British Army during the Napoleonic Wars The British Army during the Napoleonic Wars experienced a time of rapid change . At the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793 , the army was a small , awkwardly administered force of barely 40 , 000 men . By the end of the period , the numbers had vastly increased . At its peak , in 1813 , the regular army contained over 250 , 000 men . The British infantry was " the only military force not to suffer a major reverse at the hands of Napoleonic France . " Structure . In 1793 , shortly before Britain became involved in the French Revolutionary Wars , the army consisted of three regiments of Household Cavalry , 27 line regiments of cavalry , seven battalions in three regiments of Foot Guards and 81 battalions in 77 numbered regiments of line infantry , with two colonial corps ( one in New South Wales and one in Canada ) . There were 36 Independent Companies of Invalids , known by their Captain ' s name , scattered in garrisons and forts across Great Britain . Administered separately by the Board of Ordnance , the artillery had 40 companies in four battalions of Foot Artillery , 10 companies in the Invalid Battalion , two independent companies in India and a Company of Cadets . Two troops of the Royal Horse Artillery were being organised . The Corps of Royal Engineers and Invalid Corps of Royal Engineers were specialised bodies of officers . The Corps of Royal Military Artificers consisted of six companies . There were also two Independent Companies of Artificers . There was no formal command structure and a variety of government departments controlled army units depending on where they were stationed ; troops in Ireland were controlled by the Irish Establishment , rather than the War Office in London , for example . In 1793 , the first steps towards formal organisation were taken when fifteen general officers were appointed to command military districts in England and Wales . Recruitment . During the later part of the 18th - century Britain was divided into three recruiting areas with England and Wales generally called South Britain , divided into Districts with their own Headquarters . Ireland had separate Districts and organisation , and Scotland , or North Britain , was one administrative area . Home defence , enforcement of law and maintenance of order was primarily the responsibility of the Militia , the Veteran Battalions , the Yeomanry and the Fencibles . At the same time there was yet another structure of Recruiting Districts and Sub - Divisions . The British Army drew most of its raw recruits from the lowest classes of Britain . Since army life was known to be harsh , and the remuneration low , it attracted mainly those for whom civilian life was worse . The Duke of Wellington himself said that many of the men " enlist from having got bastard children – some for minor offences – some for drink " . They were , he once said , " the scum of the earth ; it is really wonderful that we should have made them to the fine fellows they are . " In Scotland however , a number of men enlisted due to the collapse of the weaving trade and came from skilled artisan or even middle class households . Most soldiers at the time signed on for life in exchange for a " bounty " of £23 17s 6d , a lot of which was absorbed by the cost of outfitting " necessities " , but a system of ' limited service ' ( seven years for infantry , ten for cavalry and artillery ) was introduced in 1806 to attract recruits . From 1800 onward soldiers began to receive a daily Beer money allowance in addition to their regular wages , the practice was started on the orders of The Duke of York . Additionally , Corporal punishment was removed for a large number of petty offences ( while it was still retained for serious derelictions of duty ) and the Shorncliffe System for light infantry was established in 1803 , teaching skirmishing , self - reliance and initiative . Unlike other armies of the time , the British did not use conscription to bolster army numbers , with enlistment remaining voluntary . Officers ranged in background also . They were expected to be literate , but otherwise came from varied educational and social backgrounds . Although an officer was supposed also to be a " gentleman " , this referred to an officer ' s character and honourable conduct rather than his social standing . The system of sale of commissions officially governed the selection and promotion of officers , but the system was considerably relaxed during the wars . One in twenty ( 5 % ) of the officers from regular battalions had been raised from the ranks , and less than 20 % of first commissions were by purchase . The Duke of York oversaw a reform of the sale of commissions , making it necessary for officers to serve two full years before either promotion or purchase to captain and six years before becoming a major , improving the quality of the officers through the gained experience . Only a small proportion of officers were from the nobility ; in 1809 , only 140 officers were peers or peers ' sons . A large proportion of officers came from the Militia , and a small number were gentlemen volunteers , who trained and fought as private soldiers but messed with the officers and remained as such until vacancies ( without purchase ) for commissions became available . Promotion was mainly by seniority ; less than 20 % of line promotions were by purchase , although this proportion was higher in the Household Division . Promotion by merit alone occurred , but was less common . By 1814 there were over 10 , 000 officers in the army . Infantry . There were three regiments of Foot Guards , each of which had 2 or 3 battalions . In background and natural attributes , recruits to the Foot Guards differed little from those recruited into other regiments , but they received superior training , were better paid , highly motivated and expected to maintain rigorous discipline . There were eventually 104 regiments of the line . They were numbered and , from 1781 , were given territorial designations , which roughly represented the area from which troops were drawn . This was not entirely rigid , and most regiments had a significant proportion of English , Irish , Scots and Welsh together , except for certain deliberately exclusive regiments . The majority of regiments contained two