21 June 1813, morning
Hill at La Puebla
On the morning of 21 June Hill sends Morillo’s Spanish division up the Heights of La Puebla, while Stewart’s 2nd Division deploys in the narrow plain south of the river. Gazan sends Maransin’s brigade to drive Morillo off the heights, Hill sends Cadogan’s brigade to help Morillo, and Gazan commits Villatte’s reserve division on the heights. Cadogan is killed, but the British and Spaniards keep their hold.
The Battle of Vitoria, coloured print by William Heath and Thomas Sutherland, A.S.K. Brown collectionWikimedia Commons, Dageno, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Batalla de Vitoria Battle of Vitoria, by Heath & Sutherland, A.S.K. Brown collection.jpg)
Gazan sees Wellington’s column moving along the north bank of the Zadorra to turn his right and asks for reinforcements, but Jourdan, worried for his left, sends some of d’Erlon’s troops to guard the road to Logroño instead. Kempt’s brigade of the Light Division crosses the river at the bend, and Stewart takes the village of Subijana and holds it against two of Gazan’s divisions. Wellington then halts his attacks to give Graham time to arrive.
Sources
- Ian Fletcher, Vittoria 1813: Wellington Sweeps the French from Spain (2005).
- Michael Glover, The Peninsular War 1807–1814 (2001).
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