Battle of Carpio

Overview

The Battle of Carpio or Battle of El Carpio took place at El Carpio, near Medina del Campo, Valladolid, on 23 November 1809, between a Spanish force of 19,000 men commanded by the Lieutenant-General Diego de Cañas y Portocarrero, Duke del Parque and a French force of 10,000 regulars and 1,700 cavalry under the General François Étienne de Kellermann during the Peninsular War. The French forces were defeated and forced to leave the town. In this struggle, died two distinguished Spanish leaders, Salvador de Molina and Colonel Juan Drimgold.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Carpio on 23 November 1809 resulted in the defeat of Kellermann's French force and its ejection from the town of El Carpio near Medina del Campo. Fought during the Peninsular War, the engagement pitted a Spanish army of 19,000 under the Duke del Parque against a combined French force of roughly 11,700 regulars and cavalry. The French were forced to withdraw, representing a tactical success for Spanish arms in the Castilian theater. The action came at a cost: two Spanish commanders, Salvador de Molina and Colonel Juan Drimgold, were killed in the fighting. French casualties reached approximately 1,100.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)