ORDER OF BATTLE // July 4, 1806
Battle of Maida
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 10,050–11,676 estimated
United Kingdom
5,000–5,236
Medium-confidence figure
France
5,050–6,440
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Maida was a British expeditionary victory in Calabria over a French force under Jean Reynier. Stuart's force of roughly 5,236 troops inflicted over 2,000 French casualties while sustaining fewer than 330 of their own, a disparity that demonstrated the tactical superiority of the British formation on the day. Although the engagement took place in the broader context of the War of the Third Coalition, it represented one of the few instances in that period where British land forces met French troops in open battle and prevailed decisively on the continent. The lopsided casualty ratio gave the engagement an outsized place in British military memory relative to its immediate strategic consequences.
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