Battle of La Marfée
| Battle of La Marfée | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Franco-Spanish War (1635–59) | |||||||
French rebel leader Louis de Bourbon, Count of Soissons | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| France |
Holy Roman Empire Spain French rebels Principality of Sedan | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Gaspard III de Coligny Marquis de Praslin † Puységur † Marquis Sourdis † |
Guillaume de Lamboy Count of Soissons † Frédéric Maurice de Bouillon | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 6,000 infantry, 1,400 cavalry | 7,000 infantry, 2,500 cavalry | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
200–300 killed or wounded 4,000 captured | Nominal | ||||||
The Battle of La Marfée took place on 6 July 1641, during the 1635 to 1659 Franco-Spanish War. It was fought near Sedan, France, on 6 July 1641, between a French army led by the Duke of Châtillon, and an Imperial-Spanish force commanded by Lamboy, supported by French rebels led by the Comte de Soissons and Bouillon.
The right wing of the French army ran into heavy artillery fire and collapsed under pressure from the Imperial cavalry, taking heavy casualties. Their opponents suffered only minor losses, but one of these was Soissons, who was killed in the closing moments, allegedly by using a loaded pistol to open his helmet. The loss of his leadership meant the battle ultimately made little difference to the overall strategic position.