Portuguese Line Cavalry Organisation

Hierarchical Path: Seven Years War (Main Page) >> Armies >> Portuguese Army >> Portuguese Line Cavalry Organisation

Introduction

At the outbreak of war with Spain, in early 1762, the Portuguese cavalry (line cavalry and dragoons) counted 10 regiments cantoned as follows:

in Corte
- Cais
- Alcantara
in the Alentejo
- Évora
- Elvas
- Olivença
- Moura
in Beira
- Almeida
- Penamacor
in Trás-os-Montes
- Bragança
- Chaves

Another decree, on June 26 1762, created a new regiment of cavalry, the Mecklembourg Regiment, under the command of Henrique Garcês Palha de Almeida. Effective command was assumed by colonel João Sampayo Mello e Castro. The addition of this new regiment brought the number of mounted regiments, excluding the light cavalry, to 11 with a theoretical strength of 4,620 men for the coming campaign. In reality, these regiments were chronically understrength.

N.B.: the Voluntários Reais (Royal Regiment of Volunteers), a mixed body of infantry and cavalry whose men were taken from other line units, are not included in the above figures.