Battle of Tarbes

By the morning of 20 March 1814, Marshal Soult had arranged his forces in a broad arc around Tarbes. General Darmagnac's division held the town itself, with Fririon's troops positioned to the east. To the southeast, Reille's corps, made up of Maransin's and Taupin's divisions, formed the left of the French line. A sizeable contingent of cavalry and infantry guarded the road north toward Vic-de-Bigorre, anticipating Allied pressure from that direction.^[3] On the French right, Clausel's corps was stationed around Orleix, supported by Berton's cavalry brigade. A smaller detachment — a battalion, a squadron, and two guns — held the village of Aureilhan, just northeast of Tarbes. As the day began, Darmagnac's division pulled back from Tarbes to Barbazan, about three miles to the southeast, where it took up a new position on the left flank of Reille's corps. With this adjustment, Soult's army now faced west, directly opposing Wellington's advance along the road from Vic-de-Bigorre.^[4] The Allied forces were spread across both banks of the Adour River. Hill's corps moved directly on Tarbes, while the Light Division advanced toward the high ground south of Orleix. Meanwhile, Clinton's Sixth Division swung wide to the east, marching toward Pouyastruc in an effort to outflank the French right.Around midday, the 95th Rifles, leading the Light Division, engaged French skirmishers in the valley below Orleix.^[3] The riflemen drove them back up the slope, only to find themselves facing the full weight of Harispe's division. A sharp fight followed, with the British inflicting heavy casualties and forcing Harispe's men to fall back. As pressure mounted, Clausel began a fighting withdrawal, pulling his corps back from ridge to ridge in the direction of Tournay, seeking to avoid being cut off by Clinton's flanking column. On the opposite flank, Hill's troops fought their way into Tarbes, but it was not until 2 p.m. that the town was fully cleared.^[4] By then, Soult had already begun his retreat toward Tournay. The British cavalry attempted to pursue, but the narrow lanes and enclosed terrain made it difficult to press the retreating French. By 10 p.m., Soult's forces had reached Tournay, this ended the engagement.^[5]

The Battle of Tarbes marked a tactical success for the Allied forces, who succeeded in dislodging Marshal Soult's rearguard and clearing the road to Toulouse.^[6] Though not a decisive engagement, it demonstrated Wellington's ability to coordinate multi-pronged attacks and exploit terrain to pressure French withdrawals. Soult's army, though forced to retreat, maintained cohesion and avoided encirclement thanks to Clausel's staged withdrawal and the use of pre-marked field routes. Clausel's corps, particularly Harispe's division, suffered notable casualties during the British assault led by the 95th Rifles, but managed to fall back toward Tournay without collapse.^[7] Hill's corps secured Tarbes by mid-afternoon, while Clinton's flanking maneuver threatened the French right, prompting Soult to accelerate his retreat. The British cavalry, hampered by enclosed terrain and narrow lanes, were unable to mount an effective pursuit, allowing the French to reach Tournay by nightfall. Strategically, the battle paved the way for the Battle of Toulouse (10 April 1814), the final major engagement of the Peninsular War.^[6][8]