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Siege of Puebla
Part of the French intervention in Mexico
Siège de Puebla - 29 mars 1863
General Bazaine ordering the Zouaves to charge fort San Javier.
Date16 March - 17 May 1863
LocationPuebla, Mexico
Result French and Mexican Imperial victory
Belligerents
Mexico Mexican Republic France French Empire
Bandera del Segundo Imperio Mexicano (1864-1867) Mexican Empire
Commanders and leaders
Mexico Jesús González Ortega
Mexico Ignacio Comonfort
Mexico Felipe Berriozábal
France Élie Frédéric Forey
France Abel Douay
France François Achille Bazaine
Bandera del Segundo Imperio Mexicano (1864-1867) Leonardo Márquez
Units involved
Central Army
Eastern Army
2nd Marine Infantry Regiment
First Zouave Regiment
5th Regiment of Foot Artillery
Strength
22,000 Mexican Republicans 24,300 French
2,300 auxiliaries
2,000 Mexican Imperialists
Casualties and losses
min. 2000[1]
200 POWs[2]
150 dead, 500 wounded (as of 31st March)[3]
+500 dead and wounded (as of 6th April)[1]


The siege of Puebla occurred between the 16 March and the 17 May 1863 during the French Intervention in Mexico and resulted in a Franco-Imperial victory.

The Battle[]

After a failed first attempt to capture the city of Puebla on the 5th May 1862, General Charles de Lorencez was dismissed and replaced by General Forey who arrived at Veracruz in September 1862. During the winter, the French were busy preparing the campaign schedulded for the spring. While in Puebla, new fortifications were built, including Fuerte San Javier, under the command of General Ortega.

The siege began on March 16 by an encircling movement led by Generals Bazaine and Douay. By the 18th encirclement was effective and by the 22nd a rescue attempted from Republicans from Cholula failed.

On March 29, the first assault was launched on the Fort San Javier. Facing serious resistance from the Mexicans, it took 20 hours to the French to emerge victorious in a particularly confused melee. On March 31, the French seized the convent of Guadalupita. From that moment resistance became even more ferocious, Mexican raised barricades in every street and led the French to fight house to house. Simultaneously, the French repulsed a Mexican Republican offensive which aimed to break the siege.

On 25 April, after a failure to capture the convent of Santa Ines, the French decided to keep their position and wait for artillery reinforcements. It is in this period that the famous battle of Camarón took place, while French Foreign Legionnaires escorted the siege equipment.

From May 5 General Ignacio Comonfort attempted to break the siege but failed both at San Pablo del Monte and at San Lorenzo. On May 8, 7,000 Mexicans attempted a great sortie, but they were successfully repulsed by General Bazaine.

On May 16, the besieged Mexicans demanded an armistice and disbanded their troops the next day. The city was eventually occupied on the 19 May and the road to Mexico was now open.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Demokrat (July 4, 1863). "Mexico, retreat of the French from Puebla". Melbourne, Australia: Argus Office. p. 5. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/6487063. Retrieved May 24, 2013. 
  2. Élie Frédéric Forey (July 27, 1863). "Mexico". Sydney, Australia: Samuel Bennett. p. 3. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/60545769. Retrieved May 24, 2013. 
  3. "The French in Mexico; Attack on Puebla". Nelson, New Zealand: Samuel Bennett. August 7, 1863,. p. 4. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=TC18630807.2.21. Retrieved May 24, 2013. 

Sources[]

  • New York Times, Mai 1, 1863 [1]

External links[]

French Wikipedia page

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The original article can be found at Siege of Puebla (1863) and the edit history here.