Garrisoned at Valencia, at the outbreak of the war against France in 1793, he requested, on three occasions, to be sent on active service in the field, finally seeing action at the retreat of Argelès (October 1793), where he was seriously wounded.

At the outbreak of the war, Menacho left with his regiment, on 1 July 1808, to join the forces of General Pedro Agustín de Echevarri.

[1] In September 1810, Menacho was promoted to field marshal and appointed military and civil governor of Badajoz, as well as commanding officer of its garrison.

The following week, the new commander, Brigadier José Imaz, called a council of war which decided to surrender to Mortier.

IV (1911), was especially critical of Imaz's surrender, summing it up as follows: Badajoz was found by the victors to contain rations for 8,000 men sufficient to last for over a month, more than 150 serviceable cannon, 80,000 lb.