Editing Second Battle of Boulou (section)

==Background==
===1793===
The year 1793 was a difficult time for the poorly trained French forces defending [[Roussillon]] against the Spanish army of [[Captain General]] [[Antonio Ricardos]]. The [[Siege of Bellegarde (1793)|Siege of Bellegarde]] concluded in June with the French surrender of the [[Fort de Bellegarde]], which dominated the key Pass of Le Perthus through the Pyrenees. However, Ricardos was repelled in the [[Battle of Perpignan (1793)|Battle of Perpignan]] on 17 July. The French army revived again under GD [[Eustache Charles d'Aoust]] to deal their enemies a sharp reverse at the [[Battle of Peyrestortes]] on 17 September. Five days later, Ricardos defeated the French at the [[Battle of Truillas]].{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=57}}

Subsequently, the Spanish general fell back to the valley of the Tech River where he repulsed a series of French attempts to drive him back into Spain. D'Aoust tried and failed to oust the Spanish from Le Boulou on 3 October.{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=57}} In the [[First Battle of Boulou]] (or Pla del Rey) from 13 to 15 October, Ricardos bloodily repulsed the attacks of GD [[Louis Marie Turreau]].{{sfn|Prats|2007a}} D'Aoust was defeated again on 7 December at the [[Battle of Villelongue]].{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=63}} The Spanish seized [[Fort Saint-Elme (France)|Fort Saint-Elme]] through the treason of its commander{{sfn|Phipps|2011|p=166}} and, in the [[Battle of Collioure]], captured the port of [[Collioure]] on 20 December, wiping out 4,000 of its garrison of 5,000 men.{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=64}} Soon afterward, D'Aoust was arrested and eventually executed.{{sfn|Phipps|2011|p=167}}

===New commanders===
[[File:Eastern Theater Pyrenees War 1793 to 1795.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|War of the Pyrenees, Eastern Pyrenees]]

Fresh from his victory at the [[Siege of Toulon (1793)|Siege of Toulon]], GD [[Jacques François Dugommier]] arrived to lead the army on 16 January 1794. He began a complete reorganization of the army, setting up supply depots, hospitals, and arsenals, and also improving roads. After getting reinforcements from the [[Toulon]] army, Dugommier's field army numbered 28,000. These troops were supported by 20,000 garrison troops and 9,000 green volunteers. He formed his field army into three infantry divisions under GD [[Dominique Catherine de Pérignon]], GD [[Pierre Augereau]], and GD [[Pierre François Sauret]]. There was a 2,500-strong cavalry division led by GD [[André de La Barre]] and a reserve headed by [[General of Brigade]] (GB) [[Claude Perrin Victor]].{{sfn|Ostermann|1987|pp=406–407}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:60%;"
|+Abstract return, French Army, Battle of Boulou{{sfn|Nafziger|2011}}
! Division
! Brigade
! Infantry
! Cavalry
|-
| rowspan=1 | '''Reserve'''
| rowspan=1 | GB Claude Perrin Victor || 2,669 || 0
|-
| rowspan=1 | '''Left division'''<br>GD Pierre François Sauret
| rowspan=1 | All brigades || 7,362 || 100
|-
| rowspan=9 | '''Centre division'''<br>GD Dominique de Pérignon
| rowspan=1 | GB Dominique Martin || 3,091 || 0
|-
| rowspan=1 | GB [[Théodore Chabert]] || 2,648 || 0
|-
| rowspan=1 | GB François Point || 2,774 || 0
|-
| rowspan=1 | ''Detachment of the left'' || 1,994 || 0
|-
| rowspan=1 | GB [[Louis Lemoine]] || 3,257 || 0
|-
| rowspan=1 | GB [[Hyacinthe François Joseph Despinoy|Hyacinthe Despinoy]] || 1,074 || 0
|-
| rowspan=1 | GD André de La Barre || 1,357 || 1,907
|-
| rowspan=1 | GB [[François Jean Baptiste Quesnel|François Quesnel]] || 550 || 0
|-
| rowspan=1 | Artillery || 150 || 0
|-
| rowspan=3 | '''Right division'''<br>GD Pierre Augereau
| rowspan=1 | GB [[Guillaume Mirabel]] || 2,039 || 80
|-
| rowspan=1 | GB [[Jean Joseph Guieu]] || 4,127 || 0
|-
| rowspan=1 | Colonel Jacques Gilly || 235 || 0
|-
|}

During the winter, Ricardos travelled to [[Madrid]] to discuss the campaign. He died there on 13 March 1794, allegedly after having drunk a cup of poisoned chocolate intended for the king's favorite [[Manuel Godoy]].{{sfn|Phipps|2011|p=171}} It is more probable that Ricardos died of pneumonia.{{sfn|Prats|2007b}} Ricardos' designated successor, Captain General [[Alejandro O'Reilly, 1st Count of O'Reilly|Alejandro O'Reilly]] died on 23 March of an intestinal illness before he could reach the front. In the interim, LG [[Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, Marquis de las Amarillas]] assumed leadership over the Army of Catalonia. But in late April, LG Luis Fermín de Carvajal, Conde de la Unión finally accepted command of the army.{{sfn|Phipps|2011|p=171}} Dejected by the weakened state of the army, de la Unión had refused army command three times, saying what was needed was an angel and not a man.{{sfn|Phipps|2011|p=172}}