To the Spanish Army on the Occasion of the Entrance of the Uclés Prisoners to Madrid (Al Exército Español Con Motivo de la Entrada de Los Prisioneros de Uclés En Madrid)

Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain in 1808, as part of his offensive to gain control of the Iberian peninsula. There he was met by Spanish, Portuguese and British forces. In 1809, the Spanish and French fought at the Battle of Uclés, around 100km southeast of Madrid. The French easily won, capturing half of the Spanish infantry, a total of 5,887 prisoners. Despite their victory, they sacked the town of Uclés, murdering 69 civilians, not least several monks. They were also reported to have treated the prisoners poorly, killing several who could not march with the army. The anonymous pamphlet was a piece of propaganda produced after these events, published in Valencia that had significantly held off the French and so a site of Spanish victory. The text was designed both to lionise those captured at Uclés for their heroism, and to encourage others to engage in subsequent military action.