Battle of Bornos (1811) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Bornos (1811)
Part of Peninsular War
Francisco Ballesteros outwitted the French in fall 1811.
Date 5 November 1811 Location Bornos, Spain 36°49′N 5°44′W / 36.817°N 5.733°W / 36.817; -5.733 Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
French Empire	Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
Jean Pierre Semellé	Francisco Ballesteros
Strength
2,300	unknown
Casualties and losses
900	unknown

The Battle of Bornos happened on November 5, 1811, in Bornos, Spain. It was a fight during the Peninsular War, which was part of the bigger Napoleonic Wars. In this battle, a Spanish army, led by General Francisco Ballesteros, attacked a French group of soldiers. The French were commanded by General Jean-Baptiste Pierre de Semellé.

The French had tried to trap Ballesteros, but he was too clever. Instead, he surprised one of their groups. The French soldiers managed to fight their way out, but a Spanish battalion fighting for the French either gave up or joined the Spanish side. Bornos is about 64 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Jerez de la Frontera.

Why the Battle Happened

In the fall of 1811, the British navy helped General Francisco Ballesteros and his small army travel to Algeciras. From there, the Spanish soldiers moved inland, going on one of their many raids.

The French commander in Andalusia, Marshal Nicolas Soult, was annoyed by Ballesteros's constant attacks. He decided he needed to catch the smart Spanish general.

The Fight at Bornos

To try and trap Ballesteros, Marshal Soult sent three groups of soldiers. These groups were led by General Nicolas Godinot, General Pierre Barrois, and General Jean-Baptiste Pierre de Semellé.

Ballesteros found out about the French plan. He quickly moved his troops south to Gibraltar, where they were safe. On October 14, about 10,000 French soldiers arrived outside Gibraltar. But they didn't have enough supplies to start a long attack, so they left the next day.

General Godinot tried to march towards Tarifa. However, British warships fired at his troops as they moved along the coast. He gave up and went back to Seville.

On November 5, Ballesteros marched to Bornos. There, he surprised General Semellé, who had about 1,500 French soldiers and a Spanish battalion that was allied with the French. Semellé and his French soldiers fought hard and managed to escape the trap. But the Spanish battalion fighting for the French either surrendered or switched sides during the battle. The French soldiers lost about 100 men. Since Semellé had 2,300 men in total, with 1,500 being French, it seems the lost Spanish battalion had about 800 soldiers. We don't know how many Spanish soldiers Ballesteros had or how many they lost.

Another Battle at Bornos

There was a second Battle of Bornos on May 31, 1812. In this battle, General Ballesteros again surprised French troops in the town, this time led by General Nicolas François Conroux. Even though they were outnumbered, the French fought back well. They pushed the Spanish troops away, causing them to suffer many losses.