Editing Battle of Ciudad Real (section)

==Battle==
French 4th Corps (with attached Polish division under general Valance) had to cross the bridge over the [[Guadiana]] River which was defended by the Spanish corps of Count Urbina Cartaojal. Polish [[lancer]]s of the [[Legion of the Vistula]] under colonel [[Jan Konopka]] charged through the bridge taking it by surprise, then outflanked Spanish infantry and attacked it from behind as the main French and Polish forces crossed the bridge, and attacked the Spanish front lines.

The battle was over when undisciplined Spanish soldiers dispersed, and began to retreat in the direction of [[Santa Cruz de Mudela|Santa Cruz]].
Józef Rudnicki, adjutant-major of the 4th Infantry Regiment of the Legion, described the battle in his diaries (spelling according to the original):

<blockquote>as soon as the French regiments of the 4th Corps met our division, we rushed immediately toward the [[Consuegra]] and [[Ciudad Real]], before of which town we found the Spanish corps, waiting for us on good positions. We were outnumbered, but thanks to the rational orders of the general [[Horace François Bastien Sébastiani de La Porta|Sebastiani]], in some od four hours on 27 March 1809 the Spaniards were defeated and dispersed. They were retreating in chaos toward [[Almagro, Ciudad Real|Almagro]], where the [[Order of Calatrava]] has its home, and toward the [[Santa Cruz de Mudela]], and even further, into the [[Sierra Morena|Sierramorena]] Mountains.{{sfn|Druk|1862|p=64}}</blockquote>