Battle of Benavente

1808 CE.

Shown on the map at 42.003°, -5.674°.

The Battle of Benavente (29 December 1808) was a cavalry clash in which the British cavalry of Lord Paget defeated the elite Chasseurs à cheval (Mounted Chasseurs of the Imperial Guard) during the Corunna Campaign of the Peninsular War. The French chasseurs were broken and forced into the River Esla; their commanding officer, General Lefebvre-Desnouettes, was captured. The action was the first major incident in the British army's harrowing retreat to the coast and ultimate evacuation by sea.

Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of Benavente, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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