Albuc'ra

Albuc'ra, in the Spanish province of Estremadura, an insignificant hamlet, famous for the sanguinary battle of May 16, 1811, between the combined English, Spanish, and Portuguese forces under General Beresford, and the French under Marshal Soult, who were scarcely so numerous, but had abundant artillery. Soult's object was to compel the English to raise the siege of Badajoz, but he was obliged to retreat to Seville, with the loss of 9000 men; whilst the allied forces lost about 7000.