In July 1813 Marshal Soult was appointed the commander of all the French Armies opposing Wellington. Soult abolished the four previous armies, re-organized the fourteen divisions that he inherited he organized them into nine divisions, replacing their commanders as necessary. These divisions were organized into what were essentially three corps, each with three divisions, under the command of Lieutenant Generals Honoré Reille, Bertrand Clausel, and Jean-Baptiste Drouet Comte D’Erlon.
He used them to fight the battles of the Pyrenees in late July and early August, plus various other actions in late August, September, and October. In early November he had them arranged along in defensive positions along the Nivelle River from the Atlantic Coast in the West to Espelette in the east to defending the various routes of advance into southern France. D'Erlon was responsible for the defense in east, while Clausel was responsible for the positions around the Lesser Rhune in the centre.
My question is, who was responsible for the western positions? Logically it was Reille, however Oman who goes over the fights in the other sectors, but only devotes less than two pages to the western sector. He never mentions who the sector commander
Thanks!
Bob
Rui and Terry!
Thanks!
Bob
Beatson goes into much more detail than Oman for the campaigns in the Pyrenees and France. He covers the positions of the French on the Nivelle on p. 106 of Wellington: The Bidassoa and the Nivelle. Reille does indeed occupy the western positions.
Best regards,
Terry
@Robert Burnham, confirming your assessment, according to Lipscombe, N. (1813). Bayonne and Toulouse 1814. Wellington invades France. Campaign 266. Osprey Pub. page 53, this was the disposition of Forces for the Nivelle Battle on the 10th November 1813: