The Battle of Corunna

Sir John Moore had been in retreat since he had heard the news of Wellesley's defeat in the south last autumn. Since then Wellesley had been in retreat for Lisbon and General Cuts besieged in Almeida. The French had penetrated far, as far as the Tagus river, and he and Britain's largest collected army were trapped in the North, the emperor himself closing in on him. Since December he had been in retreat through the Galician hills and now, on the 16th of January 1809 he faced the entirety of Marshal Soult's collective forces. But more terrible was the knowledge that, in his army, Soult had four battalions of the 47me commanded by the dreaded Colonel Raymond Dubreton who had sent Cuts and then Wellesley running down the Tagus. He had abandoned the siege of Almeida to his officers and gone north to take command of his regiment. 

But Moore had not come this far to be defeated, he would make his stand in Corunna and as the French reeled from their valiant defence they would make their escape by the ships currently anchored in Corunna harbour. If they could get this army out of Spain then more troops could be sent to Russia and others could reinforce Wellesley in Lisbon, it was victory or death.

As our real time fictional campaign was now crossing over into January 1809 (Jan 2013) we could not but help refighting this most famous and glorious battle. It has to be one of my favourite engagements of the Napoleonic wars (besides the retreat to Corunna) and I have recently been doing allot of research into it, reading through Osprey books, first hand accounts and other mines of information on this thing called the Internet (most extensively because I am writing a novel based on the battle, but a wargame is always a good excuse for putting these things to use). Our game was basically three games in one. The first, covering the entirety of the battlefield, was done using junior general top downs, one stand for every battalion. The second was a giant 1/72nd game based on the fighting at Elvina and an almost 1:1 scale and finally the third, a 28mm skirmish, based around the fighting between Lahoussaye's dismounted cavalry and Paget's division (including the rifles). In the actual battle the riflemen skirmished with the dismounted horse and Paget swept them aside, entering on the French left just in time. So the outcome of the skirmish would determine weather Paget's division or Lahoussaye's cavalry appeared on the main board.

Note: the regiments depicted in the 1/72nd game and 28mm skirmish were not all present at the real battle, and before you say "but the 16th were in the west indies" they've been recalled by myself as Colonel Kevin McDowall, a leading light of Whitehall and horse guards. Oh and apologies for the unfinished villages

Marshal Mermet's Division (1/72)

-54e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (General Julien Mermet, Colonel de L'Eclin)
two companies: fourty eight men (including officers, musicians and colours)

-54e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne, Greandier companies (General Julien Mermet, Colonel de L'Eclin)
two companies: fourty eight men (including officers, musicians and colours)

-47e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (Colonel Raymond Dubreton)
one company: twenty four men (including officers and musicians)

-47e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne, Grenadier companies (Colonel Raymond Dubreton, Lieutenant Stefan Krzyzanowski)
two companies: fourty eight men (including officers, musicians and colours)

-47e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne, Voltiguer company (Lieutenant Stefan Krzyzanowski)
one company: twenty four men (including officers, musicians and colours)

-2^e Regiment d’Infanterie Suisse (General Julien Mermet)
one company: twenty four men (including officer and colours)

-Soult's Artillery (Major Patrick Roche)
fourteen cannons: 6-12pdrs

General Bentinck's brigade (1/72)

 -1st Battalion 42nd Black Watch Highland regiment of foot. Grenadier company, Light company, 1st company and 4th company
Grenadier company (General Sir John Moore): twenty four men (including Captain William Jenkins, King's Colour ensign James Corcoran and Sergeant)
Light Company (Colonel Sir Thomas Graham): twenty four men (including Captain Angus Firthson and musicians)
1st Company (Major Charles Napier): twenty one men (including Major Hugo Munro)
4th Company (Lieutenant Colonel James Stirling): twenty two men (including officers and musicians)

-16th Bedfordshire regiment of foot, 1st company (Brigadier Lord William Bentinck)
one company: twenty men, two musicians and two sergeants

