Battle of Saguntum

The Battle of Saguntum (25 October 1811) saw the Imperial French Army of Aragon under Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet defend against a Spanish army led by Captain General Joaquín Blake. The Spanish attempt to raise the siege of the Sagunto Castle failed when the French, Italians, and Poles drove their troops off the battlefield in rout. The 20,000 French inflicted 6,000 casualties on their more numerous opponents, including many prisoners, while sustaining only about 1,000 casualties.^[1]

Suchet hoped to quickly seize Sagunto Castle, but the 2,600-man Spanish garrison repulsed two of his assaults with several hundred casualties. Blake hoped to force Suchet to retreat by cutting off his supplies. The guerillas inflicted two stinging defeats on the French-Allied forces, but ultimately failed to shake Suchet's resolve. Blake reluctantly ordered his army to relieve the siege, even though he was not confident in the ability of his soldiers to face Suchet's veterans. Blake heavily weighted his left wing while keeping his best troops in the weaker right wing. The Spanish left wing attacked the much weaker French right flank and was completely routed by French infantry and Italian cavalry. The Spanish right wing gave a much better account of itself, forcing Suchet to commit all his reserves before forcing it to withdraw. Eventually, the French cavalry put the whole Spanish army to rout. Their hopes of relief dashed, the garrison of Sagunto Castle quickly surrendered. The action took place during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Sagunto lies a short distance from the east coast of Spain, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of Valencia, Spain.^[1]

The Siege of Valencia (3 November 1811 – 9 January 1812) saw Suchet's army envelop and besiege most of Blake's army in the city of Valencia. The 30,000 French troops compelled 16,000 Spanish soldiers to surrender at the conclusion of the siege, although another 7,000 Spaniards escaped from the trap. Suchet quickly converted Valencia into an important base of operations. Valencia, modern-day capital of the Valencian Community, is located on the east coast of Spain.^[2]

Blake army waited passively in a line of fortifications outside Valencia. Reinforced by 13,000 Franco-Italian troops, the bulk of Suchet's army marched around the Spanish left flank and rolled up Blake's lines. Another Imperial French division managed to break through the Spanish right flank. The right and left Imperial pincers closed around Valencia. Two-thirds of Blake's army retreated within the city while the remainder withdrew to the west. After an abortive attempt to break out, Blake surrendered after a two-month siege.^[2]

Orders of Battle

French-Allied Army

Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet's Imperial French Army at Saguntum and Valencia^[3]

Division	Strength at Saguntum	Strength at Valencia	Brigade	Units	Strength at Saguntum
1st Division General of Division Louis François Félix Musnier	4,829	3,727	General of Brigade Louis Benoît Robert	114th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,637
				1st Legion of the Vistula, two battalions	863
			General of Brigade Florentin Ficatier Guarding line of communications (LOC)	121st Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,200
				2nd Legion of the Vistula, two battalions	1,129
2nd Division General of Division Jean Isidore Harispe	4,762	4,828	General of Brigade Marie Auguste Paris	7th Line Infantry Regiment, four battalions	1,639
				116th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,147
			General of Brigade Józef Chłopicki	44th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions	1,226
				3rd Legion of the Vistula, two battalions	750
3rd Division General of Division Pierre-Joseph Habert	3,459	3,150	General of Brigade Louis François Élie Pelletier, Count Montmarie	5th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions	802
				16th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,317
			General of Brigade Nicolas Bronikowski	117th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions	1,340
Italian Division General of Division Giuseppe Federico Palombini Three battalions guarding LOC	6,219	3,591	General of Brigade Vertigier Saint Paul	2nd Light Infantry Regiment, three battalions	2,200
				4th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,660
			General of Brigade Éloi Charles Balathier	5th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions	930
				6th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,429
Neapolitan Division General of Division Claude Antoine Compère	1,391	1,092	unbrigaded	1st Light Infantry Regiment, one battalion	446
				1st Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion	560
				2nd Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion	385
Cavalry General of Brigade André Joseph Boussart	2,405	1,839	unbrigaded Two squadrons (500) of 4th Hussars guarding LOC	4th Hussar Regiment, four squadrons	750
				24th Dragoon Regiment, two squadrons	436
				13th Cuirassier Regiment, four squadrons	584
				Napoleone Dragoon Regiment	466
				2nd Chasseur Regiment	169
Artillery & Engineers	3,068	2,368	General of Division Sylvain Charles Valée	Artillery	1,805
			General of Division Joseph Rogniat	Engineers	600
			unknown	Military Equipment, Gendarmes	663
Grand Total	26,133	20,595	–	–	26,133
Division Reille General of Division Honoré Charles Reille	–	2,834	General of Brigade Claude Marie Joseph Pannetier	10th Line Infantry Regiment	–
				81st Line Infantry Regiment	–
		3,961	General of Brigade Jean Raymond Charles Bourke	20th Line Infantry Regiment	–
				60th Line Infantry Regiment	–
Division Severoli General of Division Filippo Severoli	–	4,370	unbrigaded	1st Light Infantry Regiment, three battalions	–
				1st Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	–
				7th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions	–
Cavalry Reille's Corps	–	543	unbrigaded	9th Hussar Regiment	–
		262	unbrigaded	1st Chasseur Regiment	–
Artillery Reille's Corps	–	1,153	unbrigaded	Artillery, etc.	–
Total Reille's Corps	–	13,123	–	–	–

Footnotes

References

• Oman, Charles (1996) [1914]. A History of the Peninsular War Volume V. Vol. 5. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-225-4.