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Marshal Suchet and the Siege of Valencia
By Dominique Contant,
Robert Ouvrard, and Jonathan
Cooper
Deliberations of the Military Authorities of Valencia, Regarding the
Surrender of that Place
Valencia, 8th January 1812
At the city of Valencia, on 8 January 1812, His Excellency Don Joaquin
Blake, Captain General of the King's Armies, and Commanding General
of the army's Second and Third Corps, convened as a council the Lieutenant
Generals Don Carlos O'Donell, Don José Miranda, Don José Zayas, don
Ramon Pires, Don Francisco Marco del Ponte, and Don Joseph Lardizabal
; Brigadiers Don Joaquin de Zea, Don Venceslas Prieto, Don Antonio Burriel,
et Don Manuel Velasco ; Colonels Don Francisco de Arze, Commandant of
the Artillery, Don Juan Zapatero, Commandant of the Engineers ; and,
in the capacity of secretary, without the right to vote, Colonel and
Staff Adjutant General Don Joseph de Lavangos.
The above members being assembled, His Excellency made known to them
the summons that had been made by the enemy General, on the 6th of the
month, of which the original is attached marked No. 1, with the response
marked No. 2, and he explained his desire to have the advice of each
of them on what was to be done under the critical circumstances that
had befallen the city. The council took into consideration all that
the inhabitants had suffered during three days of bombardment; the cries
of the people demanding an end to their suffering; the impossibility
of prolonging the siege in a manner that was useful to the country,
without exposing the inhabitants to all the horrors of an assault which
the enemy could not fail to make but with the likelihood of success,
given the horrid condition of the troops in general, [and ]the weakness
of the face of the city's enceinte, good enough to resist a hasty attack,
but nothing that a battery could not destroy in a few hours.
In light of all the following points, His Excellency resolved to send
two officers to the enemy General, with a letter, of which a copy is
attached, containing the honorable conditions under which he would consent
to agree to an evacuation of the place. Awaiting the response, the council
remained assembled. There was a long discussion on the situation of
the city, and general concurrence on the impossibility of prolonging
the defense in view of the proximity of the enemy ; that the people
were not only ill-disposed to contribute thereto and support the troops,
but, on the contrary, that they were in a state of shock, demanding
a capitulation ; that there was a complete lack of materiel and tools
for the construction of earthworks and the making of new entrenchments
; that the wall could be breached in a few hours, and the city risked
being put to the fire and the sword, and additionally that the troops
themselves were not disposed to perform their duty. The truth of these
facts recognized, and supported by the explanations of the commandants
of each of the several units, all the members of the assembly were convinced,
nevertheless, that above all they wished to know the response of the
enemy ; and that if, pressing upon his advantages, he sought to impose
onerous conditions, then it would remain to them, rather than submit,
to be buried under the ruins of Valencia.
Upon returning from their mission, the officers sent to the enemy General
presented a plain text containing a few notes, by which the General
made known the conditions he set for the capitulation (the originals
are annexed to the current report). These conditions having been understood
and discussed, the members' opinions were polled, and the majority responded
:
That due to the situation of the fortifications, the lassitude of the
troops, the hostility of the people to prolonging the defense, their
clamor and there entreaties ; that due moreover to the impossibility
of resisting for very long without bringing down upon the city the worst
misfortunes, and [for] the other reasons given for the individual votes
of which the originals are attached, it was necessary to negotiate for
the exit of the army under the terms suggested by the Commanding General,
and that, if one could not obtain their acceptance, it would be necessary
to subscribe to those which were asked the enemy General.
After which His Excellency the Commanding General proposed to discuss
the view of Lieutenant General don Francisco Marco del Ponte, who had
opined that they cut a path, arms in hand, through the enemy. This proposition
was rejected by a unanimous cry as impractical, useless and prejudicial,
and so resulted the document of which the original is attached.
(The signatures follow )
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