Rather, he set up a civil administration with which he was able to finance, arm and feed his considerable forces, as well as using the booty he obtained from French convoys he captured.

[2] In all, during the months of September, October, and November 38,000 men under Drouet, Roguet, Dumoustier, and Reille were prevented by Espoz y Mina's actions from doing anything to help Masséna.

When the latter was captured on 21 March 1810, six[1] or seven[3] men of the group chose to follow Francisco Espoz,[2] and on 1 April 1810 the Junta of Aragon gave him the command of the guerrilleros of Navarre.

[2] Despite Espoz's petition to the Regency to be given official command of the Navarran guerrillas, Francisco Javier de Irujo, the prior of Ujué, was chosen instead, as well as being given a million reales for that purpose.

However, when the prior abandoned the field of combat at Estella, Espoz y Mina was able to regain his command and by September the Regency had promoted him to the rank of colonel[2][1] and Commandant-General of all the Guerrilleros of Navarre, at that time made up of three Infantry battalions and a squadron of hussars.

[4] In the interval he claimed that he had fought 143 actions big and little, had been repeatedly wounded by bullet, sword and lance, had taken 13 fortified posts, and 14,000 prisoners, and had never been surprised by the French.

[5] Apart from the attempts by Drouet's division during the autumn of 1810, later, and simultaneously, six French generals, with 18,000 men, were actively engaged in trying to put an end to Espoz's operations:[2] Dorsenne, the governor of Burgos; Marshal Reille in Navarre; Caffarelli and his division of Reserve of the Army of Spain, by D'Agoult, the governor of Pamplona; Roguet, and Paris, one of Suchet's brigadiers from the Army of Aragon.

[citation needed] His health compelled him to resign in April 1835, and his later command in Catalonia was only memorable for the part he took in forcing the regent to grant a constitution in August 1836.