Battle of Campo Maior

Battle of Campo Maior
Part of the Peninsular War
The 13th Light Dragoons pursued the beaten French cavalry at Campo Maior, 25 March 1811, by Stanley L. Wood
Date 25 March 1811 Location Campo Maior, Portugal 39°00′N 7°03′W / 39.000°N 7.050°W / 39.000; -7.050 Result Coalition victory
Belligerents
French Empire	United Kingdom Portugal
Commanders and leaders
Victor de Faÿ	William Beresford
Strength
2,400[1]	700[1]
Casualties and losses
200 killed, wounded or captured[1] 1 gun lost[1]	168 killed, wounded or captured[1]

Peninsular War
Castile 1811–13

200km
125miles

20

19

Burgos

18

17

16

Salamanca

15

Astorga

14

13

12

11

Ciudad Rodrigo

10

9

8

7

Arlabán

6

5

Albuera

4

Campo Maior

3

2

Badajoz

1

  

  current battle

In the Battle of Campo Maior, or Campo Mayor (an older spelling most often used in English language accounts), on 25 March 1811, Brigadier General Robert Ballard Long with a force of Anglo-Portuguese cavalry, the advance-guard of the army commanded by William Beresford, clashed with a French force commanded by General of Division Marie Victor de Fay, marquis de Latour-Maubourg. Initially successful, some of the Allied horsemen indulged in a reckless pursuit of the French. An erroneous report was given that they had been captured wholesale. In consequence, Beresford halted his forces and the French were able to escape and recover a convoy of artillery pieces.