battalion s , while some had only one . One special case , the 60th Foot , ultimately had seven battalions . Battalions were dispersed throughout the army ; it was rare for two battalions of any regiment to serve in the same brigade . A line infantry battalion was commanded by its regimental colonel or a lieutenant colonel , and was composed of ten companies , of which eight were " centre " companies , and two were " flank " companies : one a grenadier and one a specialist light company . Companies were commanded by captains , with lieutenant s and ensigns ( or subaltern s ) beneath him . Ideally , a battalion consisted of 1000 men ( excluding NCOs , musicians and officers ) , but active service generally saw the numbers depleted ; the 1st ( or senior ) battalion of a regiment would draw fit recruits from the 2nd battalion to maintain its strength . If also sent on active service , the 2nd battalion would consequently be weaker . In periods of long service , battalions were generally operating under strength . The majority of discharges and death were due to disease , rather than battle casualties . During the Peninsular Campaign , the army lost almost 25 , 000 men from disease but fewer than 9 , 000 from enemy action . Seriously under - strength battalions might be dissolved , merged with other remnants into " Provisional battalions " or temporarily drafted into other regiments . Tactics . In the aftermath of the American War of Independence , during which the British infantry had fought in looser formations than previously , rigid close - order linear formations had been reintroduced by General Sir David Dundas . His 1792 manual became the standard drill book for the infantry . As the wars progressed line infantry tactics were developed to allow more flexibility for command and control , placing more reliance upon the officers on the spot for quick reactions . The line formation was the most favoured , as it offered the maximum firepower , about 1000 to 1500 bullets per minute . Though the manual laid down that lines were to be formed in three ranks , the lines were often formed only two ranks deep , especially in the Peninsula . While the French favoured column formation , the line formation enabled all muskets available to fire at the enemy . In contrast , only the few soldiers in the first rows of the column ( about 60 ) were able to fire . British infantry were far better trained in musketry than most armies on the continent ( 30 rounds per man in training for example , compared with only 10 in the Austrian Army ) and their volleys were notably steady and effective . The standard weapon of the British infantry was the " India Pattern " version of the Brown Bess musket . This had an effective range of 100 yards , but fire was often reserved until a charging enemy was within 50 yards . Although the French infantry ( and , earlier , the Americans ) frequently used multi - shot and grapeshot in their muskets , the British infantry used only standard ball ammunition . Riflemen and light infantry . A number of infantry regiments were newly formed as , or converted into , dedicated regular light infantry regiments . During the early war against the French , the British Army was bolstered by light infantry mercenaries from Germany and the Low Countries , but the British light infantry companies proved inadequate against the experienced and far more numerous French during the Flanders campaign , and in in 1799 , and light infantry development became urgent . The first rifle - armed unit , the 5th Battalion of the 60th Regiment , was formed mainly from German émigrés before 1795 . An Experimental Corps of Riflemen , armed with the Baker rifle , was formed in 1800 , and was brought into the line as the 95th Regiment of Foot ( Rifles ) in 1802 . Some of the light units of the King ' s German Legion were also armed with the same weapon . The rifle - armed units saw extensive service , most prominently in the Peninsular War where the mountainous terrain saw them in their element . In 1803 , Sir John Moore converted two regiments ( the 43rd Foot and his own regiment , the 52nd Foot ) , to light infantry at Shorncliffe Camp , the new specialised training camp for light infantry . Five other regiments ( the 51st , 68th , 71st , 85th and 90th ) were subsequently converted to light infantry . Under Moore , this change of role was accompanied by a change in the methods of training and discipline , encouraging initiative and replacing punishment for minor infractions with a system of rewards for good conduct . Light infantry and rifle battalions were composed of eight companies . While the rifle - armed units adopted a dark green uniform , the musket - armed light infantry units wore tailless jackets in the traditional red colour . In addition to light infantry duties , they could form up in close order and perform as line infantry if required . They were armed with the " New Light Infantry Land Pattern " of the standard musket , which had a rudimentary backsight to aid individual accuracy , using the bayonet lug as a foresight . While line regiments fired in volleys , light infantry skirmishers fired at will , taking careful aim at targets . Uniform . The standard uniform for the majority of regiments throughout the period was the traditional red coat . There was no standardised supply for uniforms , and it was generally left to the regimental colonel to contract for and obtain uniforms for his men , which allowed for some regimental variation . Generally , this was in the form of specific regimental badges , or ornamentation for specialised flank companies , but occasionally major differences existed . Highland regiments generally wore kilts and ostrich feather hats , although six of these regiments exchanged the kilt for trousers in 1809 . From the last years of the eighteenth century , the bicorne hat was replaced by a cylindrical " stovepipe " shako . In 1812 , this was replaced by the false - fronted " Belgic " shako , although light infantry continued to wear the stovepipe version . Officers were responsible for providing ( and paying for ) their own uniforms . Consequently , variable styles and decorations were present , according to the officer ' s private means . Officers generally wore silver or gold epaulettes ( depending on regimental colours ) , with regimental