[217] Junot’s numbers at Vimiero are as much disputed as Delaborde’s at Roliça. Among the French accounts the figures vary from 12,500 to 9,200. Foy, usually the most conscientious historian, gives 11,500; Thiébault, both in his narrative, published in 1816, and in his private _Mémoires_, descends to 9,200. Wellesley estimated the army that he had fought at 14,000 (_Well. Disp._, iv. 101).
It will be well to give the corps present, and to examine into their probable strength. Just before the landing of the British they had stood as follows (I have arranged them in their new brigading):--
Brigade Brennier: 2nd Léger (3rd batt.) 1,075 4th ” ” 1,098 70th of the Line (1st and 2nd batts.) 2,358 ----- 4,531
Brigade Thomières: 86th of the Line (1st and 2nd batts.)(minus four companies left at Elvas) 1,945 4th Swiss (two companies) 246 ----- 2,191
Brigade Solignac: 12th Léger (3rd batt.) 1,253 15th ” ” 1,305 58th of the Line (3rd batt.) 1,428 ----- 3,986
Brigade Charlot: 32nd of the Line (3rd batt.) 1,034 82nd ” ” 963 ----- 1,997 ------ 12,705
1st Regiment (1st and 2nd batts.) } 2nd ” ” ” } 2,100
This corps, being formed of companies drawn from every battalion in Portugal, except the three foreign regiments and the _Légion du Midi_, must not be counted in our first estimate.]
(4) Cavalry Division Margaron:-- 1st Provisional Chasseurs 263 3rd ” Dragoons 640 4th ” ” 589 5th ” ” 659 Squadron of volunteer cavalry 100 ----- 2,251
(5) Artillerymen for 23 guns, engineers, train, & 700 ------ 15,656
But from this 15,656 large deductions have to be made; each of the eleven line battalions present had given its grenadier company to contribute to the four battalions of ‘Reserve Grenadiers’ which Junot had formed. We must therefore deduct from them about 1,350 bayonets. Delaborde had lost 600 men at Roliça. Loison’s regiments had been thinned by the dépôt battalion left to garrison Almeida, and by his losses in his campaign on the Douro and in the Alemtejo. Thiébault states that the casualties had amounted to 450 during these operations: the details left at Almeida, including many sick, were 1,000 strong, so we must subtract 1,450 from Loison’s total. This is liberal, as some, both of the Almeida force and of the Alemtejo losses, came from regiments not present at Vimiero (e.g. the 1st Hanoverians and the 4th Swiss).