Carlos de España

This article is about the general who fought in the Peninsular War. For the 14th-century nobleman, see Charles de La Cerda.
Carlos de España
Born 15 August 1775
France
Died 1839
Organyà, Spain
Allegiance Spain Kingdom of Spain
Service/branch Infantry
Rank Spain Lieutenant General
Battles/wars Battle of the Gebora (1809)
Battle of Albuera (1811)
Siege of Badajoz (1812)
Battle of Salamanca (1812)
Battle of Vitoria (1813)
Siege of Pamplona (1813)

Roger-Bernard-Charles Espagnac de Ramefort (15 August 1775 – 1839), better known as Charles d'Espagnac or, from 1817, Carlos d'Espagne,[1] was a French-born Spanish general who saw distinguished service in the Peninsular War, but as governor of Barcelona, was a cruel, despotic and much-hated persecutor of Spanish liberals. In his letters and dispatches, Wellington refers to him as Carlos de España.[2][3]

He fought at the Battle of the Gebora, and was wounded fighting under the orders of General Beresford at the Battle of Albuera. In March 1812, he was wounded again at the Siege of Badajoz, fighting under the orders of Wellington, under whose orders he also fought at Salamanca. He was again wounded at the Siege of Pamplona in 1813.

He was briefly governor of Madrid before returning to the battlefield at the Battle of Bayonne and at Vitoria, where he was again wounded.[4]

He was murdered by Catalonian Carlists while crossing a bridge over the river Segre, near Organya, and his body was thrown into the river with a stone round its neck.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 (Spanish) "El fanático reaccionario" El País. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  2. Wellesley, Arthur (1836) The Dispatches of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington, K. G. During His Various Campaigns in India, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, the Low Countries, and France: Peninsula, 1809-1813, p. 578. J. Murray At Google Books. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  3. This has led some authors to confuse him with Charles IV of Spain (the father of Ferdinand VII of Spain) and whose title in Spanish was Carlos IV de España or even Infante Carlos, Count of Molina who, as Napoleon's prisoner at Valençay in France, did not return to Spain until 1814.
  4. Álvaro Garrido, José Antonio et al. (2008) (Spanish) Rincones de historia española: Episodios históricos, fabulosos y desconocidos a través de los siglos, p. 103. EDAF. At Google Books. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
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