The Battle of Corunna, also known as A Coruña, La Coruña, or La Corogne, and called the Battle of Elviña in Spain, happened on January 16, 1809. During this battle, a French army led by Marshal Jean de Dieu Soult attacked a British army commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore. This battle occurred during the Peninsular War, which was part of the larger Napoleonic Wars.
The British army was steadily chased by the French and had to retreat across northern Spain. Their rear guard, or group of soldiers protecting the retreat, fought repeatedly against French attacks. Both armies faced difficult winter conditions. Many British soldiers, except for the elite Light Brigade led by Robert Craufurd, became less organized and disciplined during the retreat. When the British reached the port of Corunna on the northern coast of Galicia, they arrived a few days before the French. However, their transport ships had not yet arrived. The ships arrived after a few days, and the British were beginning to board when the French attacked.
Although Soult’s French army had fewer infantry soldiers, they had more cavalry and artillery. However, the rough local terrain made it hard for the French cavalry to fight effectively. The British had more ammunition for their muskets, allowing them to keep firing longer than the French. They also had a strong defensive position on mountainous land, which was mostly hidden from Soult’s view. Because of this, Soult could only guess how many British soldiers were present. During the battle, the British held off the French until nightfall, when both sides stopped fighting. That night, the British continued to board their ships. The last transports left in the morning while French cannons fired at them.
After the battle, the French captured the port cities of Corunna and Ferrol, as well as parts of northern Spain. During the battle, Sir John Moore, the British commander, was seriously wounded. He died after learning that his men had successfully defended against the French attacks. Before being hurt, Moore gave important orders that helped strengthen the British defenses around the village of Elviña. General Sir John Hope then took command from the injured Moore and ended the battle.
Background
The Corunna campaign began with the Battle of Cardedeu.
In early October 1808, after a controversy in Britain related to the Convention of Sintra and the removal of generals Dalrymple, Burrard, and Wellesley, Sir John Moore became the leader of the British force in Portugal, which had about 30,000 soldiers. At the same time, Sir David Baird led a group of reinforcements from Falmouth. This group included 150 ships carrying between 12,000 and 13,000 men. These ships were escorted by the warships HMS Louie, HMS Amelia, and HMS Champion. They arrived at Corunna Harbour on October 13. By November 1808, the British army, now led by Moore, moved into Spain to help Spanish forces fight against Napoleon’s invading army.
After a French army unit surrendered at Bailén and Portugal was lost, Napoleon realized the danger he faced in Spain. Troubled by news of the Sintra incident, the Emperor said,
At this time, the French, who had almost controlled Spain in June, were forced to retreat toward the Pyrenees mountains, holding only parts of Navarre and Catalonia. They were unsure if these areas could be kept against Spanish attacks. By October 1808, French forces in Spain, including soldiers at military posts, numbered about 75,000. They faced 86,000 Spanish soldiers and 35,000 British troops who were still traveling to Spain.
However, no attack happened. The Spanish people, weakened by rebellion, faced serious social and political problems. Patriots disagreed on important issues, which hurt their efforts to fight. After the Spanish monarchy fell, local councils took control of government tasks. These councils interfered with the army and war efforts, weakened the new government forming in Madrid, and sometimes caused conflicts among themselves. Meanwhile, the British army in Portugal was slowed by logistical problems and disagreements over administration and did not move forward.
Months of inactivity passed at the front, with the revolution in Spain "temporarily weakening Patriot Spain at a time when strong action could have changed the war’s outcome." While the allies moved slowly, France sent 100,000 experienced soldiers from the Grande Armée to Spain, led by Napoleon and his Marshals. With his Armée d'Espagne of 278,670 soldiers positioned on the Ebro River, Napoleon faced only 80,000 Spanish troops, many of whom were untrained and disorganized. He told Spanish leaders,
Starting in October 1808, Napoleon led the French in a powerful offensive that surrounded the Spanish lines from two sides. The attack began in November and was described as "an avalanche of fire and steel."
For a time, the British army was spread out, with Baird’s new forces at Astorga in the north, Moore at Salamanca, and Hope 70 miles (110 km) east of Madrid, where all of Moore’s cavalry and artillery were located. The main British army, led by Moore, advanced to Salamanca and joined Hope’s group on December 3 when Moore learned that Spanish forces had suffered several defeats. He decided to retreat back to Portugal to avoid disaster.
Before retreating, Moore learned that Soult’s 16,000-soldier group was scattered and isolated near Carrión, and the French did not know where the British army was. On December 15, Moore used this chance to attack the French near Madrid, hoping to defeat Soult and possibly draw Napoleon’s forces away. A meeting with Baird’s forces from Corunna on December 20 increased Moore’s strength to 23,500 infantry, 2,400 cavalry, and 60 cannons. He began his attack with a successful raid by Lieutenant-General Paget’s cavalry on French outposts at Sahagún on December 21. However, Moore did not continue the attack against the surprised Soult. He stopped for two days, allowing Soult to regroup his forces.