badge to designate rank . An 1810 order stipulated that company officers wore one epaulette , on the right shoulder , while field officer s wore one on each shoulder , badged with a star ( for majors ) , a crown ( lieutenant colonels ) or star and crown ( colonels ) . From 1804 to 1809 , company officers wore a round hat with a prominent woollen comb ; afterwards , they usually wore the same headgear as their men . Generals , field officers and staff officers generally wore bicorne hats . Officers were generally armed with the poorly - regarded 1796 Pattern British Infantry Officer ' s Sword . In light infantry units and the flank companies of line units they carried a sabre based on the 1796 Pattern light cavalry sabre instead . In highland regiments , a basket - hilted claymore was generally worn . Colours . Most British battalions carried flags known as " colours " : the First , or " King ' s Colour " , and the Second , or " Regimental Colour " . The First had the Union Flag with the Regiment ' s number in the centre , surrounded by a wreath . The Second was in the colour of the regimental facings with a small Union Flag in the corner and the regimental number in centre . ( Units whose facing colours were red or white used a St George ' s Cross design . ) The colours were carried into battle for identification , and as a rallying point , in the care of sergeants or ensigns . Attending the colours in battle was dangerous , since they were a target for enemy artillery and assault . Due to the symbolic significance of the colours , their loss was a grave issue , and extreme measures were often taken to prevent such dishonour occurring . The skirmishing and forward positions maintained by light infantry frequently made the bearing of colours inconvenient . For this reason , the newly raised 95th Rifles received no colours , but the converted line regiments retained their existing colours . Some light infantry regiments opted not to carry them in the Peninsula . Cavalry . Unlike most of the armies on the Continent of Europe , the British Army maintained no units of armoured cuirassier s or of heavy horse . At the start of the French Revolutionary Wars , the " heavy " cavalry were equivalent to dragoon s or " medium " cavalry in the French and other armies . They consisted of three regiments of Household Cavalry , seven regiments of Dragoon Guards and six regiments of Dragoons . The Dragoon Guards had been regiments of heavy cavalry in the eighteenth century , but had been converted to dragoons to save money . The heavy cavalry wore red uniforms and bicorne hats . From 1796 , they were armed with the straight 1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword , a heavy hacking sword which was reckoned to be useless for thrusting , and also carried a long carbine . ( The Scots Greys wore a bearskin headdress and had a more curved sword . ) The light cavalry units consisted of fourteen regiments of Light Dragoons , which had been formed during the eighteenth century to carry out the roles of scouting and patrolling . In many cases , the regiments were originally troops attached to heavy regiments , before being separated from them and expanded . Some regiments were raised specifically to serve overseas ; the 19th and 25th ( later the 22nd ) Light Dragoons to serve in India , and the 20th to serve in Jamaica . The light dragoons wore short blue braided jackets and the leather " Tarleton " helmet which had a thick woollen comb . They were armed with the Pattern 1796 light cavalry sabre , which was very sharply curved and generally used for cutting only . Later in the period , light cavalry carried the short " Paget " carbine , which had a ramrod attached by a swivel for convenient use . In 1806 , four light dragoon regiments ( the 7th , 10th , 15th and 18th ) were converted into regiments of Hussars , with no change in their role , but a great increase in the expense of their uniforms . From 1812 , the uniforms of most of the remaining British cavalry changed , following French styles . The heavy cavalry ( excepting the Household Cavalry who adopted a helmet with a prominent woolen comb and the Scots Greys , who retained their bearskins ) adopted a helmet with a horsetail crest like those of French dragoons or cuirassier s , while the light dragoons adopted a jacket and shako similar to those of French chasseurs a cheval . The Duke of Wellington objected to these changes , as it became difficult to distinguish French and British cavalry at night or at a distance , but without success . For most of the wars , British cavalry formed a lower proportion of armies in the field than most other European armies , mainly because it was more difficult to transport horses by ship than foot soldiers , and the horses usually required several weeks to recuperate on landing . British cavalry were also more useful within Britain and Ireland for patrolling the country as a deterrent to unrest . Some exceptions were Wellington ' s Vitoria campaign in 1813 , when he required large numbers of cavalry to ensure a decisive result to the campaign , and the Waterloo campaign , where the cavalry needed to be transported only across the English Channel . The British cavalry was usually organised into brigades , but no higher formations . ( The cavalry division referred to all cavalry units of an army . ) Brigades were attached to infantry divisions or columns , or sometimes acted directly under the command of the cavalry commander of an army . British cavalry were excellently mounted and were reckoned superior to French cavalry if squadrons clashed , but because brigades and even regiments were rarely exercised in battlefield manoeuvres and tactics , they were inferior in larger numbers . Wellington in particular was highly unimpressed by the quality and intelligence of many of his cavalry officers . Foreign units in British service . During the wars , many émigré units were formed from refugees from countries occupied by France , and from among deserters and prisoners of war from the French armies . The oldest of these was the 60th Regiment , which had originally been raised in 1756 for service in America , and which had long been composed primarily of Germans . During the Napoleonic Wars , most of the seven battalions of this regiment served as garrison troops in territories such as