-1st foot guards. 1st and 2nd companies (Brigadier Lord William Bentinck, Colonel Sir Thomas Graham)
two companies: fourty eight men (including officers, colours and musicians)

-92nd Gordon Highland regiment of foot. 1st company (General Sir John Moore)
one company: twenty three men (regimental colours and two musicians)

-Light company picket. various regiments' light companies
sixteen men (including Midshipman George Whiting of the foot guards)

-28th North Glocestershire regiment of foot, 1st company (General Sir John Moore)
one company: twenty four men (including officers and musicians)

- 27th Inniskilling regiment of foot, grenadier and 1st company (Lieutenant Colonel James Stirling, Major Charles Napier)
two companies:  thirty eight (including Major, musicians and sergeants)

Lahoussaye's dismounted cavalry (28mm)

- Dismounted Polish light horse of the Old Guard.
Sergeant Bernard Boroski, Trooper Kaminski Gwozdek, Trooper Jez Auttenburg, Trooper Kaspar Kasprzak, Trooper Kosmatka Dunajski, Trooper Krol Kowalczyk, Trooper Jedynak Gorski and Trooper Rog Koziol

Paget's rifles (28mm)

- 5th rifle Battalion, 60th Royal American regiment of foot

Captain William Frederickson, Rifleman Charles William Plant, Rifleman Frederick Rath, Rifleman Antoni Contachowitz, Rifleman Patrick Dunlea, Rifleman Edward Cuddon, Rifleman William Moss and Rifle the dog

Colonel Dubreton surveys the battlefield as the massed battery tests its range on the village of Elvina.

For this game we used Warlord Games' rules set Black Powder and their Napoleonic Peninsular war expansion, Albion Triumphant. For the battle overview we divided all measurements by six and for the Skirmish we used a card driven Napoleonic Skirmish game I have used before (see http://warformiddleearth.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/somewhere-near-barysau-23rd-november.html).
For the combat in Elvina we also decided to construct rules for Aide de camps, the rule being that if the ADC came within range of the enemy whilst on the most direct path from his commander to the unit he was delivering the order too, then the enemy could take a pot shot at him and on the roll of a 6 the order would count as failed. This made for an interesting twist that might upset battle plans in a rather realistic way.
All the models used are mostly Airfix with some of the British models and French artillery by Italeri and Waterloo.

Sir John Moore hands orders for the army to one of his Staff, as he surveys the British positions upon the ridge above Elvina village.

Whiting keeps his picket down in the Compound of the village of Elvina, as the French artillery pounds the position, luckily for the light companies Mermet appears to have deployed his artillery just out of range of their walls. Whiting was confident of holding his position against even the boldest of French charges, but an artillery bombardment?

Sergeant Bernard Boroski leaned on his carbine. He and his section had been sent forward to occupy this advanced position in the village of San Cristobal and hold it against the British riflemen approaching from the North. He and his men had been wandering about the village since morning, scavenging the houses for materials with which to build barricades as well as general looting. He had seven of the elite Polish light horse who just two months back had defeated the Spanish at the battle of Somosierra and moved straight from Young Guard to Old Guard, they were the elitest troops here today but they were cavalry. They had been sent forward on foot as skirmishers, which they were not, to face the world's best skirmishers the British riflemen. The task at had would need skill yes, but above all luck, for armed only with bad quality smoothbore carbines they would need it.

Troopers Koziol and Kowalczyk, off duty for an hour or so, had broken into the home of San Cristobal's priest and were making their unwelcome advances on his niece. But the old priest was still in the way and armed with an old sword, little more than a large knife, they would need to teach him a lesson before they had their luck with his niece.

Back at Elvina, Sir John advanced forward into the village's orchard whilst making his orders known to the men under his command. The 28th North Gloucesters advanced through Elvina's back streets whilst the Gordons and Black watch, king's and regimental colours flying, advanced along the west side towards the stronger French left flank.

