Ordal Cross

In late June Suchet was informed of the French loss at Vitoria and started his Army of Aragon’s retreat North. Lord Bentick, a rather inept British commander, followed timidly, for Suchet’s army was unbeaten after several battles. Bentick ordered Adam’s …

1813-09-13

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In late June Suchet was informed of the French loss at Vitoria and started his Army of Aragon’s retreat North. Lord Bentick, a rather inept British commander, followed timidly, for Suchet’s army was unbeaten after several battles. Bentick ordered Adam’s British advance guard along with Torres’ Spanish to occupy the heights above Ordal Cross. The position was extremely strong, and Suchet was still believed to be in retreat. Adam posted his best unit, the Inniskillings, in the abandoned trenches near the cross itself. Ominously, no vedettes were posted. Suchet had determined the best defense was a good offense and had turned back south to attack. Shortly after midnight on the morning of September 13th, Suchet’s troops crossed the Bridge of Lledoner in the gorge near the Allied position undetected. First contact was made when a Spanish cavalry patrol discovered the advancing French column. Soon after, the entire pass was engaged in a fierce night battle. The Allies made a series of bayonet charges against the French advance, and extracted a heavy toll with their gunfire, but Suchet expertly kept moving troops forward and extending his lines. The Allies were steadily forced back. After three hours of fighting the last entrenchments fell, and with Adam wounded, the surviving Inniskillings and Spaniards retreated, but most were captured by Suchet’s pursuing cavalry.

Ordal, Spain

The Battle of Ordal on 12 and 13 September 1813 saw a First French Empire corps led by Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet make a night assault on a position held by Lieutenant General Lord William Bentinck's smaller Anglo-Allied and Spanish advance guard. The Allies, under the tactical direction of Colonel Frederick Adam, were defeated and driven from a strong position at the Ordal defile largely because they failed to post adequate pickets. In an action the next morning at Vilafranca del Penedès, the Allied cavalry clashed with the pursuing French horsemen. The actions occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Ordal and El Lledoner are located on Highway N-340 between Molins de Rei and Vilafranca.

Wikipedia: Battle of Ordal

French

British / Spanish

Peninsular War