Combat of Segorbe, 30 September 1811

The combat of Segorbe of 30 September 1811 was a minor French victory during the siege of Saguntum. After the French army under Marshal Suchet had taken up a position around Seguntum, General Joachim Blake, the commander of the Spanish army of Valencia, had decided to send two small detachments out of his defensive lines around the city of Valencia, in an attempt to force the French to abandon their forward position. The first detachment, Obispo’s division, was sent to Segorbe, just over fifteen miles north west of Seguntum, while the second, under Charles O’Donnell, was posted at Beneguacil, west of Saguntum. These detachments did cut Suchet’s lines of communication into Aragon, but had no impact on his more important links along the coast.

Rather than retreat, Suchet responded by attacking the two Spanish detachments. Obispo was the first to come under attack. On 30 September Suchet sent Palombini’s Italian infantry division and Robert’s French brigade to attack Obispo’s headquarters at Segorbe. The Spanish attempted to fight outside the town, but were quickly forced to retreat into the nearby mountains. After Palombini returned to the main French camp, Suchet himself led the attack on the second Spanish position, forcing O’Donnell to abandon Beneguacil on 2 October.

A History of the Peninsular War vol.5: October 1811-August 31, 1812 - Valencia, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Madrid, Sir Charles Oman Part Five of Oman's classic history of the Peninsular War starting with a look at the French invasion of Valencia in the winter of 1811-12, before concentrating on Wellington's victorious summer campaign of 1812, culminating with the battle of Salamanca and Wellington's first liberation of Madrid.
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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (15 May 2008), Combat of Segorbe, 30 September 1811 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_segorbe.html

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