The Battle of Barrosa, 1811 : Forgotten Battle of the Peninsular War

By the winter of 1810-11, the armies of Napoleon had overrun most of Spain and Joseph Bonaparte sat on the throne in Madrid. But the Spanish Government had found refuge in the fortress-port of Cadiz and the Spaniards refused to admit that they had been conquered. With a British army under Sir Thomas Graham helping to defend Cadiz, the Spanish cause seemed certain to prevail. But then the Spaniards wanted to throw Graham's force into a reckless battle against the French. If the battle was won, the siege of Cadiz would be lifted; if the battle was lost Cadiz would be rendered defenceless and the Spanish government left at the mercy of the invaders. The opposing forces met on the heights of Barossa in one of the most savage encounters of the Peninsular War. At stake was the very survival of the Spanish nation and the future course of the war against Napoleon. The Battle of Barossa 1811 is the first book to examine this crucial campaign in detail and to reveal its true historical importance. Cover; Title Page; Copyright; Contents; Foreword by Pete Jackson, MBE; Introduction 'A few cannon shots'; Maps; 1 Saving Spain; 2 Enter the Lion; 3 A Common Cause; 4 A Considerable Risk; 5 Manoeuvres in the Dark; 6 Barrosa's Blood-Drenched Hill; 7 'A Great and Glorious Triumph'; 8 'That Terrible Day'; 9 A Confusion of Commands; 10 'A Day of Unequalled Joy'; 11 Long Shadows; The Battlefields of the Barrosa Campaign A Visitors' Guide; Appendix I: Force under Major General John Randall MacKenzie directed to Cadiz, February 1809. Appendix II: The army under Captain General the Duke of Albuquerque, Isla de Leon, 24 February 1810Appendix III: Allotment of the troops under Lieutenant General Graham, Isla de Leon, 30 July 1810; Appendix IV: The Battle of Barrosa, 5 March 1811, Order of Battle; Appendix V: Graham's Barrosa Dispatch; Appendix VI: Opposing forces at the Siege of Tarifa; Appendix VII: Composition of the British forces at Cadiz, 25 August 1811; Notes and References; Bibliography; General Index. By the winter of 1810-11, the armies of Napoleon had overrun most of Spain and Joseph Bonaparte sat on the throne in Madrid. But the Spanish Government had found refuge in the fortress-port of Cadiz and the Spaniards refused to admit that they had been conquered. With a British army under Sir Thomas Graham helping to defend Cadiz, the Spanish cause seemed certain to prevail. But then the Spaniards wanted to throw Grahams force into a reckless battle against the French. If the battle was won, the siege of Cadiz would be lifted; if the battle was lost Cadiz would be rendered defenseless and the Spanish government left at the mercy of the invaders. The opposing forces met on the heights of Barossa in one of the most savage encounters of the Peninsular War. At stake was the very survival of the Spanish nation and the future course of the war against Napoleon. The Battle of Barossa 1811 is the first book to examine this crucial campaign in detail and to reveal its true historical importance. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Contents Foreword Introduction Maps 1 SAVING SPAIN 2 ENTER THE LION 3 A COMMON CAUSE 4 A CONSIDERABLE RISK 5 MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK 6 BARROSA’S BLOOD-DRENCHED HILL 7 ‘A GREAT AND GLORIOUS TRIUMPH’ 8 ‘THAT TERRIBLE DAY’ 9 A CONFUSION OF COMMANDS 10 ‘A DAY OF UNEQUALLED JOY’ 11 LONG SHADOWS The Battlefields of the Barrosa Campaign – A Visitors’ Guide Appendices I II III IV V VI VII Notes and References Bibliography General Index An in-depth study into one of the forgotten battles of the Peninsular Campaign.