Vicente María de Acevedo facts for kids

Vicente María Acevedo Pola (1760–1808) was an important Spanish military leader.

Even though Acevedo had retired in 1803, he decided to help his country again. He had been a captain in the Spanish Royal Guards. This rank was like a colonel in other parts of the Spanish army.

In 1808, people in Asturias, Spain, started an uprising. Acevedo offered his help to the local government, called the Junta Superior of Asturias. On June 12, 1808, he was promoted to lieutenant general. He worked under Joaquín Navia Osorio.

A few days later, Navia Osorio resigned because he disagreed with the Junta. Acevedo was then promoted to captain general of Asturias. He quickly began to gather new groups of volunteer soldiers. By mid-August, he had about 8,000 men ready to fight. This was less than half the number they had hoped for.

Forming the Asturian Division

In September, Acevedo suggested bringing all the different Asturian military groups together. He wanted them to form one large division. After a war meeting in Madrid, this division was planned to join Blake's Army of the Left.

Acevedo's plan was to create two brigades, each with about 5,000 soldiers. These brigades would be led by Cayetano Valdés y Flores and Gregorio Bernaldo de Quirós. There would also be a reserve group of 2,000 soldiers, led by Nicolás Llano Ponte.

Joining the Main Army

The Asturian Division had 19 new battalions. Acevedo himself was in charge of them. On October 11, their main camp was set up in Quinconces, Burgos. Eight of these battalions then went to join Blake's Army of the Left in Villaro, Vizcaya. The other battalions stayed in Asturias to protect the area.

The division had some small fights near Bilbao. Their first big action happened on November 3 and 5. With 7,633 soldiers, they fought as part of the Army of the Left near Valmaseda. They successfully pushed back the forces led by General Villatte.

On November 5, Acevedo's troops were marching to meet Blake's Army. They saw Villatte's division retreating across a stream. Acevedo sent some of his soldiers across the stream to stop them. Villatte managed to escape, but he had to leave behind a cannon, many supply wagons, and 300 prisoners.

However, three days later, General Lefèbvre's IV Corps attacked Acevedo's rearguard. About 3,000 of Acevedo's men were forced to retreat towards the coast. This separated them from the rest of their division.

Battle of Espinosa de los Monteros

On November 10 and 11, the Army of the Left, which included the remaining Asturian Division, tried to stop the French attack. The soldiers were very tired. This battle took place at Espinosa de los Monteros.

The fighting started late on November 10. Marshal Victor led an attack, but it was stopped. The next day, the French attacked again. Acevedo ordered a counterattack, sending his troops down a hill. They faced heavy gunfire from Maison's soldiers.

Many Spanish officers, who were leading their new recruits, were hit. General Quirós was killed. Both Valdés and Acevedo were badly wounded. Acevedo was even blinded. The Army of the Left lost the battle and had over 5,000 soldiers killed or injured.

Death of Acevedo

Because of his serious injuries, Acevedo could no longer command his division. He gave the command to General Llano Ponte. Acevedo was then taken away from the battle.

On November 12, Acevedo was traveling with a small group of escorts. One of them was Rafael del Riego, who was a captain at the time. A cavalry patrol from the Trascher Provisional Regiment stopped them. Acevedo was attacked and killed. Riego was not harmed, but he was taken prisoner.

See also

In Spanish: Vicente María de Acevedo para niños