Battle of Manresa (1810)

Manresa was burned by the French on 30 March 1812.

Date	21 March – 5 April 1810
Location	Manresa, Catalonia, Spain Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain
Result	Spanish victory

Belligerents

First French Empire

Kingdom of Spain

Commanders and leaders

Pierre Augereau

Marie François Rouyer

Juan Caro (WIA)

Units involved

Army of Catalonia

Strength

Vilafranca: 800
Manresa: 3,000

Vilafranca: 7,300
Manresa: 7,300

Casualties and losses

Vilafranca: 800
Manresa: 852

Vilafranca: light
Manresa: light

Peninsular War Aragón and northeast Spain 1809–1814

Valls Gerona Alcañiz María Belchite Mollet Vich Manresa Lérida Mequinenza La Bisbal Tortosa Pla 1st Tarragona Montserrat Figueras Cervera Saguntum Valencia Alicante Altafulla 1st Castalla 2nd Castalla 2nd Tarragona Ordal

The Battle of Manresa and Battle of Vilafranca from 21 March to 5 April 1810 saw a Spanish division led by Juan Caro and Luis González Torres de Navarra, Marquess of Campoverde attack an Imperial French brigade commanded by François Xavier de Schwarz. Caro's division first surprised the town of Vilafranca del Penedès in March and captured its 800-man garrison made up of troops from the Confederation of the Rhine. Vilafranca is located 35 kilometres (22 mi) west of Barcelona.

The Spanish troops remained at large and fell upon the town of Manresa at the beginning of April. After several days of sparring they drove Schwarz and his German soldiers out of the town with heavy losses. Caro was wounded on 2 April and was replaced by Campoverde. The Spanish force included 2,000 regulars, 2,300 local miquelets (Catalan Militia), and Francesc Rovira i Sala's band of 3,000 miquelets. This minor disaster caused Marshal Pierre Augereau to call off Imperial troops which were threatening Tarragona. Schwarz's brigade belonged to Marie François Rouyer's division while Caro's division was part of Henry O'Donnell's Army of Catalonia. Manresa is located 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of Barcelona. The actions occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars.

References

Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6.
Oman, Charles (1996). A History of the Peninsular War Volume III. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-223-8.
Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.

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