Sir John Moore surveyed the battlefield from the calm serenity of the Spanish Orchard, save for the occassional far off blast of a cannon, you could hardly tell there was a battle happening around them. The bandsmen played and soon hearts of oak drowned out whatever bad trouser march the Frogs were playing. But then he hard gun fire, and quickly began writing his orders with a new found speed.

Lieutenant Kryzanowski with the Voltiguer and Grenadier companies of the 47e had force marched his men in attack column to within range of the village's walls and was volleying the defenders but with little effect, for Whiting's men were well tucked away in Elvina's buildings, though he himself crouched by a wall.

Major Roche, in command of one of the largest batteries France had ever operated under the command of a Marshal other than Napoleon. But he was exasperated because Mermet, never an engineer, had ordered them unlimber just out of range of the village and now the battery would have to be manhandeled into range. The General advance had been sounded and he was not ready to give covering fire to them as they advanced, but there was nothing he could do.

Rifleman Patrick Dunlea cocked his baker rifle slowly to prevent the click from being too audible before edging to the side of the building. Rifleman Moss stood beside him, hand firmly clamped over Rifle's, the riflemen's mascot, muzzle to prevent him from barking. Dunlea, an Irishmen, looked across the alley to where Riflemen Frederick Rath and Antoni Contachowitz, a Hanoverian and Pole respectively, knelt, their rifles ready. He knodded and Moss let go of Rifle's muzzle, but before he could bark  four rifles cracked down San Cristobal's street towards the barricade where three Frenchies were lounging around chatting. But the Riflemen were not in prime condition, they were exhausted from nearly a month's forced march through the Galician hills and all the shots flew wide, save for Contachowitz's which blew a whole in the Czapka of one man, sending him running in terror.

But Sergeant Boroski had been expecting just such an attack as this and he quickly marshaled his force, returning a swift carbine volley on the riflemen whilst calling out his men from their pleasures inside the houses. The Polish volley was lucky in the extreme, the carbine shots landing perfectly on target to leave two of the riflemen dead and the other back in hiding. The cavalry quickly dropped down to reload their Carbines and wait for the Jaggers to show themselves again.

The green jackets were in disarray. Cuddon and Moss had been taken out by carbine fire and now the, already, outnumbered Rifles looked in a very poor place. Rifle whined as he sniffed the bloodied body of Moss, but already the others were reloading their rifles, in preparation of the smoke clearing.

But oblivious to this, working his way round the East of the village, Rifleman Charles William Plant, a Londoner, cocked his rifle, ready for a surprise attack on the French rear in which he could possibly secure the safety of the remaining villagers.

Again the Jaggers popped out from behind the walls to send bullets flashing down the alley and this time they struck home, a shot catching Gwozdek in the arm. The Pole staggered back as a bullet fired by one of his own countrymen hit home and the blood spurted across his trousers.

But the French volley was swift in return and soon the Hanoverian, Rath, lay in a puddle of his own blood on the cold Spanish flagstones.
Behind the firing lines the villagers of San Cristobal were starting to make a run for it, the priest and his niece rushing  for the far barricade whilst a drunkard staggered around the streets. Trooper Kowalczyk, having not yet been satisfied by the Spanish maiden, chased after them, making to cut off their escape route.

But just then Plant appeared from behind a wall and fired on the Polish brute! However he too was worn out, and this coupled with the two Spaniards appearing straight in front of him caused him to miss the Pole. He quickly threw himself back against the wall and started again to reload the weapon.

Captain William Frederickson, a Westphalian officer of the rifles, suddenly fired on the Poles as they all rushed to meet the, apparent, main threat to the West. The bullet from the crack marksman span threw the air taking down Dunajski in a single shot. The Captain it seemed was so much a hardened veteran he could retain good aim even after such hardships

The riflemen now let loose Rifle, sending him straight for the Western Barricade as they covered him with rifle fire. Dunlea's bullet caught the wounded Gwozdek straight in the chest sending him spinning and crashing to the floor, the Jaggers seemed to have regained their aim.

Rifle jumped up the makeshift wall but was beaten down by a carbine stock and sent flying back to his masters, a bloody wound on his head.

