Francisco Taboada y Gil (1752–1831) was a Spanish military commander.

Early career

Taboada enlisted as a Fusilier lieutenant in the Provincial Regiment of

Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela, simply Santiago, or Compostela, in the province of Province of A Coruña, A Coruña, is the capital of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city ...

in 1769, and was promoted to Rifleman lieutenant in 1770 and Fusilier captain in 1778. In 1786 he was appointed lieutenant colonel of his regiment and colonel in 1787, and over the following two and a half years he commanded garrisons at

La Coruña LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...

and

Ares Ares (; , ''Árēs'' ) is the List of Greek deities, Greek god of war god, war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for ...

Peninsular War

On 29 July 1810, Taboada, having taken command of Echevarria's brigade based at

Puebla de Sanabria Puebla de Sanabria (; ) is a small town located in the north-western part of the province of Zamora in Spain, between the rivers Tera and Castro. It is the economic and political centre of the ''comarca'' of Sanabria. History One of the old ...

, numbering some 200 men, Oman, Charles (1903)
''A History of the Peninsular War'', Vol. II, p. 400.
''Project Gutenberg''. Retrieved 2 March 2023. was driven from the town by the 5,000 French troops led by General Serras, who had set out from his headquarters at Benavente with the intention of threatening the frontier of the Tras-os-Montes, in the north of Portugal. General Silveira then gathered all the Portuguese militia of his district at Braganza to defend the frontier. But instead of advancing, Serras turned back, left some 400–600 troops (a battalion of the 2nd Swiss Regiment and a squadron of horse) at Puebla de Sanabria, and withdrew to Zamora. As soon as he was far enough away, Silveira and Taboada united their forces and, on 4 August, attacked the French force that had been left in the town, routing it. The French troops finally surrendered some six days later, about 20 officers and 350 men, all that remained of the original force, being taken prisoners. Serras, on learning of the attack, hurried back but found Puebla de Sanabria empty, for the allies forces had made off with their prisoners and taken to the mountains. Serra then went back to Benavente, and Taboada reoccupied Puebla de Sanabria, where he remained, unopposed. Oman, Charles (1908)
''A History of the Peninsular War'', Vol. III, p. 270.
''Project Gutenberg''. Retrieved 2 March 2023. On 23 June 1811, Taboada's troops defeated the French general

Jean-André Valletaux Jean-André Valletaux (; 23 November 1773 in Hiersac – 23 June 1811 Cogorderos) was a French military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars, a brigadier in the Peninsular War, and Commander of the Legion of H ...

, who was killed, at the

Battle of Cogorderos The Battle of Cogorderos took place at Cogorderos, in the Province of León, Castile-León, on 23 June 1811, between a French force under Brigadier General Jean-André Valletaux and a Spanish force commanded by General Francisco Taboada y ...

. Oman, Charles (1911)
''A History of the Peninsular War'', Vol. IV, p. 467.
''Project Gutenberg''. Retrieved 2 March 2023.

Post-war career

Taboada was promoted to lieutenant general in October 1816. Martín-Lanuza, Alberto
"Francisco Taboada y Gil". ''Diccionario Biográfico electrónico'' (''DB~e''.).

Real Academia de la Historia The Royal Academy of History (, RAH) is a Spanish institution in Madrid that studies history "ancient and modern, political, civil, ecclesiastical, military, scientific, of letters and arts, that is to say, the different branches of life, of c ...

. Retrieved 3 March 2023.

References

{{Reflist Spanish commanders of the Napoleonic Wars 1752 births 1831 deaths