The Battle of Puerto de Baños (12 August 1809) saw a Portuguese-Spanish column led by
Robert Wilson attempt to defend a mountain pass against
Marshal
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...
Michel Ney's
VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to:
France
* VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army dur ...
. After a nine-hour combat, Wilson's force broke up and scattered into the mountains.
Baños de Montemayor
Baños de Montemayor () is a spa town located in the north of the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. The village is known for its Roman-built baths. According to the 2017 census (INE), the village has a population of 774 inhabitants. Baños ...
is located about northeast of
Plasencia, Spain. The clash occurred during the
Peninsular War, part of a larger struggle known as the
Napoleonic Wars.
Background
In the summer of 1809, the British army of
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington marched into western Spain to join
Gregorio García de la Cuesta's Spanish army. Wilson's 3,500-man Portuguese-Spanish force served as the left flank guard of this offensive. The Allied armies defeated King
Joseph Bonaparte's
Imperial French army at
Talavera at the end of July. However, the threat of Marshal
Nicolas Soult's large army to the north soon forced Wellesley and Cuesta to withdraw to the west.
Battle
Having advanced to
Escalona
Escalona is a municipality located in the north part of the province of Toledo, which in turn is part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2017 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 3,240 inhabi ...
, Wilson found himself isolated by the sudden concentration of French forces. The Portuguese-Spanish force successfully dodged some French intercepting columns by taking to the mountains. At Puerto de Baños, Wilson found Ney's corps marching north to cross the pass and decided to fight. After a skillful defense, Wilson's troops were finally defeated, but they escaped into Portugal without further incident.
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Puerto de Banos, Battle Of
Battles of the Peninsular War
Battles of the Napoleonic Wars
Conflicts in 1809
Battles involving France
Battles involving Portugal
Battles involving Spain
1809 in Spain
August 1809 events