Agustina de Aragón (bottom), known as the “Spanish Joan of Arc,” was a na
Agustina de Aragón (bottom), known as the “Spanish Joan of Arc,” was a national heroine from the Spanish War of Independence who went on to become a rebel leader during the French occupation and, ultimately, professional officer in the Duke of Wellington’s army as it triumphed over Napoleon Bonaparte. She has been celebrated in the works of Francisco Goya and Lord Byron for her remarkable courage. In the summer of 1808, Zaragoza was one of the last cities in northern Spain not to have fallen to the forces of Napoleon…In the mores of the time, a woman who took on “manly” duties posed a problem. However, as the French-imprisoned King of Spain was considered anointed of God, the Church declared it the duty of every Spaniard to take up arms against his captors. On June 15, 1808, the French army stormed the Portillo, an ancient gateway into the city defended by a hodgepodge battery of old cannons and a heavily outnumbered volunteer unit. Agustina, arriving on the ramparts with a basket of apples to feed the gunners, watched the nearby defenders fall to French bayonets. The Spanish troops broke ranks, having suffered heavy casualties, and abandoned their posts. With the French troops a few yards away, Agustina herself ran forward, loaded a cannon, and lit the fuse, shredding a wave of attackers at point blank range.The sight of a lone woman bravely manning the cannons inspired the fleeing Spanish troops and other volunteers to return and assist her. After a bloody struggle, the French gave up the assault on Zaragosa and abandoned their siege for a few short weeks before returning to fight their way into the city, house-by-house. With the human cost proving truly terrible on both sides and the city’s defences hopelessly compromised, Palafox finally accepted the inevitable and was forced to surrender the city to the French. Despite the eventual defeat, Agustina, along with the two other heroines of the battle of Zaragoza [Casta Álvarez (top left) and Manuela Sancho (top right)], became an inspiration to those opposing the French. The image of Agustina as the saviour of Zaragoza has, however, also overshadowed her later actions. After being captured by the French, she was imprisoned and saw her son Eugenio die at the hands of her guards. She subsequently mounted a daring escape and became a low-level rebel leader for the guerrilleros, helping to organise raids and attacks that harassed the French. As the strategic situation deteriorated for the French Army, her role became increasingly orthodox as supplies and training were covertly provided by the Duke of Wellington. Agustina began to fight for the allied forces as Wellington’s only female officer and ultimately rose to the rank of Captain. On June 21, 1813, she acted as a front line battery commander at the Battle of Vitoria under the command of Major Cairncross, who reported directly to Wellington himself. This battle was to see the French Army that had occupied Spain effectively smashed beyond repair and driven out of the country. -- source link
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