the West Indies , but the 5th battalion was raised in 1797 from two other emigre units ( Hompesch ' s Mounted Riflemen and Lowenstein ' s Chasseurs ) as a specialised corps of skirmishers armed with the Baker Rifle , and the 7th battalion was specifically formed to serve in North America during the War of 1812 . The largest émigré corps was the King ' s German Legion , which was formed in 1803 and was composed mainly of German exiles from Hanover and other north German states . In total , it formed two dragoon regiments ( which later became light dragoons ) , three hussar regiments , eight line and two light infantry battalions , and five artillery batteries . Although it never fought as an independent force , its units were often brigaded together . The units of the Legion were regarded as the equal of the best British units , and often as their superiors in terms of discipline . The Royal Corsican Rangers were formed in 1798 from among Corsican exiles on Minorca . After being disbanded during the Peace of Amiens , the regiment was reformed in 1803 from Corsicans and Italians ( Italian was the main language spoken among Corsicans ) . It served in the Mediterranean , and was not disbanded until 1817 . The King ' s Dutch Brigade was formed from former personnel of the Dutch States Army ( defunct since 1795 ) , who had emigrated to Germany and Britain after the Dutch Republic was overthrown by the Batavian Republic ; from deserters from the Batavian army ; and mutineers of the Batavian naval squadron that had surrendered to the Royal Navy in the Vlieter Incident , all during the Anglo - Russian invasion of Holland in 1799 . The brigade was commissioned on 21 October 1799 on the Isle of Wight , after it had been organised by the Hereditary Prince of Orange who had been an allied commander during the Flanders Campaign of 1793 – 95 . The troops swore allegiance , both to the British Crown , and to the defunct States - General of the Netherlands , the former sovereign power in the Dutch Republic . The troops received both the King ' s Colours and regimental colours after Dutch model . The brigade counted four regiments of infantry of 18 companies each , 1 regiment of Chasseurs ( also of 18 companies ) , 1 battalion of artillery of 6 companies , and a corps of engineers ( 96 companies total ) . The brigade was used in Ireland in 1801 , and later on the Channel islands . It was decommissioned on 12 July 1802 , after the Peace of Amiens , after which most personnel ( but not all ) returned to the Batavian Republic , under an amnesty in connection with that treaty . The Chasseurs Britanniques were originally formed from French Royalist emigres in 1801 , and served throughout the wars . The unit served chiefly in the Mediterranean until 1811 , when it participated in the later stages of the Peninsular War . It had a good record in battle but later became notorious for desertion , and was not even allowed to perform outpost duty , for fears that the pickets would abscond . In 1812 , the Independent Companies of Foreigners were formed from among French prisoners of war for service in North America . The companies became notorious for lack of discipline and atrocities in Chesapeake Bay , and were disbanded . The nominally Swiss Regiment de Meuron was transferred from the Dutch East India Company in Ceylon in 1798 . It consisted even when first transferred of soldiers of mixed nationalities , and later recruited from among prisoners of war and deserters from all over Europe . It later served in North America . Two Swiss units in French service were also taken into British service about the same time . The Regiment de Roll was originally created from the disbanded Swiss Guards in the pay of France . Dillon ' s regiment was also formed from Swiss émigrés from French service . These two regiments were merged into a single provisional battalion , termed the Roll - Dillon battalion , at some stage in the Peninsular War . The Regiment de Watteville was another nominally Swiss unit , which actually consisted of many nationalities . It was formed in 1801 from the debris of four Swiss regiments formed by the British for Austrian service , and served at the Siege of Cadiz and in Canada in 1814 . Units of the British Army were also raised in territories which were allied to Britain or occupied by British troops . These included the Royal Sicilian Volunteers and two battalions of Greek Light Infantry . During early part of the Peninsular War , some Portuguese soldiers were organised into a Corps known as the Loyal Lusitanian Legion , which eventually was absorbed by the Portuguese Army . Canadian units . Four regiments of Fencibles were raised before 1803 in Canada or the Maritime provinces ( Newfoundland , Nova Scotia and New Brunswick ) as regulars for service in North America . ( The New Brunswick Fencibles volunteered for general service and became the 104th Regiment of Foot , but did not serve outside the continent . ) A fifth fencible regiment ( the Glengarry Light Infantry ) was raised as war with the United States of America appeared inevitable . There were also ad - hoc units , such as the Michigan Fencibles and the Mississippi Volunteer Artillery which served in a specific theatre , such as the west around Prairie du Chien and Credit Island . When the War of 1812 broke out , six ( later eight ) battalions of Select Embodied Militia were formed for full - time service from among the militia or from volunteers . One of these units , the Canadian Voltigeurs , was treated as a regular unit for most purposes . There were also several volunteer company - sized units of dragoons or rangers , and detachments of artillery . A militia company composed entirely of negroes later became a full - time pioneer unit . After the end of the War in 1815 , almost all the fencible and volunteer units were disbanded . Many of the troops and British soldiers discharged in Canada received land grants and became settlers . Daily life . While on campaign , it was customary for men to sleep in the open , using their blankets or greatcoats for warmth . Simple blanket tents could be made from two blankets , supported by firelocks , a ramrod , and fixed to the ground with bayonets . At other times , huts could be made using branches covered with ferns , straw or blankets . While tents were frequently used