Prelude
After Moore showed his presence, Napoleon acted quickly and firmly. The Spanish forces were defeated and no longer posed a serious threat. Napoleon's army was organized, while the enemy was scattered. With the advantage in his favor, Napoleon seized the opportunity to attack Britain's only army in the field. When Moore realized he was in danger of being trapped, he stopped his advance and began a rapid retreat. This long and difficult retreat covered more than 250 miles (400 km). During this time, the British cavalry and the Light Brigade infantry helped protect the movement of Moore's army after the retreat began on December 25. They fought small battles with the French, including defeating a French cavalry force and capturing General Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes at Benavente before reaching the mountains of Galicia. Another battle at Cacabelos resulted in the death of General Colbert-Chabanais, who was killed by a British rifleman.
The British retreat, closely followed by the French, moved through mountainous areas with harsh cold and snow. The journey was marked by long marches, lack of food, and suffering. At Astorga, Moore was joined by General Romana, who led the remaining Spanish forces from Blake’s army. Romana suggested making a stand, but Moore refused, choosing to continue retreating north while Romana went west toward Portugal. Between Astorga and Betanzos, the British army lost 3,000 soldiers, with 500 more remaining in hospitals at Astorga and Villafranca.
Napoleon tried to catch the British quickly and force them to fight. He led the French army 200 miles (320 km) over 10 days through harsh winter conditions and reached Astorga on January 1 with 80,000 men. He moved to cut off Moore’s escape to Portugal. Moore had planned to retreat to the coast, ordering his Corunna contingent under Baird to leave from Vigo while the main British army fell back to Portugal. By December 28, Moore decided to move the entire army to Vigo. After abandoning Astorga on December 30, Moore managed to stay ahead of the French and avoid a major battle. He ordered Crawford and two brigades, along with troop transport ships, to Vigo.
On December 31, Napoleon wrote to his brother Joseph:
When it became clear that Moore would not fight, Napoleon left the pursuit to Soult’s corps with Michel Ney’s support and returned to Madrid with the rest of the army, about 45,000 men. Napoleon decided to leave Spain to deal with other urgent matters, as the Austrians were preparing to declare war on France and would soon invade Italy and Bavaria.
At times, discipline in Moore’s army broke down. British troops looted Benavente on December 28, and hundreds of drunken soldiers were abandoned on January 2 at Bembibre, where they were captured or killed by French dragoons. Paget tried to execute three British soldiers for looting in a Spanish town but had to stop when French troops approached. French cavalry General Colbert was killed by a long-range rifle shot fired by Thomas Plunket of the 95th Rifles at Cacabelos after driving off the British 15th Hussars. Both sides suffered similar losses.
On January 6, Moore made a stand before the old Roman town of Lugo and offered battle. However, Soult’s forces were initially too scattered. Over two days, Soult gathered his troops and asked Ney to send a division from Villa Franca del Bierzo, but Ney sent few soldiers. By January 8, Soult was ready for battle, but Moore, thinking Ney was outflanking him, fled that night. He shot 500 horses and destroyed artillery supplies and food stores. Realizing he could not reach Vigo and fearing his army would collapse, Moore ordered the transports to Betanzos Bay between Corunna and Ferrol and headed for Corunna.
Rain and confusion caused the British army to lose order, with thousands straggling behind. About 500 British soldiers were captured by French dragoons, and hundreds more were taken by Franceschi’s cavalry on January 10 and 11. The loss of troops between Lugo and Betanzos was greater than during the earlier retreat. On January 11, the British reached Corunna, hoping to find ships to return to England. They found Betanzos Bay empty and only 26 transports and two warships at Corunna. The rest of the 245 ships had been delayed by bad weather and would not leave Vigo until January 13.
The French also suffered from exhaustion and lack of supplies during their pursuit, as they traveled over ground already crossed by the British. The British rearguard delayed the French, allowing the main army to retreat. However, French cavalry constantly pressured the British, making it hard for British cavalry to scout effectively. Soult’s infantry struggled to keep up and was scattered, with most falling behind the cavalry divisions of Armand Lebrun de La Houssaye, Jean Thomas Guillaume Lorge, and Jean Baptiste Marie Franceschi-Delonne. Soult’s infantry divisions, led by Pierre Hugues Victoire Merle, Julien Augustin Joseph Mermet, and Henri François Delaborde, and his artillery would arrive at Corunna in pieces over the next few days.
The British arrived in Corunna on January 11 and found only warships, a few transports, and hospital ships to carry the wounded. There was also a large amount of needed supplies, including 5,000 new muskets, cartridges, Spanish artillery, and food, shoes, and other supplies.
