Marshal Suchet and the Siege of Valencia

By Dominique Contant, Robert Ouvrard, and Jonathan Cooper

Letter from Marshal Suchet to Prince Berthier, Major General, Concerning the Capture of Valencia.

From the Headquarters at Valencia, 11th January 1812

Monseigneur,

I ask Your Serene Highness to announce to His Majesty the Emperor that his orders have been executed; Valencia has submitted to his arms.

The rapid advances of 26 December had forced the enemy to retire upon his lines, where he was soon besieged. The pursuit to Saint-Philippe of the troops that escaped Valencia denied Blake any hope of being relieved. The army, eager for glory, sought out combat, and repulsed three sorties with the highest valor.

Boldness in the work of the engineers, who, during the night of 1st to 2nd January, opened trenches to within seventy and eighty fathoms(13) of the works of the enemy, and who, in four days and four nights, brought their saps up to within four fathoms(14) of the fosse; supernatural effort by the artillery, who erected batteries at sixty fathoms(15) [from the enemy], and who managed to arm them despite dreadful rains and horrible roads; and the constancy of the infantry in sharing all this work induced the abandonment of enemy lines armed with eighty-one guns.

These lines ran for four thousand fathoms(16): Valencia had spent twelve million reales to erect them, and thousands of men's work for two years.

After having bombarded the city on the 5th, I offered, on the 6th, a capitulation that was rejected. I then redoubled the fire, and, in three days and three nights, two thousand seven hundred shells had fallen on Valencia, causing many considerable fires. By the time of the surrender, the artillery, setting a laudable example, had managed to erect two batteries of ten 24's each to make a breach in the final enceinte, and the engineers, with their usual alacrity, had succeeded in placing themselves in the last houses of the suburbs and had mined under the two principal gates of the city. But the Commanding General, Blake, fearing the terrible results of the impending assault, accepted the following capitulation, which placed into the Emperor's control the city of Valencia, three hundred seventy four pieces of artillery, one hundred and eighty thousands of powder, three million cartridges, sixteen thousand one hundred and thirty-one prisoners of the Spanish Line, as per the attached listing, submitted by the Spanish Chief of Staff, nineteen hundred fifty sick in hospital, eighteen hundred cavalry and artillery horses, and twenty-one flags. Among the prisoners are included eight hundred ninety-three officers and twenty-two generals or brigadiers; amongst these last, one may note Captain General Blake, Charles O'Donell, Governor of Valencia, Zayas and Lardizabal, commander of the expeditionary divisions, Miranda, Marco del Ponte, Zayas, the Marquis de Rocca, etc. ; and finally four Lieutenant Generals and six Field Marshals, said to be in retirement.

Under these circumstances, the insurgents have irreparable losses, they lose fifty good artillery officers graduated from the school at Segovia; three hundred eighty-three minors and sappers, and fourteen hundred veteran artillerists, of which a part formed four excellent horse artillery companies, serving thirty limbered field guns.

Your Serene Highness will realize from reading article IV of the capitulation, that I seized an opportunity to gain the goodwill of the Emperor, by obtaining the immediate return to the army of two thousand French or allied prisoners, with the hope of a more considerable exchange to follow.

Generals of Artillery and Engineers Val�e and Rogniat directed their arms of service with their customary talent.(17)

General Count Reille, at the head of his Corps, displayed the greatest activity, Generals Palombini and S�v�roli the most complete dedication.

Generals Harispe, Habert, Musnier and Saint-Cyr Nugues, Chief of Staff, served with the sustained zeal which has never ceased to motivate them since their entry into Spain.

I will very soon have the honor to send to Your Serene Highness the list of rewards that I solicit from the good graces of the Emperor for his army; I presume to ask, Sir, that you submit these to His Majesty.

I am with respect, etc.

Marshal of the Empire, Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Aragon,

Signed: Count Suchet.

Notes:

(13) 149 and 170 English yards or 136 and 155 meters
(14) about 26 English feet or 8 meters
(15) 160 English yards or 146 meters
(16) nearly 5 English miles or 8 kilometers
(17) With their typical activity, Valée and Rogniat had collected at Marviedro, in readiness for the siege of Valencia, a park of 60 guns (of which 36 were of large calibers), 24 mortars and a supply of 700 rounds per piece.

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