Editing Battle of Uclés (1809) (section)

===Action===
Venegas strung out his soldiers along a northeast to southwest ridge. Three infantry battalions and four cavalry regiments formed an advance guard to watch the approach of the French from Tribaldos village. Four battalions defended the town of Uclés in the center with remaining cavalry and the four guns in front. Eight battalions held the right flank, while six battalions deployed on the left flank. Venegas held only a single battalion in reserve; the rest of his units formed a single overextended line. On 13 January, Victor marched from Tarancón at dawn in two columns. Victor with Villatte's and most of Latour-Maubourg's divisions took the right-hand road, which was more direct. Ruffin's division and some cavalry took the left-hand road. Villatte quickly drove the advance guard out of Tribaldos; it fell back to the main Spanish position. After getting a good look at the Spanish line, Victor ordered Ruffin to sweep wide to the left and take Venegas in right flank and rear.{{sfn|Oman|1995|p=10}}

[[File:Général Eugène Casimir Villatte.png|thumb|left|upright=0.7|alt=Black and white print of a man in a dark coat with a white shirt. He has a strong chin and wavy hair and looks to the right.|Eugène Villatte]]
Victor deployed Villatte's division and the cavalry, a total of about 7,000 foot soldiers and 2,500 horsemen. In the center, a battery unlimbered and began bombarding the Spanish cavalry and Uclés. The dragoons were posted behind the artillery. Meanwhile, the 94th and 95th Line{{sfn|Oman|1995|p=11}} under General of Brigade [[Jacques-Pierre-Louis Puthod]]{{sfn|Oman|1995|p=54}} made a wide sweep to the right. Ascending the end of the ridge where the slope was less steep, Puthod's six battalions attacked the Spanish left flank and began driving it back. From his vantage point at the monastery in Uclés, Venegas ordered some units from the right flank to go to the assistance of his imperiled left. However, the French attack proceeded swiftly and crumpled up the Spanish left flank before the reinforcements could give any help. Puthod's troops soon reached the walls of Uclés.{{sfn|Oman|1995|p=11}}

When Victor saw the success of his right wing, he ordered Villatte's left wing brigade{{sfn|Oman|1995|p=11}} under General of Brigade [[Michel-Marie Pacthod]]{{sfn|Oman|1995|p=54}} to attack the Spanish right flank. Since many of the defending units had been sent to the left, Pacthod's assault easily reached the top of the ridge. Shaken by the obvious reverse on the left flank, the right flank troops offered little resistance. Soon, Venegas's entire force was retreating from the field. The cavalry seems to have fought hardly at all leaving only two or three battalions under General [[Pedro Agustín Girón]] to act as the [[rear guard]]. Meanwhile, Ruffin's division lost its way and made a wider march than intended. Though Ruffin was late to the field, he and his troops fortuitously arrived squarely in the Spanish rear.{{sfn|Oman|1995|p=11}} Latour-Maubourg's pursuing dragoons drove Venegas' hapless soldiers right into the arms of Ruffin's nine battalions. The nimble Spanish cavalry largely escaped along with some left flank infantry, while Girón's men broke out between two French regiments. But the majority of the Spanish foot soldiers were trapped and forced to surrender.{{sfn|Oman|1995|p=12}}