Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1810)

Bailen - Saragossa ( 1808) - Vimeiro - Saragossa (1809 ) - La Coruna - Torres Vedras - Valls - Oporto - Talavera - Ocaña - Ciudad Rodrigo (1810 ) - Buçaco - Gévora - Fuentes de Oñoro - La Albuera - Tarragona (1811 ) - Ciudad Rodrigo (1812 ) - Badajoz (1812 ) - Salamanca - García Hernández - Venta del Pozo - Vitoria

At the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, the French Marshal Michel Ney captured the fortified city by the Spaniards under the command of Field Marshal Don Andrés Perez de Herrasti on 9 July 1810 after the siege had begun on 26 April 1810. Ney's VI. Corps was part of the 65,000 -strong army under the command of André Masséna, who planned the third French invasion of Portugal.

Troops

Ney's VI. Corps consisted of Jean Marchand's 1st Division ( 6,500 men), 2nd Division Julien Mermets ( 7,400 men), Louis Loisons 3rd Division ( 6,600 men), Auguste Lamottes Light Cavalry Brigade ( 900 men ), Charles Gardannes brigade of mounted dragoons ( 1,300 man) and 60 cannons.

Herrasti commanded three regular battalions of Avila, Segovia and the 1st Infantry Regiment Mallorca, 375 artillerymen and 60 pioneers. These troops were supplemented by three battalions of volunteers from Ciudad Rodrigo and a battalion of the City Watch.

Siege

Herrastis 5500 Man of the Spanish garrison defended themselves bravely and had only arise as Ney's artillery had achieved a breakthrough in the city wall and the French infantry stood ready to attack. The Spanish suffered 461 dead and 994 wounded, while 4,000 men captured and 118 guns were captured. Ney's VI. Corps had 180 dead and over 1,000 wounded during the siege. The French sacked the city.