28 July 1809, afternoon
The attack on the centre
Victor shifts Ruffin’s survivors north towards the Segurilla with one of Villatte’s brigades, and in the afternoon Lapisse, Sébastiani and Leval attack the British centre. Leval’s German and Dutch division goes in first against Alexander Campbell’s 4th Division and the Spaniards beside it, and is beaten off with the help of the Spanish cavalry regiment El Rey.
Wellesley and his staff at Talavera, painting of the British school, 19th century, National TrustWikimedia Commons, British School, Public domain (British School - The Duke of Wellington with His Staff at Talavera, 1809 - 1219960 - National Trust.jpg)
Lapisse and Sébastiani advance in two lines of regimental columns against Sherbrooke’s 1st Division. Henry Campbell’s Guards brigade routs the French in front of it and charges on into their second line and its guns. The Guards and the Germans beside them are routed in turn, losing 500 men, and carry Cameron’s brigade back with them.
Wellesley brings up the 48th Foot himself to fill the gap, and with Mackenzie’s brigade behind it the 48th stops the French second line while the Guards rally. Lapisse is mortally wounded.
Sources
- Charles Oman, A History of the Peninsular War, vol. II (1903).
- Andrew Field, Talavera: Wellington’s First Victory in Spain (2006).
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