Military History | First Carlist War
Order of Battle at Oriamendi 16 March 1837

Posted 21 Feb 2001

The orders of battle for the actual battle are below. A description of the Oriamendi campaign is in the timeline of the First Carlist War.  There is a separate Order of Battle for the Oriamendi Offensive. 

Cristino Order of Battle

The high level composition was

  • General-in-Chief: Lieutenant-General George de lacy Evans
  • 12,000 men and 16 guns
  • British (9 Battalions, 1 regiment of lancers, and artillery)
  • Spanish (13 battalions plus artillery)

The detailed order of battle was as follows:

Cristino Order of Battle at Oriamendi

  • General-in-Chief: Lieutenant-General George de lacy Evans
  • Foot
    • British Auxiliary Legion
      • 1st, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, Rifles
    • British Royal Marines
      • Battalion (450 men)
    • Spanish Line
      • 4th Line Infantry Regiment (Princesa) (3 battalions)
      • 5th Line Infantry Regiment (Infante) (1 battalion)
      • 12th Line Infantry Regiment (Zaragoza) (1 battalion)
      • 16th Line Regiment (Castilla) (1 battalion)
    • Spanish Light
      • 2nd Light Regiment (Voluntarios de Aragon) (2 Battalions)
    • Spanish Provincial Regiments
      • Oviedo Provincial Regiment (1 battalion; 250 men)
      • Segovia Provincial Regiment (1 battalion; 280 men)
      • Jaén Provincial Regiment (1 battalion)
    • Spanish Marine Infantry
      • Marine Infantry (1 battalion; 550 men)
    • Spanish Volunteers
      • Chapelgorris (1 battalion)
  • Horse
    • British Auxiliary Legion
      • 1st Lancers Reina Isabel
  • Artillery
    • British Auxiliary Legion
      • Artillery (4 guns??), Rocket Troop
    • British Royal Artillery
      • Battery (4 guns??)
    • British Royal Marine Artillery
      • Battery (4 guns??)
    • Uncertain nationality but probably Spanish
      • Battery of mountain guns (4 guns)

Organisation and Deployment

The Cristinos were deployed in brigades in multiple lines across the left, centre and right wings.

Left Wing Centre Right Wing

Fitzgerald’s Brigade (Brigadier Fitzgerald)

  • 8th Highlanders, British Auxiliary Legion

  • 9th Irish, British Auxiliary Legion

  • 10th Munster Light Infantry, British Auxiliary Legion

Vanguard Division (Brigadier Rendón)

1st Brigade (Colonel Llanos)
3 Spanish Battalions
2nd Brigade (Colonel Muñoz)
2 Spanish Battalions

Definitely including:

  • 5th Line Regiment (Infante) (1 battalion)

  • 16th Line Regiment (Castilla) (1 battalion)

  • Oviedo Provincial Regiment (1 battalion; 250 men)

5th Division (Brigadier Jáuregui)

  • 1 ½ battalions left to garrison Ametzagaña and Passajes

  • 5 ½ or 6 battalions at the battle (which probably means in two brigades)

Definitely including these units at the battle:

  • 2nd Light Infantry (Voluntarios de Aragon) (2 battalions; 1200 men total)

  • 4th Line Infantry Regiment (Princesa) (3 battalions)

Chichester’s Brigade (Brigadier Chichester)

  • 1st English, British Auxiliary Legion

  • 4th Queen's Own Fusiliers, British Auxiliary Legion

  • Rifles, British Auxiliary Legion

  • Rocket Troop, British Auxiliary Legion

  • Battery of mountain guns (4 guns) (I don’t know if these were British or Spanish)

 Godfrey’s Brigade (Brigadier Godfrey)
  • 6th Scotch Grenadiers, British Auxiliary Legion
  • 7th Irish Light Infantry, British Auxiliary Legion
  • Chapelgorris (1 battalion)
 British right supporting Jáuregui
  • 1st Lancers (Reina Isabel), British Auxiliary Legion
  • Battalion of British Royal Marines (450 men)
  • Battery of British Auxiliary Legion Artillery (4 guns??)
  • Battery of British Royal Artillery (4 guns??)
  • Battery of British Royal Marine Artillery (4 guns??)

These Spanish units were present but I don’t have deployment information for them.

  • 12th Line Regiment (Zaragoza) (1 battalion)
  • Segovia Provincial Regiment (1 battalion; 280 men)
  • Jaén Provincial Regiment (1 battalion)
  • Marine Infantry (1 battalion; 550 men)

2 of these battalions would have been with Rendón and 2 - 2 ½ of these battalions would have been with Jáuregui (possibly in the 1 ½ battalion garrisons at Ametzagaña and Passajes).

Carlist Order of Battle

 

Composition

  • Staff
    • General-in-Chief: Infante Don Sebastián Gabriel de Borbón
    • Chief of Staff: Teniente General Don Vincente González Moreno
  • 10,000 Infantry
  • 450 horse
  • 11 guns.

The detailed breakdown was:

Carlist Order of Battle at Oriamendi

  • Staff
    • General-in-Chief: Infante Don Sebastián Gabriel de Borbón
    • Chief of Staff: Teniente General Don Vincente González Moreno
  • Foot
    • Guipzcoa
      • 1st - 8th
    • Vizcaya
      • 3rd, 5th (or 6th)
    • Navarra
      • Guías de Navarra ( possibly present), 1st
    • Alava
      • 1st, 3rd, 4th, and one other
    • Castilla
      • Granaderos del Ejército, 1st
    • Aragon
      • 1st, 2nd (possibly present)
  • Horse
    • Navarra
      • 3 squadrons of Lancers
  • Artillery
    • 7 guns in redoubts
    • 4 mountain guns

Organisation and Deployment

The Carlists deployed in brigades in multiple lines in the left, centre and right wings.

Left Wing Centre Right Wing

Brigadier Qúilez
1st Aragon (Infante Don Juan)
2nd Aragon (Infante Don Sebastián) - possibly present

Teniente General Villareal (2nd-in-command)
1st Alava
Granaderos del Ejército

Brigadier Iturriza
6th Guipúzcoa
plus 2 more from Guipúzcoa
Brigadier Iturriaga
1st Guipúzcoa
5th Guipúzcoa (Los Chapelzuris) or might have been the 2nd		 Colonel Alz (in support of Villareal)
3 from Guipúzcoa		 Brigadier Sopelana
3rd Alava
4th Alava
plus 1 more from Alava
Brigadier Goiri (in support)
3rd Vizcaya
5th Vizcaya (or 6th)		 Brigadier de las Vacas (reserve)
1st Navarra
1st Castilla
7 guns in redoubts in and around Hernani
Battery of 4 mountain guns

These units were present but I don’t have deployment information for them
Infantry:

  • 2nd Guipúzcoa
  • 3rd Guipúzcoa
  • 4th Guipúzcoa
  • 7th Guipúzcoa
  • 8th Guipúzcoa
  • Guías de Navarra
  • 3 squadrons of Navarrese Lancers - although these were probably in the centre or Carlist left as they attacked the Chapelgorris early in the morning in the Centre and then attacked the 6th Regiment on the right before being seen off by musketry and the Marine Artillery howitzers.

Don Sebastián's flying column, who arrived on the morning of the battle included

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