Battle of Vic

Battle of Vich

Main plaza in Vic

Date	20 February 1810
Location	Vic, Catalonia, Spain
Result	French victory

Belligerents

First French Empire

Kingdom of Spain

Commanders and leaders

Joseph Souham (WIA)

Units involved

Army of Catalonia

Strength

5,500, 12 guns

11,000

Casualties and losses

600

1,800

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 Vich or Battle of Vic on 20 February 1810 saw a Spanish force under Henry O'Donnell suddenly attack a 5,500-man Imperial French division led by Joseph Souham. After bitter fighting the French prevailed, forcing O'Donnell's men to retreat. The engagement occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Vic is located 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Barcelona in the province of Catalonia.

One month after his lieutenant Luis González Torres de Navarra, Marquess of Campoverde scored a victory in the Battle of Mollet, O'Donnell found that Souham's division was isolated at Vic. He assembled a small army of 7,000 regular infantry and 500 cavalry at Moià and arranged for the miquelets (Catalan militia) to join him in attacking Vic. On 19 February, 3,500 miquelets led by Francesc Rovira i Sala and Francisco Milans del Bosch began skirmishing with Souham's outposts. The next day, O'Donnell led his regulars to the assault from a different direction. While a French force in the town held off Rovira and Milans, the main forces battled in the plain. The contest hung in the balance until the 1,500-saber Imperial cavalry contingent overwhelmed O'Donnell's right wing. The French lost 600 casualties, including Souham badly wounded, while inflicting losses of 800 killed and wounded and capturing 1,000 more.

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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