Combat at Alcolea : Black Powder in the Peninsular

 French General Dupont has been ordered to advance to Cordova but he hears that Spanish forces under Colonel Don Pedro Agostino de Echavarri are preparing to make a stand at the river bridge at Alcolea.

Rafael picked the Spanish forces so I had Dupont's French.

In addition to forces at the bridge, Echavarri has placed cavalry and infantry on the high ground looking down on the French approach road.

Despite a shaky start, when Pannetier's brigade threw a blunder and went backwards two moves (!), the French now march on.

Rafael opts to send forward Spanish cavalry immediately to threaten the French forcing Rouger's brigade to form square

More Spanish cavalry move up in support

and a Spanish infantry brigade crosses the wooded hill towards the centre

The Spanish dragoons attempt a charge but the squares stand firm and the cavalrymen are disordered

The Spanish cavalry retire just as French dragoons arrive to assist the infantry

Chabert's infantry brigade has pushed on towards the bridge, with one eye on his threatened left flank

With good reason, the Spanish infantry charge down towards Chabert

This could be tricky !

The French infantry have been disordered by artillery fire from the area of the bridge but French cavalry have threatened a charge and the Spanish infantry hastily form square

The French infantry swing round and attack the Spanish infantry

The Spanish succeed in breaking out of square into line during the combat

but the French quality shows and the Spanish brigade breaks and runs

The French dragoons have seen off the Spanish cavalry too but two French infantry brigades have broken due to artillery fire from the bridge and fled the field leaving just one infantry brigade on the field. 

They advance purposefully and blaze away across the river at the Spanish infantry in front of Alcolea village

The Spanish infantry don't like it and start to melt away

More musket fire sees the rest of the Spanish infantry flee, leaving the gunners to try and hold the crossing

Now Dupont orders the cavalry to come forward

The Spanish gunners keep up their deadly fire

The French dragoons head for the bridge

Keep firing !

They do disorder the lead dragoon regiment but the second one charges across the bridge and hits the gunners in the flank

Brave as they are, the Spanish gunners are cut down and the way is open for the French  - but at quite some cost !