Battle of Casal Novo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Casal Novo |
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| Part of Peninsular War | |||||||
 Map with positions and movements |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 United Kingdom Portugal |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Jean Gabriel Marchand |
Sir William Erskine |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 4,600 | 7,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 55 casualties | 155 casualties | ||||||
The Battle of Casal Novo was a small but important fight. It happened on March 14, 1811, in Portugal. This battle was part of a bigger war called the Peninsular War. French soldiers, led by General Massena, were trying to leave Portugal. A group of French soldiers, led by Michel Ney, fought at the back to protect the main army. This kind of fight is called a rear-guard action. At Casal Novo, a British commander named Sir William Erskine made some risky choices. These choices led to many losses for the British Light Division.
Why the Battle Happened
General Massena's French army was trying to retreat from Portugal. They wanted to go north through the Mondego valley. But they faced a big problem: all the bridges over the Mondego River were destroyed. Also, the city of Coimbra was held by Portuguese soldiers. This made it impossible for the French to cross the river easily.
To slow down the British and Portuguese armies, Massena put Michel Ney in charge of the rear guard. This group of soldiers stayed at the back. Ney was very skilled at this job. He successfully stopped the enemy twice before. These fights happened at Pombal and Redinha. After these battles, Ney moved his soldiers to a new spot at Condeixa.
The French army was too slow trying to cross the Mondego River. The Portuguese soldiers in Coimbra kept them from crossing for three days. Massena realized his army might get trapped. So, he changed his plan. Instead of going north, he decided to head east, back towards Spain. Ney was left at Condeixa to keep the Allied army busy.
The lead group of Wellington's Allied army soon reached Condeixa. French General Montbrun defended the position. He held off the Allies long enough for the main French army to move east. Since Condeixa could not be held, the French left the town and set it on fire. The next day, the Allies moved towards the French positions near Miranda do Corvo. Sir William Erskine, leading the British Light Division, attacked the French at Casal Novo.
General Ney had placed his troops in strong defensive spots. General Ferrey's soldiers were in the village of Casal Novo. General Marchand's division was held back on high ground near Chão de Lamas.
The Battle Begins
The British Light Division moved forward towards Casal Novo. A thick fog covered the area, hiding the French soldiers. However, Sir William Erskine did not believe the French were there. He didn't even send out scouts to check. This made the British soldiers easy targets for Ferrey's men.
The Light Division was under heavy fire for two or three hours. They finally managed to get into the town. The French soldiers then pulled back to join Marchand's division. As the British and Portuguese chased them, they were attacked by French cavalry. Despite this, the Light Division kept pushing forward. But they then met Marchand's division. These French soldiers were on high ground in a very strong defensive spot. They fired heavily on the British and Portuguese troops. The Allied attack was easily pushed back.
Then, the British 3rd Division arrived. This forced Ney to pull back Marchand's men. He did this before they could be surrounded. Marchand's soldiers moved back and formed a line with other French divisions. They took up positions on the heights of Miranda do Corvo.
What Happened Next
General Ney's rear guard successfully delayed the British and Portuguese. This gave many French supply wagons time to catch up with the main army. The British and Portuguese suffered many more losses than the French. Marchand's division had stopped the attacks. The Allies had again failed to break through the French rear guard.
Ney's rear guard then crossed the Ceira River. A small group of soldiers stayed on the other side at Foz de Arouce. This set the stage for the next fight at Foz de Arouce. This would be Ney's last battle in Portugal.
The Battle of Casal Novo was the first of several mistakes made by Sir William Erskine. Another one happened later at Sabugal. If the Light Division commander had scouted the French positions, this costly battle might have been avoided.
Images for kids
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Map with positions and movements
