María

After the defeat at Alcañiz, Suchet fell back to Zaragoza to reorganize his dispirited troops, while Blake lingered for several days at Alcañiz waiting for reinforcements. Once his reinforcements arrived, Blake cut west across the mountains with 25,000 men and …

1809-06-15

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After the defeat at Alcañiz, Suchet fell back to Zaragoza to reorganize his dispirited troops, while Blake lingered for several days at Alcañiz waiting for reinforcements. Once his reinforcements arrived, Blake cut west across the mountains with 25,000 men and then turned north at the Huerva River to threaten Suchet’s lines of communications and force Suchet to abandon Zaragoza. Inexplicably, Blake split his army, sending his best division to the far side of the Huerva. Suchet now had a chance to defeat Blake in detail. On the morning of 15th Blake’s two remaining divisions formed up in line of battle on a series of ridges waiting for the inevitable French attack. It did not come. The French formed up on a parallel ridge to the north, waiting for 3,000 promised reinforcements. Despite wishing to fight a defensive battle, Suchet’s inactivity provoked Blake into launching an attack against the French right, but the Spanish attack was repulsed. Suchet launched a counter attack across the ravine, trying to capitalize on the Spanish disruption. The attack was stalled by fire from artillery and infantry as the Spanish held firmly. Around 3pm there was a lull in the battle brought on by a hailstorm. During the hailstorm, the French reinforcements arrived and Suchet ordered an attack against the Spanish right. French infantry attacked first, and while they did not force the Spaniards into retreat, they opened gaps in their lines. Now the French cavalry poured through those gaps, routing the Spanish cavalry and effectively destroying the Spanish infantry on the right. The French cavalry then turned on the Spanish center, forcing the rest of the Spanish army to quit the field. The French did not pursue closely, but once again, a defeated Spanish army melted away. Only 12,000 troops reached the rallying point at Belchite.

María de Huerva, Spain

The Battle of María saw a small Spanish army led by Joaquín Blake y Joyes face an Imperial French corps under Louis Gabriel Suchet. After an inconclusive contest earlier in the day, Suchet's cavalry made a decisive charge that resulted in a French victory. Though the Spanish right wing was crushed, the rest of Blake's army got away in fairly good order after abandoning most of its artillery. María de Huerva is located 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) southwest of Zaragoza, Spain. The action occurred during the Peninsular War which was part of the larger struggle known as the Napoleonic Wars.

Wikipedia: Battle of María

French

Spanish

Peninsular War