ðə vˈaɪsɹɔɪ ʌv kˌæɾɐlˈoʊniə, dˈɑːn hwˈɑːn mænwˈɛl lˈoʊpɛz pæʃˈiːkoʊ ɐkjˈuːnjə dʒˈaɪɚn wˈaɪ pˌoːɹɾəkɐɹˈɛɹoʊ, mɑːɹrkˈiː ʌv vɪlˈiːnə dˈuːk ʌv ˌɛskɐlˈoʊnə, hˌuː wʌz ˈɔːlsoʊ ðə kˈæptɪn dʒˈɛnɚɹəl ʌvðɪ ˈɑːɹmi, hæd dᵻplˈɔɪd ɐlˈɔŋ ðə bˈæŋks ʌvðə ɹˈɪvɚ tˈɜː pɹˈæktɪkli ˈɔːl ðə mˈɑːɹtʃɪŋ tɹˈuːps hiː kʊd mˈʌstɚ tʊ əpˈoʊz ðə stɹˈɔŋ fɹˈɛntʃ ˌɛkspədˈɪʃənˌɛɹi kˈɔːɹ, lˈɛd baɪ ðə fɹˈɛntʃ mˈɑːɹʃəl dˈuːk ʌv nˈoʊɪlz, hˌuː wˈɔntᵻd tə kˈæptʃɚ dʒˈaɪɚnə.
The viceroy of Catalonia, don Juan Manuel Lopez Pacheco Acuña Giron y Portocarrero, marquis of Villena duke of Escalona, who was also the Captain General of the army, had deployed along the banks of the river Ter practically all the marching troops he could muster to oppose the strong French expeditionary corps, led by the French Marshal duke of Noailles, who wanted to capture Girona.