Battle of the Bridge of Amarante facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of the Bridge of Amarante |
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| Part of the Peninsular War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Portugal |
 French Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Francisco Silveira | Louis Henri Loison | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 2,000 regulars, plus 7,000–8,000 half-armed militia and Ordenanças | 9,000 men | ||||||
The Battle of the Bridge of Amarante was a key event during the Peninsular War. It took place from April 18 to May 2, 1809. This battle saw Portuguese soldiers and local fighters face off against French troops. The Portuguese were led by Francisco da Silveira. The French forces were under the command of General Loison. The fighting happened near the town of Amarante in Portugal.
Why the Battle Happened
The battle was part of the second French invasion of Portugal. After the Portuguese victory at Chaves in March, French Marshal Soult was based in Porto. He sent General Loison to travel east. Loison's goal was to meet up with another French force in western Spain.
However, Loison's path was blocked. About 10,000 Portuguese soldiers and local fighters stood in his way. These troops were led by Silveira. They were positioned at Amarante, right by the Tâmega River.
The Portuguese Stand
General Loison could not get past the Portuguese. He asked for more soldiers. Marshal Soult then sent several other generals to help Loison. These included Generals Delaborde, Lorge, Heudelet, Sarrut, and Lahoussaye. Their mission was to help open the route back to Spain.
The Portuguese troops held the bridge at Amarante very well. They managed to stop Loison's army for almost two weeks. Loison now had 9,000 French soldiers. This was nearly half of Soult's entire army in Portugal. By holding the French back, the Portuguese gave British troops a chance. This allowed the British to march towards Coimbra and Oporto.
The French Plan
The French discovered a secret. The Portuguese had placed explosives, called mines, under the bridge. This made it tricky for the French. If they attacked, the Portuguese might blow up the bridge. This would make it impossible for the French to cross.
A clever French engineer captain, Pierre-François Bouchard, came up with a plan. He suggested setting off a small explosion on the French side of the bridge. This explosion would hopefully cut the wires to the Portuguese mines. If it worked, the mines would not go off. This would give the French a big surprise advantage. They could then launch a sudden attack on the Portuguese.
The French Victory
The French put their plan into action. They stormed the bridge with a sudden assault. The surprise attack worked. The French troops quickly captured the bridge. They also took ten cannons from the Portuguese. They captured five flags and several hundred Portuguese prisoners. This marked a French victory in the Battle of the Bridge of Amarante.
See also
