French Republican forces halted the Spanish Army of Catalonia's deepest penetration into Roussillon, ending further Spanish advances toward Perpignan.
Key Facts
- Date
- 17 September 1793
- Distance from Perpignan
- 7 km (4.3 mi) northwest
- Conflict
- War of the Pyrenees
- Spanish commander
- Antonio Ricardos
- Outcome
- Spanish army routed, returned to original positions
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Spanish Army of Catalonia under Antonio Ricardos had occupied part of Roussillon and failed to seize Perpignan in July 1793. In late August, Ricardos dispatched two divisions in a flanking maneuver west of Perpignan to isolate the fortress and cut off its resupply, achieving an initial success that prompted French commander Barbantane to abandon his post.
On 17 September 1793, French officers Eustache Charles d'Aoust and Jacques Gilles Henri Goguet assumed command after Barbantane fled and launched a counterattack against the two Spanish divisions led by Juan de Courten and Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma. The Spanish forces were routed at Peyrestortes, a village 7 kilometres northwest of Perpignan.
Following the defeat, the Army of Catalonia withdrew to its original positions and never again advanced so far into Roussillon. Ricardos managed to defend the remaining Spanish foothold in France for the rest of 1793, but the battle marked the high-water mark of the Spanish invasion.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Eustache Charles d'Aoust, Jacques Gilles Henri Goguet, Hilarion Paul Puget de Barbantane.
Side B
1 belligerent
Antonio Ricardos, Juan de Courten, Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, Marquis de las Amarillas.