battle of Orthez

Battle of Orthez
Part of the Peninsular War
Date February 27, 1814 Location Orthez Result Allied victory
Combatants
United Kingdom	French Empire
Commanders
Duke of Wellington	Marshal Nicolas Soult
Strength
44,000, 54 artillery pieces	36,000, 48 artillery pieces
Casualties
2,174	3,985, including 1,366 men and 6 cannons captured

The Battle of Orthez was fought in southern France on February 27, 1814, between the First French Empire and the forces of Britain and Portugal. The Anglo-Portuguese army led by General Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington defeated the French under Marshal Nicolas Soult.

Preliminaries

On February 24, part of Wellington's British, Portuguese and Spanish army crossed the Adour River to isolate the city of Bayonne on the Bay of Biscay. Soult left a powerful garrison in the fortress and retreated inland in an easterly direction. Dropping off his Spanish units, Wellington quickly maneuvered the French army out of its position behind the Gave d'Oleron (River). Soult pulled back to Orthez on the Gave de Pau (River). At Orthez, the Gave de Pau runs from southeast to the northwest. About two miles north of the Gave de Pau, there is a ridge running roughly parallel to the stream.

Soult held Orthez with the 5,100 men of Jean Harispe's 8th Division. The 2,700 cavalry under his brother, Pierre Soult watched the river line upstream from the town. Holding the ridge, from west to east were Eloi Taupin's 4th (5,500), Roguet's 5th (3,700), D'Armagnac's 2nd (5,000), Maximilien Foy's 1st (3,800) and Villate's 6th (4,600) Divisions. The 1st Division was north of Orthez. Paris's brigade from the 8th Division was attached to Taupin's command.

Honoré Reille commanded the units under Taupin, Paris and Roguet on the right flank. Jean Baptiste Drouet d'Erlon led D'Armagnac and Foy in the center. Bertrand Clausel supervised Harispe and Villate on the left flank. Soult had 36,000 men and 48 artillery pieces.

William Beresford's Corps had already crossed to the north side of the Gave de Pau. Wellington planned to send Lowry Cole's 4th (6,000)and George Townshend Walker's 7th (5,600) Divisions to attack the western end of the ridge, under the direction of Beresford. Thomas Picton would lead his own 3rd (6,600) and Henry Clinton's 6th (5.600) Divisions in pinning the French center. Charles Alten's Light Division (3,500) stayed in reserve. Wellington ordered Rowland Hill to take William Stewart's 2nd (7,800) and Carlos Le Cor's Portuguese (4,500) Divisions across the Gave de Pau above Orthez and turn the French left.

Wellington also had three cavalry brigades under the overall direction of Stapleton Cotton. There were 1,600 mounted men under Lord Edward Somerset (7th, 10th and 15th Hussars), 1,000 horsemen led by Richard Hussey Vivian (18th and 1st KGL Hussars) and 800 troopers under Henry Fane (13th and 14th Light Dragoons). All told, Wellington commanded 44,000 men, including 17,600 Portuguese, and 54 cannons.

Battle

To open the battle, Beresford's divisions attacked Taupin's and Paris's men near the church and village of St-Boes. They captured the church but were unable to force their way into St-Boes. The French right-wing commander, Reille launched a counterattack that drove the British out of the church as well.

Watching this reverse from his command post near an ancient Roman camp, Wellington changed his plans. His holding attack with the 3rd and 6th Division would be converted into a head on assault. Meanwhile, he committed the Light Division between Beresford's effort against the French right and Picton's attack against the French center. Led by the 1/52nd Foot, the Light Division advanced up the narrow spur from the Roman camp. This move drove a wedge between Reille's right wing and D'Erlon's two center divisions. Hill's men crossed the river and started to envelop the French left. Picton's force fought his way onto the ridge in the center.

At his command post, Wellington was unhorsed and badly bruised when a cannister shot hit his sword hilt. Soult, seeing his defenses compromised, ordered a retreat. This was conducted in good order at first, though menaced by the British cavalry. With the terrain too rough for most mounted operations, only the 7th Hussars made an effective charge, capturing 200 Frenchmen. That evening, the French escaped across the Luy de Béarn (River) at Sault de Navailles in some disorder, blowing up the bridge behind them.

Soult lost 6 cannons and 3,985 men including 542 killed, 2,077 wounded and 1,366 prisoners. Foy was wounded. The Anglo-Portuguese lost 367 killed, 1,727 wounded and 80 captured for a total of 2,174. Soult continued his retreat. The next battle would be fought at Toulouse.

References

• Chandler, David. The Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. Macmillan, 1979.
• Glover, Michael. The Peninsular War 1807-1814. Penguin, 1974.
• Smith, Digby. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. Greenhill, 1998.

Donate to Wikimedia