Julián Sánchez García (1774–1832),ánSánchezGarcí nicknamed El Charro or Don Julián, was a Spanish guerrillero and military commander.
Early career
After having enlisted in the Mallorca Infantry Regiment in 1793, Sánchez saw action in the War of the Pyrenees, being wounded on seven occasions. He was later captured at the surrender of El Boló, and remained a prisoner of war for 18 months until the signing of the Peace of Basel (1795).
Peninsular War
In August 1808 he joined a Cavalry unit formed in Ciudad Rodrigo, and led a small band of lancers that skirmished with the French forces in the south of the region of Salamanca.
1809
In mid-February 1809, he was promoted to Cavalry alférez and later that month, at the head of 12 lancers, he captured a French convoy near Vitigudino, taking five prisoners. The following day, at the bridge over the Huebra at Yecla de Yeltes, his band captured 15 more French troops and a few days later, at Ledesma, and in the presence of General Wilson, Sánchez's men surprised and defeated a French advance party of an officer and 23 men.
The following April, with the aim of forcing the French troops to withdraw from around the town of Ciudad Rodrigo, he organised a series of successful skirmishes which continued harassing the French rearguard as they retreated. His men later attacked a 75-wagon convoy at Herguijuela, killing 28 of the escort and taking some prisoners. In May, he forced the French troops to withdraw from Ledesma.
In June 1809, near Zamora, he attacked a convoy, escorted by 40 dragoons, and made off with 120 oxen and 120 horses. That same month, at Almeida de Sayago, at the head of 50 lancers, he attacked a column of 186 dragoons, killing 43 of them and capturing their horses. Having been commissioned by the new captain general of Old Castile, General Vives to recruit troops from the province of Zamora, then occupied by the French, Sánchez had, by then, been able to recruit 1,200 men for the army.
In mid-July, at the head of 22 lancers, he captured 34 French hussars, including their captain and a sergeant. Two days later, he was promoted to captain and the Duke del Parque authorised him to form a squadron. Although the official name was the Lancers of Castille, they became known as Don Julián's Lancers. At the end of that same month, leading 100 horse, he attacked a French column of 94 hussars, killing 94 of them and capturing 43.
In October, Sánchez's horsemen fought at Tamames, as part of Duke del Parque's Army of the Left.
When General Pérez de Herrasti was given command of the garrison at Ciudad Rodrigo in October 1809, Sánchez, now a lieutenant colonel, provided 240 horse for carrying out sorties.
Sánchez's horsemen also fought at Alba de Tormes in November 1809.
1810
In February 1810, Sánchez was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
That same month, Pérez de Herrasti rejected Marshal Ney's demands for the surrender of the place which, together with the sorties carried out by Sánchez's horse, forced the French commander to return to his headquarters at the Castle of San Felices de los Gallegos. On one of those sorties, at the head of 60 horse he attacked a column of 500 dragoons, killing around 200 of them.
By the time Ney returned, the following 25 April, this time to lay siege, the Spanish garrison had been increased to 6,000 troops, including 400 artillerymen and Sánchez's horse now numbered 340.
In another sortie, he led 200 horse through three siege lines, killing some 240 men and destroying their camp. The commanding officer of the Army of the Left, Marquis of La Romana, on recommending Sanchéz for a medal for that action, also pointed out that Sánchez had, throughout the siege, taken over 800 prisoners.
At the beginning of June, he was promoted to colonel. On a sortie towards the end of that month, his men attacked a column of 200 dragoons near El Bodón, killing 66 of them and making off with 54 horses.
Finally, given leave by Pérez de Herrasti to quit the town, on the night of 21–22 June, Sánchez crossed the bridge over the Agueda, broke through the lines of Marchand's division, and escaped to Craufurd's outpost at Almeida.
At the beginning of July, Sánchez was promoted to colonel of the Regiment of Castille Lancers. By the second half of 1810, Sanchez's band numbered 300 to 500 lancers and had become a major cause for concern for Kellermann. Sanchez was also in regular communication with Wellington, sending captured dispatches and providing intelligence.