Battle of Gerona ( 1808 ) The Battle of Gerona on 20 and 21 June 1808 saw an Imperial French division led by Guillaume Philibert Duhesme try to overrun a Spanish garrison commanded by Lieutenant Colonel s O ' Donovan and O ' Daly . The French assault failed and the attackers withdrew . Girona ( spelled " Gerona " in Castilian ) is located about halfway between the Franco - Spanish border and Barcelona on the Autovía A - 7 . The action occurred during the Peninsular War , part of the Napoleonic Wars . As part of his plan to overthrow the Spanish ruling family , Emperor Napoleon I ordered his soldiers to seize Barcelona in February 1808 . The city ' s fortress was successfully occupied , but a few weeks later the Spanish people rebelled against Imperial French rule . Duhesme and his soldiers soon found themselves in difficulties . Hemmed in by Catalan militia and regular Spanish troops , the French general attempted to capture Girona in order to open up a secure supply line from France to Barcelona . The Franco - Italian force attempted to storm the city but they were repulsed by the city militia and two small battalions of Irish regular infantry in Spanish service . Duhesme fell back to Barcelona , but he returned to mount the Second Siege of Gerona five weeks later . Background . As part of his plan to seize his ally the Kingdom of Spain in a military coup , Emperor Napoleon ordered several key points , including Barcelona , to be captured in February 1808 . On 29 February , General of Division Giuseppe Lechi ' s troops were moving through Barcelona . Lechi ordered a military review , and , as his soldiers marched past the main gate of the citadel , they suddenly veered left and rushed into the fortress . Without bloodshed , the Imperial troops hustled the stunned Spanish garrison out of the fortifications and occupied the place . Among other strong places , the French also seized San Sebastian , Pamplona and Figueras . On 2 May , the Spanish people rose in revolt against the French occupiers . By the summer of 1808 , a 12 , 710 - man French corps commanded by Guillaume Philibert Duhesme was based at Barcelona . General of Division Joseph Chabran led the 1st Division with 6 , 050 soldiers in eight battalions , while Lechi commanded the 2nd Division with 4 , 600 men in six battalions . The 1 , 700 cavalrymen in nine squadrons were under Generals of Brigade Bertrand Bessières and François Xavier de Schwarz . There were also 360 gunners . This modest - sized force was tasked with putting down the insurrection in Catalonia , sending help to Marshal Bon - Adrien Jeannot de Moncey in his bid to capture Valencia , and keeping control of Barcelona . In view of the seriousness of the revolt , these orders were completely unrealistic . Duhesme attempted to comply with his instructions by sending Chabran and 3 , 000 troops to join Moncey and directing Schwarz with another column to seize Lerida . Schwarz left Barcelona on 4 June and immediately ran into trouble . In the first of the Battles of the Bruch swarms of Catalan miquelets ( militia ) kept his soldiers from crossing the pass . He called for help and Duhesme diverted Chabran to assist him . But the two generals were unable to force their way through the pass on 15 June . After suffering 400 casualties in the second battle , the French , Italians , and Swiss retreated . The Catalan irregulars tried to oppose Chabran ' s withdrawing force in the plains but were easily driven off . The frustrated French and their allies then brutally plundered every village along their route back to Barcelona . Battle . Alarmed at being isolated , Duhesme decided to clear his line of communications back to France . As he headed northeast toward Girona with a division - sized force , he encountered a large force of miquelets at Mataró . There were an estimated 10 , 000 Catalans with three or four cannons . On 17 June , the miquelets were easily defeated by the 5 , 963 Imperial soldiers and their eight artillery pieces . The Imperial troops celebrated their triumph by sacking Mataró for an entire day . As the Franco - Italian force continued on its way to Girona , the miquelets reoccupied the coutryside and blocked all communication between Duhesme and Barcelona . In the expedition , Duhesme ' s force included General of Brigade Andrea Milossevich ' s 2 , 133 - man brigade , Schwarz ' s 2 , 163 - strong brigade , and 1 , 517 cavalry . Milossevich commanded the 2nd Battalions of the 2nd and 5th Italian Line Infantry Regiments and the 3rd Battalion of the 4th Italian Line Infantry . Schwarz directed the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 1st Neapolitan Line Infantry Regiment and the 1st Battalion of the Italian " Velites " . There were 409 troopers in the 3rd Provisional Cuirassier Regiment , 416 sabers in the 3rd Provisional Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment , 504 cavalrymen in the Italian Chasseurs à Cheval , and 388 men in the Neapolitan Chasseurs à Cheval . In 1808 , the Onyar River divided Girona into eastern and western portions . The smaller part of the city , called the Mercadal , was then on the west bank . Since it was unprotected by any natural defenses , the military engineers had provided it with five Vauban - type bastions . The larger east side of the city was defended by a line of forts on a ridge , the most important of which was the Montjuich citadel . The city was ringed by a high wall dating to the Middle Ages . The Franco - Italians arrived in front of Girona on 20 June . After his demand for surrender was declined , Duhesme decided to attack the city ' s defenses . Girona was defended by 350 regular soldiers in two battalions of the " Ultonia " Infantry Regiment . The unit was recruited from Irishmen and led by Lieutenant Colonel s O ' Donovan and O ' Daly . Girona was also defended by 1 , 600 city militiamen and a handful of gunners , for a total of 2 , 000 defenders . Another source states that the city militia may have numbered as many as 2 , 000 . Duhesme directed his main attack at the Carmen gate on the east bank . The weakest part of the defenses , this gate was located on the south side . One battalion was sent against the Capuchins fort while other troops attacked two bastions on the west bank . The main attack started while Duhesme ' s aide - de - camp was still negotiating with the defenders . The French guns were quickly suppressed by Girona ' s artillery and the assault failed . The French commander tried again that night , ordering Schwarz ' s brigade against the Santa Clara bastion on the west bank . The attack was a surprise and the Italians gained a foothold atop the walls . In the darkness , some of the scaling ladders went astray , so the attackers were unable to reinforce the successful party quickly enough . A savage counterattack by the " Ultonia " Regiment erased the Italians ' lodgement . In the morning , Duhesme directed his third assault against one of the bastions . But this charge melted away in the face of intense fire from the alert defenders . Altogether , the Franco - Italians suffered 700 killed , wounded , and missing . Spanish losses were described as light . Result . Duhesme retreated to Barcelona , leaving Chabran and a brigade to hold Mataró . Soon after , Duhesme attacked a force of miquelets along the Llobregat River and drove them away . Chabran tried to entice the Catalan militia into battle but was unsuccessful . Finally becoming aware of Duhesme ' s troubles , Napoleon earmarked a newly formed division under General of Division Honoré Charles Reille to reinforce him . Reille moved out with an advanced guard and soon relieved the garrison of Sant Ferran Castle at Figueras . After assembling his whole division , Reille moved against the port of Roses , but was rebuffed by its defenders and the British battleship " HMS Montagu ( 74 ) " , which landed its marines to help . Hearing about the division of reinforcements , Duhesme prepared for a new attempt on Girona . The next action was the First Siege of Gerona .