As the next Carbine volley crashed down the street, Dunlea hot footed it over the fallen Moss and back down one of the streets to try and find his Captain. The rifles' attack had met with disaster, their bad aim and the spectacular shooting, worthy of riflemen of the Poles taking its toll quickly, despite having such good positions of attack.

Krol Kowalczyk, fed up with the priest's insistence that his niece remain a virgin, started to attack the old man. Holding him against a wall whilst beating him with his carbine stock. The girl screamed as her father blood splashed on the pavement and Plant hurriedly tried to speed up his loading

But it was too late and in an instant the priest was slumped at the bottom of the wall and Kowalczyk was advancing on his niece, still screaming. Plant tapped his rifle on the hard stones and shouldered it, drawing back the hammer.

Troopers Kasprzak and Auttenburg, lept across the barricade and down the alley, sabres drawn. They rushed for the Polish Riflemen, Contachowitz, who quickly drew his sword bayonet as they charged him. Th Brawl between the three countrymen was short and sharp and ended with the green jacket face down on the pavement, two crimson sabres raised above him. In the centre of the village Sergeant Boroski brought down his sabre across the drunk's, who had persisted in following the NCO as he ran around, chest, kicking his limp body as he dropped to the ground.

The remaining two poles were racing north after the Jaggers' Captain and as they rounded the corner they spied him making a get away and fired. The carbine shot cracked, tripping the Westphalian and sending him sprawling across the bare earth.

Seeing Autenburg with raised sabre, still fresh with Polish blood, standing over Rifle, Dunlea span round and fired, this time striking true. The smoke filled his face and he knew it was just him Rifle and possibly Plant, the other were all fled or down.

Auttenburg crumpled and Rifle let out a bark of triumph, Kasprzak fleeing back over the barrier at the sight of the bloody mouthed white toy poodle.

Kowalczyk made to rip the girls dress off her, sharp nails tearing at his uniform as he laughed, but suddenly a shot rang out behind him and then an English voice swore. The Girl was limp in his arms and Plant was hurriedly reloading his rifle, cursing that he had just killed the last Spaniard in San Cristobal.

Over at Elvina the firing had just started. The Gordon Highlanders had, on Moore's orders, quickly formed a two deep line across the southern edge of Elvina village and had just let rip a volley into the ranks of the 47e Voltiguers, and the casualties had been high, many Frenchmen falling to the Scot's close range firing.

Whiting's picket had also taken its toll on the Frogs, several men of the 47e's grenadier company falling to the pot shots from the village walls, but the French were just waiting for the smoke to clear to let rip their own salvo.

Lieutenant Krzyzanowski wrote a hurried order for the elite companies of the 47e under his command to form line and give the Highlanders a whiff of French shot. He handed it to his gaudily clad Aide de Camps who wore the uniform of Lasalle's hussars. "Vive L'emperuer" cried the ADC as he rode off, sabre waving in the air. But just as he approached the two attack columns halted before Elvina, a good shot from the Gordons raised his musket and fired. The shot rang out and the Aide slipped from his saddle, the message unread. Kryzanowski cursed. "Who was that sir?" asked a man of the Grenadiers to his captain "Ah one of those damn glory hunters, right nuisance always charging about the field, believing themselves immune to bullets"

The artillery was quickly redeploying just within long range of the village and the newly formed lines of Highlanders and Major Roche dismounted to have breakfast of lightly buttered toast as the artillery crews loaded their guns and prepared that morning's entertainment. Roche was glad he had not stayed in Ireland, for he had never lived as comfortable a life as this in all his life, ah the perks of being an artillery officer.

So the French artillery bombardment started, round shot plunging into the British lines and spraying both sides in earth and bodies. By the end of the day, the artillerymen promised, Elvina would be a pile of blood soaked rubble.

With the Highland line deployed and the artillery bombardment started, Mermet in command of the 54e marched his men forward to let off a horrifically close range volley right into the heart of the highland ranks, causing a terrific amount of casualties coupled with those caused by the artillery.

