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821:(militia) kept his soldiers from crossing the pass. He called for help and Duhesme diverted Chabran to assist him. But the two generals were unable to force their way through the pass on 15 June. After suffering 400 casualties in the second battle, the French, Italians, and Swiss retreated. The Catalan irregulars tried to oppose Chabran's withdrawing force in the plains but were easily driven off. The frustrated French and their allies then brutally plundered every village along their route back to Barcelona.
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834:. There were an estimated 10,000 Catalans with three or four cannons. On 17 June, the miquelets were easily defeated by the 5,963 Imperial soldiers and their eight artillery pieces. The Imperial troops celebrated their triumph by sacking MatarĂł for an entire day. As the Franco-Italian force continued on its way to Girona, the miquelets reoccupied the countryside and blocked all communication between Duhesme and Barcelona.
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759:'s troops were moving through Barcelona. Lechi ordered a military review, and, as his soldiers marched past the main gate of the citadel, they suddenly veered left and rushed into the fortress. Without bloodshed, the Imperial troops hustled the stunned Spanish garrison out of the fortifications and occupied the place. Among other strong places, the French also seized
845:
In the expedition, Duhesme's force included
General of Brigade Andrea Milossevich's 2,133-man brigade, Schwarz's 2,163-strong brigade, and 1,517 cavalry. Milossevich commanded the 2nd Battalions of the 2nd and 5th Italian Line Infantry Regiments and the 3rd Battalion of the 4th Italian Line Infantry.
710:
and regular
Spanish troops, the French general attempted to capture Girona in order to open up a secure supply line from France to Barcelona. The Franco-Italian force attempted to storm the city but they were repulsed by the city militia and two small battalions of Irish regular infantry in Spanish
898:
The French commander tried again that night, ordering
Schwarz's brigade against the Santa Clara bastion on the west bank. The attack was a surprise and the Italians gained a foothold atop the walls. In the darkness, some of the scaling ladders went astray, so the attackers were unable to reinforce
903:
Regiment erased the
Italians' lodgement. In the morning, Duhesme directed his third assault against one of the bastions. But this charge melted away in the face of intense fire from the alert defenders. Altogether, the Franco-Italians suffered 700 killed, wounded, and missing. Spanish losses were
890:
Duhesme directed his main attack at the Carmen gate on the east bank. The weakest part of the defenses, this gate was located on the south side. One battalion was sent against the
Capuchins fort while other troops attacked two bastions on the west bank. The main attack started while Duhesme's
809:, and keeping control of Barcelona. In view of the seriousness of the revolt, these orders were completely unrealistic. Duhesme attempted to comply with his instructions by sending Chabran and 3,000 troops to join Moncey and directing Schwarz with another column to seize
782:
was based at
Barcelona. General of Division Joseph Chabran led the 1st Division with 6,050 soldiers in eight battalions, while Lechi commanded the 2nd Division with 4,600 men in six battalions. The 1,700 cavalrymen in nine squadrons were under
916:
River and drove them away. Chabran tried to entice the
Catalan militia into battle but was unsuccessful. Finally becoming aware of Duhesme's troubles, Napoleon earmarked a newly formed division under General of Division
877:
The Franco-Italians arrived in front of Girona on 20 June. After his demand for surrender was declined, Duhesme decided to attack the city's defenses. Girona was defended by 350 regular soldiers in two battalions of the
865:
into eastern and western portions. The smaller part of the city, called the
Mercadal, was on the west bank. Since the Mercadal was unprotected by any natural defenses, the military engineers had provided it with five
886:
O'Donovan and O'Daly. Girona was also defended by 1,600 city militiamen and a handful of gunners, for a total of 2,000 defenders. Another source states that the city militia may have numbered as many as 2,000.
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Alarmed at being isolated, Duhesme decided to clear his line of communications back to France. As he headed northeast toward Girona with a division-sized force, he encountered a large force of miquelets at
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ordered his soldiers to seize
Barcelona in February 1808. The city's fortress was successfully occupied, but a few weeks later the Spanish people rebelled against
936:, which landed its marines to help. Hearing about the division of reinforcements, Duhesme prepared for a new attempt on Girona. The next action was the
281:
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Duhesme retreated to
Barcelona, leaving Chabran and a brigade to hold MatarĂł. Soon after, Duhesme attacked a force of miquelets along the
274:
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was still negotiating with the defenders. The French guns were quickly suppressed by Girona's artillery and the assault failed.
