Manuel Freire de Andrade facts for kids

Manuel Alberto Freire de Andrade y Armijo (born November 4, 1767 – died March 7, 1835) was an important Spanish cavalry officer. A cavalry officer leads soldiers who fight on horseback. He became a general officer, which is a very high rank in the army. Manuel Freire de Andrade fought during the Peninsular War and later became Spain's Defense Minister.

Freire was born in Carmona, Spain, a town near Seville. His father, Francisco Freire de Andrade, was also a Spanish cavalry officer from Galicia. His mother, Josefa Armijo y Bravo, was from Carmona. Manuel joined his father's Alcántara cavalry regiment when he was only seven years old. He started as a "minor cadet," which is like a young trainee. By January 1, 1780, he became an "ordinary cadet."

His first battle was on May 15, 1793. He fought against French forces during the start of the Battle of Mas Deu. This battle was part of the War of the Pyrenees. Freire spent the next two years fighting in Rousillon and Catalonia. He was part of the last actions of that war, where Spanish forces took back Puigcerda and Bellver. This happened even after a peace treaty had been signed.

During this war, Freire was promoted many times. He became a junior lieutenant on October 10, 1793, and a full lieutenant on November 20. He was made an ayundante (assistant) on December 13, 1793. He became a captain on February 18, 1794, and a cavalry captain on July 28, 1795. After the war, he was promoted to sergeant major. Then, on April 4, 1801, he took command of a squadron of soldiers. He also fought in a campaign against Portugal in Arronches. Later, he was sent to Mallorca for training.

Fighting in the Peninsular War

Manuel Freire joined other Spanish soldiers to fight against the invading forces of Napoleon. On September 15, 1807, he became a colonel and took command of a volunteer cavalry regiment in Madrid. The next year, he fought in Extremadura and other places. He was promoted to brigadier on March 2, 1809, after a campaign in La Mancha. He became a field marshal after the Battle of Talavera.

On January 10, 1810, Freire was put in charge of the cavalry under Juan Carlos de Aréizaga. He led them at the Battle of Ocaña on November 19. This was a terrible defeat for Spain. It caused Spain to lose control of Andalusia. After this, Freire wrote a book about new tactics for Spanish cavalry. It was published in Murcia in 1813.

Key Victories and Battles

From 1810 to 1812, Freire fought the French in Murcia, Granada, and Valencia. He became a general and took over command of the Fourth Army, also known as the Army of Galicia. He took command from Francisco Javier Castaños on August 12, 1813. His army defeated Soult at the Battle of San Marcial on August 31, 1813. For this important victory, he received the San Fernando Cross.

Freire also played a role in the Battle of the Bidassoa on October 7. He led the divisions of Generals Del Barco and Barcena across the river. They captured French positions on Mont Calvaire. Freire also fought bravely at the Battle of Nivelle on November 10. He showed "conspicuous gallantry" (great bravery) at the Battle of Toulouse in 1814. In this battle, his two divisions fought very hard for the French redoubts (fortified positions) on Mont Rave.

Later Life and Family

On October 7, 1814, Freire married Beatriz Abbad y Alfaro. She was 33 years old and the widow of another officer. They had two sons. Their son Manuel died shortly after his father. Their other son, Jose, later received the title of Marquis de San Marcial. This title had been given to his father just before he passed away.

Manuel Freire continued his military career after the wars. He also became involved in politics during a time of change in Spain.

See also

In Spanish: Manuel Freire de Andrade para niños