{{sfn|Hibbert|1961|p=188}}

The historian [[Charles Oman]] contends that Marshal Soult's attack at Corunna provided Moore and his men with the opportunity to redeem their honour and reputation through their defensive victory,<ref>"Moore welcomed the approach of battle with joy: he had every confidence in his men and his position, and saw that a victory won ere his departure would silence the greater part of the inevitable criticism for timidity and want of enterprise, to which he would be exposed on his return to England." {{harv|Oman|1902|p=597}}</ref> by which means the army was saved though at the cost of the British general's life. This view was echoed by the [[José María Queipo de Llano, 7th Count of Toreno|Count of Toreno]], a contemporary of Moore's and author of the classic Spanish history of the war.<ref>{{harvtxt|Queipo de Llano (Count of Toreno)|1835|pp=433–4}}.</ref> Moore was buried wrapped in a military cloak in the ramparts of the town. The funeral is commemorated in a well-known poem by [[Charles Wolfe]] (1791–1823), "The Burial of Sir John Moore after Corunna".{{sfn|Robson|2009}}

Charles Esdaile, in ''The Peninsular War: A New History'', writes: "In military terms, Moore's decision to retreat was therefore probably sensible enough but in other respects it was a disaster ... Having failed to appear in time ... then allowed Madrid to fall without a shot, the British now seemed to be abandoning Spain altogether." Also, "Even worse than the physical losses suffered by the allies was the immense damage done to Anglo-Spanish relations. ... de la Romana ... openly accusing Moore of betrayal and bad faith." Finally, "... the occupation (by the French) of the most heavily populated region in the whole of Spain".{{sfn|Esdaile|2003|pp=151–156}}

[[Image:Tumba de John Moore.jpg|thumb|right|Moore's tomb in San Carlos Garden at [[A Coruña]]]]
Chandler states, the British Army had been "... compelled to conduct a precipitate retreat and evacuate by sea." Also, "Madrid and the Northern half of Spain were under occupation by French troops".{{sfn|Chandler|1995|p=658}} Fremont-Barnes, in ''The Napoleonic Wars: The Peninsular War 1807–1814'', writes that the then British Foreign Secretary [[George Canning|Canning]]: " ... privately condemned Moore's failed campaign in increasingly stronger terms," while in public he " ... in the great British tradition of characterizing defeat as victory, insisted that although Moore's army had been pushed out of Spain his triumph at the battle of Corunna had left 'fresh laurels blooming upon our brows'".{{sfn|Fremont-Barnes|2002|pp=79–80}}

A more charitable view is offered by W. H. Fitchett in ''How England Saved Europe'': "... it is also a dramatic justification of Moore's strategy that he had drawn a hostile force so formidable into a hilly corner of Spain, thus staying its southward rush".{{sfn|Fitchett|1900|p=76}} Napier similarly speculates: "The second sweep that [Napoleon] was preparing to make when Sir John Moore's march called off his attention from the south would undoubtedly have put him in possession of the remaining great cities of the Peninsula."{{sfn|Napier|1873|p=124}}

Nevertheless, back in England the reaction to news of the Battle of Corunna and the safe evacuation of the army was a storm of criticism over Moore's handling of the campaign, while back in Corunna his adversary Marshal Soult took care of Moore's grave and ordered a monument to be raised in his memory.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=595}}{{sfn|Chandler|1995|p=658}}

==See also==
{{Portal|France}}
* [[Timeline of the Peninsular War]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
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==Further reading==
* {{cite book |ref=none |last=Hugo |first=Abel |year=1836 |title=Histoire de L'Empereur Napoleon |location=Paris |publisher=Bureau central du magasin universel |url=https://archive.org/details/histoiredelemper00hugo |language=fr}}

==External links==
* {{commons-inline}}

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[[Category:Battles of the Peninsular War involving the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Battles in 1809]]
[[Category:1809 in Spain]]
[[Category:January 1809]]
[[Category:History of A Coruña]]
[[Category:King's German Legion]]
[[Category:Military history of Galicia (Spain)]]
[[Category:Battles inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe]]