The campaign starts in March 1810. The French have conquered Andalucia, and having reached as far as the walls of Badajoz the V Corps of Marshal Mortier has retreated back over the mountains to Seville. While the remainder of Soult's army is engaged in the rest of Andalucia and with the siege of Cadiz, Mortier's corps (with some additions) garrisons Seville and western Andalucia, while watching the approaches across the mountains from Extremadura.

I have captured some useful background information to help with modelling the forces involved.

I've collected some information on the composition of Contreras division (which I got wrong in my original prep for this campaign).

I've made some notes from the chapter on 1810 in Maria Teresa Menguiano Romero's La Guerra de la Independencia en la Sierra de Huelva.

A comparison of different sources for the order of battle of Ballasteros' divison.

The V Corps from Marshal Soult's Army of Andalusia commanded by Marshal Mortier, consisting of the infantry divisions of Girard and Gazan, together with a brigade of light cavalry, and a brigade of dragoons. Mortier also has command of a small force from King Joseph's juramentado Spanish army. The French depot is Seville, which also contains the depot hospital.

The following brigades and other units are available:

• Division Girard, 1st Brigade (34th Line, 40th Line).
• Division Girard, 2nd Brigade (64th Line, 88th Line).
• Division Girard, artillery (19th company, 6th foot regiment).
• Division Gazan, 1st Brigade (21st Light, 100th Line).
• Division Gazan, 2nd Brigade (28th Light, 103rd Line).
• Division Gazan, artillery (4th company, 6th foot regiment).
• V Corps Cavalry Brigade (2nd Hussars, 21st Chasseurs a Cheval).
• Dragoon Brigade (13th Dragoons, 22nd Dragoons).
• 27th Chasseurs a Cheval.
• Spanish Infantry Brigade (3rd Regiment Sevilla, 1st Swiss Regiment).
• Spanish Cavalry Brigade (3rd Cazadores, 4th Cazadores).
• Corps artillery (11th company, 6th foot regiment).
• Corps artillery (4th company, 6th horse regiment).
• Train (4th company, 8th train battalion).
• Train (3rd company 10th (bis) battalion).
• Engineers (1st Company 2nd Sapper Battalion).

For the French it can be assumed that if the train companies are ever caught (eg. by guerillas) without other troops, they are accompanied by an escort made up of gendarmes, afrancesado anti-guerilla units, and possibly a small number of regular troops.

The infantry divisions of Ballasteros and Contreras from La Romana's Army of Extremadura. The Spanish force has also been allocated a small brigade of cavalry from the Army's limited mounted resource. General Copons y Navia will land at Ayamonte on 1 April 1810 with a small force from Cadiz to gather recruits and dispersos with the intention of creating a further division near Huelva. Their initial depot is Badajoz, but they have the option to move this to Ayamonte with supply provided by the British Royal Navy once Copons has landed. The depot hospital is initially in Badajoz, but can also move to Ayamonte.

The following brigades and other units are available:

• Ballasteros 1st Brigade (Navarra, Princesa, Provincial de Oviedo).
• Ballasteros 2nd Brigade (Villaviciosa, Candas y Luanco, Castropol).
• Ballasteros 3rd Brigade (Pravia, Cangas de Tineo).
• Ballasteros 4th Brigade (Grado, Infiesto).
• Ballasteros Artillery (1st company, 4th artillery regiment).
• Contreras 1st Brigade (Voluntarios Leales de Fernando VII, Voluntarios de Sevilla, Voluntarios de Madrid).
• Contreras 2nd Brigade (Voluntarios de la Patria, Provincial de Ciudad Rodrigo, Provincial de Siguenza).
• Contreras Artillery (3rd company, 2nd artillery regiment).
• Anglona's Cavalry Brigade (Borbon, Lusitania Dragoons, Granaderos de Llerena, Carabinieros Reales).
• Train (Pedro's mules).
• Train (Luis' wagons).
• Copons y Navia Brigade, arriving at Ayamonte on 14 April 1810 (Cazadores de Barbastro, Husares de Castilla).

There are also organised guerilla bands in the sierra, one to the west of the Santa Olalla and the main road reaching down into the Condado de Niebla, and one to the east of the main road operating around Guadalcanal. These groups are there primarily to observe the French and pick off any small detachments rather than engage in direct combat.

The map of the area of operations is given as a detailed grid referenced one, together with a more pictorial one. seville_-_maps_-_1810.pdf

• Chapter One (deprecated)
• First chapter: March 1810, Ballasteros in the sierra.
• Second chapter: July 1810, La Romana moves south.
• Third chapter: September 1810, La Romana tries again.
• Fourth chapter: January 1811, Soult assaults Badajoz.

Outlines of the officers encountered during the campaign (either as generals commanding, or more junior officers in Sharp Practice skirmishes) are given here.

• Chef de Bataillon Diop
• Capitaine Dumont
• Capitaine Courbet

• Don Alvaro Corbero
• Donna Ursula