In 1802 he was promoted to lieutenant general,[1] in the same promotion as other notable Spanish military commanders of the Spanish armies during the Peninsular War, including the Duke of the Infantado, Manuel Lapeña, Juan Carrafa, Francisco Castaños, Francisco Taranco, Juan Pignatelli, and Arturo O'Neill.

[3] In September 1809, Eguía marched three divisions of infantry and twelve or thirteen regiments of cavalry, some 25,000 men in all, of the Army of Extremadura[note 4] to join Venegas's Army of La Mancha, a united force now exceeding 50,000 sabres and bayonets, with which the Junta intended to take Madrid.

[4] Eguía was appointed minister of war in 1814, resigning the following year due to his health, his post being taken up by Francisco Ballesteros.

[1] The Official Chronicler of the City of Madrid from 1966 to 1983, Federico Carlos Sáinz de Robles,[5] mentions in his essay Autobiography of Madrid, a copla popular in Madrid in 1814 and 1815 about Eguía and two other generals, Francisco Javier de Elío (executed for treason during the Liberal Triennium) and Eroles, the three of whom were considered "uncouth, fanatical and cruel":[6] Eguía, Eroles, Elío...Dios te libre de los tres;porque si Dios no te libra,¡Santíguate y muérete!¡Santíguate y muérete!

(Eguía, Eroles, Elío...God save you from the threebecause if God doesn't save youMake the sign of the cross and prepare to die!Make the sign of the cross and prepare to die!