Military History | First Carlist War
Orders of Battle during the Oriamendi Offensive

A description of the campaign is in the timeline.  There is a separate Order of Battle for the battle itself whereas the orders of battle for  the whole campaign are below.

Carlist War Poster

Preparations

Carlist Army of the North at the end of February 1837

Composition:

  • 30,000 Infantry in 46 Battalions (~ 650 men / battalion)
  • 1,500 Cavalry in 10 squadrons (~ 150 men / squadron)
  • 40 guns

Deployment:

Basque Provinces:
29 Battalions of which 10 were stationed around Vizcaya.

Navarra:
17 Battalions and all 10 squadrons in seven commands, including:

Don Carlos (at Andoain, near Hernani, 7 km from San Sebastián) with a Halbardier company and the Guías de Navarra

Don Sebastián (at Iruzan, northwest of Pamplona) with 8 battalions, 3 squadrons and a battery of mountain guns.

Cristino Army of the North on 10 March 1837 - the opening day of the offensive

Total field composition:

  • 59,000 foot
  • 2,400 horse

Total garrisons:

  • 23,200 foot
  • 300 horse

Espartero’s command in Bilbao

Commander: General Bartolomeo Espartero, Commander in Chief of Cristino Army of the North.

Foot
Spanish 28 Battalions (making around 18,000 if approximately 650 men / battalion).
Horse
Spanish

Lanceros de la Guardia Real
Cazadores de la Guardia Real
1st Line Cavalry Regiment (Rey)
2nd Line Cavalry Regiment (Reina)
Artillery

His command included a “Royal Guard Division” so, in addition to the Guard Cavalry mentioned, must have included infantry of the Guards, and perhaps artillery also.

Espartero was probably facing 10 battalions of Carlists.

Saarsfield’s command in Pamplona

Commander: General Saarsfield, Captain General of Navarre

Foot 10,300 men
French Foreign Legion The French infantry were approximately 2000 strong so probably comprised 3 battalions.
Spanish Approximately 8,300 Spanish, which equates to about 13 Battalions.
Spanish Sappers 2 companies of sappers
Horse 400 men
French Foreign Legion Lancers (these must have been the majority, given only a squadron of the 5th were present).
Spanish Squadron of 5th Line Cavalry Regiment (Borbón)
50 troopers from unspecified units
Artillery 8 guns
8 mountain guns

Order of March

  1.  Vanguard of Light Troops
  2.  Independent Brigade
  3.  Cavalry. 350 Horse made up of
    French Foreign Legion Lancers
    Squadron of 5th Line Cavalry Regiment (Borbón)
  4.  4th Division (6 Battalions)
  5.  French Foreign Legion (~ 2000 strong)

Saarsfield was probably facing 4 battalions of Carlists, plus some cavalry.

Evans’s command in San Sebastián

Commander: Lieutenant-General George De Lacy Evans

Foot 22 Battalions
British Auxiliary Legion 1st, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, Rifles
British Royal Marines Battalion (450 men)
Spanish Volunteers Chapelgorris (1 battalion)
Spanish

Several thousand Spanish, including 5,340 who arrived on 7 Feb. Probably 15 Battalions given 13 were at Oriamendi, and Evan’s left one and a half Battalions to garrison positions during his advance.

Horse 1 Regiment
British Auxiliary Legion 1st Lancers (Reina Isabel)
Artillery 16 guns + rockets
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)