Battle of Somosierra
Napoleon I advanced into Madrid with 40,000 men in late November 1808. General Benito de San Juan mustered an ad hoc army of about 12,000 men to defend the capital. This force included militia, reservists, and regular regiments still reeling from earlier defeats. San Juan dispersed his greatly outnumbered forces to screen many approaches to the city. He sent 9,000 men west to guard the Guadarrama Pass while 3,000 occupied an advanced post at Sepúlveda. Only 9,000 men and 16 guns remained on the heights of Somosierra. The nature of the terrain initially worked in their favor against the French advance.
On the morning of the 30th of November 1808, Napoleon ordered his Polish Chevaux-Légers escort squadron of 125 men to charge the Spaniards. To that number must be added members of other squadrons, totaling some 450 men who entered the battle later. Jan Kozietulski commanded the 3rd Squadron that day. He called out Lekka jazda kłusem! before passing the little bridge. He then added En avant, Vive l'Empereur! as they moved forward. The horses went to the highest speed and were unable to stop once under fire from the second battery. They took the second and third batteries but only a few reached the last battery.
The 13th Bulletin of the Army of Spain mentioned chevau-légers were commanded by General Louis Pierre, Count Montbrun. Both Polish charge participants and Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Dautancourt stressed in their accounts that such was not the case. Dautancourt mentioned that Montbrun laughed at that idea during conversations with him. Major Philippe de Ségur wrote in his memoirs that he had commanded the charge. His accounts were often described as unreliable and both Dautancourt and the Polish sources denied his role in it. The charge was led by Kozietulski until he lost his horse after taking the first battery. Lieutenant Andrzej Niegolewski joined the squadron after previously being on reconnaissance with his soldiers.
Benito de San Juan had 16 cannons at his disposal arranged in four batteries. Some accounts assume that the Spaniards placed all their guns at the peak of Somosierra Pass. However, with a range of 600, 800 metres, the cannons could not have struck much of the French Imperial Army if deployed this way. Reports indicated Napoleon himself was at times under artillery fire. The first battery defended the entrance to the pass while the next two covered the pass at its angles. The fourth stood only by the heights. Because Spanish forces could not easily be outflanked by infantry movement, Napoleon ordered the cavalry charge over several kilometers of extremely difficult terrain.
French patrols reached the outskirts of Madrid on the 1st of December following the battle. The Junta made a half-hearted and futile attempt to defend the capital. On the 4th of December a devastating French artillery barrage brought the Spanish defence to grief. Its remaining 2,500 regulars surrendered while the 20,000 civilians under their banner dispersed. The French entered Madrid for the second time that year. San Juan raced his army back to Madrid but was later killed by his own men. Napoleon's invasion of Spain ended successfully with the French occupation of Madrid.
The Battle of Somosierra is commemorated on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw. The inscription reads SOMOSIERRA 30 XI 1808. Popular legend claims the true battle cry was Forward dammit, the Emperor is watching. This phrase appears alongside the official cry Vive l'Empereur mentioned in many memoirs of veterans. A painting titled Battle of Somosierra by Piotr Michałowski from around 1837 hangs in the National Museum in Cracow. Another work shows Napoleon conferring with some of the Polish survivors of the charge.
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Common questions
Who commanded the Polish charge at the Battle of Somosierra?
Jan Kozietulski commanded the 3rd Squadron during the charge. He led the attack until he lost his horse after taking the first battery.
When did Napoleon order the Polish cavalry to charge at the Battle of Somosierra?
Napoleon ordered the charge on the morning of the 30th of November 1808. French patrols reached Madrid on the 1st of December following this engagement.
How many men were in the Polish Chevaux-Légers squadron that charged at the Battle of Somosierra?
The initial squadron consisted of 125 men under Jan Kozietulski. Other squadrons joined later, bringing the total number of participants to approximately 450 men.
Where was the Spanish artillery positioned relative to the pass at the Battle of Somosierra?
Benito de San Juan placed 16 cannons in four batteries across the terrain. The first battery defended the entrance while the next two covered the angles and the fourth stood by the heights.
Why did Napoleon order a cavalry charge over difficult terrain at the Battle of Somosierra?
Napoleon ordered the charge because Spanish forces could not be easily outflanked by infantry movement. The terrain initially worked in favor of the defenders but required a direct assault to break their line.