Dispositions
At Orthez, the Gave de Pau runs from southeast to the northwest. About two miles north of the Gave de Pau, there is a ridge running roughly parallel to the stream.
Soult held Orthez with the 5,100 men of Jean Harispe's 8th Division. The 2,700 cavalry under his brother, Pierre Soult watched the river line upstream (east) from the town. Holding the ridge, from west to east were Eloi Taupin's 4th (5,500), Claude Rouget's 5th (3,700), Jean Darmagnac's 2nd (5,000), Maximilien Foy's 1st (3,800) and Eugene-Casimir Villatte's 6th (4,600) Divisions. The 1st Division was north of Orthez. Paris's brigade from the 8th Division was attached to Taupin's command. Jean-Pierre Travot's conscripts (7,300) waited in reserve.
Honoré Reille commanded the units under Taupin, Paris and Rouget on the right flank. Jean Baptiste Drouet d'Erlon led D'Armagnac and Foy in the centre. Bertrand Clausel supervised Harispe and Villatte on the left flank. Soult had 36,000 men and 48 artillery pieces.
William Beresford's Corps had already crossed to the north side of the Gave de Pau. Wellington planned to send Lowry Cole's 4th (6,000) and George Townshend Walker's 7th (5,600) Divisions to attack the western end of the ridge, under the direction of Beresford. Thomas Picton would lead his own 3rd (6,600) and Henry Clinton's 6th (5,600) Divisions in pinning the French centre. Charles Alten's Light Division (3,500) stayed in reserve. Wellington ordered Rowland Hill to lead William Stewart's 2nd (7,800) and Francisco Le Cor's Portuguese (4,500) Divisions across the Gave de Pau above Orthez and turn the French left.
Wellington also had three cavalry brigades under the overall direction of Stapleton Cotton. There were 1,600 mounted men under Lord Edward Somerset (7th, 10th and 15th Hussars), 1,000 horsemen led by Hussey Vivian (18th and 1st KGL Hussars) and 800 troopers under Henry Fane (13th and 14th Light Dragoons). All told, Wellington commanded 44,000 men, including 17,600 Portuguese, and 54 cannons.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Orthez
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