The French army began arriving the next day, growing stronger as more troops reached Corunna. Soult’s artillery arrived on January 14, and the long-awaited transport ships also arrived that day. That evening, the British evacuated their sick, some horses, and most of the remaining field guns, cavalrymen, and gunners. The British had no intention of holding Corunna as a future base, despite its supplies and sea support. They destroyed a large portion of the military stores meant for the Spanish: nearly 12,000 barrels of gunpowder, 300,000 cartridges in two magazines outside the town, 50 fortress guns, and 20 mortars.
The British loaded nearly all their cannon and artillerists onto ships. Since the terrain was unsuitable for cavalry, they also transported some healthy horses and a few cavalry troopers, but killed about 2,000 of the cavalry’s horses. Moore now had a slight advantage in infantry numbers—15,000 to 12,000—and the rough ground, broken by sunken roads and walls, made it hard for Soult’s cavalry to be effective. The British were well-armed, rested, and fed
Battle
On January 16, as daylight arrived, the French army took positions on high ground. Throughout the morning, both the British and French forces watched each other across the valley between them. General Moore planned to move troops to the port later that day if the French did not attack. By afternoon, Moore believed an attack was unlikely and ordered the first divisions to head to the port. The rest of the army would follow at dusk. However, at 2:00 p.m., Moore learned that the French had begun an attack.
General Soult’s plan was to attack the British infantry on the left and center to hold them in place while General Mermet’s infantry targeted the British right side near the village of Elviña. French cavalry was positioned further west in open areas near Corunna. If successful, these attacks could capture the western end of the British line and cut off the main British force from Corunna.
Mermet’s troops advanced quickly, pushing back British outposts and capturing Elviña. They then attacked the hills beyond the village. One French column split into two parts, with two brigades attacking British forces from the front and side, while a third brigade moved up the valley on the British right to try to outflank them. French dragoons struggled over rough terrain to support the attack.
The fiercest fighting occurred in and around Elviña, as control of the village changed hands multiple times. British troops suffered heavily from artillery fire from high ground across the valley. When the French broke through Elviña and advanced up the hill, General Moore sent the 50th Foot and the 42nd (Black Watch) to stop the French infantry. The 4th Foot held the right side of the British line. The area around Elviña had many broken stone walls and uneven roads. Moore stayed in the area to direct the battle, ordering the 4th Foot to fire at the flank of the French column trying to outflank them. He also called in reserve troops under General Paget to meet the attack.
British forces pushed forward beyond the village, but confusion allowed Mermet’s reserves to drive back the 50th and 42nd, forcing them to retreat up the slope. Moore then called in 800 men from two battalions of the Guards, who, along with the 42nd, stopped the French advance.
As Moore was rallying the 42nd after their retreat, he was struck by a cannonball. The injury was severe, breaking his left shoulder and collarbone, leaving his arm dangling by muscle. He remained conscious and calm for several hours before dying. A second British advance forced the French back through Elviña. Mermet then sent his last reserves, including one of Merle’s brigades, to attack the east side of the village. This was countered by British troops from Manningham’s brigade, leading to a long firefight between British and French forces. The 81st Regiment was forced to withdraw and replaced by the 2/59th. Fighting slowed late in the day as both sides withdrew.
For a time, the British had no clear leader after General Baird was seriously wounded, and General John Hope took command. This made it harder to launch a counterattack in Elviña, but fighting continued.
Further west, French cavalry advanced as part of the flank attack but struggled with rough terrain. Some French dragoons dismounted to fight as skirmishers but were driven back by British troops from the 95th Rifles, 28th Foot, and 91st Foot. French cavalry under Franceschi tried to flank the British right near Corunna but were stopped by British forces on the Santa Margarita ridge. As French forces withdrew, Franceschi followed. According to The History of the Rifle Brigade by Sir William Cope, the 95th Rifles tried to attack the French left wing but failed, though they captured 150 French soldiers. When the battle ended, French forces had moved all their reserves to the head of the Monelos stream valley, where the 28th Foot had earlier pushed back French troops.
Night ended the fighting. French attacks had not achieved their goals, and both sides returned to their original positions. The battle for Elviña was inconclusive, with parts of the village still under French control. Both sides agreed to disengage as night fell. The British held parts of Elviña and land previously occupied by French forces. The French captured a southern area of Pedralonga, a village where a small battle also occurred. By the end of the day, the British controlled the northern part of Pedralonga.
Aftermath
Command of the British army passed to General Hope, who chose to continue moving troops by ship instead of trying to hold their position or attack Soult. Around 9:00 pm, the British quietly left their lines, leaving behind strong groups of soldiers who kept watchfires burning all night.
At daybreak on 17 January, these groups were moved back behind the rearguard and boarded ships. By morning, most of the army had already embarked. When Soult saw the British had left the ridge, he placed six cannons on high ground near the southern end of the bay. By midday, the French were able to attack the ships. This caused fear among some transports, and four of them ran aground and were burned to stop the French from capturing them. Fire from warships then stopped the French battery.