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Schwarz directed the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 1st Neapolitan Line Infantry Regiment and the 1st Battalion of the Italian
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Regiment, 504 cavalrymen in the Italian Chasseurs Ă Cheval, and 388 men in the Neapolitan Chasseurs Ă Cheval.
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to the north. The city was ringed by a 20 feet (6 m) high wall dating to the Middle Ages.
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Independence Square in Girona commemorates the struggle against the French from 1808 to 1814.
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to reinforce him. Reille moved out with an advanced guard and soon relieved the garrison of
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rule. Duhesme and his soldiers soon found themselves in difficulties. Hemmed in by Catalan
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O'Donovan and O'Daly. The French assault failed and the attackers withdrew.
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in Madrid the Spanish people rose in revolt against the French occupiers.
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This modest-sized force was tasked with putting down the insurrection in
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service. Duhesme fell back to Barcelona, but he returned to mount the
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As part of his plan to overthrow the Spanish ruling family, Emperor
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the successful party quickly enough. A savage counterattack by the
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Infantry Regiment. The unit was recruited from Irishmen and led by
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By the summer of 1808, a 12,710-man French corps commanded by
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Months before, as part of his plan to seize his ally the
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1145:The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War
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850:. There were 409 troopers in the 3rd Provisional
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1173:"French Capture of Barcelona, 29 February 1808"
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854:Regiment, 416 sabers in the 3rd Provisional
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1185:The Napoleonic Wars Data Book
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950:Spanish conventional warfare
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744:in a military coup, Emperor
731:Spanish conventional warfare
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396:: Spanish uprising 1808
31:Battle of Girona (1808)
971:Second siege of Gerona
938:Second siege of Girona
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805:in his bid to capture
713:Second siege of Girona
667:garrison commanded by
303:Spanish uprising, 1808
182:Commanders and leaders
1187:. London: Greenhill.
1171:Rickard, J. (2008b).
1162:Rickard, J. (2008g).
1143:Gates, David (2002).
977:Third siege of Gerona
919:Honoré Charles Reille
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675:(spelled "Gerona" in
253:Casualties and losses
1217:at Wikimedia Commons
904:described as light.
815:Battles of the Bruch
773:Dos de Mayo Uprising
645: current battle
1175:. historyofwar.com.
1166:. historyofwar.com.
1147:. London: Pimlico.
1082:, pp. 260–261.
952:proceeded with the
884:Lieutenant Colonels
785:Generals of Brigade
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142:First French Empire
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62:20 and 21 June 1808
954:Battle of Valencia
923:Sant Ferran Castle
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817:swarms of Catalan
788:Bertrand Bessières
733:started with the
715:five weeks later.
380:La Romana's Escape
226:Lt. Col. O'Donovan
205:Andrea Milossevich
1213:Media related to
998:, pp. 10–11.
872:Montjuich citadel
841:Guillaume Duhesme
663:try to overrun a
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616:Dos de Mayo
104: /
1227:Categories
1137:References
1128:Smith 1998
1116:Gates 2002
1080:Smith 1998
1061:Smith 1998
1049:Gates 2002
1032:Gates 2002
1020:Gates 2002
996:Gates 2002
852:Cuirassier
771:. In the
719:Background
582:Valdepeñas
375:2nd Gerona
355:1st Gerona
325:Valdepeñas
315:1st Madrid
944:Aftermath
931:HMS
914:Llobregat
819:miquelets
799:Catalonia
750:Barcelona
681:Barcelona
677:Castilian
429:Santander
76:Catalonia
1183:(1998).
960:See also
807:Valencia
769:Figueras
765:Pamplona
746:Napoleon
700:Napoleon
514:Zaragoza
480:Valencia
424:125miles
360:Valencia
240:Strength
67:Location
36:Part of
933:Montagu
901:Ultonia
880:Ultonia
848:Velites
708:militia
683:on the
665:Spanish
565:Alcolea
531:CabezĂłn
463:Rioseco
345:CabezĂłn
335:Alcolea
89:41°58′N
1191:
1151:
979:(1809)
973:(1808)
908:Result
868:Vauban
832:MatarĂł
825:Battle
811:Lerida
673:Girona
643:
618:Madrid
497:Girona
446:Bailén
370:Bailén
320:Toledo
117:Result
92:2°49′E
72:Girona
984:Notes
927:Roses
599:Bruch
548:Cadiz
422:200km
330:Bruch
261:light
248:2,000
80:Spain
1189:ISBN
1149:ISBN
948:The
790:and
767:and
729:The
651:The
59:Date
258:700
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