Battle of Orbaitzeta The Battle of Orbaitzeta was fought from 15 to 17 October 1794 during the War of the Pyrenees , between the French Army of the western Pyrenees led by Bon - Adrien Jeannot de Moncey and Spanish forces under the command of Pedro Téllez - Girón , 9th Duke of Osuna . Part of the wider French Revolutionary Wars , this engagement was fought over a wide area to the northwest and northeast of Pamplona in Navarre and ended in a French victory . The Spanish defenders gave up territory to the north of Pamplona , including a number of strategic locations . Background . While 1793 saw no important battles in the western Pyrenees , the following year saw significant action . With General of Division ( MG ) Jacques Léonard Muller leading the Army of the western Pyrenees , minor engagements occurred at Hendaye on 5 February , Izpegi Pass on 3 June , and at Bera ( Vera ) on 23 June . In late July , Muller put MG Moncey in charge of three divisions , including his own and those of MG Henri Delaborde and MG Jean Henri Guy Nicolas de Frégeville . With this force , Moncey won the Battle of the Baztan Valley and followed up his success by capturing Pasaia , San Sebastián and Tolosa . Promoted to command the army for his great success , Moncey planned to lay siege to the Spanish fortress of Pamplona . Battle . On 15 October 1794 , Moncey launched an offensive on a broad front with 46 , 000 troops . Commanding the French divisions were Delaborde , Frégeville , MG Jean Mauco , MG Thomas - Alexandre Dumas , and MG Jean - Antoine Marbot . General of Brigade ( BG ) Antoine Digonet , BG Pierre Rouché ( Roucher ) , BG Louis Hyacinthe Le Feron , BG Pierre Bories de Castelpers , and BG Jean Daniel Pinet led brigades during the operation . Lieutenant General Duke of Osuna commanded the 13 , 000 Spanish defenders of Navarre . His commanders were Generals Manuel Cagigal , Antonio Filangieri , Frias , and Marquis de la Canada Ibagniez . Moncey launched his offensive from the Baztan valley , and from the area of Roncevaux Pass to the south toward Pamplona . On the west , the attack was from Leitza toward Lekunberri . In the center , the direction of advance was from Doneztebe across the Donamaria Pass and from Elizondo across the Puerto de Belate ( Velate Pass ) toward Sorauren . In the east , the French moved from Roncesvalles ( Orreaga ) southeast to the Rio Urroti valley and southwest to the Rio Irati . Moncey , who had " a particular penchant for encircling movements " hoped to cut off substantial enemy forces . On 15 October , Delaborde ' s division attacked Filangieri at Mezkiritz ( Mezquiriz ) , southwest of Roncesvalles . The French deployed 11 infantry and two grenadier battalions , plus 640 dragoons and hussars . The Spanish suffered 200 killed and 724 captured out of a total of 4 , 000 troops engaged , while French losses are unknown . The French captured Lekunberri on 16 October and Villanueva , farther south , on 17 October . Both villages were at the western end of the line . At the eastern extremity , Orbaitzeta fell together with its arms foundry , which was north of the village . The French also captured the Spanish navy ' s mast store on the Irati and a second foundry at Egui . The offensive stopped short of Pamplona because the Representatives - on - mission did not authorize a further advance . The bulk of the defenders escaped encirclement . One authority faults Delaborde for failing to cut off the Spanish . The Spanish losses numbered about 4 , 000 soldiers killed , wounded , and missing . In addition , the French seized 50 artillery pieces . French casualties are unknown . Aftermath . The French inflicted damage on the Spanish army and gained ground closer to the Pamplona fortress . Even worse for the Spanish was the loss of two arms foundries and the navy ' s mast store . In November 1794 , the Spanish suffered a disaster at the Battle of the Black Mountain in the eastern Pyrenees . A deadly outbreak of disease stalled French operations in the western Pyrenees during the winter 1794 – 1795 . In June 1795 , Moncey launched a victorious advance to the west , taking Vitoria and Bilbao . The Peace of Basel on 22 July 1795 brought the war to a close . When the news of peace reached the front in August , Moncey ' s advance was across the Ebro , while other forces prepared to invest Pamplona .