Battle of Cervera (1811) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Cervera (1811)
Part of Peninsular War
Cervera
Date 4–14 October 1811 Location Cervera, Catalonia, Spain 41°40′N 1°16′E / 41.667°N 1.267°E / 41.667; 1.267 Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
First French Empire	Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
Jacques MacDonald	Luis Roberto de Lacy
Units involved
VII Corps	Army of Catalonia
Strength
1,000	8,000
Casualties and losses
995	unknown

The Battle of Cervera was a series of fights that happened between October 4 and 14, 1811. It was part of the Peninsular War, which was a big conflict during the Napoleonic Wars. In this battle, Spanish forces led by General Luis Roberto de Lacy fought against French troops. The French soldiers were part of the VII Corps and were commanded by Jacques MacDonald.

The Spanish army won these battles. They managed to capture almost 1,000 French soldiers. The main fighting took place around Cervera, a town in Catalonia, Spain. Cervera is about 55 kilometers (34 miles) east of Lleida.

Why the Battle Happened

Before the Battle of Cervera, the Spanish Army of Catalonia had faced tough times. They had lost many soldiers during the sieges of Tarragona and Figueres in July and August 1811. Because of these losses, General Luis Roberto de Lacy took over as the new leader, called the Captain General.

Another blow to the Spanish forces came when French troops captured a base used by Spanish fighters called miquelets. This happened during the Battle of Montserrat on July 25, 1811. Even though General Lacy was not very popular, he was a strong leader. He quickly reorganized the remaining 8,000 Spanish soldiers into three smaller groups. These groups were led by Generals Baron de Eroles, Pedro Sarsfield, and Francisco Milans del Bosch. With help from the British Royal Navy, Lacy's forces also took control of the Medes Islands on September 12.

How the Battle Unfolded

The fighting began on October 4, 1811. General Lacy's Spanish soldiers captured 200 French troops at a town called Igualada. Igualada is on the main road between Barcelona and Lleida.

The Spanish army then moved west. On October 7, they seized a French supply convoy near Cervera. A convoy is a group of vehicles traveling together, often with protection.

On October 11, Lacy's forces launched a strong attack on the French soldiers stationed in Cervera. They completely defeated the French garrison (the soldiers defending the town). In this victory, the Spanish captured another 645 French prisoners.

The Spanish continued their success. On October 14, they took 150 more prisoners at Bellpuig. After these defeats, the French army decided to leave the monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat. This monastery was located on Montserrat Mountain.