The cavalry of the army of Spain was quite as heterogeneous and ill compacted as the infantry. Just as ‘provisional regiments’ of foot were patched up from the southern dépôts of France, so were ‘provisional regiments’ of cavalry. The best of them were composed of two, three, or four squadrons, each contributed by the dépôt of a different cavalry regiment. The worst were _escadrons de marche_, drawn together in a haphazard fashion from such of the dépôts as had a surplus of conscripts even after they had given a full squadron to the ‘provisional regiments.’ There were also a number of foreign cavalry regiments, Italians, Neapolitans, lancers of Berg, and Poles. Of veteran regiments of French cavalry there were actually no more than three, about 1,250 men, among the 12,000 horsemen of the army of Spain. When we sum up the composition of the 116,000 men who lay south of the Pyrenees on the last day of May, 1808, we find that not a third part of them belonged to the old units of the regular French army. It may be worth while to give the figures:-- Of veterans we have-- _Infantry._ _Cavalry._ (1) A detachment of the Imperial Guard, which was intended to serve as the Emperor’s special escort during his irruption into Spain 3,600 1,750 (2) Twenty-six battalions of infantry of the line and light infantry, being all first, second, or third battalions, and not newly raised fourth battalions 25,800 (3) Three old regiments of cavalry of the line 1,250 (4) Three newly raised fourth battalions of infantry regiments of the line 1,800 This gives a total of regularly organized ----------------- French troops of the standing army of 31,200 3,000 ----------------- (5) Five legions of reserve, and two ‘supplementary legions of reserve’ 16,000 (6) Fifteen ‘provisional regiments’ from the dépôts of Southern France [the remaining five had not crossed the frontier on May 31] 31,000 (7) Six _régiments de marche_ of conscripts 3,200 (8) Eighteen battalions of Italian, Swiss, German, and other auxiliaries 14,000 (9) Sixteen ‘provisional regiments’ of cavalry, and a few detached ‘provisional squadrons,’ and _escadrons de marche_ 9,500 (10) Three regiments of foreign cavalry 1,000 This makes a total of troops in temporary ----------------- organization, or of foreign origin, of 64,200 10,500