Battle of Castellón

The Battle of Castellón was an ambush delivered against a French Imperial detachment under General Reille near Girona during the Peninsular War (1807–14).

Battle of Castellón
Part of the Peninsular War
Date 1 January 1809 Location Castelló d'Empúries, near Girona, Catalonia, Spain Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
French Empire	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Honoré Charles Reille	Marqués de Lazán
Strength
500 regulars
Casualties and losses
300 dead or wounded, 90 captured

Having crept his force up along the right bank of the Fluvià River and set up headquarters at La Armentera, a village near the river's mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, General Lazán prepared a coup de main against the French battalion installed atop Castelló d'Empúries. Since bad roads precluded a night attack, Lazán moved in the early morning, and brusquely forced the French off the ridge. While Reille's troops effected a disciplined fighting withdrawal toward Rosas, the Chasseurs of Juan Clarós, acting as the vanguard for General Castro's division, circled across their path of retreat and set up a position in a grove next to the main road, preparing to block the French passage. Caught in a pincer movement, the French were cut down. Only 80 escaped unwounded and 90 surrendered.

Sequel

When Reille, established at Figueras, learned of the rout of his men, he set out against the Spaniards the next day with 3,000 infantry and cavalry, aiming to cut their communications with Gerona. In spite of the rapid French movements, Reille was unable to achieve a surprise, and Lazán awaited him with his men solidly entrenched at Castellón. Seeing his attacks repulsed everywhere along the line, Reille decided not to try conclusions with the Spaniards, and Lazán fell back on Gerona unmolested.