The
Siege
of
Chaves
refers
to
the
French
siege
and
capture
of
Chaves
,
Portugal
from
10
to
12
March
1809
,
and
the
subsequent
siege
and
recapture
of
the
town
by
Portuguese
forces
from
21
to
25
March
1809
,
during
the
second
invasion
of
Portugal
in
the
Peninsular
War
.

Portugal
suffered
three
invasions
by
French
forces
during
the
turbulent
period
of
the
Peninsular
War
.

The
northern
region
of
Trás-os-Montes
,
as
all
the
country
,
had
succumbed
to
the
Napoleonic
regency
of
Junot
.

As
soon
as
news
came
of
the
disembarkation
of
the
British
in
Portuguese
Estremadura
,
the
rebellion
broke
out
.

Bragança
,
and
soon
after
Chaves
,
proclaimed
liberation
.

The
militias
were
formed
to
fight
the
invader
.

Napoleon
,
worried
about
what
was
happening
in
Spain
and
upset
with
the
failure
of
the
expedition
of
his
forces
,
decided
to
come
personally
to
the
Peninsula
in
whose
submission
he
had
invested
300,000
men
.

The
British
,
who
had
disembarked
in
1807
in
Galicia
under
the
command
of
general
John
Moore
,
did
not
surpass
30,000
in
number
.

With
his
customary
mobility
Napoleon
multiplied
himself
,
divided
and
destroyed
the
British
and
the
Spanish
in
quick
and
precise
blows
.

He
ordered
Soult
to
pursue
the
British
in
Galicia
.

Moore
's
army
was
defeated
and
hounded
across
the
mountains
of
Lugo
;
the
British
general
himself
was
killed
during
the
final
combats
carried
out
around
the
bay
of
Coruña
,
where
the
remnants
of
his
forces
re-embarked
.

Some
months
later
the
same
Soult
received
orders
to
invade
Portugal
from
the
North
and
expel
the
British
from
Portuguese
soil
.

The
carrying
out
of
the
order
was
,
however
,
strongly
impeded
by
the
winter
,
which
had
made
the
Minho
River
almost
impassable
,
and
by
the
resistance
of
Portuguese
forces
located
between
Cerveira
and
Valença
.

Then
general
Soult
decided
to
go
around
the
mountainous
border
of
the
Upper
Minho
and
make
his
penetration
across
the
dry
border
of
Trás-os-Montes
.

His
forces
numbered
around
23,000
men
-LRB-
among
them
4,000
on
horse
-RRB-
and
50
pieces
of
artillery
.

Some
of
these
troops
were
experienced
since
they
had
participated
in
the
battles
of
Friedland
and
Austerlitz
.

The
border
was
crossed
on
7
March
1809
.

The
defence
of
the
border
of
Trás-os-Montes
was
in
the
hands
of
brigadier
Francisco
Silveira
,
whose
forces
,
numbering
2,800
regular
troops
,
2,500
militia
and
only
50
cavalry
,
were
concentrated
around
the
stronghold
of
Chaves
.

The
fortifications
,
who
were
in
bad
conditions
,
were
protected
by
50
pieces
of
artillery
,
but
with
only
a
few
of
them
fit
for
service
,
were
commanded
by
Lieutenant
Colonel
Francisco
Pizarro
.

After
initial
skirmishes
near
the
border
,
the
Portuguese
forces
retreated
to
Chaves
,
and
then
Silveira
ordered
the
abandonment
of
the
stronghold
.

This
decision
caused
great
unrest
among
the
militias
and
the
population
.

Prudently
,
the
brigadier
led
his
forces
south
avoiding
any
risk
against
the
superior
forces
.

But
pressured
by
the
people
and
the
militias
,
lieutenant
colonel
Francisco
Pizarro
disobeyed
orders
and
accepted
the
command
of
the
popular
forces
,
preparing
to
resist
the
invading
forces
with
500
troops
-LRB-
1st
line
-RRB-
,
2,000
militias
-LRB-
2nd
line
-RRB-
and
1,200
ordenanças
-LRB-
3d
line
-RRB-
.

Silveira
tried
to
change
his
mind
,
even
calling
a
war
council
to
discuss
the
problem
,
but
he
could
n't
get
a
formal
decision
,
especially
since
the
French
who
arrived
on
10
March
were
now
preparing
to
attack
the
most
northerly
fort
of
São
Neutel
.

Pizarro
held
his
ground
and
the
future
count
left
with
his
officers
to
join
his
forces
,
who
had
occupied
the
highlands
south
of
Chaves
.

Soult
then
summoned
the
stronghold
of
Chaves
to
surrender
,
but
no
answer
was
given
.

But
soon
it
was
obvious
in
the
stronghold
that
defence
was
useless
.

Although
fire
from
the
artillery
and
muskets
persisted
since
the
French
arrival
,
the
defenders
ultimately
recognized
that
Silveira
's
decision
to
retreat
had
been
the
most
sensible
one
.

Soult
sent
a
second
message
calling
for
the
surrender
of
the
stronghold
,
and
it
was
accepted
on
the
12
March
.

