Battle of Boulou

Background. The year 1793 was difficult for the poorly trained French forces defending Roussillon against the Spanish army of Captain General Antonio Ricardos, who defeated them at Truillas and then fell back to the Tech River valley, repulsing repeated French attempts to push him into Spain. In the First Battle of Boulou (Pla del Rey), 13–15 October, Ricardos bloodily repulsed GD Louis Marie Turreau's attacks.

French Command Change. Fresh from his victory at the Siege of Toulon, GD Jacques François Dugommier arrived to lead the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees on 16 January 1794. His predecessor's Spanish counterpart, Antonio Ricardos, died on 13 March 1794, allegedly after drinking a cup of poisoned chocolate intended for the king's favorite Manuel Godoy. By spring 1794 the Spanish army held a slice of French territory south of the Tech River and north of the Pyrenees, setting the stage for the coming engagement.

Battle and Aftermath. Dugommier opened with a successful feint by his right wing that drew Spanish troops from the center. A French division commander, following instructions, fought a rear guard action that drew Spanish troops toward Oms. In the fighting, Augereau retook Oms from Mendinueta on the French right while Sauret captured Argelès-sur-Mer from Navarro on the left. De la Unión's chief of staff, General Tomàs Morla, had proposed that Navarro attack on the right while de Vives and de las Amarillas struck the French centre near Le Boulou. Dugommier's decisive victory enabled the French to regain nearly all land lost to Spain in 1793; historian Digby Smith stated the Spanish army never recovered from the setback.

Consolidation. After Boulou, the only Spanish forts remaining on French soil were Collioure and Bellegarde. The French captured Collioure on 26 May 1794, while Bellegarde held out until 17 September 1794, completing the recovery of the border region.