BATTLE // February 25, 1809

Battle of Valls

Name: Battle of Valls
Start: 1809-02-25
End: 1809-02-25
Location: Battle of Valls

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Overview

The Battle of Valls was fought on 25 February 1809, during the Peninsular War, between a French force under Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr and a Spanish force under Theodor von Reding. Fought near the town of Valls in Catalonia, Spain, the battle ended in a French victory. General Reding was fatally wounded during a cavalry charge against French cavalry.

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

Significance

The Battle of Valls, fought near the town of Valls in Catalonia on 25 February 1809, resulted in a French victory over Spanish forces under Theodor von Reding. The engagement was part of the broader French effort to consolidate control over Catalonia during the Peninsular War. A significant consequence of the battle was the mortal wounding of General Reding during a cavalry charge, removing one of the Spanish commanders operating in the region. With French forces under Saint-Cyr numerically superior—13,300 against a Spanish force of roughly 10,500 to 11,000—the outcome reflected the structural advantage French commanders held in Catalonia at this stage of the campaign, even as Spanish resistance continued to exact casualties on both sides.

Tactics

French cavalry engaged Spanish cavalry during the battle, and it was during one such cavalry charge that the Spanish commander Reding was fatally wounded. Beyond this cavalry action, the overview does not provide further detail on troop dispositions, terrain use, or maneuver.