Siege of San Sebastián

Siege of San Sebastián
Part of Peninsular War

The Storming of San Sebastian by Denis Dighton
Date7 July – 8 September 1813
Location43°19′08″N 1°58′52″W / 43.319°N 1.981°W / 43.319; -1.981
Result French victory (1st siege)
Anglo-Portuguese victory (2nd siege)
Belligerents
 United Kingdom
Kingdom of Portugal
France
Commanders and leaders
Marquess of Wellington
Sir Thomas Graham
Louis Emmanuel Rey
Strength
9,750 3,380
Casualties and losses
1,200 killed
3,800 wounded
300 missing
1,900 killed or wounded
1,200 captured
1,000 civilians killed in post-battle sack
Peninsular War
Vitoria and the Pyrenees, 1813–1814
50km
31miles
8
San Marcial
7
Maya
6
Pyrenees
5
San Sebastián
4
Pamplona
3
Tolosa
2
Vitoria
1
San Millan
  current battle

The siege of San Sebastián took place between 7 July and 8 September 1813, during the Peninsular War. Allied British and Portuguese forces under the command of Thomas Graham captured the city by assault after a lengthy siege, which followed a failed earlier siege and attack under the lead of Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington. The successful assault carried out by Graham forced the surrender of the defending French garrison under Louis Emmanuel Rey. Having broken into the town during the final assault, the allied soldiers rampaged out of control through San Sebastián, abusing and murdering many of its civilian inhabitants and setting fire to many of the city's buildings.