Battle of Peyrestortes

Battle of Peyrestortes
Part of the War of the Pyrenees
Battle of Peyrestortes by Charles-Caïus Renoux
Date 17 September 1793 Location Peyrestortes, Pyrénées-Orientales, France 42°45′18″N 2°51′09″E / 42.7550°N 2.8525°E / 42.7550; 2.8525 Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Eustache d'Aoust Jacques Goguet	Antonio Ricardos Marquis Amarillas Juan de Courten
Strength
8,000	6,000–12,000
Casualties and losses
200–300, unknown	1,702–3,500, 26–46 guns, 7 colors
class=notpageimage| Location within Europe

At the Battle of Peyrestortes (17 September 1793) in the War of the Pyrenees, soldiers of the First French Republic defeated a Spanish army that had invaded Roussillon and was attempting to capture Perpignan. The Spanish army of Antonio Ricardos had occupied part of Roussillon and made an abortive attempt to seize the fortress of Perpignan in July 1793. At the end of August, the Spanish commander sent two divisions on a sweep around the western side of Perpignan in an attempt to isolate the fortress and choke it off from resupply. After an initial Spanish success, the French army commander Hilarion Paul Puget de Barbantane, lost his nerve and fled from the area.

Eustache Charles d'Aoust and Jacques Gilles Henri Goguet assumed command and attacked two divisions of the Army of Catalonia led by Juan de Courten and Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, Marquis de las Amarillas. The Spanish were routed and never again advanced so far into Roussillon. After the battle, the Army of Catalonia found itself back in its original positions. Ricardos successfully defended a Spanish foothold in France during the remainder of 1793. Peyrestortes is located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) northwest of Perpignan.