The round shot ripped down through the ranks of the Gordons whilst salvos of musketry from the elite companies of the 54e and 47e slashed across their fronts. The Gordons began to waver..

And in no time at all they were running back through Elvina's field, past Sir John Moore, their regimental colours still held aloft whilst the men scattered in all directions. "Your a disgrace to your colours" yelled Sir John's aide, but Moore replied "No! They have preserved it to fly again!"

However not all was glory and gentleman's war, for in the gutter of San Cristobal a dirty Polish sergeant in a red collared cape of white, raised his carbine, took aim at a small white poodle and fired. The shot hit home and the poodle crumpled in a white ball of fluff to lay beside the bodies of a Hanoverian and a Polish rifleman and a Polish cavalryman.

Kowalczyk yelled at the foolish rifleman who had just killed his fun and drew his steel sabre, rushing towards the man, but Plant of London again levelled his rifle hitting the Pole square between the eyes. He spat on the blue and red uniform of the guard horseman, who had killed a priest and caused the death of a young girl. But suddenly he looked up.

Sergeant Boroski was again on the hunt and as he advanced towards the pile of Spanish and Polish dead he pulled the trigger of his carbine, sending yet another leaden ball spinning through the air to land smack on target and send yet another rifleman to the floor.

Dunlea braced his sword bayonet to receive the charge of the oncoming dismounted cavalryman, it should have been easy for the rifleman, but he had not the will to fight and the sabre easily struck home, the last Jagger falling in a spurt of blood to leave the left flank open for Lahoussaye to march on.

Sergeant Boroski had succeeded and in allot better time than he had expected too. He had lost half of his command but had decimated the rifles and was now free to move his men East and join Lahoussaye's cavalry in coming down on Moore's right.

But Sir John Moore new none of this, he sat atop his horse surrounded by the men of the "Gay Gordons".
"My brave 92nd, you still have your bayonets! Recollect Holland, Recollect Egypt!" The 92nd cheered, laying down their wounded and turning to return to the battle

Meanwhile Colonel Stirling was marching his force towards the front line, ready to bolster the line and the hearts of their fellow Black Watch. Major Munro lead the column whilst the Inniskilings brought up the rear.

With the Gordons rallied, Moore wrote out orders for the 42nd Grenadier company to "Recollect Egypt" and charge Mermet's grenadiers. However as the flamboyant staff captain in his fur cap and pelisse rode forward, a man of the 47e voltiguers took a pot shot at the officer, taking him from the saddle and leaving the 42nd to fire volleys instead of making the charge that could have broken Mermet's section of the line. Another critical casualty.

The 42nd fired on the French Grenadiers but to little effect, even at such a horribly close range. Mermet cried out over the heads of his men "En Avant, En Avant!"

But whilst Mermet and Captain Jenkins duelled it out with ragged volleys, Krzyzanowski and Dubreton pushed the Grenadiers and Voltiguers of the 47e on to the village, storming its walls with waves of French men. Casualties were heavy as the men of the picket and the North Gloucesters let of closing fire on the nearing French men, but they were few...

Again the artillery let off another bombardment, this time firing over Mermet's position to pummel the 42nd Grenadiers, but still the king's colours flew in defiance and the highlanders stood where the "Gay Gordons" had not.

The assault on Elvina was a bloody affair and ended in the destruction of four companies, the picket and the North Gloucesters breaking and scattering from the battlefield. But the French too took heavy losses, the Voltiguer company and one of the Grenadiers, indeed all the men under Krzyzanowski, running back to the safety of the southern heights. But, though they had suffered terribly, Colonel Dubreton and his grenadiers piled over the walls and through the gates, driving the redcoats before them.

The village was now in French hands, the British right crumbling and the French penetrating deep on the left. But it had all been at the greatest of costs and in the end neither side had made too much of an advantage. Krzyzanowski rode back across the field to assist Mermet, this time avoiding the unwelcome attention of snipers.

