Napoleon, worried about what was happening in Spain and upset with the failure of the expedition of his forces, decided to come personally to the Peninsula, in whose submission he would eventually invest 300,000 men.

Moore's army was defeated and hounded across the mountains of Lugo; the British general himself was killed during the final combats around the bay of Coruña, where the remnants of his forces re-embarked.

The carrying out of order was, however, strongly impeded by the winter, which had made the Minho River almost impassable, and by the resistance of Portuguese forces located between Cerveira and Valença.

The defense of the border of Trás-os-Montes was in the hands of brigadier Francisco Silveira, whose forces, numbering 2,800 regular troops, 2,500 militia, and only 50 cavalry,[7] were concentrated around the stronghold of Chaves.

[8] Silveira tried to change his mind, even calling a war council to discuss the problem, but he couldn't get a formal decision, especially since the French who arrived on the 10th of March were now preparing to attack the more northerly fort of São Neutel.

[1] Soult, with so many prisoners on his hands, released the civilians of the militias and ordenanças, under oath of not taking up arms against the French and tried to recruit 500 of the line troops, who soon deserted.

[7] These actions by Marshal Soult were strongly criticized by several of his officers, especially those who had participated in the first French invasion of Portugal of the previous year under Junot, as they preferred that the stronghold had been taken by assault and the garrison put to the sword.

They desired that Chaves might be assaulted and the garrison put to the sword, for they were embued with a personal hatred of the Portuguese and, being adverse to serve in the present expedition, endeavored, as it would appear, to thwart their general (...).

He left a small garrison of a few hundred men in Chaves under the command of Major Messenger, and the hospital he had transferred from Monterey, Galicia, with many wounded or sick.

On the fifth day, when all was ready for the final assault to be carried out by escalating the fort, Silveira gave Messenger an ultimatum, under which he should surrender without conditions.

After the time given had ended, and still without a response, Silveira issued a final request, warning Messenger that if he did not surrender in five minutes, he would give orders to storm the fort.

After the Second Battle of Porto, the French army was obliged by Wellesley to retreat quickly to its starting point, the city of Ourense in Galicia, Spain.