Battle of Oriamendi
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Battle of Maella | |||||||
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Part of First Carlist War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Carlists supporting |
Liberals (Isabelinos or Cristinos) supporting Isabella II of Spain and her regent mother Maria Christina Great Britain |
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Commanders | |||||||
Sebastian de Borbón | Baldomero Espartero, Prince of Vergara George de Lacy Evans Pedro Saarsfield |
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Casualties and losses | |||||||
~1,000 and 1,500 |
The Battle of Oriamendi was a battle fought on March 16, 1837 during the First Carlist War.
The battle was part of a campaign in spring 1837 when the liberal Army tried to chase the Carlists from the Basque Country. They attacked from three points: general Pedro Saarsfield from Pamplona, general Espartero from Bilbao and a British-Spanish force under George de Lacy Evans from San Sebastián.
On March 15 the British Legion conquered a fortification known as Oriamendi on a strategic hill near San Sebastián.
The next day the Carlists under Sebastian de Borbón counterattacked and after a long battle, drove the British-liberal army back to their trenches outside San Sebastian. This force had suffered between 1,000 and 1,500 casualties and covering fire from the British Navy prevented the withdrawal from becoming a disaster.
After the battle the Carlists besieged San Sebastián, but never succeeded in taking the city.
The defeat caused an outrage in the British parliament. The battle was a great boost in morale for the Carlists, and lives on in the Marcha de Oriamendi, which became the anthem of the Carlist movement.