José Pascual de Zayas Chacón (1772–1827) was a Spanish military commander and deputy of the Cortes of Cádiz, representing La Habana.

As a leading Spanish Army figure in the Peninsular War, he is renowned for his great skill and daring, in particular for his initiative at the Battle of Albuera.

[2] Following the signing of the Peace of Basel (1795), which signalled the end of the War of the Pyrenees, his unit was sent to escort the fleet headed for Veracruz.

However, the events leading up to the Dos de Mayo Uprising caught him in Madrid and his earlier collaboration with O’Farrill, now a member of the provisional Supreme Central Junta, enabled him to accompany Evaristo Pérez de Castro to Bayonne at the end of April 1808 with the mission of contacting members of the circle close to Fernando VII, then being held in captivity by Napoleon.

Cuesta appointed Zayas Major-general of Infantry,[2] and he fought at Cabezón (June 1808), the first battle of Spain's War of Independence,[2] and a resounding defeat for the Spanish forces.

[2] On 15 August 1810, at the head of the 4th Division (Infantry) of the Army of the Centre stationed at Cadiz and Isla de León, Zayas had an effective force of 342 officers and 5,661 troops.

However, on landing at Moguer, Zayas was forced to retreat when faced by the seven battalions and two regiments of cavalry under General Maransin that Marshal Soult had sent to intercept them.

Zayas was released in December 1813 in order to accompany the Duke of San Carlos in negotiating the return of Ferdinand VII before the Cortes.

[2] On 7 July 1822, Zayas participated in the defence of the Royal Palace of Madrid during the failed coup d'etat carried out by the Absolutist forces[2] and in 1823, at the head of the liberal government's troops in Madrid, refused to hand the city over to the Duke of Angoulême's Royalist troops, combatting them until the Duke himself arrived at the head of the so-called army of the Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis towards the end of May.