Siege of Pamplona (1813)

Siege of Pamplona (1813)
Part of Peninsular War
Part of the Pamplona fortress.
Date 26 June – 31 October 1813 Location Pamplona, Spain 42°49′N 01°39′W / 42.817°N 1.650°W / 42.817; -1.650 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Spain United Kingdom	First French Empire
Commanders and leaders
Henry O'Donnell Carlos de España Marquess Wellington Lord Dalhousie	Louis Cassan
Strength
9,500–14,183, 12 guns	3,450–3,800 80 heavy & 54 field guns
Casualties and losses
2,000	3,450–3,800, all guns

Peninsular War
Vitoria and the Pyrenees, 1813–1814

50km
30miles

San Marcial

8

Maya

7

Pyrenees

6

San Sebastián

5

Pamplona

4

Tolosa

3

Vitoria

2

San Millan

1

  

  current battle

In the siege of Pamplona (26 June – 31 October 1813), a Spanish force led by Captain General Henry (Enrique José) O'Donnell and later Major General Carlos de España blockaded an Imperial French garrison under the command of General of Brigade Louis Pierre Jean Cassan. At first, troops under Arthur Wellesley, Marquess Wellington surrounded the city, but they were soon replaced by Spanish units. In late July 1813, Marshal Nicolas Soult attempted to relieve the city but his operation failed in the Battle of the Pyrenees. Cassan capitulated to the Spanish after the French troops in the city were reduced to starvation. The surrender negotiations were marred by French bluffs to blow up the fortifications and Spanish threats to massacre the garrison, neither of which occurred. Pamplona is located on the Arga River in the province of Navarre in northern Spain. The siege occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars.