Combat of Barquilla (1810) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Combat of Barquilla
Part of Peninsular War
Date 11 July 1810 Location Heights of Barquilla, north of Villar de Puerco, Castile and León, Spain 40°40′N 6°42′W / 40.667°N 6.700°W / 40.667; -6.700 Result French victory
Belligerents
French Empire	United Kingdom Portugal
Commanders and leaders
Pierre Gouache	Robert Craufurd
Strength
200 infantry 30-40 cavalry	unknown
Casualties and losses
31 captured	32-40 casualties

The Combat of Barquilla was a small fight that happened on July 11, 1810. It took place between British and French forces in Spain. This event occurred just two days after the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo.

During this combat, a British commander named Robert Craufurd attacked French soldiers. These French soldiers, called grenadiers, were protecting a group of their comrades who were out gathering supplies. The French grenadiers formed a special defensive shape called a square. They fought bravely while slowly moving back, managing to escape without being captured or badly hurt by the British cavalry.

What Happened Before?

Before the Combat of Barquilla, the combined British and Portuguese army, led by Craufurd, had to retreat. They were pushed back to Fort Conception during the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo. The city of Ciudad Rodrigo eventually fell to the French on July 9, 1810.

While the siege was happening, the French army often sent out small groups to raid areas near where the British and Portuguese were positioned. To get back at them, Craufurd decided to launch his own attack. He gathered several groups of cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and some infantry (foot soldiers). His goal was to stop a French raiding party led by General Roche Godart.

Two days after Ciudad Rodrigo was captured, early in the morning of July 11, the British forces found a small group of French soldiers. This happened near a village called Barquilla. The French group was much smaller than the British force. It was led by Captain Pierre Gouache. His soldiers, about 200 grenadiers and 30 cavalry, were protecting others who were gathering food in a corn field.

The Fight Begins

Craufurd brought forward three groups of cavalry to attack the French infantry. These cavalry groups included the 1st Hussars from the King's German Legion, and the 16th and 14th Light Dragoons. The French infantry had formed a single defensive square in the corn field.

The first attack came from the hussars of the King's German Legion. As the horsemen got closer, the French grenadiers stood up and started shooting. However, the hussars didn't charge the square directly. Instead, they rode past it and attacked the French cavalry. Seeing how many British soldiers there were, the French cavalry quickly surrendered.

Meanwhile, the 16th Light Dragoons tried to attack the French square but didn't manage to reach it. The 14th Light Dragoons, led by Colonel Talbot, did manage to charge the square. But their attack was strongly pushed back. Colonel Talbot and eight of his men were killed, and many other horsemen were wounded.

The 14th Light Dragoons were thrown into confusion and had to pull back. Craufurd was too slow in bringing his own foot soldiers forward to support the cavalry. Because of this, the French infantry managed to retreat without losing any of their men.

What Happened After?

Even though the British captured about 30 French cavalry soldiers, the Combat of Barquilla was not a success for them. The British suffered 30 to 40 casualties (soldiers killed or wounded). They failed to defeat the much smaller French infantry force, allowing them to escape with very few losses.

This small battle was a minor event in the larger Masséna's military campaign. However, it hurt Craufurd's reputation. Luckily for him, he was able to make up for it two weeks later at the Battle of the Côa, even though he faced another defeat there. Captain Gouache, on the other hand, was praised for his actions and was promoted for his success in leading his men.