On 18 January, the British rearguard boarded ships as the Spanish garrison, led by General Alcedo, held the citadel until the fleet was far out to sea before surrendering. The city of Corunna was taken by the French, who captured two Spanish regiments, 500 horses, and many military supplies, including numerous cannons, 20,000 muskets, hundreds of thousands of cartridges, and tons of gunpowder. A week later, Soult’s forces captured Ferrol, a major Spanish naval base across the bay, taking eight ships of the line (including three with 112 guns, two with 80, one with 74, two with 64), three frigates, many corvettes, and a large arsenal with over 1,000 cannons, 20,000 new muskets from England, and other military supplies.
Because of the battle, the British suffered about 900 men dead or wounded. Many horses could not be moved, so most of the nearly 2,000 cavalry horses and up to 4,000 more horses from the artillery and train were killed to prevent them from falling into French hands. Total British losses during the Corunna campaign (October 1808–January 1809) may have been between 4,500 and 9,000 men. The French lost about 1,000 men killed, wounded, or captured in the battle. 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 leave the field. Also, two of Mermet’s three brigadiers were hurt: Gaulois was shot dead, and Lefebvre was badly injured.
On the morning of the battle, 4,035 British soldiers were listed as sick. A few hundred were too ill to board ships and were left behind. Two more transports were lost, carrying about 300 troops, mostly from the King’s German Legion. By the time the army returned to England four days later, about 6,000 soldiers were ill, with sick reports at Portsmouth and Plymouth alone listing 5,000.
Within ten days, the French captured two fortresses with large amounts of military supplies, which could have been defended for many months with better preparation. Ney and his forces, reinforced with two cavalry regiments, took control of Galicia. Soult was able to repair his army, which had been fighting since 9 November, using captured supplies. With half a million cartridges and 3,000 artillery rounds carried on mules (because roads were not suitable for wheeled transport), and with stragglers now joining the main group, Soult began his march on Portugal on 1 February with 19,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, and 58 guns.
Analysis
The British army was sent to Spain to help drive the French out, but they were forced to retreat in harsh winter conditions that caused serious health problems and low morale, leading the army to become disorganized. In his detailed account of the battle, English historian Christopher Hibbert wrote: "It was fine to speak of the soldiers' courage and strength, but these qualities were not enough when facing Napoleon's skill. Thirty-five thousand men had crossed into Spain against him; only eight thousand returned. We did not live up to our past." Some British people at the time also saw the battle of Corunna as a failure, as reported by The Times: "The fact must not be hidden… we have suffered a disgraceful loss."
Historian Charles Oman believed that Marshal Soult's attack at Corunna gave General Moore and his soldiers a chance to restore their honor through a successful defense, which saved the army but cost Moore his life. This view was supported by the Count of Toreno, a contemporary of Moore and author of a classic Spanish history of the war. John Fortescue noted: "…it would be wrong to claim either side won a major victory," though he added that British soldiers were content with the battle's outcome, unlike the French troops. Moore was buried in a military cloak on the town's ramparts. His funeral is remembered in a famous poem by Charles Wolfe (1791–1823), titled "The Burial of Sir John Moore after Corunna."
Charles Esdaile, in The Peninsular War: A New History, wrote: "In military terms, Moore's decision to retreat was likely reasonable, but in other ways it was a failure. By not arriving in time, allowing Madrid to fall without a fight, the British seemed to be leaving Spain entirely." He also stated: "Even worse than the loss of soldiers was the harm done to relations between Britain and Spain. … de la Romana accused Moore of betrayal and dishonesty." Finally, he noted: "…the French occupied the most densely populated region of Spain."
Chandler wrote that the British Army was "…forced to flee quickly and leave by sea." He also stated that "Madrid and the northern half of Spain were under French control." Fremont-Barnes, in The Napoleonic Wars: The Peninsular War 1807–1814, wrote that the British Foreign Secretary Canning "…privately criticized Moore's failed campaign more strongly over time," while publicly claiming, in the British tradition of calling defeats victories, that Moore's success at Corunna had "left fresh laurels on our brows."
A more positive view is given by W. H. Fitchett in How England Saved Europe: "…it is also a dramatic example of Moore's strategy that he lured a powerful enemy force into a remote area of Spain, slowing its advance southward." Napier speculated: "The second major attack Napoleon planned, which Sir John Moore's actions distracted him from, would likely have allowed him to capture the remaining major cities of the Peninsula."
However, in England, news of the Battle of Corunna and the safe evacuation of the army led to strong criticism of Moore's leadership during the campaign. Meanwhile, in Corunna, Moore's enemy, Marshal Soult, ensured Moore's grave was respected and ordered a monument to be built in his memory.