In March 1809, Marshal Édouard Mortier ordered Colonel Briche to take a regiment of cavalry from Aragon and make contact with the French VII Corps operating in Catalonia.

This was in order to open communications with Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr, the VII Corps commander.

He took his horsemen on a route between Lerida and Mequinenza, finally making contact with Louis François Jean Chabot's division in the coastal plains.

On his return trip back to Mortier with news of the VII Corps, Briche was attacked by swarms of miquelets, the Catalan militia, and abandoned his mission.

Briche took refuge with Chabot's division, but Mortier remained unaware of his fate.