Battle of the Pyrenees, 1813

Coloured aquatint by J C Stadler after William Heath, published by Thomas Tegg, 1 April 1818. Illustration for a narrative poem by Dr Syntax.

The Battle of the Pyrenees was actually a series of engagements during a French offensive that was launched by Marshal Soult on 25 July 1813. It aimed to relieve the French garrisons that were under siege at Pamplona and San Sebastián. After initial success the offensive stalled in the face of determined Allied resistance under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley. Soult abandoned the offensive on 30 July and retreated back to France.