Battle of Valls

The Battle of Valls was fought on 25 February 1809, during the Peninsular War, between a French force under Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr and a Spanish force under Theodor von Reding. Fought near the town of Valls in Catalonia, Spain, the battle ended in a French victory. General Reding was fatally wounded during a cavalry charge against French cavalry.

Background The Spanish campaign in early 1809 started with the Battle of Uclés.

Battle During actions on 15 February 1809, Reding's left wing was cut off from reinforcement by a French attack. Reding decided to retrieve this cut-off army, instead of counter striking at Souham. Planning to meet up with his northern units, Reding left Tarragona with only 2,000 men and most of his cavalry. On his way, he successfully met with units standing guard over the pass to Santa Cristina and another unit at Santas Cruces. Having sufficient strength, he continued to the town of Santa Coloma, whereupon he met with his previously cut-off left wing. With the combined left wing and the forces he took with him, Reding then had a total of almost 20,000 troops at his disposal. Deciding to defend Tarragona, he dispatched 4–5,000 of his men to watch Igualada and pressed home with his remaining men. St. Cyr, aware of Reding's movements, moved to block the two direct routes of returning to Tarragona. Reding, aware that Souham had moved and taken position in the town of Valls, still decided to take the route. Committing his forces to a march at night, Reding got his army to a bridge only two miles out of the town before daybreak.

Upon arriving at the bridge, Reding's vanguard was involved in a skirmish with men of Souham's division. Both commanders, realizing that the time for battle had arrived, rushed to get their men into position. Souham brought the rest of his division out of Valls and set them into position north of town. Reding, deciding this division to be insignificant, pushed his advanced line and most of his center across the river, continuing to send more across until the French division finally broke and fell back to Valls. At this point, most of his men and baggage train had crossed the bridge, but he nonetheless decided to give his men a long break. St. Cyr, learning of the attack later in the day, rushed to Valls with the 7th Italian Dragoons, also bringing the Italian division which would be delayed for six hours before joining the French line at Valls. Having seen the French line rallying when St. Cyr arrived with the Italian Cavalry, Reding pulled his forces back across the river in a defensive position. After three hours had passed, the Italian division had finally caught up to St. Cyr, who formed the French line of battle and crossed the river under constant bombardment. The Spanish forces poured fire onto the French attackers but as the columned French grew close to the Spanish line, the Spaniards began to rout. The only point of hand-to-hand combat came when Reding took his staff and cavalry and attacked the left column, only to be met by the Italian dragoons. in the ensuing melee, Reding himself took three fatal wounds.

French order of battle +VII Corps of General Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr on 1 February 1809 Corps Division Strength Units VII CorpsGeneral of DivisionLaurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr 1st DivisionGeneral of DivisionJoseph Souham 6,220 1st Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions 3rd Light Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 7th Line Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions 42nd Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions 67th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 2nd DivisionGeneral of DivisionJoseph Chabran 4,037 2nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 10th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 37th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 56th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 93rd Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 2nd Swiss Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 3rd DivisionGeneral of DivisionLouis François Jean Chabot 1,633 Chasseurs des Montagnes, 1 battalion 2nd Neapolitan Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions 4th DivisionGeneral of DivisionHonoré Charles Reille 3,980 32nd Light Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 2nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 16th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 56th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 113th Line Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions Valais Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 5th DivisionGeneral of DivisionDomenico Pino 8,008 1st Italian Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions 2nd Italian Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions 4th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions 6th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions 7th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 6th DivisionGeneral of DivisionGiuseppe Lechi 3,941 2nd Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 4th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 5th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion Italian Velites Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion 1st Neapolitan Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions German DivisionGeneral of BrigadeAnnet Morio de L'Isle 5,321 1st Westphalian Light Infantry Regiment 2nd Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment 3rd Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment 4th Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment French Cavalry 1,730 24th Dragoon Regiment 3rd Provisional Cuirassier Regiment 3rd Provisional Chasseur Regiment Italian Cavalry 1,862 Napoleone Dragoon Regiment Royal Chasseur Regiment Prince Royal Chasseur Regiment Neapolitan Chasseur Regiment French Artillery 2,050 Various artillery companies Italian Artillery 585 Various artillery companies German Artillery 48 Artillery company Corps Total 39,415

Aftermath The Spanish campaign in early 1809 proceeded with the French advance in Catalonia in the Third siege of Girona and the Battle of Alcañiz.

Battle of Valls

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