by officers , they were not issued to the men until 1813 . Soldiers were allowed to marry , but wives were expected to submit to army rules and discipline , as well contribute to regimental affairs by performing washing , cooking and other duties . Six women per company were officially " on the strength " and could accompany their husbands on active service , receiving rations and places on troop transports . If there was competition for these places , selections would be made by ballot . Many soldiers also found wives or companions from amongst the local populations , whose presence in the army train was generally tolerated , despite being beyond the quota . However , at the conclusion of the Peninsular War only those wives officially on the strength were allowed to return to England with their husbands , resulting in a large number of women and children abandoned in France , with no provisions or means of returning to their homes . Officers also needed permission from their commanding officers to marry , and for their wives to accompany them , but they were not subject to quota , although restrictions might be made due to the officer ' s age or seniority . Campaigns . The British Army fought on a number of fronts during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic wars , with a brief pause from 1802 to 1803 ( and from 1814 to 1815 , after Bonaparte abdicated for the first time ) . French Revolutionary Wars . Mysore , 1789 – 1792 . The first major engagement involving the British army during the Revolutionary period was the Third Anglo - Mysore War , between Kingdom of Mysore supported by France and led by Tipu Sultan , and the British East India Company supported by its local allies . British regular infantry and artillery regiments formed the core of the East India Company army serving under the command of British general Lord Cornwallis . After some initial setbacks , Cornwallis was ultimately victorious capturing the Mysorean capital city of Seringapatam and compelling Mysore to make peace on terms favourable to Britain . Toulon . In 1793 , French Royalists in Toulon surrendered their port and city to a British fleet under Vice Admiral Samuel Hood . A land force of 18 , 000 of mixed nationalities , including 2 , 000 British ( mainly Royal Marines ) , gathered to protect Toulon against a French Republican counter - attack . The commander of the British contingent , Lieutenant General Charles O ' Hara , was captured in a minor skirmish , by Captain Napoleon Bonaparte who inspired the besiegers of the port . After the French captured vital forts which commanded the town and harbour , the British and their allies evacuated the port . British troops and ships seized the island of Corsica , turning it temporarily into the Anglo - Corsican Kingdom . Relations between the British and Corsicans soured , and the island was evacuated after Spain declared war on Britain , making it impossible for the Royal Navy to maintain communications with the island . Flanders , 1793 – 1796 . In this theatre a British army under the command of the Duke of York formed part of an Allied army with Hanoverian , Dutch , Hessian , Austrian and Prussian contingents , which faced the French Republican Armée du Nord , the Armée des Ardennes and the Armée de la Moselle . The Allies enjoyed several early victories , ( including a largely British - fought battle at Lincelles ) , but were unable to advance beyond the French border fortresses and were eventually forced to withdraw by a series of French counter - offensives . The Allies then established a new front in southern Holland and Germany , but with poor co - ordination and failing supplies were forced to continue their retreat through the arduous winter of 1794 / 5 . By spring 1795 the British force had left Dutch territory entirely , and reached the port of Bremen where they were evacuated . The campaign exposed many shortcomings in the British army , especially in discipline and logistics , which had developed in the ten years of peacetime neglect since the American Revolution . West Indies , 1793 – 1798 . The other major British effort in the early French Revolutionary Wars was mounted against the French possessions in the West Indies . This was mainly for trade considerations ; not only were the French islands valuable for their plantations , but they were also used by French privateer s preying on British merchant ships . The resulting five - year campaign crippled the whole British Army through disease , especially yellow fever . Forty thousand British soldiers died of yellow fever or other tropical diseases , and another forty thousand were discharged , no longer fit for service . The islands of Martinique , Guadeloupe and ports in Haiti were captured in 1794 and 1795 by expeditionary forces under General Charles Grey , but the British units were almost exterminated by disease . Negro and mulatto insurgent armies in Haiti which had first welcomed the British as allies turned against them . Guadeloupe was recaptured in 1796 by Victor Hugues , who subsequently executed 865 French Royalists and other prisoners . Eight thousand reinforcements under Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Abercromby arrived in 1796 , and secured many French territories , and those of Spain and the Netherlands ( which was now titled the Batavian Republic and allied to France ) . However , the decimated British troops evacuated Haiti , and Guadeloupe was never recaptured , becoming a major privateering base and black market emporium . Muizenberg and Ceylon 1795 . In 1795 a combined British army and Royal Navy force under the command of Major - General James Craig and Admiral Elphinstone captured the Dutch Cape Colony . It remained in British possession for seven years until the Peace of Amiens . At the same time another British force captured the Dutch colony of Trincomalee , Ceylon , which remained in British possession until 1948 . Ireland 1798 . A rebellion inspired by a secret society , the Society of United Irishmen , broke out in Ireland . The British Army in Ireland consisted partly of regular troops but mostly of Protestant militia and Irish Yeomanry units . The rebellion was marked by atrocities on both sides . After the rebellion had already failed , a French expedition under General Humbert landed in the west of Ireland . After inflicting an embarrassing defeat on a British militia force at the Battle of Castlebar , Humbert ' s outnumbered army was surrounded and forced to surrender . Mysore , 1798 – 1799 . This was the last war fought between the East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore . British regular regiments again formed part of the East India Company army , this time under the command of British general George Harris . The British forces defeated Mysore for the final time , capturing Seringapatam and killing Tipu Sultan . Holland 1799 . As part of the War of the Second Coalition , a joint Anglo - Russian force invaded the Netherlands . Although the British troops captured the Dutch fleet and won several battles , the expedition was a failure and the British commander in chief , the Duke of York negotiated a capitulation which allowed the British to sail away unmolested . Egypt . In 1798 , Napoleon Bonaparte had invaded Egypt , as a stepping stone to India , which was the source of much of Britain ' s trade and wealth . He was stranded there when Vice Admiral Nelson destroyed the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile . In alliance with the Ottoman Empire , Britain mounted an expedition to expel the French from Egypt . After careful preparations and rehearsals in Turkish anchorages , a British force under Sir Ralph Abercromby made a successful opposed landing at the Battle of Abukir ( 1801 ) . Abercromby was mortally wounded at the Battle of Alexandria , where the British troops demonstrated the effectiveness of their musketry , improved discipline and growing experience . The French capitulated and were evacuated from Egypt in British ships . Peace of Amiens . After Britain ' s allies all signed treaties with France , Britain also signed the Treaty of Amiens , under which Britain restored many captured territories to France and its allies . The " peace " proved merely to be an interlude , with plotting and preparations for a renewal of war continuing on both sides . Napoleonic Wars . Maratha , 1803 – 1805 . Shortly after the resumption of war on the continent , the East India Company once again became involved in war with an Indian power , this time with the Maratha Empire , supported by France . British regiments of infantry , artillery and cavalry once again formed the core of the Company army , this time under the command of British generals Gerrard Lake and Arthur Wellesley . Maratha forces were defeated decisively at Assaye and Delhi and further losses eventually compelled them to make peace . West Indies , 1804 – 1810 . When war resumed , Britain once again attacked the French possessions in the West Indies . The French armies which had been sent to recover Haiti in 1803 had , like the British armies earlier , been ravaged by disease , so only isolated garrisons opposed the British forces . In 1805 , as part of the manoeuvres which ultimately led to the Battle of Trafalgar , a French fleet carrying 6 , 500 troops briefly captured Dominica and other islands but subsequently withdrew . In 1808 , once the British were allied to Portugal and Spain , they were able to concentrate their forces and capture the French possessions one by one ; Cayenne and Martinique in 1809 , and Guadeloupe in 1810 . Haiti was left to the insurgent armies . Hanover 1805 . In 1805 news arrived in London that Napoleon had broken up his invasion camp at Boulogne , and was marching across Germany . The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom William Pitt immediately equipped an army of 15 , 000 men , and deployed it to Hanover under the command of General William Cathcart , with the intention of linking up with another allied Russian army and creating a diversion in favour of Austria , but Cathcart made no attempt to attack the flank of the far larger French army . Cathcart established his headquarters at Bremen , seized Hanover , fought a small battle at Munkaiser , and then peacefully waited for news . After the death of Pitt and news of the Franco - Prussian agreement handing control of Hanover to Prussia , the ministry recalled Cathcart ' s army from Germany . Naples 1805 . One of Britain ' s allies was Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies whose Kingdom was key to British interests in the Mediterranean . In 1805 British forces under the command of General James Craig were part of an Anglo - Russian force intended to secure the Kingdom of Naples . However after a brief occupation the allied position became untenable with the news of the disastrous Austrian defeat at the Battle of Ulm . Sicily and the Mediterranean . In 1806 , French troops invaded southern Italy , and British troops again went to aid the defenders . A British army under the command of General John Stuart won a lopsided victory at the Battle of Maida . For the rest of the war , British troops defended Sicily , forcing Ferdinand to make liberal reforms . An allied force consisting mainly of Corsicans , Maltese and Sicilians was driven from Capri in 1808 . The next year , British troops occupied several Greek and Dalmatian islands , although the French garrison on Corfu was too strong to be attacked . The British retained their Greek islands until the end of the wars . South Africa and the Plate . The Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope was a vital port of call on the long sea voyage to India . An expedition was sent to capture it in 1805 . ( It had first been captured in 1796 , but was returned under the Treaty of Amiens . ) British troops under Lieutenant General Sir David Baird won the Battle of Blaauwberg in January 1806 , forcing the surrender of the colony . The naval commander of the expedition , Admiral Home Riggs Popham then conceived the idea of occupying the Spanish Plate River colonies . A detachment under Major General William Carr Beresford occupied Buenos Aires for six weeks but were expelled by Spanish troops and local militias . In 1807 , General Auchmuty mounted a second invasion of the region , capturing Montevideo . Lieutenant General Sir John Whitelocke was sent from Britain to take command in the region , arriving at the same time as Major General Robert Craufurd , whose destination had been changed several times by the government , and whose troops had been aboard ship for several months . Whitelock launched a bungled