page_title: Pierre Barrois
section_title: Spain
hierarchical_section_title: Pierre Barrois / Empire / Spain
caption_attribution_description: Mapa de la batalla de Barrosa
context_page_description: Pierre Barrois became a French division commander during the Napoleonic Wars. He joined a volunteer battalion in 1793 that later became part of a famous light infantry regiment. He fought at Wattignies, Fleurus, Aldenhoven, Ehrenbreitstein and Neuwied in 1793–1797. He fought at Marengo in 1800. He became colonel of a line infantry regiment in 1803 and led it at Haslach, Dürrenstein, Halle, Lübeck and Mohrungen in 1805–1807. Promoted to general of brigade, he led a brigade at Friedland in 1807.
  Transferring to Spain, Barrois led his brigade at Espinosa, Somosierra, Uclés, Medellín, Talavera, Cádiz and Barrosa in 1808–1811. He was promoted to general of division in 1811 and led a Young Guard division at Bautzen, Dresden, Leipzig and Courtrai in 1813–1814. The following year he led Imperial Guard troops at Ligny and Waterloo. After a period of retirement, he led French troops that intervened in the Belgian Revolution. His surname is one of the names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe, on Column 37.
context_section_description: In 1808, the I Corps under Marshal Claude Perrin Victor was transferred to Spain to fight in the Peninsular War. Barrois commanded the 2nd Brigade in Dupont's former division, now led by François Amable Ruffin. He led his brigade with distinction at the Battle of Espinosa de los Monteros on November 10–11, 1808. In this action, Victor recklessly attacked on the first day before all his troops were available and was repulsed. On the second day, the marshal made a more skillful assault and routed the Spanish army. The French lost 1,000 killed and wounded while inflicting 3,000 casualties and capturing six guns and the Spanish wagon train.
  In the Battle of Somosierra on 30 November 1808, Ruffin's division led the advance of the French army up the Somosierra Pass. While the 9th Light Infantry advanced to the right and the 24th Line to the left, Barrois led the 96th Line directly up the main road. An impatient Napoleon ordered a premature charge of Polish cavalry which was nearly wiped out. Not long afterward, the flanking regiments cleared the heights on either side and Barrois' men nearly reached the crest. Napoleon ordered another cavalry charge and this time the Spanish defenders were routed. At the Battle of Uclés on 13 January 1809, Victor ordered Eugène-Casimir Villatte's division to attack the Spanish defenders while Ruffin circled around to get behind them. The operation worked perfectly. Villatte drove the Spanish out of their positions without much trouble. As they retreated, the Spanish infantry ran into Ruffin's division and 6,000 men were forced to surrender in a body. Although they had sustained few casualties, the French committed atrocities by murdering 69 townspeople and a number of prisoners.
  Ruffin's division was in reserve at the Battle of Medellín on 29 March 1809. Late on 27 July at the Battle of Talavera, Victor ordered Ruffin's division to make a night attack on the British position. Only the 9th Light succeeded in reaching the crest of the hill, only to be driven off. The 24th and 96th Line got lost in the dark. Early in the morning of 28 July, Ruffin's division attacked again and was badly mauled, losing 1,300 men. In the afternoon, Ruffin's division advanced on the extreme right flank and was attacked by cavalry. The 1st Light Dragoons of the King's German Legion became disordered after riding into a hidden gully, then attacked the 24th Line which was formed in square. The Germans were easily driven off. Barrois was appointed Baron of the Empire on 24 February 1809.
  Barrois served at the Siege of Cádiz in 1810. He fought at the Battle of Barrosa on 5 March 1811 and took command of the division after Ruffin was fatally wounded and captured. He was promoted general of division on 27 July 1811. On 28 October 1811, a British force under Rowland Hill surprised and mauled one of Jean-Baptiste Girard's brigades at the Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos. For this minor disaster, Girard was disgraced and replaced in command of the division by Barrois. The division consisted of the 34th, 40th, 64th and 88th Line Infantry Regiments, of which the first two were involved in the debacle. Barrois' division took part in the Siege of Tarifa in December 1811. During the approach march, Francisco Ballesteros and 2,000 Spaniards attacked the French, but Barrois drove them off.
  In a 3 March 1812 report, Barrois commanded the 2nd Division of the Army of the South, with 225 officers and 7,551 rank and file. The 1st Brigade was led by Louis Victorin Cassagne and included the 16th Light and 8th Line Infantry Regiments. The 2nd Brigade was directed by Jean-Jacques Avril and consisted of the 51st and 54th Line Infantry Regiments. All regiments had three battalions and the divisional headquarters was at Puerto Real near Cádiz. In July 1812, Barrois' division was sent to reinforce Jean-Baptiste Drouet, comte d'Erlon, who was threatened by Hill's corps. There was a back-and-forth campaign with no battle in which the division participated. Told to report to Vilnius, he arrived after the end of the French invasion of Russia.
caption: Map shows the Battle of Barrosa with the French in blue and the British in red.
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