Joaquín Ibáñez, Baron de Eroles

Who was Joaquín Ibáñez, Baron de Eroles?

Joaquín Ibáñez Cuevas y de Valonga, Baron de Eroles led a Spanish division against Imperial France in a number of actions during the Peninsular War. A lawyer at the outbreak of war, he took command of guerillas who resisted the French occupation of his native Catalonia. He fought at Molins de Rey in 1808. Captured by the French at Gerona in 1809, he later escaped. By 1810 he led one of four regular divisions of the Army of Catalonia. In November 1810 he destroyed a French convoy at La Junquera. His men were driven off Montserrat Mountain on 25 July 1811. His division wiped out a French column at Col de Balaguer on 18 January 1812. Six days later he was badly beaten at Altafulla when he mistakenly attacked Maurice Mathieu's superior French force in a thick fog. On 5 March he defeated a French force that attacked him at Roda de Isábena. Later in the war he liberated a number of towns from the French.

After the war he was admitted to the Royal Fine Arts Academy of Barcelona. A believer in absolutism, he opposed the Trienio Liberal in 1820 and retired to his estate before fleeing to France. He supported the reimposition of absolutist government by French intervention, called the Hundred Thousand Sons of St. Louis. He was appointed Captain General of Catalonia in 1823 but died in somewhat mysterious circumstances in 1825.