Editing Peninsular War (section)

===Second Portuguese campaign===
[[File:LargeBattleofOportobyBeaume.jpg|thumb|Marshal [[Jean-de-Dieu Soult]] at the [[First Battle of Porto]] by [[Joseph Beaume]] (1840 or 1843)]]

After Corunna, Soult turned his attention to the invasion of Portugal. Discounting garrisons and the sick, Soult's [[II Corps (Grande Armée)|II Corps]] had 20,000 men for the operation. He stormed the Spanish naval base at [[Ferrol, Galicia|Ferrol]] on 26 January 1809, capturing eight ships of the line, three [[frigate]]s, several thousand prisoners and 20,000 [[Brown Bess]] muskets, which were used to re-equip the French infantry.{{sfn|Gates|2001|p=138}} In March 1809, Soult invaded Portugal through the northern corridor, with [[Francisco da Silveira]]'s 12,000 Portuguese troops unraveling amid riot and disorder, and within two days of crossing the border at [[Battle of Monterrey (1809)|Monterrey]], Soult had taken the fortress of [[Chaves, Portugal|Chaves]].{{sfn|Esdaile|2003|p=178}} Swinging west, 16,000 of Soult's professional troops attacked and killed 4,000 of 25,000 unprepared and undisciplined Portuguese at [[Battle of Braga (1809)|Braga]] at the cost of 200 Frenchmen. At the [[First Battle of Porto]] on 29 March, the Portuguese defenders panicked, many attempting to flee alongside the city's residents south over the river Douro, to die in the [[Porto Boat Bridge disaster]]. Between 6,000 and 20,000 Portuguese soldiers were dead, wounded or captured. Suffering fewer than 500 casualties, Soult had secured Portugal's second city and, with its valuable dockyards and arsenals intact, captured immense quantities of supplies.{{sfn|Gates|2001|p=142}}{{sfn|Esdaile|2003|p=179}} Soult halted at Porto to refit his army before advancing on Lisbon.{{sfn|Southey|1828c|p=250}}

Wellesley returned to Portugal in April 1809 to command the British army, reinforced with Portuguese regiments trained by [[William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford|General Beresford]]. These new forces turned Soult out of Portugal at the [[Battle of Grijó]] (10–11 May) and the [[Second Battle of Porto]] (12 May), and the other northern cities were recaptured by General Silveira. Soult escaped without his heavy equipment by marching through the mountains to Orense.{{sfn|Southey|1828c|p=418}}