Colonel Dubreton rode out infront of his men. "You have done well 47e! One day they shall honour you and I above all others!" but he was cut short as suddenly a volley crashed out through the compound from the buildings of North Elvina, causing many casualties amongst the grenadiers, though by some miracle Dubreton and his aid escaped harm. It was the Gordons, despatced by Moore to retake Elvina, who had crept back into the village through the northern door and would soon be fighting the grenadiers. Both sides were battle weary and both were led by inspirational commanders, it was anyone's game

Things were changing on the French left. The Black Watch's grenadiers had been broken and scattered by the artillery fire and now the 1st company, led by Major Munro, were in their place, whilst to their left the Inniskilings' grenadier company was in place, facing off against the 54e. Mermet was occupied with trying to rally his grenadiers, who had been disordered and shaken by the highland 1st company's volley on arrival, but the Swiss infantry were now out of reserve and marching on the highlanders.

The 47e fusiliers, marching up the side of Elvina, were suddenly assualted in the flank as the 1st foot guards piled over the walls of the orchard and into them, bayonets fixed and swords drawn. The resulting combat, as expected, went badly for the French but, against all odds, they held and turned their formation to counter the Guardsmen.

Having formed the grenadiers into a rally square, Mermet now decided to show the 42nd a bit of Swiss musketry, and so commanded his aide de camps with an order for them to form line and give the Scots a volley. However as the fellow left the safety of the square some of the highlanders shot at him. The ADC flew from his mount, the order unopened and the Swiss still in column.

In Elvina, Colonel Dubreton sent forward the grenadiers to assault the  northern buildings with the bayonet. Bear skinned Frenchmen and Ostrich feathered Scots knocked each other about, but in the end the Scots got the better, fighting from the defensible buildings.
The Grenadiers broke and scattered, despite Dubreton's best efforts

By some miracle the last company of 47e, still under Dubreton's command, managed to throw off the British foot guards and send the reeling back through the Orchard, in the ensuing round of combat. de L'Eclin's men were now in range of the 4th company of Black Watch and the highlandrs had been exchanging volleys with his fusiliers, but  little effect.

Fuelled with desperation and with no men of his own to command, Krzyzanowski, on seeing the newly resurrected British right, charged through Mermet's line company. He led them forward and into combat with the Inniskiling grenadiers.
But to their right the highlanders were having the worst of the Swiss volleys, even if they were in column.

But the worst was not over for the British as suddenly the 27e an 17e Dragoons poured on behind the forward lines to their right. In the larger battle map, the 31e leger had broken the 4th foot and swept aside the 1st foot guards before falling back and leaving the way clear for the dragoons to ride into Elvina.

Stirling issued his order for the 42nd 1st company to charge the Swiss, but the order was scrawled badly and Major Munro, believing it to instruct a retreat, ordered his men to fall back. However the Swiss mistook their actions for a charge and opened up with closing fire, turning the retiring highlanders into routing ones. They fled back into the newly arrived cavalry and were nearly all cut down. The 17e dragoons, believing the battle over and theirs, turned tail and quitted the field.

Colonel Sir Thomas Graham now took up his position beside Sir John behind Elvina's outer walls. The 1st foot guards and 42nd light company, both under Graham's command, now advanced under their eyes to take the place of the broken 1st Company in the line.

With his highlanders broken, Stirling now plunged into the combat between the 54e and the Inniskilings at almost exactly the same time Dubreton did likewise. Blood ran through the fields as the 54e, two of the commanders fighting in their ranks, battled with the Irish grenadiers led by their colonel. But the battle went on in vain

De L'Eclin's grenadiers now lashed with the 42nd 4th company having much better luck in the combat than his fusiliers were out of it. The Bedfords and Inniskillings on the British left both let off volleys tearing through their ranks, causing terrible casualties and disordering the whole lot.

The Gordon's, having reoccupied the village now found them selves under fierce artillery fire as the whole battery opened up on them. Bloodied and broken bodies flew across the compound as the highlanders huddled against teh walls.

But the worst was not yet over. Two 8pdrs had been sent forward on limbers and were now ready to fire on Elvina's gates, which they did to terrible effect, spraying canister over the walls and keeping down the heads of the highlanders. But still the brave Gordons stood.