attack on Buenos Aires on 5 July 1807 , in which the British troops suffered heavy casualties and were trapped in the city . Finally he capitulated , and the troops returned ignominiously to Britain . Whitelock was court - martialled and cashiered . Denmark . In August 1807 , an expedition was mounted to Copenhagen , to seize the Danish fleet to prevent it falling into French hands . The expedition was led by General Lord Cathcart . A British land force under the command of Arthur Wellesley routed a Danish militia force . After the city was bombarded for several days , the Danes surrendered their fleet . Alexandria . In 1807 a combined army and navy expedition under the command of General Alexander Mackenzie Fraser was dispatched with the objective of capturing the Egyptian city of Alexandria to secure a base of operations to disrupt the Ottoman Empire . The people of Alexandria , being disaffected towards Muhammad Ali of Egypt , opened the gates of the city to the British forces , allowing for one of the easiest conquests of a city by the British forces during the Napoleonic Wars . However , due to lack of supplies , and inconclusive operations against the Egyptian forces , the Expedition was forced to re - embark and leave Alexandria . Walcheren . In 1809 , Austria declared war on France . To provide a diversion , a British force consisting mainly of the troops recently evacuated from Corunna was dispatched to capture the Dutch ports of Flushing and Antwerp . There were numerous delays , and the Austrians had already surrendered when the army sailed . The island of Walcheren , where they landed , was pestilential and disease - ridden ( mainly with malaria or " ague " ) . Although Flushing was captured , more than one third of the soldiers died or were incapacitated before the army was withdrawn . Indian Ocean . To clear nests of French privateers and raiders , the Army captured the French dependencies in the Indian Ocean in the Mauritius campaign of 1809 – 1811 . With substantial contingents from the East India Company , British troops also captured the Dutch colonies in the Far East in 1810 and 1811 , with Java falling in 1811 . Peninsular War . In 1808 , after Bonaparte overthrew the monarchs of Spain and Portugal , an expedition under Sir Arthur Wellesley which was originally intended to attack the Spanish possessions in Central America was diverted to Portugal . Wellesley won the Battle of Vimeiro while reinforcements landed at nearby Maceira Bay . Wellesley was superseded in turn by two superiors , Sir Harry Burrard and Sir Hew Dalrymple , who delayed further attacks . Instead , they signed the Convention of Sintra , by which the French evacuated Portugal ( with all their loot ) in British ships . Although this secured the British hold on Lisbon , it resulted in the three generals ' recall to England , and command of the British troops devolved on Sir John Moore . In October , Moore led the army into Spain , reaching as far as Salamanca . In December , they were reinforced by 10 , 000 troops from England under Sir David Baird . Moore ' s army now totalled 25 , 000 , but his advance was cut short by the news that Napoleon had defeated the Spanish and captured Madrid , and was approaching with an army of 200 , 000 . Moore retreated to Corunna over mountain roads and through bitter winter weather . French cavalry pursued the British Army the length of the journey , and a Reserve Division was set to provide rearguard protection for the British troops , which were engaged in much fighting . About 4 , 000 troops separated from the main force and marched to Vigo . The French caught up with the main army at Corunna , and in the ensuing Battle of Corunna in January 1809 , Moore was killed ; the remnant of the army was evacuated to England . In 1809 , Wellesley returned to Portugal with fresh forces , and defeated the French at the Second Battle of Porto , driving them from the country . He again advanced into Spain and fought the Battle of Talavera and the Battle of the Côa . He and the Spanish commanders were unable to cooperate , and he retreated into Portugal , where he constructed the defensive Lines of Torres Vedras which protected Lisbon , while he reorganised his Anglo - Portuguese Army into divisions , most of which had two British and one Portuguese brigades . The next year , when a large French army under Marshal André Masséna invaded Portugal , Wellesley fought a delaying action at the Battle of Bussaco , before withdrawing behind the impregnable Lines , leaving Massena ' s army to starve in front of them . After Massena withdrew , there was fighting for most of 1811 on the frontiers of Portugal , as Wellesley attempted to recover vital fortified towns . A British and Spanish force under Beresford fought the very bloody Battle of Albuera , while Wellesley himself won the Battle of Sabugal in April , and the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro in May . In January 1812 , Wellesley captured Ciudad Rodrigo after a surprise move . On 6 April , he then stormed Badajoz , another strong fortress , which the British had failed to carry on an earlier occasion . There was heavy fighting with very high casualties and Wellesley ordered a withdrawal , but a diversionary attack had gained a foothold by escalade and the main attack through the breaches was renewed . The fortress was taken , at great cost ( over 5000 British casualties ) , and for three days the army sacked and pillaged the town in undisciplined revenge . Soon after the assault on Badajoz , Wellesley ( now raised to the peerage as Marquess Wellington ) marched into northern Spain . For a month the British and French armies marched and counter - marched against each other around Salamanca . On 22 July , Wellington took advantage of a momentary French dispersion and gained a complete victory at the Battle of Salamanca . After occupying Madrid , Wellington unsuccessfully besieged Burgos . In October , the army to retreated Portugal . This " Winter Retreat " bore similarities to the earlier retreat to Corunna , as it suffered from poor supplies , bitter weather and rearguard action . In spring 1813 , Wellington resumed the offensive , leaving Portugal and marching northwards through Spain , dropping the lines of communication to Lisbon and establishing new ones to the Spanish ports