Battle of Caving Banks

Peninsular war: Aragón Catalonia
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Battle of Ordal at Ordal, on 13 September 1813
Castalla
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Battle of Castalla (1812) at Castalla, on 21 July 1812 and on 13 April 1813
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Battle of Altafulla at Altafulla, on 29 January 1812
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Siege of Valencia (1812) at Valencia, from 26 December 1811 – 9 January 1812
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Battle of Saguntum at Saguntum, on 25 October 1811
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Battle of Cervera (1811) at Cervera, from 4 to 14 October 1811
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Siege of Figueras (1811) at Figueras, from 4 April to 19 August 1811
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Battle of Montserrat at Montserrat, on 25 July 1811
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Siege of Tarragona (1811) from 5 May – 29 June 1811 Siege of Tarragona (1813) from 3 to 11 June 1813
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Battle of El Pla at El Pla, on 15 January 1811
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Siege of Tortosa (1810–11) at Tortosa, from 19 December 1810 to 2 January 1811
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Battle of La Bisbal at La Bisbal, on 14 September 1810
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Siege of Mequinenza at Mequinenza, from 15 May to 8 June 1810
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Siege of Lérida at Lérida, on 23 April and 29 April to 14 May 1810
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Battle of Vic at Vic, on 20 February 1810
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Battle of Mollet at Mollet, on 21 January 1810
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Battle of Belchite (1809) at Belchite, on 18 June 1809
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Battle of María at María de Huerva, on 15 June 1809
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Battle of Alcañiz at Alcañiz, on 23 May 1809
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Third siege of Girona at Girona, from 6 May to 12 December 1809
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Battle of Valls at Valls, on 25 February 1809
  

The Battle of Manresa and Battle of Vilafranca from 21 March to 5 April 1810 saw a Spanish division led by Juan Caro and Luis González Torres de Navarra, Marquess of Campoverde attack an Imperial French brigade commanded by François Xavier de Schwarz.

Background

Caro's division first surprised the town of Vilafranca del Penedès in March and captured its 800-man garrison made up of troops from the Confederation of the Rhine. Vilafranca is located 35 kilometres (22 mi) west of Barcelona.

Battle

The Spanish troops remained at large and fell upon the town of Manresa at the beginning of April. After several days of sparring they drove Schwarz and his German soldiers out of the town with heavy losses. Caro was wounded on 2 April and was replaced by Campoverde. The Spanish force included 2,000 regulars, 2,300 local miquelets (Catalan Militia), and Francesc Rovira i Sala's band of 3,000 miquelets. This minor disaster caused Marshal Pierre Augereau to call off Imperial troops which were threatening Tarragona. Schwarz's brigade belonged to Marie François Rouyer's division while Caro's division was part of Henry O'Donnell's Army of Catalonia. Manresa is located 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of Barcelona. The actions occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars.

References

  • Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6.
  • Oman, Charles (1996). A History of the Peninsular War Volume III. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-223-8.
  • Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.

External links