Medina del Rio Seco

14 July, 1808

Spanish Battle Tour Guides

Medina del Rio Seco was a magnificent victory for an outnumbered Marshal Bessieres against Spain's generals Don Gregorio de la Cuesta and Joachim Blake.

The French commander found himself up against 21,000 Spanish soldiers with only some 13,000 men at hand.

Fortunately, for Bessieres, Cuesta's positioning of troops was woeful and allowed him to assault good defensive positions held by Blake without any fear of them getting support from Cuesta's men.

Sending his men in at bayonet point, Bessieres overwhelmed the defenders and scattered Blake's army. Cuesta retreated.

The Spanish lost almost 3500 men killed, wounded and captured, while the French suffered fewer than 1000 casualties.