on the Bay of Biscay . At the Battle of Vitoria the French armies were routed , disgorging an enormous quantity of loot , which caused the British troops to abandon the pursuit and break ranks to plunder . Wellington ' s troops subsequently defeated French attempts to relieve their remaining fortresses in Spain . During the autumn and winter , they forced the French defensive lines in the Pyrenees and crossed into France , winning the Battle of Nivelle , the Battle of Nive and the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 . In France , the discipline of Wellington ' s British and Portuguese troops was far superior to that of the Spanish , and even that of the French , thanks to plentiful supplies delivered by sea . On 31 March 1814 , allied armies entered Paris , and Napoleon abdicated on 6 April . The news was slow to reach Wellington , who fought and won the Battle of Toulouse on 10 April . Once peace agreements had finally been settled , the army left the Peninsula . The infantry marched to Bordeaux for transportation to their new postings ( several to North America ) . Many Spanish wives and girlfriends were left behind , to general distress . The cavalry rode through France to Boulogne and Calais . Holland 1814 . In 1814 , the British government had sent a small force to Holland under Sir Thomas Graham to capture the fortress of Bergen op Zoom . The attack , on 8 March 1814 , failed and the British were repelled , with heavy losses . War in North America . Although the United States of America was not allied to France , war broke out between America and Britain ostensibly over issues of trade embargoes and impressment of American sailors into the Royal Navy , both of which were directly or indirectly linked to the Napoleonic wars ( the latter of which was not even brought up during the Treaty of Ghent ) . For the first two years of the war , a small number of British regular units formed the hard core around which the Canadian militia rallied . Multiple US invasions north of the border were repulsed ; such an example can be seen at the Battle of Crysler ' s Farm in which battalions of 89th and 49th Regiments attacked and routed a significantly larger American force making its way toward Montreal . In 1814 , larger numbers of British regulars became available after the abdication of Napoleon . However , long and inadequate supply lines constrained the British war effort . In Chesapeake Bay , a British force captured and burned Washington , but was repulsed at Baltimore . Neither side could strike a decisive blow which would compel the other to cede favourable terms , and the Treaty of Ghent was signed . Before news of it could reach the armies on the other side of the Atlantic , a British force under Wellington ' s brother - in - law Sir Edward Pakenham was defeated foolhardily attacking heavily fortified positions at the Battle of New Orleans . Hundred Days . It appeared that war was finally over , and arrangements for the peace were discussed at the Congress of Vienna . But on 26 February 1815 , Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to France , where he raised an army . By 20 March he had reached Paris . The Allies assembled another army and planned for a summer offensive . Basing themselves in Belgium , the Allies formed two armies , with the Duke of Wellington commanding the Anglo - Allies , and Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher commanding the Prussia ns . Napoleon marched swiftly through France to meet them , and split his army to launch a two - pronged attack . On 16 June 1815 , Napoleon himself led men against Blücher at Ligny , while Marshall Ney commanded an attack against Wellington ' s forward army at the Battle of Quatre Bras . Wellington successfully held Quatre Bras , but the Prussians were not so successful at Ligny , and were forced to retreat to Wavre . Hearing of Blücher ' s defeat on the morning of 17 June , Wellington ordered his army to withdraw on a parallel course to his ally ; the British and Belgians took position near the Belgian village of Waterloo . On the morning of 18 June , one of the greatest ever feats of British arms began : The Battle of Waterloo . The British , Dutch , Belgian , Nassau and German troops were posted on higher ground south of Waterloo . There had been heavy rain overnight and Napoleon chose not to attack until almost midday . The delay meant that the Prussians had a chance to march towards the battle , but in the meantime , Wellington had to hold on . The French started their attack with an artillery bombardment . The first French attacks were then directed against the Chateau of Hougemont down from the main ridge . Here British and Nassau troops stubbornly defended the Hougomont buildings all day ; the action eventually engaging a whole French Corps which failed to capture the Chateau . At half past one , the Anglo - Allied Army was assaulted by d ' Erlon ' s infantry attack on the British left wing but the French were forced back with heavy losses . Later in the afternoon , British troops were amazed to see waves of cavalrymen heading towards them . The British troops , as per standard drill , formed infantry square s ( hollow box - formations four ranks deep ) after which the French cavalry was driven off . As the Prussian advance guard began to arrive from the east , Napoleon sent French units to stabilise his right wing . At around seven o ' clock , Napoleon ordered his Old and Middle Guard to make a final assault on the by now fragile Allied line . The attack was repulsed . At that point Wellington stood up and waved his hat in the air to signal a general advance . His army rushed forward from the lines in a full assault on the retreating French . Napoleon fled the scene . Later history . Following the conclusion of the wars , the army was reduced . At this time , infantry regiments existed up to 104th Foot , but between 1817 and 1819 , the regiments numbered 95th Foot up were disbanded , and by 1821 the army numbered only 101 , 000 combatants , 30 % of which were stationed in the colonies , especially India . Over the following decades , various regiments were added , removed or reformed to respond to military or colonial needs , but it never grew particularly large again , and the Empire became more reliant on local forces to maintain defence and order .