Battle of Ciudad-Real
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Ciudad-Real was fought on March 27, 1809, and resulted in a French
victory under General Sebastiani
against the Spanish
under General Conde de Cartojal
.
French 4th Corps (with attached Polish division under general Valance) had to cross the bridge over the Guadiana
River which was defended by the Spanish corps of Count Urbino Cartaojal. Polish lancer
s of the Legion of the Vistula
under colonel Jan Konopka
charged through the bridge taking it by surprise, then outflanked Spanish infantry and attacked it from behind as the main French and Polish forces crossed the bridge, and attacked the Spanish front lines.
The battle was over when undisciplined Spanish soldiers dispersed, and began to retreat in the direction of Santa Cruz
.
Józef Rudnicki, adiutant-major of the 4th Infantry Regiment of the Legion, described the battle in his diaries (spelling according to the original):
"as soon as the French regiments of the 4th Corps met our division, we rushed immediately toward the Consiegra
and Cuidat-Real
, before of which town we found the Spanish corps, waiting for us on good positions. We were outnumbered, but thank to the rational orders of the general Sebastjani, in some od four hours on 27 March 1809 the Spaniards were defeated and dispersed. They were retreating in chaos toward Almagro
, where the Order of Calatrava
has its home, and toward the S-ta Cruse
, and even further, into the Sierramorena
Mountains."
The Spanish corps lost some 2000 men killed or wounded and many more were taken prisoner. After the battle the count of Cartojal was deprived of command for incompetency, and replaced by general Venegas
, hero of the Spanish War of Independence
, and later the viceroy of New Spain
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
victory under General Sebastiani
Horace François Bastien, baron Sébastiani
Horace François Bastien Sébastiani de La Porta was a French soldier, diplomat, and politician, who served as Naval Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of State under the July Monarchy. Joining the French Revolutionary Army in his youth, he rose in its ranks and became a supporter...
against the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
under General Conde de Cartojal
José de Urbina y Urbina, 3rd conde de Cartaojal
Tomás de Morla y Pacheco, 3rd conde de Cartoajal was a Spanish soldier, general, and intendant during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.-Military career:...
.
French 4th Corps (with attached Polish division under general Valance) had to cross the bridge over the Guadiana
Guadiana
The Guadiana , or Odiana, is an international river located on the Portuguese–Spanish border, separating Extremadura and Andalucia from Alentejo and Algarve...
River which was defended by the Spanish corps of Count Urbino Cartaojal. Polish lancer
Lancer
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used in mounted warfare by the Assyrians as early as and subsequently by Greek, Persian, Gallic, Han-Chinese, nomadic and Roman horsemen...
s of the Legion of the Vistula
Legion of the Vistula
The Legion of the Vistula was a unit of Poles in the service of Napoleonic France, one of the larger Polish Legions of Napoleonic Period.-Creation of the Legion:...
under colonel Jan Konopka
Jan Konopka
Jan Konopka was a lieutenant in the Kościuszko Uprising, captain of the Polish Legions in Italy, regiment commander in the Legion of the Vistula, as well as general of the French Army and the Duchy of Warsaw...
charged through the bridge taking it by surprise, then outflanked Spanish infantry and attacked it from behind as the main French and Polish forces crossed the bridge, and attacked the Spanish front lines.
The battle was over when undisciplined Spanish soldiers dispersed, and began to retreat in the direction of Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz de Mudela
Santa Cruz de Mudela is a municipality of the Spanish province Ciudad Real located in the southeastern corner of the autonomous community Castile-La Mancha.-Geography:...
.
Józef Rudnicki, adiutant-major of the 4th Infantry Regiment of the Legion, described the battle in his diaries (spelling according to the original):
"as soon as the French regiments of the 4th Corps met our division, we rushed immediately toward the Consiegra
Consuegra
Consuegra is a municipality located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. In 2009 the municipality had a population of 10,932 inhabitants. It is 80 km from Ciudad Real and 60 km from Toledo....
and Cuidat-Real
Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real is a city in Castile-La Mancha, Spain, with a population of c. 74,000. It is the capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It has a stop on the AVE high-speed rail line and has begun to grow as a long-distance commuter suburb of Madrid, located 115 miles to the north. A high capacity...
, before of which town we found the Spanish corps, waiting for us on good positions. We were outnumbered, but thank to the rational orders of the general Sebastjani, in some od four hours on 27 March 1809 the Spaniards were defeated and dispersed. They were retreating in chaos toward Almagro
Almagro
Almagro may refer to:*Diego de Almagro , Spanish explorer*Diego Almagro II , assassin of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro*Nicolás Almagro , Spanish tennis player*Almagro, Buenos Aires...
, where the Order of Calatrava
Order of Calatrava
The Order of Calatrava was the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Order of Calatrava as a Militia was given by Pope Alexander III on September 26, 1164.-Origins and Foundation:...
has its home, and toward the S-ta Cruse
Santa Cruz de Mudela
Santa Cruz de Mudela is a municipality of the Spanish province Ciudad Real located in the southeastern corner of the autonomous community Castile-La Mancha.-Geography:...
, and even further, into the Sierramorena
Sierra Morena
The Sierra Morena is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It stretches for 400 kilometres East-West across southern Spain, forming the southern border of the Meseta Central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, and providing the watershed between the valleys of the Guadiana to the...
Mountains."
The Spanish corps lost some 2000 men killed or wounded and many more were taken prisoner. After the battle the count of Cartojal was deprived of command for incompetency, and replaced by general Venegas
Francisco Javier Venegas, marqués de la Reunión y de Nueva España
Francisco Javier Venegas de Saavedra, marqués de la Reunión y de Nueva España was a Spanish military officer and viceroy of New Spain from September 14, 1810 to March 4, 1813, during the first phase of Mexico's War of Independence.-Army career:He began studies for a literary career, but gave them...
, hero of the Spanish War of Independence
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, and later the viceroy of New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
.
Further reading
- Michael Glover: The Peninsular War 1807-1814, London, Penguin 2001, ISBN 0-141-39041-7
- Marian Kukiel: Dzieje oręża polskiego w epoce napoleońskiej, Poznań 1912/repr. 1998, ISBN 83-86600-51-9