Operations
According to historian Digby Smith, no battles of importance occurred in the western Pyrenees in the year 1793. However, the French republican forces fought a number of skirmishes against Spanish troops and their French royalist allies. Examples include actions fought by the 5th Light Infantry Demi-Brigade on 6 June 1793 at Chateau-Pignon and at Aldudes in June 1793.
On 5 February 1794, Dubouquet successfully defended the fortified Sans Culottes Camp on a hilltop near Hendaye against 13,700 Spanish troops led by José Urrutia. On 3 June, a 2,300-man French brigade led by General of Brigade Lavictoire, part of Mauco's division, stormed the Izpegi Pass (Col d'Ispeguy), 13.5 km west of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The 1,000 defenders included Spanish and French royalist soldiers. The same day, Colonel Jacques Lefranc seized the Izpegi Ridge and other French troops captured positions near the Maya Pass.
On 23 June near Bera, Navarre (Vera), Don Ventura Caro's 8,500 Spanish soldiers were repulsed by a French force defending the fortified Mont Calvari. On 10 July, General of Brigade Antoine Digonet's 4,000-strong brigade drove Spanish and French royalists from their defenses atop Monte Argintzo, 10 km south of Elizondo. The Spanish commander, Marquis de Saint-Simon was badly wounded and 49 captured French royalist prisoners were massacred by the victorious French republican forces.
On 23 July, the Army of the Western Pyrenees attacked the Spanish with the three front-line divisions of Moncey, Delaborde, and Frégeville in the Battle of the Baztan Valley. Army commander General of Division Muller placed Moncey in control of the operation, which overran the Spanish positions near Elizondo and Doneztebe (Santesteban). The French then turned north, following the Bidasoa River northward at the end of July. On 1 August, Moncey seized the heights of San Marcial and the town of Hondarribia (Fuenterrabia), reaching the coast. Cut off by the French, Don Vicente de los Reyes surrendered with 2,000 Spanish soldiers and 300 cannon. On 3 August, Moncey captured San Sebastián and 1,700 more Spanish soldiers plus 90 cannons fell into French hands. Moncey took the town of Tolosa in August and was promoted to command the army on 1 September.
From 15 to 17 October, Moncey launched a broad front offensive from the Baztan valley and the Roncevaux Pass toward Pamplona known as the Battle of Orbaitzeta. After clashes at Orbaitzeta in the east, Mezquiriz (Mezkiritz) in the center, and Lekunberri in the west, the French army defeated the army of Pedro Téllez-Girón, 9th Duke of Osuna. An arms foundry north of Orbaitzeta and the Spanish navy's mast store at Irati were captured by the French. A final clash occurred at Bergara before the onset of cold weather and a disease outbreak ended operations for the year.
In the winter of 1794-1795 Moncey reorganized his army, which had seen 3,000 men die from disease. He finally received a siege train and 12,000 reinforcements arrived from the Army of the West in June. Moncey began to advance on 28 June and rapidly pressed back Crespo's Spanish forces. The French captured Vitoria on 17 July and Bilbao on 19 July. When news of the Peace of Basel arrived in early August, the Army of the Western Pyrenees was across the Ebro and preparing to invest Pamplona.
Read more about this topic: Army Of The Western Pyrenees
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