The siege of Astorga was an attempt by French forces to capture Astorga, Spain in a campaign of the Peninsular War. Astorga was located on the flank of the French invasion of Spain and Portugal, and was meant to be used as a headquarters during the campaign. For several weeks no attack took place, as neither side had artillery enough to fight well. Shortly after the French guns arrived, however, a hole was made in the wall and the city fell shortly thereafter. The French overpowered the Spanish garrison inside and took the city on 22 April 1810.
Location
Astorga is located in the province of León, in northwest Spain.[2] Because of its location, it sat on the flank of the French army as they advanced into Spain, and then invaded Portugal.[3] The city was built into a hill, part of the Manzanal mountains;[2] and therefore was provided with natural defenses.[4] The French had already been defeated once trying to take the city, in September 1809,[5] after which General La Romana repaired the walls of the city and built up its defenses.[6]
Forces
The French forces, part of André Masséna's army, were led by Jean-Andoche Junot.[4] Junot arrived at Astorga on March 21 with Napoleon's 8th corps, consisting of 12,000 men, including 1,200 cavalry forces.[5] Junot's forces included the Irish Legion; they had joined earlier that month.[3] Astorga would be the first action for the Second Battalion of the Legion.[3] Junot placed Bertrand Clausel's division in the position Loison had held,[7] with Solignac in support, and St. Croix to watch the rear.[4]
Campaign
General Loison attempted to take the city in February 1810, as it was meant to be his headquarters during the invasion of Portugal; but was unprepared to attack the defenses he found there, and was forced to retreat.[6] Junot's troops came to assist Loison, but brought no siege guns with them; It took Junot weeks to gather enough artillery to assault the town.[8] In the meantime, the French forces dug trenches to besiege the town.[8] Incidentally, the English and Spanish troops under Wellington had the same troubles when they recaptured the city in 1812.[9] The garrison in Astorga had no siege guns, either: for several weeks there was a standoff.[8] During these weeks, Santocildes emptied the town of 3,000 of its residents and stocked up on supplies for the siege,[4] which began on March 21 of 1810.[10] The Spanish could expect no hope from Wellington's forces, which remained in Portugal.[11] Until the siege guns arrived, there was no action except nuisance fire from what little artillery Junot had,[7] and skirmish parties sent out from Astorga.[4]
Junot's 18 siege guns arrived on April 15 from Valladolid,[7] and by the 20th, the wall of the city was breached.[12] The French stormed the city the next evening;[3] however, their first attack was repulsed at the cost of 300 men.[12] Those of the storming company who were not killed holed up just inside the wall and held the position for the night.[4] The next morning, Santocildes surrendered as the French were preparing for another attack.[12]
Aftermath
Santocildes was almost out of ammunition when he surrendered: he had fewer than 30 rounds of ammunition left per man, and only 8 rounds of artillery.[5] He gave the French 2,500 prisoners and the city, but cost the French 160 men, with 400 wounded.[4] His garrison lost only 51 dead and 109 wounded.[4] Most of the French casualties came in the assault on the breach.[12] The Irish Legion led the charge over the wall, and suffered heavy losses: Captain John Allen's company's drummer boy continued to beat the charge after having lost both legs, for which he was given the French Legion of Honor.[3]
Siege Siege engine Siege tower Siege of Auximus Siege of Leningrad Siege (comics) Third siege of Girona Siege of Przemyśl Fifth siege of Gibraltar Siege of Lérida Siege of Haarlem Siege of Kenilworth Siege of Malta Ninth siege of Gibraltar List of sieges Second siege of Girona Siege of Philippsburg (1734) Siege (disambiguation) Siege of the Alcázar Siege of Acre Siege of Cádiz Siege of Neamț Citadel Siege of Krujë (1450) Siege of Oxford Siege of Córdoba Siege of Aintab Siege of Namur (1695) First siege of Zaragoza Thirteenth siege of Gibraltar List of siege artillery Siege of Diaoyuchen…
g Siege of Zadar (1345–1346) Effects of the Siege of Leningrad Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) Iranian Embassy siege Siege of Ganjaku Siege of Paris (1870–1871) Siege of Orléans Siege Perilous Great Siege of Malta First siege of Missolonghi Siege of Zara Siege of Athens Siege of Panormus Spaghetti House siege Siege of Qamishli and Al-Hasakah Siege of Santiago State of Siege Second siege of Missolonghi Siege of Bohus fortress Siege of Güns Siege of Tortosa (1810–1811) Siege of Baghdad (1157) Siege of Trichinopoly (1751–1752) Siege of Syracuse (213–212 BC) Siege of Mafeking Siege of Belgrade Siege of Constantinople (1422) Siege of Warsaw (1794) Siege of Pilsen Siege of Krujë (1478) Siege of Jinju (1592) Siege of Queli Siege of Philippsburg (1676) Siege of Pondicherry Dungeon Siege III First siege of Gibraltar Siege of Ariminum (538) Siege of Lindholmen Siege of Ma'arra Assyrian siege of Jerusalem Siege of Königsberg Siege of Svetigrad Siege of Chencang Hackney siege Lindt Cafe siege Siege of La Rochelle Siege of Missolonghi Dungeon Siege II Siège social Siege of Verona Siege of Dongnae Siege of Danzig (1734) Siege of Bharatpur The Siege (Stargate Atlantis) Sieges of