Second battle of Boulou

Second Battle of Boulou
Part of the War of the Pyrenees
Second Battle of Boulou
Date 29 April – 1 May 1794 Location Le Boulou, Pyrénées-Orientales, France Result French victory (first battle was Spanish)
Belligerents
France	Spain Kingdom of Portugal
Commanders and leaders
Jacques Dugommier	Luis Firmin de la Union John Forbes
Strength
30,000	20,000
Casualties and losses
20 killed, 300 wounded	3,500, 140 guns

The Second Battle of Boulou, 29 April to 1 May 1794, saw the French Army of the eastern Pyrenees led by Jacques François Dugommier attacking the joint Spanish-Portuguese Army of Catalonia under Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union. The decisive French victory resulted in the French regaining nearly all the land they lost to the Kingdom of Spain in 1793. Le Boulou is on the modern A9 highway, 20 km south of the department capital at Perpignan and seven km north of Le Perthus on the France-Spain border.

The year 1793 was a difficult time for the poorly trained French forces defending Rousillon against the Spanish army of Captain General Antonio Ricardos. The Siege of Bellegarde concluded in June with the French surrender of the Fort de Bellegarde, which dominated the key Pass of Le Perthus through the Pyrenees. However, Ricardos was repelled in the Battle of Perpignan on 17 July. The French army revived again under General of Division Eustache Charles d'Aoust to deal their enemies a sharp reverse at the Battle of Peyrestortes on 17 September. Five days later, Ricardos defeated the French at the Battle of Truillas.

Subsequently, the Spanish general fell back to the valley of the Tech River where he repulsed a series of French attempts to drive him back into Spain. D'Aoust tried and failed to oust the Spanish from Le Boulou on 3 October. In the Battle of the Tech (or Pla del Rey) from 13 to 15 October, Ricardos bloodily repulsed the attacks of General of Division Louis Marie Turreau. D'Aoust was defeated again in his 7 December attack on Villelongue-dels-Monts. The Spanish seized the port of Collioure on 20 December.

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Wikipedia