De L'Eclin, seeing the Grenadiers doing well, now personally went to rally his fusiliers into a sturdy half square, secured against the flanks of the grenadiers and the walls of the orchard. In the background the remnants of the 47e continued their bitter resistance against the guards, this time disordering the elite infantry but not quite sending them back over the walls.

On the French Left the newly arrived 42nd Light company commanded by Captain Angus Firthson and under Sir Thomas Graham found itself volleyed by the Swiss before being enfiladed by Mermet's grenadiers. Needless to say they did not remain for long.

Graham's guards advanced to take the place of the 42nd, and the horses of the 27e refused to take them in a charge down the flank of the already engaged Inniskillings. But from the ridge above Elvina a green coated figure with a sabre and wearing a pelisse surveyed the battlescape and the hammer of a rifle clicked.

De L'Eclin in his rally square tried desperately to hold the fusiliers together, and they stood though from every angle the redcoated infantry pummelled their ranks with musketry and the French men fell by the bucket, colours tossed from man to man as they fell. Suddenly from behind the Bedfords de L'Eclin saw the puffs of smoke and the cracks of rifles

The green jackets, abandoning Paget to come swiftly up behind Lahoussaye's cavalry had arrived and were already sniping at gaudy French colonels. On the left they advanced behind the Bedfords to pluck a Chasseur a Cheval colonel of the guard from his square.

The Battle outside Elvina between the Inniskillings and 54e grew ever more bloody, and in its centre there stood Dubreton and Stirling duelling each other from horse back as all around them their men echoed their actions. But it could not last forever and in the final moments the Irish broke and Stirling was swept away with them

Knowing they had but half an hour to take the village before night fall and the retreat back to their lines, Dubreton now marshaled the 54e to assault Elvina's walls as the artillery pounded its defenders when they showed their heads.

Black coated Frenchmen dragged themselves up the walls but were thrusted down by the bayonets of the highlanders. Men fell in great swathes on both sides but still there were more to fill the gaps. Suddenly a highlander let off a musket shot from a loophole in the wall and Krzyzanowski's horse slipped from under him, leaving him trapped beneath its great weight. It looked as though the British surely must be victorious and all thanks to the "Gay Gordons".

But suddenly, rushing through the back streets came cavalry! French dragoons and it was all over for the Gordons. The Horsemen dived in amongst them and with no time to form square the Gordons fell. They scattered from the doors and bolted from the alleys rushing for the British lines with their colours still aloft.

However French casualties were too high, they could not go on, Dubreton could not make them and, as the Dragoons retired from the village, it was all he and the 54e could do to watch the building as it smoked. The general retreat soon sounded and Mermet retired for the night, no more of a foothold than he had started with.

The action at Elvina had ended in stalemate, neither side able to make headway and with heavy casualties on both sides. Many commanders had been killed or wounded and many units broken. The French cavalry had fled as had the 47e ligne, leaving just the 54e and the artillery to hold the field. But the 47e were in glory and were on their way to becoming members of the young guard. Dubreton had proved his worth and would soon be showered with fame and glory.

But there were the victorious dead too. As Elvina burned bodies twitched, many bodies. The dead of the 28th North Gloucestershire, the light picket, the 92nd Gordons, the 47e voltiguers and grenadiers, the 54e fusiliers and the 27e Dragoons. All were bloodstained and mutilated.

The overall battle was the deciding factor. The British had lost battalions but not nearly so many and as both sides retired the result drew in as the narrowest of British victories, though of course in France it would be heralded as an imperial victory. The 47e would receive it on their banner and Dubreton would be sent with them too continue the siege of Almeida. Moore would return to Britain to continue light infantry training and his regiments would be spread between the English barracks, the Lisbon parade ground and the wilds of Sweden.

"Give the order to board the ships" said Sir John, handing a scrap of paper to his aide

"Right you are sir" he replied "A victory sir?"

"Aye, of the very finest"