Chaves
surrendered
and
the
French
troops
marched
into
the
town
on
13
March
.

Soult
,
with
so
many
prisoners
on
his
hands
,
released
the
civilians
of
the
militias
and
ordenanças
,
under
oath
of
not
taking
up
arms
against
the
French
,
and
tried
to
recruit
500
of
the
line
troops
,
who
soon
deserted
.

These
actions
by
Marshal
Soult
were
strongly
criticized
by
several
of
his
officers
,
especially
those
who
had
participated
in
the
first
French
invasion
of
Portugal
of
the
previous
year
under
Junot
,
as
they
preferred
that
the
stronghold
had
been
taken
by
assault
and
the
garrison
put
to
the
sword
.

Meanwhile
the
Portuguese
forces
had
left
their
positions
near
Vidago
and
retreated
farther
south
to
a
low
pass
between
Vila
Pouca
and
Vila
Real
.

Soult
,
though
,
had
decided
to
make
his
way
south
by
way
of
the
Barroso
,
due
west
instead
of
south
.

He
left
a
small
garrison
of
a
few
hundred
men
in
Chaves
under
the
command
of
Major
Messeger
,
and
the
hospital
he
had
transferred
from
Monterey
,
Galicia
,
with
many
wounded
or
sick
.

As
soon
as
Silveira
knew
that
the
main
French
army
has
gone
away
,
he
decided
to
attack
Chaves
.

For
some
days
a
French
detachment
had
approached
Vila
Pouca
in
an
attempt
to
force
the
entrenched
Portuguese
forces
to
retreat
.

But
soon
it
was
discovered
that
these
forces
had
gone
to
Boticas
to
join
up
with
the
main
French
army
which
was
already
on
its
way
west
.

Soult
's
army
went
on
to
win
the
First
Battle
of
Porto
.

Once
again
Silveira
went
down
into
the
Tâmega
River
valley
and
attacked
the
Chaves
stronghold
on
21
March
.

The
small
French
garrison
tried
to
resist
,
but
the
Portuguese
knew
the
town
well
and
were
able
to
penetrate
the
walls
through
an
opening
called
the
``
Opening
of
the
Butchershops
''
.

In
the
streets
there
was
hand-to-hand
combat
,
and
the
French
,
leaving
almost
300
dead
,
retreated
into
the
São
Francisco
Fort
.

200
French
fell
prisoners
into
the
hands
of
the
Portuguese
.

The
Portuguese
,
having
no
artillery
,
blockaded
the
French
for
four
days
.

On
the
fifth
day
,
when
all
was
ready
for
the
final
assault
to
be
carried
out
by
escalating
the
fort
,
Silveira
gave
Messeger
an
ultimatum
,
under
which
he
should
surrender
without
conditions
.

Messeger
then
requested
an
hour
of
truce
in
order
to
take
a
decision
.

After
the
time
given
had
ended
,
and
still
without
a
response
,
Silveira
issued
a
final
ultimatum
,
warning
Messenger
that
if
he
did
not
surrender
in
five
minutes
he
would
give
orders
for
the
storming
of
the
fort
.

The
French
commander
immediately
surrendered
without
conditions
.

25
officers
,
23
civilians
and
surgeons
,
and
about
1,300
soldiers
were
captured
and
taken
under
escort
to
Vila
Real
.

114
Spanish
who
were
left
in
Chaves
as
prisoners
by
Soult
were
restored
to
liberty
.

This
skilful
and
valiant
maneuver
by
Silveira
seriously
upset
Soult
's
plans
,
obliging
him
to
wait
,
for
lack
of
supply
lines
,
between
the
Douro
and
the
Vouga
.

After
the
Second
Battle
of
Porto
,
the
French
army
was
obliged
by
Wellesley
to
retreat
quickly
to
its
starting
point
,
the
city
of
Orense
in
Galicia
,
Spain
.

In
the
final
phase
of
this
retreat
,
Silveira
was
almost
able
to
intercept
the
French
troops
near
Montealegre
.

Some
of
his
detachments
were
even
able
to
see
the
rearguard
crossing
the
border
near
the
rugged
mountains
of
Larouco
.

Beresford
had
come
up
to
Chaves
and
let
the
opportunity
to
destroy
the
French
slip
away
.

Once
the
danger
had
passed
,
Beresford
,
under
the
insistence
of
Silveira
,
called
a
court
martial
for
Francisco
Pizarro
.

This
War
Council
took
place
in
Lisbon
in
1809
and
found
the
reckless
lieutenant
colonel
innocent
of
the
charges
.

This
successful
defeat
of
the
French
by
the
badly
equipped
Portuguese
army
gave
the
town
of
Chaves
an
important
place
in
Portuguese
history
.

It
,
together
with
the
defeat
of
pro-Royalist
forces
in
1912
,
gave
Chaves
the
deserved
title
of
the
Heroic
City
of
Chaves
-LRB-
Cidade
Heróica
de
Chaves
-RRB-
,
the
name
of
many
streets
and
avenues
in
Portugal
.
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