Siege of Roses (1794-1795)
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Roses began on 28 November 1794 and lasted until 4 February 1795 when the Spanish garrison evacuated the port and the forces of the First French Republic took control. Dominique Pérignon commanded the French army and Domingo Izquierdo led the Spanish defenders. The siege took place during the War of the Pyrenees
which was part of the French Revolutionary Wars
. The war ended in July 1795 and Roses was soon restored to Spain.
attacked Lieutenant General
(LG) Luis Firmin de la Union's
Spanish army in the Battle of the Black Mountain
. The French army routed their adversaries in a four-day combat in which both commanding generals were killed. MG Pérignon assumed command of the French army and quickly occupied the city of Figueres
. The French general bluffed Brigadier General
José Andrés Valdes into surrendering the 9,000-man garrison of San Fernando (Sant Ferran) on 28 November. On the same day, MG Pierre Sauret
invested the port of Roses.
-type citadel
(ciutadella) just west of the town and the Castillo de la Trinidad (Castell de la Trinitat), which crowned a promontory 2.3 km south-southeast of the citadel. The 300-meter high Mont Puy-Bois dominated the Castillo on the northeast. LG Izquierdo commanded the 4,800 men of the Spanish garrison. Admiral
Federico Gravina's fleet of 13 ships of the line and 45 other vessels lay in the bay of Roses. These ships provided gunfire and logistic support to the garrison.
On 29 November, the first battery opened fire on the fortress and the French began digging siege trenches. By 7 December, six batteries were pounding the defenses. Izquierdo launched several ineffectual sorties at the French as their siege parallels drew closer to the citadel. By this time Pérignon realized that the Castillo de la Trinidad, whose fire caused serious damage to the besiegers, was the key position. He ordered that heavy guns be installed on Mont Puy-Bois. When the French engineers protested that it could not be done, the commanding general overrode their objections. The French soldiers, whose nickname for the Castillo was le Bouton de Rose (the Pimple), managed to haul three batteries to the summit by 25 December. The batteries on Mont Puy-Bois finally breached the walls of the Castillo and its garrison was taken off in boats on 1 January. From the newly captured position, the French opened fire on the citadel and the fleet.
Meanwhile, the army of LG José Urrutia y de las Casas held a position behind the Rio Fluvià
to the south of Roses, threatening to advance to its relief. By 25 January, when wintry weather compelled Sauret to suspend siege operations, Urrutia's army had grown menacingly large. Determined to take the fortress, Pérignon decided to try bluff again. He stormed the Spanish advanced positions on 1 February. The French army commander staged obvious preparations for a full-scale assault, such as the display of scaling ladders in the trenches. This finally broke the morale of the defenders. Izquierdo ordered the surviving members of the garrison to be evacuated by Gravina's squadron on the night of 3 February, leaving a 300-man rear guard behind to cover the operation. The rear guard was supposed to be taken off in small boats in the morning, but they were abandoned by the fleet and became French prisoners.
. Urrutia repulsed Schérer's attempt to cross the Fluvià at Bàscara
on 14 June. French losses numbered 2,500 while the Spanish army only lost 546 casualties. The Peace of Basel
on 22 July 1795 officially ended the fighting. Spanish forces under LG Gregorio García de la Cuesta
won two minor actions at Puigcerdà
and Bellver in late July, before news of the peace reached the front. The Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
, in which Pérignon played a key role, followed on 19 August 1796. By this pact, Spain became an ally of France.
Spain°N conflict=yes°W
War of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees refers to the Pyrenees front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. Also known as Great War, War of Roussillon, or War of the Convention, it pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal from March 1793 to July 1795 during the...
which was part of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. The war ended in July 1795 and Roses was soon restored to Spain.
Background
On 17 November 1794, the French Army of the eastern Pyrenees under General of Division (MG) Jacques DugommierJacques François Dugommier
Jacques François Coquille named Dugommier was a French general....
attacked Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
(LG) Luis Firmin de la Union's
Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union
Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union became a general officer in the army of the Kingdom of Spain. In 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars, he commanded the Spanish Army in a mostly unsuccessful effort to hold back the army of the First French Republic...
Spanish army in the Battle of the Black Mountain
Battle of the Black Mountain
The Battle of the Black Mountain was fought from 17 to 20 November 1794 between the army of the First French Republic and the allied armies of the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal...
. The French army routed their adversaries in a four-day combat in which both commanding generals were killed. MG Pérignon assumed command of the French army and quickly occupied the city of Figueres
Figueres
Figueres is the capital of the comarca of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museum designed by Dalí himself which attracts many visitors...
. The French general bluffed Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
José Andrés Valdes into surrendering the 9,000-man garrison of San Fernando (Sant Ferran) on 28 November. On the same day, MG Pierre Sauret
Pierre Francois Sauret
Pierre François Sauret de la Borie enlisted in the French army as a private, fought in the Seven Years War, and became a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars. He served with distinction during the War of the Pyrenees before being transferred to the Army of Italy...
invested the port of Roses.
