Battle of the Lines of Elvas

Battle of the Lines of Elvas
Part of Portuguese Restoration War
Date 14 January 1659
Location Near Elvas, Portugal
Result Decisive Portuguese victory[1]
Belligerents
 Portugal  Spain
Commanders and leaders
António Luís de Meneses
Sancho Manoel de Vilhena		 Luis de Haro
Strength
10,500:[2]
  • 8,000 infantry
  • 2,500 cavalry
  • 7 cannons
 17,500:
  • 14,000 infantry[3]
  • 3,500 cavalry[4]
  • 19 cannons
  • 3 mortars
Casualties and losses
201 killed[5]
697 wounded[6]		 11,200 men killed or taken prisioners[7]
All the artillery captured[8]
 
São Filipe - Cape St. Vincent - Montijo – 1st Elvas - Talavera la Real – Vilanova – Lapela – Salvatierra de Miño – Olivença – Mourão – 1st Badajoz – Évora – Lines of Elvas – Monção - 2nd Badajoz – Arronches – Ameixial – Évora – Valência de Alcântara – Castelo Rodrigo – Montes Claros - Berlengas

The Battle of the Lines of Elvas (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈɛɫvɐʃ]), was a battle fought on 14 January 1659, in Elvas, between Portugal and Spain. Eventually the Portuguese had won a major victory over the Spanish soldiers.

Contents

History

In 1658 a Spanish army commanded by D. Luis de Haro, was camped in the frontier of the Caia River, with 14,000 infantry, 3,500 cavalry and several pieces of artillery. The preparation of the siege of the Portuguese city of Elvas took several days, and the Portuguese expecting the attack had several days to prepare the defence. De Haro distributed his troops in trenches, giving orders to kill everyone that approached the city. The only way the situation could turn in favour of the Portuguese was a hypothetical arrival of a true army. Queen-Mother Luisa de Guzman decided to call for António Luís de Meneses, Count of Cantanhede, and gave him the command of all Portuguese troops in Alentejo. She also transferred to the same theatre of operations Sancho Manoel de Vilhena, who assumed the post of "Field-Master". The Spaniards initially bombarded the city, causing panic and huge casualties among the civil population while the black death was causing 300 deaths a day.[9]

Confronted with this situation, the Count of Cantanhede, although having extremely poor logistical conditions, managed to gather an army in Estremoz. He organized recruitments in Viseu and in the Madeira islands and united the garrisons of Borba, Juromenha, Campo Maior, Vila Viçosa, Monforte and Arronches. The army had 8,000 infantry, 2,500 cavalry and seven cannons. The Portuguese plan was to attack the enemy lines in Elvas, by a near village called Murtais. The Portuguese left Estremoz and occupied the hill of Assomada, where they could see the city of Elvas and the enemy lines, in a majestic display.

On 17 January, around 8 o'clock in the morning, the Portuguese attacked near Murtais. The victory was undecided in the initial stages, as the Spanish were valiantly defending their lines, but after some time the armies of Cantanhede managed to break the lines, and the Spanish fled in panic.[10]

Spanish casualties were huge. Of the 17,500 men commanded by D. Luis de Haro, only 5,000 infantry and 1,300 cavalry managed to reach Badajoz.[11]

After the success in the battle the Count of Cantanhede received among several honours, the title of Marquis of Marialva on 11 June 1661.

A commemorative monument was placed on the site of the battlefield.

Pictures

Notes

  1. ^ Stearns, Langer, p.331
  2. ^ Ribeiro, p.84
  3. ^ Ericeira, p.213
  4. ^ Ericeira, p.213
  5. ^ Ericeira, p.229
  6. ^ Ericeira, p.229
  7. ^ Ericeira, p.229
  8. ^ Ribeiro, p.85
  9. ^ Ericeira, p.217
  10. ^ Jaques, "At Elvas, 20 miles west of Badajoz, De Haro was routed by Castello-Melhor and Sancho de Villa Flor and fled in panic" p.333
  11. ^ Ericeira, p.227

References