Battle of Peyrestortes

Battle of Peyrestortes
Part of the War of the Pyrenees
Some parts of Perpignan's ramparts survive today. Rather than attack the fortress directly, the Spanish tried to surround it.
Date 17 September 1793 Location Peyrestortes, Pyrénées-Orientales, France Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Eustache d'Aoust Louis Antoine Goguet	Antonio Ricardos Jerónimo Girón Juan de Courten
Strength
8,000-12,000	6,000-12,000
Casualties and losses
200-over 300	1,702-3,500, 26 guns

The Battle of Peyrestortes on 17 September 1793 saw soldiers of the First French Republic fighting troops of the Kingdom of Spain during the War of the Pyrenees. The French Army of the eastern Pyrenees, temporarily commanded by Eustache Charles d'Aoust defeated two divisions of the Army of Catalonia led by Juan de Courten and Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, Marquis de las Amarilas. This Spanish setback in an attempt to capture Perpignan marked the high point of their invasion of Roussillon.

The Spanish army of Antonio Ricardos had occupied part of Rousillon and made an abortive attempt to seize the fortress of Perpignan in July. At the end of August, the Spanish commander sent two divisions on a sweep around the western side of Perpignan in an attempt to isolate the fortress and choke it off from resupply. After an initial Spanish success, the French army commander lost his nerve and failed to respond to enemy moves.

D'Aoust and Jacques Gilles Henri Goguet stepped into the command vacuum and led their troops to attack and rout the two Spanish divisions from their fortified camps. After the battle, the Army of Catalonia found itself back in its original positions. Ricardos successfully defended the Spanish foothold in France during the remainder of 1793. But the following year saw a string of French victories in this part of the French Revolutionary Wars. Peyrestortes is located seven km northwest of Perpignan.

Beginning in April 1793, Captain General Ricardos and his Spanish army brushed aside the badly trained French armies in the department of Pyrénées Orientales. The Siege of Bellegarde concluded with the Spanish capture of the important Fort de Bellegarde on 24 June. Ricardos defeated General of Division Louis-Charles de Flers at the Battle of Mas Deu on 19 May. The two fought again on 17 July in the Battle of Perpignan and the result was a French victory. But after a minor setback, the all-powerful Representatives-on-mission arrested De Flers on 6 August and this led to his eventual execution.

...
Wikipedia