Defenses
The defenses of Roses consisted of a VaubanVauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
-type citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
(ciutadella) just west of the town and the Castillo de la Trinidad (Castell de la Trinitat), which crowned a promontory 2.3 km south-southeast of the citadel. The 300-meter high Mont Puy-Bois dominated the Castillo on the northeast. LG Izquierdo commanded the 4,800 men of the Spanish garrison. Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Federico Gravina's fleet of 13 ships of the line and 45 other vessels lay in the bay of Roses. These ships provided gunfire and logistic support to the garrison.
French forces
On November 28, the French invested Roses with 13,261 soldiers. While MG Sauret had immediate command over the besiegers, Pérignon remained the driving force in prosecuting the siege. Sauret's forces were organized as follows.- Division: MG Pierre Sauret
- Brigade: General of Brigade (BG) Claude Victor (2,455)
- Brigade: BG Joseph Martin (1,747)
- Brigade: BG Robert Motte (1,799)
- Brigade: BG Jean-Jacques Causse (1,403)
- Brigade: BG Théodore Chabert (2,118)
- Brigade: BG François Guillot (1,019 infantry, 123 cavalry)
- Division: MG Jean Beaufort de Thorigny (2,586 infantry, 211 cavalry)
Action
Meanwhile, the army of LG José Urrutia y de las Casas held a position behind the Rio Fluvià
Fluvià
The Fluvià is a river in Catalonia. It rises in the Serralada Transversal, passes through Olot, and flows into the Mediterranean Sea near Sant Pere Pescador.- See also :* List of rivers of Spain...
to the south of Roses, threatening to advance to its relief. By 25 January, when wintry weather compelled Sauret to suspend siege operations, Urrutia's army had grown menacingly large. Determined to take the fortress, Pérignon decided to try bluff again. He stormed the Spanish advanced positions on 1 February. The French army commander staged obvious preparations for a full-scale assault, such as the display of scaling ladders in the trenches. This finally broke the morale of the defenders. Izquierdo ordered the surviving members of the garrison to be evacuated by Gravina's squadron on the night of 3 February, leaving a 300-man rear guard behind to cover the operation. The rear guard was supposed to be taken off in small boats in the morning, but they were abandoned by the fleet and became French prisoners.
Aftermath
The Spanish reported 113 killed, 470 wounded, and 1,160 sick during the siege. In addition, 300 soldiers fell into French hands. French losses are unknown but were claimed to be light. Annoyed that Pérignon was unable to advance beyond the Fluvià, the French government replaced him at the end of May 1795 with MG Barthélemy SchérerBarthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer
Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer , born in Delle, near Belfort, became a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars and on three occasions led armies in combat.-Early career:...
. Urrutia repulsed Schérer's attempt to cross the Fluvià at Bàscara
Bàscara
Bàscara is a municipality in the comarca of Alt Empordà, Girona, Catalonia, Spain....
on 14 June. French losses numbered 2,500 while the Spanish army only lost 546 casualties. The Peace of Basel
Peace of Basel
The Peace of Basel of 1795 consists of three peace treaties involving France .* The first of the three treaties of 1795, France made peace with Prussia on 5 April; , * The Second was with Spain on 22 July, ending the War of the Pyrenees; and*...
on 22 July 1795 officially ended the fighting. Spanish forces under LG Gregorio García de la Cuesta
Gregorio García de la Cuesta
Gregorio García de la Cuesta y Fernández de Celis was a prominent Spanish general of the Peninsular War.-Early career:Born in La Lastra, Cantabria, to a family of petty nobles, Cuesta entered military service in 1758 as a member of the Spanish Royal Guards Regiment. He saw several successes as a...
won two minor actions at Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà is the capital of the Catalan comarca of Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the river Segre and the border with France .- History :...
and Bellver in late July, before news of the peace reached the front. The Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
The Second Treaty of San Ildefonso was signed on August 19, 1796 between the Spanish Empire and the First French Republic. Based on the terms of the agreement, France and Spain would become allies and combine their forces against the British Empire.-See also:...
, in which Pérignon played a key role, followed on 19 August 1796. By this pact, Spain became an ally of France.
Printed materials
- Ostermann, Georges. "Pérignon: The Unknown Marshal". Chandler, DavidDavid G. ChandlerDavid G. Chandler was a British historian whose study focused on the Napoleonic era.As a young man he served briefly in the army, reaching the rank of captain, and in later life he taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Oxford University awarded him the D. Litt. in 1991...
, ed. Napoleon's Marshals. New York: Macmillan, 1987. ISBN 0-02-905930-5 - Smith, DigbyDigby SmithDigby Smith is a British military historian. The son of a British career soldier, he was born in Hampshire, England, but spent several years in India and Pakistan as a child and youth. As a "boy soldier," he entered training in the British Army at the age of 16...
. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9
External references
- French wikipedia: Liste de généraux de la Révolution et du Premier Empire
- fortified-places.com Roses by Dominic Goode
Spain°N conflict=yes°W