Army of the Eastern Pyrenees The Army of the Eastern Pyrenees ( " Armée des Pyrénées orientales " ) was one of the French Revolutionary armies . It fought against the Kingdom of Spain in Rousillon and Catalonia during the War of the Pyrenees . The army was formed a few days after Spain invaded France in April 1793 . The Peace of Basel on 22 July 1795 ended the fighting and the army was dissolved on 12 October that same year . After a dismal first year of fighting , the army ' s fortunes improved and it started to win victories . Its successes , together with the victories won by the Army of the Western Pyrenees , forced Spain to sue for peace . The war took a severe toll on the commanders of the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees . One general died in battle , at least three were executed by the Committee of Public Safety , and one was arrested and released but later died of disease at the front . Formation . The execution of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette outraged the ancient monarchies of Europe . Even so , it was the First French Republic that declared war on its ancient ally Spain on 7 March 1793 . Spain joined the War of the First Coalition and invaded Rousillon on 17 April 1793 . In response , National Convention divided the Army of the Pyrenees into two parts on 30 April 1793 . The Army of the Eastern Pyrenees was assigned to defend the department of Pyrénées Orientales ( formerly Rousillon ) while the Army of the Western Pyrenees held the department of Pyrénées Atlantiques in the southwestern corner of France . History . 1793 : Invasion and defeat . At first the war went badly for France . The Spanish army of Captain General ( CG ) Antonio Ricardos invaded France on 17 April 1793 , driving a French garrison from the town of Saint - Laurent - de - Cerdans . On 20 April , the Spanish commander routed 1 , 800 French soldiers from Céret and crossed the Tech River . The French army ' s first commander , General of Brigade ( BG ) Claude Souchon de Chameron was dismissed on 13 May . Accused of plotting to join anti - government forces , Souchon went to the guillotine on 12 April 1794 . On 19 May , Ricardos defeated General of Division ( MG ) Louis - Charles de Flers at the battle of Mas Deu , fought near Trouillas and Thuir . After their victory , the Spanish army moved south to reduce the Fort de Bellegarde . The Siege of Bellegarde occupied the invaders until the place fell on 24 June . After Ricardos ' 15 , 000 Spaniards met the 12 , 000 soldiers led by de Flers at Niel on 17 July , the Spanish withdrew . Removed on 6 August by the all - powerful Representatives - on - mission , de Flers was guillotined on 22 July 1794 , in the last spasm of the Reign of Terror . MG Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert won a minor action at Puigcerdà in the Cerdagne on 28 August . When Ricardos advanced menacingly on Perpignan , the department capital , army commander MG Hilarion Paul de Puget - Barbantane deserted his post in an act of cowardice . MG Eustache Charles d ' Aoust took charge and led the army in an attack on two Spanish divisions which Ricardos sent to encircle Perpignan from the west . D ' Aoust inflicted a serious defeat on Lieutenant General ( LG ) Juan de Courten and LG Jerónimo Girón - Moctezuma , Marquis de las Amarilas at the Battle of Peyrestortes on 17 September . Ricardos rallied his army to beat Dagobert at the Battle of Truillas on 22 September . Arrested after his defeat , Dagobert spent several months in prison . He returned to the army the following spring in a subordinate role , but died of fever on 18 April 1794 . On 3 October , Ricardos repulsed an attempt by d ' Aoust to attack his camp at Le Boulou . MG Louis Turreau sustained a defeat at the Battle of the Tech ( Pla - del - Rey ) on 13 – 15 October . A Portuguese division joined the Spanish in time to win a combined victory over d ' Aoust at the battle of Villelongue - dels - Monts on 7 December . A Spanish corps commanded by LG Gregorio García de la Cuesta drove the French out of the port of Collioure on 20 December . D ' Aoust was denounced by his fellow generals Turreau and François Amédée Doppet , and arrested by Representatives Édouard Milhaud and Pierre Soubrany . Charged with malice and disability in January , d ' Aoust fell victim to the guillotine on 2 July 1794 . 1794 : French victories . On 16 January 1794 , the French government appointed MG Jacques François Dugommier to lead the army . The victor of the Siege of Toulon began a thorough reorganization of the ill - used Army of the Eastern Pyrenees . Dugommier established supply depots , hospitals , and arsenals , and constructed roads . After receiving reinforcements from the Toulon army , he counted a field army 28 , 000 strong , backed by 20 , 000 garrison troops and 9 , 000 untrained volunteers . Dugommier formed his troops into three infantry divisions under MG Dominique Pérignon , MG Pierre Augereau , and MG Pierre Sauret . He placed MG André de la Barre in charge of his 2 , 500 cavalry troopers . Both Pérignon and Augereau , as well their subordinates BG Claude Victor and Colonel Jean Lannes , later became Marshals of France under the First French Empire . In March 1794 , both Ricardos and his successor CG Alejandro O ' Reilly died , leaving LG Luis Firmin de Carvajal , Conde de la Union in command of the Allied army . LG Don Juan Forbes led the Portuguese contingent . Dugommier launched an offensive , winning conclusively at the Battle of Boulou from 29 April to 1 May 1794 . Within a month , the French recaptured Collioure and drove the Allied army south of the Pyrenees . Bellegarde proved to be a much tougher nut to crack and its 1 , 000 surviving defenders only capitulated on 17 September . During the siege , Pérignon fought the Spanish at La Junquera on 7 June , in an action that saw the death of La Barre . De la Union ' s attempt to relieve Bellegarde failed at the Battle of San - Lorenzo de la Muga on 13 August . In a decisive French victory at the Battle of the Black Mountain ( Capmany ) on 17 – 20 November , both Dugommier and de la Union were killed in action . Pérignon took command of the army and continued the invasion of Catalonia . He quickly secured the surrender of Figueres and its powerful San Fernando ( Sant Ferran ) fortress with 9 , 000 Spanish prisoners . 1795 : War ends . The Siege of Roses lasted from the end of November until 4 February 1795 when the Spanish fleet evacuated the garrison by sea . Unhappy that Pérignon did not advance farther into Spain , the government replaced him with MG Barthélemy Schérer in May . LG José Urrutia y de las Casas promptly defeated Schérer ' s attempt to cross the Rio Fluvià at the battle of Bàscara on 14 June . Cuesta beat the French in minor actions at Puigcerdà and Bellver in late July , before news of the Peace of Basel reached the front . On 12 October 1795 , the army ceased to exist . Of the army ' s soldiers , one cavalry regiment and 17 demi - brigade s were immediately sent to the Army of Italy . One regiment of cavalry and 18 infantry battalions were retained to defend the border . One regiment of cavalry , 12 battalions of infantry , and other elements were first reorganized in the south of France , then sent to reinforce the Army of Italy . Commanders . The leaders of the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees and their dates of command are listed as follows .