Brigadier General Antonio Sanz directed 3,220 infantry in the 3rd Division, Brigadier General M. Ladron commanded 1,014 troopers in the 1st Cavalry Division, and Brigadier General V. Osorio led 709 horsemen in the 2nd Cavalry Division. There were 786 artillerymen and 267 sappers. The 2,180-man garrison of Cartagena also fell under Freire's orders. Taking advantage of French weakness, Freire pushed westward on the Lorca to Baza to Granada highway with the divisions of Creagh, Sanz, and the cavalry. Meanwhile, La Cuadra's division diverged to the north on the road to Pozo Alcón. Freire's advance was slow and cautious, allowing Leval to retreat without being hustled along. Nevertheless, the French general abandoned the Mediterranean coast between Almería and Motril and the towns of Baza and Guadix. Troops from La Cuadra's command raided as far northwest as Úbeda. Agents from Freire's column stirred up the local guerillas, including the band led by the Conde de Montijo. These cut the supply lines between Granada and Málaga. With only 3,000 to 4,000 troops, Leval was in a dilemma. He was out of touch with his Polish division in Málaga and his garrisons at Jaén and Cordova. To seriously oppose Freire, he had to concentrate his command, but he was forbidden to do so by Soult. Meanwhile, William Beresford's Allied army defeated Soult at the Battle of Albuera on 16 May 1811. Casualties in the engagement were appalling. French losses are estimated at 7,000 men killed, wounded, and captured. British casualties numbered 4,156, Spanish losses were 1,359, and 389 Portuguese fell, for a total of 5,904 Allied casualties. Despite the victory, the Second Siege of Badajoz ended with the Allies raising the siege on 10 June and falling back to Elvas in Portugal. This was because Marshal Auguste Marmont appeared on the scene with a second French army. Meanwhile, Joaquín Blake y Joyes took 10,000 Spanish troops and marched south. Hearing reports of Freire's activity and worried about Blake's column, Soult marched away on 24 June, leaving Marmont to face the Allies. First he headed to Niebla where Blake was besieging a French garrison. The Spanish general marched rapidly south and his troops were taken on board a British squadron at Ayamonte on 8 July. Blake's force landed at Cadiz on 10 July and the general immediately lobbied the Supreme Central and Governing Junta of the Kingdom to be made Captain General of the provinces