page_title: Battle of Arzobispo
section_title: Deployment
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Arzobispo / Battle / Deployment
caption_attribution_description: Gregorio García de la Cuesta (1741-1811), general español
context_page_description: The Battle of Arzobispo on 8 August 1809 saw two Imperial French corps commanded by Marshal Jean-de-Dieu Soult launch an assault crossing of the Tagus River against a Spanish force under José María de la Cueva, 14th Duke of Alburquerque. Alburquerque's troops rapidly retreated after suffering disproportionate losses, including 30 artillery pieces. El Puente del Arzobispo is located 36 kilometres southwest of Talavera de la Reina, Spain. The action occurred during the Peninsular War, part of a larger conflict known as the Napoleonic Wars.
  The Battle of Talavera in late July 1809 saw a victory by Arthur Wellesley's British army and Gregorio García de la Cuesta's Spanish army over the Imperial French army of King Joseph Bonaparte. Wellesley found that he was unable to exploit the triumph due to the failure of his logistical arrangements. Within a few days, Wellesley discovered that Soult's large French army was attempting to cut off his army from Portugal.
  Accordingly, the British and Spanish armies withdrew to the west, narrowly avoiding interception by Soult's forces. Alburquerque was left with 3,000 cavalry and 5,000 infantry to hold the bridge of Arzobispo.
context_section_description: The Spanish troops left the Arzobispo bridge intact, but they threw up barricades to defend it and assigned infantry to hold the old towers dating to medieval times. On the south bank only 30 yards (27 m) from the bridge a 12-gun redoubt crowned a small hill. Altogether, Alburquerque commanded Bassecourt's 5,000 foot soldiers and his own division of 3,000 horsemen. A ford was nearby, but since it was very narrow and difficult to locate, Cuesta hoped that his rear guard could hold back Soult's superior numbers. In fact, Soult spent the entire day of 7 August looking over the strong Spanish position and sending out scouts to find other crossings.
  The town of Arzobispo is situated on the north bank of the Tagus. The village of Azután is on the south bank to the east, with the ford located between the village and the bridge. Villar del Pedroso is south of the bridge and Valdelacasa de Tajo is to the southwest. During the day Spanish cavalrymen carelessly rode out into the river to water their horses, revealing the possible location of the ford. That night, French officers conducted a meticulous search and discovered the hidden ford. They found that the ford was deep for only a short distance under the north bank and shallow the rest of the way. After being advised that an assault across the ford was feasible, Soult determined to attack the following day.
  Soult also ordered Ney to attack across the Tagus at Almaraz and sent maps of a ford near that location. However, though the ford existed, the maps were in error. Ney sent a party of dragoons to look for it, but they never found it. In fact, Craufurd's defenders were aware of the ford and troops were in a good position to defend it. The Almaraz ford was no less than 4 feet (1.2 m) deep, narrow, and barely usable.
caption: Gregorio de la Cuesta
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